Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirty-one

I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE who had come to that startling conclusion. When the Moroi Court woke up several hours into our road trip, Lissa was also putting all the pieces together in her room as she prepared herself to give her pre-election speech. She'd thought of all the arguments I had, plus a few more–like how frantic Daniella had been that Adrian might be implicated with me, which would undoubtedly unravel a carefully laid out plan. There was also Daniella's offer of having her lawyer cousin, Damon Tarus, defend me. Would that have actually helped? Or would Damon have subtly worked to weaken my defense? Abe's uncouth involvement might have been a blessing. Lissa's heart pounded rapidly as she twisted her hair into a chignon. She preferred it down but thought for the coming event, she should put on a more dignified look. Her dress was matte ivory silk, long-sleeved and ruched, about knee length. Some might have thought wearing that color would make her look bridal, but when I saw her in the mirror, I knew no one would make that mistake. She looked luminous. Radiant. Queenly. â€Å"It can't be true,' she said, completing the look with pearl earrings that had belonged to her mother. She had shared her theory with Christian and Janine, who were with her now, and had half hoped they'd tell her she was crazy. They hadn't. â€Å"It makes sense,' said Christian, with none of his usual snark. â€Å"There's just no proof quite yet,' my mother said, ever practical. â€Å"Lots of circumstantial stuff.' â€Å"Aunt Tasha's checking with Ethan to see if Daniella was there the night of the murder,' said Christian. He made a slight face, still not happy about his aunt having a boyfriend. â€Å"Daniella wasn't on the official lists, but Aunt Tasha's worried some things might have been altered.' â€Å"That wouldn't surprise me. Even so, putting Daniella there at the right time builds the case but still isn't hard proof.' My mother should have been an attorney. She and Abe could have opened a law firm together. â€Å"It's as much proof as they've got for Rose!' exclaimed Lissa. â€Å"Aside from the stake,' Janine reminded her. â€Å"And people are more willing to believe sketchy evidence about Rose than Lady Daniella Ivashkov.' Lissa sighed, knowing it was all true. â€Å"If only Abe could talk to the Alchemists. We need what they know.' â€Å"He'll do it,' said my mother confidently. â€Å"It'll just take time.' â€Å"We don't have time!' The dramatic turn of events was giving spirit a nice chance to raise its ugly head, and like always, I tried to pull the darkness from Lissa. You'd think I would have learned my lesson after Victor, but well †¦ old habits died hard. They come first. ‘Marie Conta and Rufus Tarus are the only candidates left! If he wins, Daniella's going to have a lot of influence. We'll never prove Rose is innocent then.' Ariana failing the last test had come as a huge blow to everyone, smashing a future Lissa had thought was set in stone. Without Ariana, the outcome didn't look good. Marie Conta wasn't Lissa's favorite person, but Lissa felt she'd make a much better ruler than Rufus. Unfortunately, the Conta family had been quiet in politics in recent years, giving them fewer allies and friends. The numbers were leaning dangerously toward Rufus. It was frustrating. If we could get Jill there, Lissa could vote, and on a Council of twelve, even one vote would be powerful. â€Å"We have time,' my mom said calmly. â€Å"There'll be no vote today, not with the controversy you'll cause. And for every day the election is delayed, we have another chance to build our case. We're close. We can do it.' â€Å"We can't tell Adrian about this,' warned Lissa, moving toward the door. It was time to go. Christian's trademark smirk returned. â€Å"That,' he said, â€Å"is something we can all agree on.' The elaborate ballroom–yet again made a Council room for size reasons–looked like a rock concert. People were fighting for spots inside. Some, realizing that was futile, had camped outside the building, picnic style. Someone had thankfully had the brilliant idea to hook up a sound system with outdoor speakers so that those who didn't make it in could still hear the proceedings. Guardians moved through the crowds, trying to contain the chaos–particularly as the candidates arrived. Marie Conta had shown up just before Lissa, and even if she was the least-likely candidate, there were still roars and surges of excitement in the crowd. Guardians hastily–and roughly, if necessary–held the mob back so she could pass. That attention had to be scary, but Marie didn't show it. She walked proudly, smiling at supporters and non-supporters alike. Both Lissa and I recalled Christian's words: You're a queenly nominee. Act like it. You deserve this. You're the last Dragomir. A daughter of royalty. And that was exactly how she behaved. It was more than Christian's urging, too. Now that she'd passed all three tests, the gravity of the ancient procedure she was entering continued to grow. Lissa walked in, her head held high. I couldn't see her whole body, but I recognized the feel of her walk: graceful, stately. The crowd loved it, and it occurred to me that this group was particularly vocal because most weren't royal. Those gathered outside were ordinary Moroi, the ones who had come to truly love her. â€Å"Alexandra's heir!' â€Å"Bring back the dragon!' For some, it was simply enough to shout her name, adding on the titles of an old Russian folktale heroine who shared the same name: â€Å"Vasilisa the brave! Vasilisa the beautiful!' I knew no one would guess the fear she felt inside. She was that good. Christian and my mother, who had initially flanked her, fell back as one, letting Lissa walk a couple steps ahead. There was no question of Lissa's position and authority. She took each step with confidence, remembering that her grandfather had also walked this path. She tried to give the crowd a smile that was both dignified but genuine. It must have worked because they went even wilder. And when she paused to comment on a dragon banner a man had painted in support, the artist nearly passed out that someone like her would notice and compliment him. â€Å"This is unprecedented,' remarked my mom, once they'd safely made it inside. â€Å"There's never been this sort of turnout. There certainly wasn't during the last election.' â€Å"Why so great this time?' asked Lissa, who was trying to get her breathing under control. â€Å"Because there's so much sensation, between the murder and you muddling the law. That and †¦ well, the way you're winning the hearts of every non-royal out there. The dhampirs too. There's a dragon sign in one of our coffee rooms, you know. I even think some of the royals love you, though maybe it's just to spite whatever family they're feuding with. But seriously? If this were up to all of the people and not just the Council– and well, if it was a vote you were eligible for–I think you'd win.' Lissa grimaced but then reluctantly added, â€Å"Honestly? I think we should have popular votes for our leaders. Every Moroi should cast a vote, not just a handful of elite families.' â€Å"Careful there, princess,' teased Christian, putting his arm through hers. â€Å"That's the kind of talk that'll start another revolution. One at a time, okay?' The ballroom's crowd wasn't as crazy as the outside one had been–but was pretty close. The guardians were ready for the numbers this time and had made sure to keep strict control from the very beginning. They kept a tight count of how many were allowed in the room and stopped royal and non-royal squabbles. It was still intimidating, and Lissa reminded herself over and over that playing this role was helping me. For me, she would endure anything, even the fanfare. This time, fortunately, Lissa was swept up pretty quickly to the room's front, to where three chairs facing the crowd had been set up for the candidates. Rufus and Marie were already seated, speaking in low voices to a few select family members. Guardians stood around them. Lissa sat alone, of course, but nodded to nearby guards when Tasha approached. Tasha crouched beside Lissa, speaking low and keeping a wary eye on Rufus as he talked to someone. â€Å"Bad news. Well, depending on how you look at it. Ethan says Daniella was there that night. She and Tatiana met alone. He didn't realize it hadn't been put on the records. Someone else wrote those up on behalf of all the guards on duty, but he swears he saw Daniella himself.' Lissa winced. Secretly, she'd been hoping–praying, even–that she'd made a mistake, that surely Adrian's mother couldn't have done this. She gave a swift nod to show she understood. â€Å"I'm sorry,' said Tasha. â€Å"I know you liked her.' â€Å"I think I'm more worried about Adrian. I don't know how he'll take it.' â€Å"Hard,' said Tasha bluntly. After what she'd faced with Christian's parents, she knew better than anyone else what it was like to have family betray you. â€Å"But he'll make it through. And as soon as we can put all this evidence forward, we'll have Dimitri and Rose back.' Those words filled Lissa with hope, strengthening her. â€Å"I miss her so much,' she said. â€Å"I wish she was here already.' Tasha gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder. â€Å"Soon. They'll be back soon. Just get through this for now. You can do this. You can change everything.' Lissa wasn't so sure about that, but Tasha hurried off to join her â€Å"activist friends' and was replaced by–Daniella. She'd come to talk to Rufus, offering support and family love. Lissa couldn't bear to look at the older woman and felt even worse when Daniella spoke to her. â€Å"I'm not sure how you got involved with this, dear, but good luck.' Daniella's smile seemed sincere, but there was no question which candidate she supported. Her kindly expression turned to concern. â€Å"Have you seen Adrian? I thought for sure he'd be here. I know the guardians would let him in.' Excellent question. Lissa hadn't seen him in the last day or so. â€Å"I haven't. Maybe he's just running late. Doing his hair or something.' Hopefully not passed out somewhere. Daniella sighed. â€Å"I hope so.' She left, taking a seat in the audience. Once again, Adrian's father was running the session, and after several false starts, the room quieted. â€Å"In the last week,' Nathan began, speaking into a microphone, â€Å"many worthy candidates have taken the tests required to rule our people. Before us sit the final three: Rufus Tarus, Marie Conta, and Vasilisa Dragomir.' Nathan's tone sounded displeased over that last one, but thus far, the law would let her give her speech. After that, the law's inconsistency kicked in, and all hell would break loose. â€Å"These three have shown they have the ability to rule, and as their last act, before we vote, each will speak about their plans for our people.' Rufus was up first, delivering exactly the kind of speech I'd expected. He played on Moroi fears, promising extreme forms of protection–most of which involved dhampirs but didn't get into much detail. â€Å"Our safety must be our top priority,' he proclaimed. â€Å"At all costs. Will it be difficult? Yes. Will there be sacrifices? Yes. But aren't our children worth it? Don't we care about them?' Bringing children into it was just low, I decided. At least he'd left puppies out. He also used dirty politician tricks, slandering his rivals. Marie was mostly slammed for her family's lack of activity. Lissa, however, was a great target. He pushed her age, the danger of spirit, and the fact that her being there in the first place was a violation of the law. Marie's speech was much more thoughtful and detailed. She laid out very explicit plans on all sorts of issues, most of which were reasonable. I didn't agree with all she said, but she was clearly competent and didn't lower herself to mocking her competition. Unfortunately, she wasn't nearly as charismatic as Rufus, and it was a sad truth that that could make a big difference. Her monotone closing summed up not only her speech but also her personality. â€Å"Those are the reasons why I should be queen. I hope you enjoyed this talk and will vote for me when the time comes. Thank you.' She abruptly sat down. Lissa's turn came at last. Standing before her microphone, she suddenly saw the chalice's dream, where she'd faltered in front of the Council. But no, this was reality. She wouldn't fail. She would go forward. â€Å"We're a people at war,' she began, voice loud and clear. â€Å"We're constantly attacked–but not just by Strigoi. By one another. We're divided. We fight with one another. Family against family. Royal against non-royal. Moroi against dhampir. Of course the Strigoi are picking us off. They're at least united behind a goal: killing.' If I had been sitting there in that audience, I would have been leaning forward, mouth open. As it was, there were plenty of people there to do it for me. Her words were volatile. Shocking. And utterly captivating. â€Å"We are one people,' she continued. â€Å"Moroi and dhampir alike.' Yeah, that got some gasps too. â€Å"And while it's impossible for every single person to get their way, no one will get anything done if we don't come together and find ways to meet in the middle–even if it means making hard choices.' Then, extraordinarily, she explained how it could be done. True, she didn't have the time to give fine details on every single issue in our world, but she hit a lot of the big ones. And she managed to do it in a way that didn't offend anyone too badly. After all, she was right in saying not everyone could get their way. Still, she spoke about how the dhampirs were our best warriors–and would be better with a stronger voice. She spoke about how non-royals needed a greater voice too–but not at the cost of losing the exalted royal lines that defined our people. Finally, in addressing the issue of training Moroi to defend themselves, she did emphasize its importance–but not as something mandatory and not as the only method needing to be explored. Yes, she gave something to everyone and did it beautifully and charismatically. It was the kind of speech that could make people follow her anywhere. She concluded with, â€Å"We have always mixed the old with the new. We've kept magic alongside technology. We conduct these sessions with scrolls and–with these.' She smiled and tapped her microphone. â€Å"That's how we have survived. We hold onto our pasts and embrace our present. We take the best of it all and grow stronger. That's how we have survived. That's how we will survive.' Silence met her conclusion–and then the cheers began. I actually heard the roar from outside on the lawn before it started within. People I would have sworn supported others were practically in tears, and I hadn't forgotten that most of the people I had visuals on in this room were royal. Lissa herself wanted to burst into tears but instead took her due bravely. When she finely sat down, and the crowd quieted, Nathan resumed his role. â€Å"Well,' he said. â€Å"That was a very pretty speech, one we all enjoyed. But now, the time has come for the Council to vote on our next leader, and–by law–only two candidates stand ready for that position: Rufus Tarus and Marie Conta.' Two Moroi, one each from the Tarus and Conta families, came forward to join their respective candidates. Nathan's gaze fell on Lissa who had risen like the others but stood alone. â€Å"According to the election laws–laws set down since the beginning of time–each candidate must approach the Council, escorted by someone of their bloodline in order to show family strength and unity. Do you have any such person?' Lissa met his eyes unflinchingly. â€Å"No, Lord Ivashkov.' â€Å"Then I'm afraid your part in this game is over, Princess Dragomir.' He smiled. â€Å"You may sit down now.' Yup. That's when all hell broke loose. I'd always heard the expression, â€Å"And the crowd goes wild!' Now, I saw it in the flesh. Half the time, I couldn't even keep track of who was shouting or supporting what. People argued in clusters and one-on-one. A couple of Moroi in jeans challenged every well-dressed person they could find, operating under the irrational assumptions that anyone in nice clothes must be royal and that all royals hated Lissa. Their devotion to her was admirable. Creepy, but admirable. One group from the Tarus family stood face to face with a Conta group, looking prepared for either a gang fight or a dance-off. That was one of the most bizarre pairings of all since those two families were the only ones who should be in complete agreement on anything. On and on it went. People fought about whether Lissa should be eligible for the vote. They fought about having a session to change the law books right at that moment. Some fought over things I'd never even heard of before. A rush of guardians to the door made me think the outside crowd was trying to break in. My mother was among that defense, and I knew she'd been right: there'd be no vote today, not with this anarchy. They'd have to close the session and try again tomorrow. Lissa stared at the crowd, feeling numb and unable to keep up with all the activity. Her stomach twisted as something dawned on her. All this time, she'd sworn that she'd respect the dignity of the election tradition. Yet, it was because of her that things were now anything but dignified. It was all her fault. Then, her eyes fell on someone sitting in a back corner, far from the pandemonium. Ekaterina Zeklos. The old former queen caught Lissa's eye–and winked. I faded out of that room, not needing to see any more of the arguing. I returned to the car ride, a new thought in my head. Lissa's words burned in my soul. They had stirred my heart. And even if she'd given her speech as a decoy, there had been passion in them–ardent belief. If she had been eligible to be queen, she would have stood behind those words. And that's when I knew. She would be queen. I decided then and there that I would make it happen. We wouldn't bring Jill simply to give Lissa her Council vote. Jill would give Lissa the status that would allow Moroi to vote for her. And Lissa would win. Naturally, I kept these thoughts to myself. â€Å"That's a dangerous look,' said Dimitri, giving me a brief glance before returning his eyes to the road. â€Å"What look?' I asked innocently. â€Å"The one that says you just got some idea.' â€Å"I didn't just get an idea. I got a great idea.' Jokes like that used to make Jill laugh, but turning to look at her in the backseat showed me she didn't find much funny at all. â€Å"Hey, you okay?' I asked. Those jade eyes focused on me. â€Å"I'm not sure. A lot's kind of happened. And I don't really get what's going to happen next. I feel like †¦ like some kind of object that's going to be used in someone's master plan. Like a pawn.' A bit of guilt tugged at me. Victor had always used people as part of a game. Was I any different? No. I cared about Jill. â€Å"You're not an object or a pawn,' I told her. â€Å"But you're very, very important, and because of you, a lot of good things are going to happen.' â€Å"It won't be that simple though, will it?' She sounded wise beyond her years. â€Å"Things are going to get worse before they get better, aren't they?' I couldn't lie to her. â€Å"Yeah. But then you'll get to contact your mom †¦ and well, like I said, good things will happen. Guardians always say â€Å"They come first' when we're talking about Moroi. It's not exactly the same for you, but in doing this †¦ well †¦' She gave me a smile that didn't seem very happy. â€Å"Yeah, I get it. It's for the greater good, right?' Sonya had spent a lot of the ride working on a charm for me, using a silver bracelet we'd bought at a roadside gift shop. It was tacky-looking but made of real silver, which was what counted. When we were about a half hour from Greenston, she deemed it finished and handed it over. I slipped it on and looked at the others. â€Å"Well?' â€Å"I don't see anything,' said Sonya, â€Å"but then, I wouldn't.' Jill squinted. â€Å"You seem a little blurry †¦ like I just need to blink a few times.' â€Å"Same here,' said Dimitri. Sonya was pleased. â€Å"That's how it should look to people who know she's got a charm on. Hopefully, to the other guardians, she'll be wearing a different face.' It was a variation of what Lissa had made when we'd busted Victor out of prison. Only, this required less magic because Sonya only had to slightly alter my features and didn't need to obscure my race. She was also more practiced than Lissa. The restaurant I'd chosen in Greenston had long since closed when we rolled in at eleven thirty. The parking lot was nearly black, but I could make out a car in the back corner. Hopefully, it was Mikhail having gotten there early–and not a guardian hit squad. But when we parked nearby, I saw that it was indeed Mikhail who got out of the car– along with Adrian. He grinned when he saw me, pleased at the surprise. Really, I should have seen this coming when I'd told him to pass the message on to Mikhail. Adrian would have found a way to come along. My stomach rolled. No, no. Not this. I had no time to deal with my love life. Not now. I didn't even know what to say to Adrian. Fortunately, I wasn't given the chance to speak. Mikhail had come striding toward us with guardian efficiency, ready to find out what task I had in mind. He came to a screeching halt when he saw Sonya get out of our car. So did she. They both stood frozen, eyes wider than seemed physically possible. I knew then that the rest of us had ceased to exist, as had all our intrigue, missions, and †¦ well, the world. In that moment, only the two of them existed. Sonya gave a strangled cry and then ran forward. This jolted him awake, in time to wrap her in his arms as she threw herself against him. She started crying, and I could see tears on his face too. He brushed her hair back and cupped her cheeks, staring down at her and repeating over and over, â€Å"It's you †¦ it's you †¦ it's you †¦' Sonya tried to wipe her eyes, but it didn't do much good. â€Å"Mikhail–I'm sorry–I'm so sorry–‘ â€Å"It doesn't matter.' He kissed her and pulled back only enough to look into her eyes. â€Å"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters except that we're together again.' This made her cry harder. She buried her face against his chest, and his arms tightened more fiercely around her. The rest of us stood as frozen as the lovers had been earlier. It felt wrong witnessing this. It was too private; we shouldn't have been there. Yet †¦ at the same time, I just kept thinking that this was how I'd imagined my reunion with Dimitri would be when Lissa had restored him. Love. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Dimitri and I briefly locked eyes, and an uncanny sense told me he was recalling my words: You have to forgive yourself. If you can't, then you can't go on either. We can't. I glanced away from him, looking back at the happy couple so that he wouldn't see me tear up. God, I wanted what Mikhail and Sonya had. A happy ending. Forgiveness of the past. A bright future ahead. Jill sniffled beside me, and I put an arm around her. That small sound seemed to draw Mikhail back to our world. Still holding Sonya, he looked over at me. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you for this. Anything you need. Anything at all–‘ â€Å"Stop, stop,' I said, afraid I might choke up. I'd only just managed to blink away traitorous tears. â€Å"I'm glad †¦ glad to have done it, and well †¦ it wasn't really me at all.' â€Å"Still †¦' Mikhail looked down at Sonya who was smiling at him through her tears. â€Å"You've given me my world back.' â€Å"I'm so happy for you †¦ and I want you to have this, to just enjoy this right now. But I have a favor. One more favor.' Sonya and Mikhail exchanged glances in a knowing way. You never would have guessed they'd been apart for three years. She nodded, and he returned his gaze to me. â€Å"I figured that's why he brought me here.' He inclined his head toward Adrian. â€Å"I need you to get me into the hotel where the Alchemists are staying.' The small smile on Mikhail's face dropped. â€Å"Rose †¦ I can't get you into any place. You being this close to Court is dangerous enough.' I pulled the bracelet from my pocket. â€Å"I'll have a disguise. They won't know it's me. Is there a reason you'd have to see the Alchemists?' Sonya stayed in his arms, but his eyes were dark with thought. â€Å"They'll have guardians near their rooms. We could probably pass ourselves off as relief.' Dimitri nodded in agreement. â€Å"If it's too different from their scheduled shift change, it'll raise eyebrows †¦ but hopefully you'll have long enough to get in and find out what you need. The guardians are probably more worried about the Alchemists getting out than other guardians getting in.' â€Å"Absolutely,' said Mikhail. â€Å"So it's you and me, Rose?' â€Å"Yup,' I said. â€Å"The fewer, the better. Just enough to question Sydney and Ian. I guess everyone else waits here.' Sonya kissed his cheek. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere.' Adrian had strolled over by now and given Jill a light, brotherly punch in the arm. â€Å"And I'm going to stay and hear how on earth you got involved with this, Jailbait.' Jill mustered a smile for him. She had a pretty hardcore crush on him, and it was a sign of her stress that she didn't blush and go all weak-kneed. They started a conversation, and Dimitri gestured for me to follow him around the car, out of sight. â€Å"This is dangerous,' he said quietly. â€Å"If that charm fails, you probably aren't going to get out of that hotel.' There was an unspoken alive at the end of his words. â€Å"It won't fail. Sonya's good. Besides, if we're caught, maybe they'll bring me back to Court instead of killing me. Imagine how much that will slow the elections.' â€Å"Rose, I'm serious.' I caught hold of his hand. â€Å"I know, I know. This'll be easy. We should be in and out in under an hour, but if we aren't †¦' Man, I hated grim contingencies. â€Å"If we aren't, then send Adrian to Court with Jill, and you and Sonya hide out somewhere until †¦ I don't know.' â€Å"Don't worry about us,' he said. â€Å"You just be careful.' He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"Little dhampir, are you–‘ Adrian came strolling around the car, just in time to see that small kiss. I dropped my hand from Dimitri's. None of us said anything, but in that moment, Adrian's eyes †¦ well, I saw his whole world come crashing apart. I felt sicker than if a fleet of Strigoi were around. I felt worse than a Strigoi. Honor, I thought. For real: the guardians should have taught it. Because I hadn't learned it. â€Å"Let's hurry,' said Mikhail, walking over, oblivious to the drama that had just exploded beside him. â€Å"Sonya says you guys have a ticking clock at Court too.' I swallowed, dragging my eyes from Adrian. My heart twisted within my chest. â€Å"Yeah †¦' â€Å"Go,' said Dimitri. â€Å"Remember,' I murmured to him. â€Å"Talking to him is my responsibility. Not yours.' I followed Mikhail to his car, slipping on the charmed bracelet. Before getting inside, I cast a quick glance back. Jill and Sonya were speaking together, Dimitri stood alone, and Adrian was taking out a cigarette, his back to them all. â€Å"I suck,' I said dismally, as Mikhail started the car. It was ineloquent but pretty much summed up my feelings. He didn't respond, probably because it wasn't relevant to our task. Either that, or he was still too wrapped up in the renewal of his own love life. Lucky bastard. It didn't take long to reach the hotel. There were guardians around, covertly placed so as not to draw human attention. None of them stopped us as we walked inside. One even gave Mikhail a nod of recognition. They all looked at me like †¦ well, like they didn't recognize me. Which was good. With so many guardians helping at Court, new faces were to be expected, and mine didn't look like Rose Hathaway's. No one was concerned. â€Å"Which rooms are they in?' Mikhail asked a guardian who was standing in the lobby. â€Å"We're supposed to relieve that shift.' Mikhail's manner was perfectly self-assured, enough that the guardian–while a little surprised–seemed to think this must be okay. â€Å"Only two of you? There are four up there.' I saved us on that one. â€Å"They want more back at Court. Things are getting out of hand, so just two are being assigned here now.' â€Å"Probably all we need up there,' agreed the guardian. â€Å"Third floor.' â€Å"Quick thinking,' Mikhail told me in the elevator. â€Å"That was nothing. I've talked myself out of much worse.' The rooms were easy to spot because a guardian stood outside them. The rest are inside, I realized, wondering if that would be a problem. But, with that same authoritative attitude, Mikhail told the guy that he and the others had been recalled to Court. The guardian summoned his colleagues–one from each Alchemist's rooms, though we couldn't tell whose was whose–and they gave us a brief status report before leaving, including who was in which room. When they were gone, Mikhail looked to me. â€Å"Sydney,' I said. We'd been given key cards and walked right into Sydney's room. She sat cross- legged on her bed, reading a book and looking miserable. She sighed when she saw us. â€Å"Well, what is it now?' I took off the bracelet, letting my illusion vanish. There was no jaw dropping or raised eyebrows from Sydney. Just a knowing look. â€Å"I should have guessed. Are you here to free me?' There was a hopeful note in her voice. â€Å"Um, not exactly.' I hated that Sydney was going to get punished, but smuggling her out wasn't part of the plan now. â€Å"We need to talk to Ian, and it's probably best if you're there. He knows something important. Something we need.' That got the raised eyebrow. She pointed at the door. â€Å"They won't let us talk to each other.' â€Å"They aren't out there,' I said smugly. Sydney shook her head ruefully. â€Å"Rose, you really do scare me sometimes. Just not for the reasons I originally thought you would. Come on. He's next door, but you'll have a hard time getting him to talk.' â€Å"That's where you'll help,' I said, as we walked into the hall. I slipped the bracelet back on. â€Å"He's totally into you. He'll help if you ask.' As I'd guessed, Sydney was completely oblivious to Ian's crush. â€Å"What! He does not– ‘ She shut her mouth as we entered Ian's room. He was watching TV but jumped up when he saw us. â€Å"Sydney! Are you okay?' I shot her a meaningful look. She gave me a pained one in return and then turned her attention back to Ian. â€Å"They need your help with something. Some information.' He turned his gaze on us, and it immediately went colder. â€Å"We answered your questions a hundred times.' â€Å"Not all of them,' I said. â€Å"When you were at Court, you saw a picture on the table. Of a dead man. Who was it?' Ian's lips went into a straight line. â€Å"I don't know.' â€Å"I saw–er, that is, we know you recognized him,' I argued. â€Å"You reacted.' â€Å"I actually saw that too,' admitted Sydney. His tone turned pleading. â€Å"Come on, we don't need to help them anymore. This whole hotel-prison thing is bad enough. I'm sick of their games.' I didn't blame him, really, but we needed him too much. I glanced at Sydney beseechingly, telling her that only she could get us through this. She turned back to Ian. â€Å"What's the deal with the guy in the picture? Is it †¦ is it really horrible? Something secret?' He shrugged. â€Å"No. I just don't want to help them anymore. It's irrelevant.' â€Å"Will you do it for me?' she asked sweetly. â€Å"Please? It might help me get out of trouble.' Sydney was no master of flirting, but I think just the fact she came close to it astonished him. He hesitated for several moments, glanced at us and then back to her. She smiled at him. Ian caved. â€Å"I meant what I said. I don't know who he is. He was with a Moroi woman over in the St. Louis facility one day.' â€Å"Wait,' I said, derailed. â€Å"Moroi come to your places?' â€Å"Sometimes,' said Sydney. â€Å"Just like we came to yours. Some meetings happen in person. We don't usually hold your people prisoner, though.' â€Å"I think this guy was like her bodyguard or something,' Ian said. â€Å"She was the one there on business. He just followed and stayed quiet.' â€Å"A Moroi bodyguard?' â€Å"Not uncommon for those that can't get guardians,' said Mikhail. â€Å"Abe Mazur is proof of that. He's got his own army.' â€Å"I think of them more as a mafia.' My joke aside, I was getting confused. Despite the widespread disdain about learning to fight, sometimes Moroi did have to hire Moroi security because they just couldn't obtain a guardian. Someone like Daniella Ivashkov wouldn't have that problem. In fact, I was pretty sure she'd be entitled to two guardians if she stepped outside protective borders–and she'd made it clear she didn't think Moroi should fight. Why would she travel with Moroi protection when she could have better trained guardians? It made no sense. Still †¦ if you'd killed a queen, you probably did all sorts of unorthodox things. They didn't have to make sense. â€Å"Who was she?' I asked. â€Å"The woman?' â€Å"I didn't know her either,' said Ian. â€Å"I just passed them while they were on their way to something. A meeting, maybe.' â€Å"Do you remember what she looked like?' Something. We needed something. This was on the verge of falling apart, but if Ian could identify Daniella, we might just be set. â€Å"Sure,' he said. â€Å"She's easy to remember.' The ensuing silence irritated me. â€Å"So?' I asked. â€Å"What did she look like?' He told me. The description was not what I had expected.

The Challenges Facing The Cultural Diversity

These yearss cultural diverseness plays a important function in a company. The standards know aparting these groups include race, geographic footing, civilisation, gender, age, functional or educational background, physical and cognitive competency, linguistic communication, life styles, beliefs, cultural background, economic class, tenancy with the organisation and sexual penchant. As a MNC works in a planetary market it must be ready to observe all possible alterations in the planetary environment and it has to be able to pass on and accommodate the individuality of the company to them. For illustration in India adult females ‘s will non work for dark so they have to pull off clip for their convenience. The company ca n't offer quality merchandises or services to the clients if it does n't understand and take in history the impact that the civilization has in all the procedures. Workers normally think that their behaviour has n't got any influence on the concluding merchandise or service, but to be effectual, every portion must hold a clear vision of the company and a clear mission on it. The societal, political and enterprise construction depends on everyone in the company, so the internal country and the human resources, one of the most of import countries of a company, must be developed with the remainder of the company to accomplish their ends. The misinterpretation and ignoring of different civilizations, linguistic communication and historical background lead to catastrophes in the field of puting up transnational concern. To avoid this, a general cognition of another state ‘s civilization and history is indispensable. So general cultural cognition, if coupled with bias and prejudgement, is an obstruction to effectual planetary direction. 2.1 Communication and linguistic communication barriers One chief challenge under civilization is linguistic communication barriers. Communication is necessary for direction. Yet communicating relies upon a common linguistic communication, a status that does non be in many planetary concern state of affairss and that is when the jobs start. The most marked mark of the linguistic communication barrier at work can be found in the relationship between a transnational parent company and its web of planetary subordinates. Several factors contribute to the trouble of accomplishing and prolonging effectual communications and a productive, collaborative relationship. Even if an employee is comparatively competent in the linguistic communication of the other party, loss of rhetorical accomplishments is ever present as the usage of wit, symbolism, sensitiveness, dialogue, persuasion and motive requires a really high degree of eloquence. 2.2 Attitudes towards Appointments and Deadlines In America, Americans were give rigorous obeisance to clip committednesss and it was a basic rule of professionalism and polite behaviour. Because everything tends to be purely scheduled, delaies in one assignment or deadline can hold a serious rippling consequence on a coworker or client ‘s other work committednesss. But for illustration: The more flexible and open-ended attack to clip of Indian and Sri Lankan concerns civilization can make tensenesss and inauspicious feelings on American opposite numbers3. MNC Workforce DiversityMultinational Companies ( MNC ) had to confront a figure of new challenges in their day-to-day concern over the past twosome of old ages. Globalization changed assorted things for planetary participants. In general MNC construction shows a focal point on their chief resources and sections like finance, engineering, selling, gross revenues and production, because they want to hold a big figure of clients and to gain net income. A immense challenge MNC have to pull off is their workforce diverseness. The milepost research by Hofstede with 116,000 recruits of IBM, a elephantine MNC in 50 states and 3 parts recognized four cultural values in the workplace: Individualism-collectivism, Power difference, Uncertainty turning away and masculinity-femininity. For illustration: the United States was the greatest and Guatemala was lowest in individuality. Malaysia was the highest and Austria was the lowest in the power distance values. Greece was the highest and Singapore was the lowest in the uncertainness turning away values. Japan was the highest and Sweden was the lowest in the maleness values. There have been important sum of intercultural and cross-cultural surveies with these cultural values, and some surveies demonstrated the relationship between communicating manners with some of these values. Because of this diverseness one of the cardinal success factors of MNC is the enlisting and choice of human resources who offer valuable singularity. These persons are organizing the values and beliefs of a concern. There are two cardinal challenges within planetary HRM specifically constructing planetary corporate civilizations and developing planetary leaders that have to be mastered in order to pull off diverseness and be successful in the planetary concern milieus.Pull offing diverseness in MNC during HRMTo pull off workforce diverseness in MNC it ‘s a challenge for the human resource direction to put up a planetary corporate civilization. To acknowledge with the corporate civilization of the company is the most important thing for the work force. That is why constructing a planetary corporate civilization is one of the most of import challenges for Multinational Companies. Employee behaviour is perchance the most critical challenge that transnational organisations have to cover with. In Multinational Companies there is a immense potency of struggles, because of its diverse personalities. As a consequence of this anxiousnesss will originate among employees. Persons try to accommodate their behaviours to suit the demands of a peculiar environment. In order to accommodate to the environment, persons sacrifice their individualisms to suit in with their new co-ops. Persons become incorporated into the civilization of an organisation when they are successfully understood into the workplace. Successful cultural version reduces members ‘ anxiousness, function struggle, and purposes to go forth. Additionally, successful version increases organisational duty, occupation satisfaction, assurance, and occupation acquaintance every bit good as successful socialization and constitution of relationship.4. Challenges of Working across Culture4.1Stereotyping They are normally deceits and inaccuracies fixed in false conjectures and faulty analysis. Normally this rating is seen in a negative position. The challenges to organisations are to admit differences in positive footings. Power battles and can be the consequence of pigeonholing in organisations. For illustration, puting adult females, who stereotypically have had lower position than work forces in society ; in senior direction places create position incongruence in the heads of many of the people. This can root complexnesss in the leader/subordinate relationship and can root power differences in a concern. This is done in such a manner that affiliates of minority groups may happen it difficult to utilize influence over determination procedures in the organisation. 4.2 Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism consequences when directors identify the differences in civilizations – but have a leaning to believe that their civilization and their manner of making things is the right manner, their manner of making things is the lone manner and the best manner. Any difference from their civilization or from their manner of making things is seen as â€Å" deformation † or as a â€Å" error † or as â€Å" Incorrect manner † . Most people have the leaning to prosecute ethnocentrism. Americans, Nipponese, Chinese, Germans, Gallic, Scandinavians, and Russians are more prone to ethnocentrism than other civilizations – when compared to other Asians, Latin Americans, British, Australians, Africans and Indians. 4.3Informal Integration Informal groups play a important function in any concern. They influence both the success of the concern and the calling success of persons. Entire quality programs depend to a great extent on employee part and informal webs can greatly impact this procedure. Informal groups are influenced by factors such as common linguistic communication, perceived societal similarity, and ethnocentrism. These corporate webs are critical for communicating in organisations. It has been found that race has a major consequence on corporate networking. This is non amazing as you would anticipate people to hold a penchant for interaction with members of one ‘s ain civilization group, particularly in an informal context. 4.4 Parochial Attitude Parochial attitude refers to a individual ‘s incapableness to see cultural diverseness. This is precisely the contrary of ethnocentrism. Directors who are sent overseas often fitting people who are besides dressed in suits and talk their linguistic communication – this prompts them to ignore all other cultural differences and do them experience that all others are â€Å" merely like us † . In today ‘s concern Earth, most people are disposed to dress likewise – in suits or other expressions and speak in English, but this does non bespeak that all people have the same civilization – but people frequently merely see the surface and believe that the other individual portions the same cultural values. Directors from US/UK frequently tend to expose a strong parochial attitude – chiefly because the people with whom they relate on regular footing can talk English and are dressed likewise in suits or western frocks..

Japanese Culture and Literature Essay

The Japanese technology is leading the world these days. Especially with the mobile phone market is Japan far ahead of Europe and the United States. Although these progressions and innovations, two cliches still rule the thinking about the country. One is the fact that Japan is a small country, with no ethnic diversity, and has a high income per head. The other one is that Japan ‘imitates’; the idea that Japan does not make its own products, but tries to improve other products. Japan has of course its own creativity and its own cultural achievements, known throughout the world, such as the ‘tea ceremony’, ‘sumo wrestling’ and ‘sushi’. Japan’s economy, culture and civilization changed rapidly when the cultivation of rice was introduced, from China, in the fourth century BC. The nomadic life they used to live was changed for an agricultural one. They started to settle in villages and a new sense of economy and cooperation was established. This new sense of economic thinking also brought forth an ideal that still holds in the Japanese culture: the need of the group is more important than the need of the individual. The Japanese civilization developed very late in comparison with the civilizations found in Egypt, Greece, India or China. Japan, as consisting completely of small islands, stayed a long time being isolated from the rest of the world and therefore stayed a long time being a hunters-gatherers society. China had a great impact on the development of Japan. In the seventh and eighth century, China represented the most developed country in the world in those days. Before this Chinese influence that changed the political system in Japan, the political system consisted mainly of powerful warlords. These warlords and wealthy families established many different centers and Japan was not a unity. Finally one family succeeded in taking the power over the southern and central islands. This clan and its ‘emperor’ started the imperial line. After this establishment, many Chinese political models were introduced in Japan. Taxation systems, new law codes and the whole political administrative system were copied. This Chinese model did not seem to be the best for Japan. Land was divided among the population equally and the taxes were also equal for all the people. The emperor was the ruler and had absolute power and the administrators were chosen through examination and ability. In Japan, the emperors ruled with the family and kinship ties. There were no examinations or ability tests in the old Japan. The nobility did not want to leave their positions and government and laws started changing constantly. The introduction of Buddhism had a big impact on the Japanese society. The original Shinto religion was completed with Chinese and Korean Buddhism. Apparently, these two religions can co-exist well together. Buddhism can be seen as a ‘nature’ religion and because the people of Japan lived close to nature, this worked out fine. Shinto gave the people no hope beyond death, Buddhism did. Nature is not consistent, it is impermanent, and it keeps on changing and so does live. This concept of impermanence is not only seen in the culture and religion of Japan, but also in literature. Literary themes like suffering, life struggles, awareness of the transient nature of earthly things, is represented everywhere. Japanese Culture and Literature The Manyoshu The Manyoshu is the oldest collection of Japanese poetry. The title means â€Å"collection of ten thousand leaves†. The translation of the Japanese symbol ‘leave’ can also be translated as ‘age’ or ‘generation’. Therefore the collection is sometimes said to be the â€Å"collection for ten thousand ages†, which can be interpreted as a collection for the generations to come. At the time of the last dated poem, 759 AD, Japan had just changed into a society with a governing emperor, a new national identity and government and a new religious system. All these new influences came from neighboring country China, which had a big impact of the development of Japan economically, politically, religious and socially. Contacts with China also brought roads, irrigations works, harbors, new fabrics and pagodas to Japan. Japan was not just coping the Chinese ways, they made their own. This also meant the introduction of a new writing style, coming from the Chinese characters, but with a Japanese twist. It is amazing to see that the quality of the poems of the Manyoshu is very high. The experience and finesse of the writers is special for this collection and hard to find again in the poetry written in later ages. The passion, sincerity and innocence are attracting many people to reading the poems. There are basically two principal written forms used in the poems. The first one is the ‘choka’. This is a long poem with an indeterminate number of lines of alternating five and seven-syllable lines, ending with two seven-syllable phrases. It then has the pattern: 5-7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, †¦ , 7-7. The second poem form is the ‘tanka’, a short poem, written with a total of 31 syllables in the pattern 5-7-5, 7-7. The Manyoshu is often said to offer everything to the reader because there is so much variety to be found. For some it is also proof of the Japanese identity with its great creativity and complexity. References Keene, Donald. (Ed. ). (1994). Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century. New York: Grove Press.

Leadership and Management of the Company Case Study

Leadership and Management of the Company - Case Study Example The President of the company, Gaziano, is practically a one-man-army at the top, while the experienced founder and director of the company, Rev. Whipple has not involved himself at the corporate strategy level. The reverend is passionately engrossed in research and development, which is but one of the functions of business only. Great companies are created from great business models. Prelude Corporation must understand that it is not in the lobsters business, but in the foods business. Its business model must be at par with or excel that of other food giants in the world. The company must evaluate its export opportunities, as the product can be packaged and preserved for a long time. As the local competition is intense and profit margins are low, the company needs to find niche markets for its product all over the world, in order to achieve better price realizations. At the same time, the top management must be constantly engaged in the task of assessing and identifying new growth platforms that are consistent with the company's business model. Just by milking the existing cash cow, the company is limiting its future growth potential, and leaving the field open for other competitors to seize the initiative and competitive advantage over it. Prelude Corporation is involved in a capital-intensive business. ... Size and scale of operations is critical to long-term survival in the business that Prelude Corporation is engaged in. Therefore, the company needs to develop a strong business plan and proposal, and seek out substantive equity partners in the market who are willing to invest funds in the company for the long-term, against a shareholding in the company. Once the private equity funds are successfully employed and the company's financial condition improves, the company must gear up to expand its capital base further by approaching the public equity markets, with an aim to raise funds to reduce its debt financing burdens, and to invest for its future growth plans. Raising finances at a cheaper cost, and diluting the company's equity is not a task of a faint-hearted management. It requires tremendous patience, conviction and intense persuasiveness to achieve success with private equity financiers and make them partners in your future growth. In absence of such aggressive pursuit of its financial goals, the death-knell of a company is sure to be sounded sooner or later, owing to the over-burdening of expensive debts. Human Resource Strategy and Peoples Strategy Prelude Corporation needs to differentiate itself from the rest of the unorganized lobster industry and create innovative incentive schemes to motivate its employees. The human resource strategy often differentiates a good company from a great company. Each employee, including the lowest level fisherman, of the company must be made to feel that he is a part of the family, and his needs and grievances must be attended to with sincerity. Cheap employees in the end prove to be more costly in the long run. Therefore, considering the size, scope and ambition of Prelude Corporation, it

Developing Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Developing Leadership - Term Paper Example This means that training is necessary in developing leadership competencies (Conger, 1993). Every individual has the capacity to develop their own leadership skills. However, achieving this is not rosy and requires one to be focused, practical and persistent. These are illustrated using the leadership ideas and traits discussed hereunder. Leadership Ideas A good leader must have leadership ideas for an organization or business to succeed. This calls for responsibility which sometimes calls for one to piss people off according to Powell. Powell asserts that good leadership entails being responsible for the general welfare of the team. This means that not everybody will be pleased by all the decisions and actions of a leader. Sometimes, people get furious and angry with the leader for the decisions that they make (Powell, n.d.). In this respect, a leader should learn to act honorably. Powell compares getting everyone to like the leader’s stand with mediocrity. This means that, a s a leader, one will have to face tough decisions, avoid confrontation with people who are supposed to be confronted, and refrain from giving rewards based on performance since some workers may get upset. When a leader tries to impress everyone, he/she ends up annoying individuals who are the most creative and productive in the organization. Therefore, as a leader, one must sometimes piss people off under his leadership for the organization to succeed. Powell also cautions leaders to be wary of those under their leadership who stop engaging them in decision making or reporting problems. He notes that this is a sign of leadership failure (Powell, n.d.). As such, it is necessary for leaders to give room for communication and consultations by removing barrier that may hinder juniors from airing out their views. He goes ahead to assert that real leaders make themselves available and accessible. They also recognize the efforts and problems facing underlings since even they demand high st andards. Powell notes that creating a barrier in an organization does no good and leads to the organization’s failure. Therefore, a good leader should create an atmosphere where problem analysis overrides blame. Powell reveals that leaders should never be buffaloed by elites and experts (Powell, n.d.). This is because experts tend to posses more knowledge than judgment. Elites, on the other hand, become congenital to an extent that they create hemophiliacs that vanish with time. Therefore, an organization can perform well whether or not there are elites and experts in it. What matters is that, as a leader, one needs to be vigilant and proactive (Powell, n.d.). The other leadership idea found from Powell is that leaders should never be afraid of challenging the pros, even in their own backyard (Powell, n.d.). He notes that as a leader one needs to learn from those who support them, keenly monitor them, and seek them out as advisers and partners. He, however, cautions that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their skills and learning. This means that leadership is not just being built on blind obedience to everyone, but good leadership promotes everyone’s evolution. Good leaders never ignore details. This means that they must remain vigilant all the times. In this regard, a good leader should ensure that all the activities of an organization are executed at the right time and in the precise way. Powel notes that good leadership also

Censorship of Artistic Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Censorship of Artistic Freedom - Essay Example This was done on the eve of the Iraq war. Two of the largest radio stations were outraged by the comment and felt that it was disrespectful to the President, the troops and their listeners (Williamson par 4). In support of the Dixies, Simon Renshaw, the group’s manager, testified in a congressional committee hearing on the radio industry, and stated that the constitutional rights of the group have been abused. He added further that the "artistic freedom, cultural enlightenment and political discourse had been undermined† (Williamson par 16). Censorship is defined as â€Å"the suppression or proscription of speech or writing that is deemed obscene, indecent, or unduly controversial† (The Free Dictionary par 1). Censorship has been around since 443 B.C., during the time of the Roman Empire. Ever since, it has already been part of several societies. The case of the Dixie Chicks is an illustration of how divisive the issue of censorship of the arts is. Since art cover s a wide array of subjects, it can touch on topics which may be offensive to some but acceptable to others. Politics, religion and social issues are some of the most controversial matters that art may portray. And this is where the problem of censorship begins. One of the main arguments presented with regard to censorship of the arts is the need to preserve the moral values of a nation (The Gemini Geek). The proponents of censorship argue that it will protect the public from violence or demoralization. Some people believe that censorship protects the youth from offensive or illicit forms of art. However, one thinks that the more you censor these things, the more the young will be encouraged to find ways to get hold of them. Censorship makes it more exciting for the young to avail of these forms of art. They will be more interested in materials which are banned. The arousal of emotions is greatly increased. Another reason why some people are pushing for the censorship of the arts is that they view art as an effective tool in arousing doubts and emotions on certain issues. This was true in the case of the Dixie Chicks. Maine’s comment was a political stand about the Iraq war. The government was probably afraid that it might bring about an upheaval against the administration’s decision to launch a war against Iraq. Art is deemed to have the power to influence people, especially the youth, who could easily be swayed. Censorship is founded on the belief that it is the government’s responsibility to mold the individual (The Free Dictionary par 3). One believes though that there are certain limitations to this perceived duty of the government. There is a very thin line which divides censorship and the Fifth Amendment. It is one’s view that any form of censorship is a violation of the Fifth Amendment; therefore, it must not be allowed. Art censorship should not be misconstrued as an activity protecting people. Censorship aims to manipulate people. It belittles an individual’s capacity to decide what is good and bad for him or her. Every person has a right to know what is going on in a society, and if art is one way of disseminating such information, then so be it. Censorship â€Å"dumb down the population† (The Gemini Geek par 12). Especially during the times of political or social crisis, like the Iraq war, no one should be prevented from voicing their opinions, whether they are expressed through a painting, a speech, a comment, a sculpture, or a piece of music. People are fuming mad if their freedom of speech is curtailed. This is no different when the freedom of expression through art is restricted through censorship. Every individual is

Setting plays a crucial role in both of these stories. Discuss the Essay

Setting plays a crucial role in both of these stories. Discuss the importance of setting and how it contributes to the stories plots and resolutions - Essay Example the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence†(Poe, 251). This is a significant contrast of events occurring simultaneously, a deadly disease and a magnificent ball. The story essentially follows Prince Prospero from his seclusion to the time of his marvelous masquerade at his abbey. It is within his abbey that Prince Prospero desperately tries to hide himself from the horrible â€Å"red death†, but is eventually victim to death at his very own masquerade within his abbey. This is ultimately a setting of hiding and a contrast between reality and human disillusionment. Despite his efforts to avoid the â€Å"red death†, Prince Prospero succumbs to inevitable fate within the very bungalow that he used as a hiding place from a would be death. Ultimately, the setting of this piece is a grand disillusionment on the part of the Prince. In the piece written by Susan Glaspell, Trifles, the reader finds a more elemental setting. This piece introduces itself within the kitchen of a now abandoned farmhouse. This is of course the farmhouse kitchen of the Wright’s, and a very unkempt kitchen at that. This is a clue to the chaos of the situation that plays out within the piece, â€Å"The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order - the walls covered with a faded wallpaper†(Glaspell, 1290). The setting that the reader finds in Trifles is more realistic and conducive to the plot than that of the setting of The Masque of the Red Death. Trifles is an illustration of a woman pushed entirely too far and too long by her husband. Finally, she murders her husband and naturally, the kitchen is a mess. The entirety of the piece takes place within the home of the Wrights, a simple farmhouse showing signs of a tremulous marriage at best. The clichà ©

China one child policy and its impact Term Paper

China one child policy and its impact - Term Paper Example It is oftentimes the case that governments around the world had been forced to take a type of mandated corrective action as a means of preventing something that the individual might not be able to do upon their own. Due to the fact that governments oftentimes have access to databases and statistics that the average citizen does not and the fact that governmental systems are specifically interested in promoting the longevity and survival of their particular nation inclusive of the current generation and well into the future, such actions have become more and more prevalent within the current world. Recent activities of such a nature have seen formerly separate and independent European nations submit themselves to a European Union and see and degree of their national sovereignty taken away. Naturally, this has engendered a key level of benefits that the respective stakeholders have deemed to be of greater value than the sovereignty loss. Trade agreements between ever write a different nations around the world have also been exhibited over the past several years; providing yet another example of the means by which governmental systems make key choices that the oftentimes deem to be in the best overall interests of the individuals within their society. However, of all of the government mandates that had been carried out within the past 50 years, perhaps the most conspicuous one is with regards to People’s Republic of China and its so-called â€Å"one child policy†. ... ld policy was instituted by Chairman Mao Tse Tung, the fact of the matter is that prior manifestations of this very policy had existed prior to its final institution into Chinese law in 1979; fully 3 years after Chairman Mao had died. As a result of many of the Communist Party’s social engineering projects immediately following the World War and their rise to power, it became clear that one way to avert many of China’s most historically challenging issues was to seek to provide a level of population control. Many times within the long history of Chinese culture, famines and other natural occurrences had threatened the very existence of the nation. As such, seeking to provide a reasonable and solid population foundation by which the development of the country could take place, varying levels of population control or instituted between the years of 1965 until the final implementation of the one child policy in 1979 (Nakra 137). However, these diverse and relatively unenfo rced directives were ultimately replaced by the one child policy due to the fact that few individuals within society cared to abide by the terms and conditions of a policy or directed that was ultimately without any repercussions and/or ramifications. Rather than merely helping to curtail and manage the population issues that China had, and continues to have, the one child policy has become something of a historical relic that although no longer pertinent in dealing with the problem it was intended continues to derive a high level of respect and support from the stakeholders within the Chinese society. One key aspect of the rhetoric that oftentimes surrounds an understanding and integration with the one child policy is the fact that many individuals misunderstand what this policy ultimately means.

The Planning Idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Planning Idea - Essay Example The main feature in planning is continuous communication. The planning process is vast and combines other fields such as economics, environment, and engineering (Fincher and Iverson 5). This paper will explore the issue of urban planning and discuss planning theories. Planning involves both policy and physical planning. When planning, social and cultural influences should also be considered and coordinated. The planning theory contributes to the development of planning practices in three ways. One is the philosophical way that involves planners’ involvement in the planning practice. The second is the adaption way which includes the factors that affect or limit planning practices like time and complexity of the plan (Hall 4). The third one is the translation way that incorporates skills, ideas and knowledge from different fields into the plan. There are four types of planning theories. Planning theory is based on practical experience and has its focus on a particular society or nation. Theory two proposes planning strategies to planners which they can use while making or assisting in plan decisions. Third is the theory that focuses on the subjects and objects of the plan. The fourth theory incorporates all the three theories of planning and explains the details of planning practice. The planning theory continues to play a vital role of evolving in response to the dynamic societal needs (Friend and Hickling 3). Urban planning theory has faced criticism from academics and practitioners as being confused and impractical. Planning functions have played a crucial role in response to the ever changing society needs and requirements. Many planning theories had neglected the interest of environmental conservation. They had ignored the public interest and produced unsatisfying results. They have neglected the importance of diversity and environment conservation. My personal theory will take into

Advantages of working from home Essay Example for Free

Advantages of working from home Essay There is a trend towards making jobs more mobile and allowing employees to access work remotely from home. Technology has also made a great contribution allowing people to work from home. Equipments such as computers, facsimile machines, telephones etc. have revolutionized the work industry and this trend has helped employers, employees and the state at large. An International Telework Association survey found that the number of teleworking employees grew from 41.3 million in 2003 to 44.4 million in 2005 and projects that number to climb to 51 million by 2008 (Marcia Reed-Woodard, Dec 2005). For a company, employees working from home may save them time, space and money. But for an employee, the benefits are much greater. In addition to the above mentioned factors, the employees benefit with flexibility in working hours, avoid distractions and family commitments are easily fulfilled. The greatest advantage is the time factor which can make the job much comfortable working from home. Often at times, time, becomes your ally, expanding or contracting to conform to specific work assignments. The pressure to finish the work or to look busy even when you are not, is eliminated. Therefore, you can fix your own work hours, more or less, as required. You do not have to reach work on time or give a reason for being late, relieving everyday stress. In an event of sickness, you do not need to get a medical or present a reason to the boss. You can still get some work done instead of remaining idle at home. Lunch can be managed and repair works can be done easily while being at home. You can set your own target and get maximum work done according to your wish. You avoid getting in traffic by driving for long hours to get to work and hence you save on fuel charges, car maintenance and also your precious time. Even if you take a two hour lunch no one can punish you as you are your own boss. Secondly, you avoid distractions around you while working at home. You can avoid difficult co-workers who can make your life stressful at work. Also bullies and gossipers can be avoided to give a good peace of mind. Sometimes there are office politics, like the boss favours some one and constantly looks at what you are doing. This calamity avoided can become a boon in concentrating on more work and reaping more benefits since peacefully you can get extra work done without having to face comments from co-workers or boss on the spot. At work you may come in contact with customers who are offensive, abusive etc. while at home no such instances can bother you. Thirdly, you can be with your family and get your work done simultaneously. The notion that parents do not spend time with children can be avoided and proper care can be taken of them at home. Children get more attention and life can be healthier when people around you are happy, and this can boost your self confidence and esteem. If any family member is sick or needs to get some attention, then this task is easily accomplished as you are your own boss. You can take your own decisions at your own will. Members of the family can be of great help when you have a large amount of work such as, typing a report, which can be done by anyone mature enough in the house or also your close friend or relative. Children can have an opportunity to see what their parents do for a living. The financial benefits are also very attractive. Instead of waiting for a boss to give you a raise or a promotion, the amount of money you can earn is directly related to your own performance. Whether the business is the sole means of support or a secondary income, its earning potential is up to you. These days, people who have been frequently shut out of job markets, for example, homemakers, students, retirees, to name a few, can use their home business to create new income opportunities. You save on travel expenses and you do not have to send your children to nurseries if you can be at home, so substantial savings can be made. In conclusion, working from home can be very relaxing and comfortable. We can see that working from home increases efficiency due to fewer distractions, and much greater benefits are reaped due to less stress and office complications. Today more people have home-based businesses, which increases the use of new ideas to generate income. Hence, working from home can be very rewarding and it may be a dream come true if in the future you own a business with your own ideas and independent thinking. References: -Scarry, Sandra and John Scarry. The writers workplace 6th  edition. http://choosing-careers.suite101.com/article.cfm/five_reasons_to_be_self_employedhttp://ezinearticles.com/?7-Benefits-of-Working-At-Homeid=51130http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCESitemId=1073791632

Re-Crystallization of Boric Acid

Re-Crystallization of Boric Acid The purpose to conduct this lab is recrystallization of solid and then identify the effect on solids purity and yield. Part A: Reactions Table 1. quantitative and qualitative observations of reactions to form boric acid. Mass of borax (g) 10.0558g Appearance of borax White powder Time for solubility of borax (min) 5min Time for boric acid crystals to form (min) 12min Part B: Filtration Table 2. mass of watch glass and filter paper, mass of watch glass, filter paper and wet crystals from filtration and qualitative observations of crystals after filtration. Mass of watch glass1 an filter paper1(g) 33.3364g Mass of wet crystals, watch glass 1,filter paper from filtration(g) 44.6083g Appearance of crystals after filtration Soft, white solid formation. Part C: Re-crystallization Table 3. mass of watch glass and filter paper, mass of watch glass, filter paper ad wet crystals from recrystallization, and qualitative observations of crystals after recrystallization Mass of watch glass2 and filter paper2(g) 25.2834g Mass of watch glass2 ,filter paper2 and recrystallization (g) 28.0524g Appearance of crystals after recrystallization White shiny crystal in solid. Part D: Purity test Table 4.   qualitative observations for the purity test of crystals collected after filtration and recrystallization Observations of test tube 1, containing crystals after filtration, upon reacting with AgNO3 Observations of test tube 2, containing crystals after recrystallization, upon reacting with AgNO3 White precipitates formed cl are present , AgCl formed. Solution is clear, Cl are not present. Table 5. mass of watch glass, filter paper and crystals, and qualitative observations of crystals, after recrystallization and drying. Mass of watch glass 2 + filter paper2+dried crystals from recrystallization (g) 27.4848g Appearance of crystals White solid formation ,shining in appearance . Calculate the wet mass of crystals after the filtration and the recrystallization, and dry mass of crystals after the recrystallization. summarize your results on ONE table (you should have 3 masses recorded in this table) Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction to produce boric acid. Determine which reactants the limiting reagent. Show all of your work. Calculate the theoretical yield of boric acid. show all your work. Calculate the yield of boric acid based on the dry mass of the crystals. Calculate the solubility of boric acid in the water at 250C and 800C using the equations of the best-fit curves that are found in figure 3-2. Explain Why water was an appropriate solvent to use for recrystallization in this lab. Explain the differences observed in the appearance of the crystals after filtration compared to the crystals after recrystallization a) Explain how the purity test is used in this lab to determine the purity of the product (include a balanced chemical equation in your answer). b) based on your observations, are the crystals that you collected following recrystallization  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   pure? Explain your answer. Other than performing the purity test that was performed in this experiment, explain two other methods that can be used to determine the purity of a product. Discuss the percent yield result. Fully explain two reasons (sources of error) for the loss of product during the experiment, including the specific step at which product was lost. Also explain how each of the losses can be minimized. If you recrystallized the crystals again, what would you expect to happen? Explain your answer. If during crystallization the solute fails to crystallize, what can be done to include the crystals to form? Explain two ways to induce crystal formation.

Jeffrey Dahmer :: Biography Biographies Bio

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer came into the world at 4.34pm on the 21st of May at the Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Milwaukee 1960. Little did his parents know at the time of his birth that there son would become one of America's most infamous serial killers, not only for the amount of victims which he had killed, but also for dismembering them and his odd tendencies. Jeffrey's childhood started like any other, he had two parents who loved and adored there son dearly. They would give him what ever his heart desired. Joyce Dahmer started a scrap book on her son recording events that happened in his life, his first step, his first accident, his first tooth, his first haircut and even his first scolding. While Jeffrey was still very young his father worked long hours in his laboratory and his mother worked as a machine instructor. But the carrying of Jeffrey had been hard on Joyce Dahmer and every little thing seemed to annoy her. So Lionel being the husband that he was and wanting the best for his wife decided to move to his mothers house in West Allis, but the crack's in the marriage started to show early. There were constant fights between Joyce and Lionel Dahmer and Jeffrey took each of these fights to heart. Little did they realize that there constant fighting would be one of the reasons for Jeffrey's downfall and eventual collapse into deviant crimes. A short time before Jeffrey's fourth birthday, Jeffrey was diagnosed with a double hernia that needed to be operated on. This operation left Jeffrey feeling open and exposed nobody explained to him what was going on. He felt scared by the operation, complete strangers coming up to him and exploring his body. This experience is said to have marked his subconscious forever. But like every little boy of Jeffrey's age he was just like anybody else climbing apple trees, riding his bike and playing in coal dust and coming home dirty. Although he was painfully shy while growing up he over came this in time, and had a normal social life at school. By the time Jeffrey turned six his mother gave birth to a second son who she called David. Though this did not have a dramatic effect on Dahmer's life he stayed pretty much neutral to his brother’s existence and they never became close. By the time of his second son's birth Lionel Dahmer and his family moved into there own house at 4480 West Bath Road, surrounded by open forest where Jeffrey could lose himself in a world of make believe.

To the virgins to make much of time Essay example -- English Literatur

To the virgins to make much of time GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may, GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles to-day To-morrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first, when youth and blood are warmer; but being spent, the worse and worst Times still succeed the former. Then be not coy, but use your time, and while ye may go marry: For having lost but once your prime you may for ever tarry. I have chosen â€Å"To the virgins to make much of time† as my second poem because I feel it has much useful meaning to it and also because I agree with the title of the poem. I feel that people should live life to the full whilst they can. The first line, I think is the best of the whole poem: â€Å"gather ye rosebuds while ye may†. This image means that we should find a man/woman whilst you’re still young and beautiful. The poem has a very simple rhyming pattern of ABAB. This means that the poem is fluid and rhyt...

Communism and Mise-en-Scene Technique in the Film Yellow Earth Essay

Communism and Mise-en-Scene Technique in the Film Yellow Earth As one of the earliest films to come out of communist China’s new film schools in the 1980s, director Chen Kaige’s Yellow Earth reveals much about the Chinese communist party’s interpretation of the years before 1949 (the year of the Communist victory in China). Yellow Earth takes on the appearance of Communist propaganda films as the plot and themes develop. The minimalist mise-en-scene technique effectively illustrates the activities and rituals of daily rural Chinese life throughout the film. Nowhere in the film is the effectiveness of this technique more apparent than in the final scene when Han-Han struggles against the crowd to return to Gu. Many of the scenes in Yellow Earth feature long takes that fully illustrate the true passage of time. For instance, characters are often shown walking across the hills and fields from one location to another. Rather than cut these scenes and imply the length of the journey, Kaige leaves the scenes intact, allowing the viewer to fully grasp the vast expanse of space and t...

Developments and Training

In the world we are living in organizations are faced with risks and threats due to introduction of technology and thus for organizations to succeed in their operations they need to train their employees so that they can overcome these risks and threats. Training involves using an experienced person to inform, teach and to convey information to the audience so that they can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that would enable them to perform their effectively in their organizations. If people in the organizations are trained they become satisfied with the work that they are doing and this improves their morale.With the effective training employees can not leave their organizations because training it enables them to have the relevant skills and knowledge needed to perform their activities effectively. The image of the company can improved when the training is conducted because the employees in the organization become motivated and they enable them to talk about the positive s ide of the company. When an organization conducts training it enables it to develop strategies that can help the organization to achieve its objectives since training enables one to acquire new ideas of running and managing the operations of a company.It also helps a company to manage its finance effectively since training ensures that the management determine the issues that are cost effective thus it reduces the expenses of the company. In case of a public company which is a business organization, it is owned by the shareholders who contribute money known as capital. This capital is used to finance the operations of the business and incase the organizations may lack some funds to run their businesses they can borrow funds from the commercial banks and International bodies such as International Monetary Funds and the World Bank.The company is usually run by people known as the directors they ensure that the operations of the company are run effectively, incase the companies receive profits at the end of their financial periods they can distribute the profits in form of dividends to the shareholders and in other cases their can retain some of their money in reserves so that they can be able to do other business affairs such as expanding the company to meet the needs of the customers of the company. http://www.businessballs. com/training program evaluation.htmlIn companies there are many people who are employed, some of whom may be recruited directly from college and thus may lack the necessary experience to run the affairs of the company, others may have the experience to run the company but may lack relevant experience to run the affairs of the company thus there is a need to train all its employees so that they can gain the relevant experience that is required to run the company’s affairs effectively.The company can develop in house training program this program is usually designed to suit the needs of the company’s its allows the employees to train and develop their skills without moving from their working environment thus it saves on time and money since the employees don’t need to travel from one place to the place in order for them to acquire the knowledge and skills of running the company successfully.This training program is designed to train employees of a manufacturing company that produces horticultural products . The Company has more than one hundred employees who are trained on how to handle the product carefully because they are manufactured for export purposes and thus safety precautions must be taken because the products are manufactured using poisonous chemicals since act as preservatives and enable the product to last for a longer period of time without getting spoilt.The Coastal Recursor Humanos is a communications computer company that sells the leading safety training videos ,cd-roms,interactive safety training programs ,safety handbooks,trairning toolkits and safety posters thus the horticultura l company can access this facilities so that it can effectively train its customers on how to handle this products.The company can identify its training needs by obtaining information from the employees of the company about problems that they experience in the company such as poor working environment that can affect the performance of the employees for example if there is inadequate working area for the employees to work on or if the employees may be under paid or over worked this can affect their performance thus the in-house training program can enable the management to address the problems of the employees of the company and they can thus take the necessary measures to rectify the problems of the company . A training need of the can be identified through looking at the position of the economy, if the economy of the country is performing well then the management need to train their employees frequently so that they can be able to cater for the demands of the customers .When the ec onomy is performing properly the circulation of money is usually high and this leads to high demand for goods and services thus the need for the management train to it employees on how to handle the employees , but if the economy of the company is not performing properly the training program activities of the company can be reduced due to lack of the necessary resources to develop the program since for the program to run effectively it needs money to purchase the training videos ,training tool kits and the training safety posters from the Coastal Recursors Humanos communications company and money to hire the trainers is required to cater for their wages and salaries http://www. businessballls. com/freeonlineresources. htm .The management of the company can develop its program by establishing the training mediums that can ensure that it achieves its objectives this include internal mediums the company can access the information about improving the operations of the business by consul ting the employees themselves, they can give the management the reasons why they are not performing and thus identify the problems in the organization thus a good program can be developed and structured to meet the needs of the employees in their workplaces . The management can acquire information from other parties who are not employees of the company to gather information about the policies that need to be implemented so that the company can run it activities effectively thus this can sharpen the companies effectiveness and can help improve its performance.The training materials that can be used by the management of the company are templates, samples, resources such as articles, tools and diagrams they can provide information to help the company employees understand its operations they contain detailed information about the structure roles and responsibilities of the employees this act as a guide of how the company has been designed and thus it makes it ease for them understand th e activities of the company. http://wwbusinessballs. com/workshops. htm The training materials can be created by the experts of the programs they can do this by determining the needs of the company that need to be addressed . They need to outline the skills that they intend to teach .The skills need to be divided into groups and then into steps so that the necessary time can be allocated to the tasks that need to be urgently addressed. Once the steps have been prepared and all the necessary information that needs to be tackled by the experts of the programs they should design the presentation perfectly so that all the relevant information that needs to be conveyed to the employees is done effectively. http://wwbusinessballs. com/workshops. htm The management of the company can deliver its training through workshops that entail team building, communications, motivation, and planning these can empower the employees of the company to work more effectively since it enables them to acqui re the necessary information that is needed to run the affairs of the company effectively.Training can be delivered through conducting in-house training, by creating a tailored course and by recognizing informal training this helps the company to reduce its expenses, helps the management to deliver its information to the employees effectively and reduces wastage of time and money since the information that needs to be conveyed is always within the reach of the employees of the company. The effectiveness of a in house training program can be evaluated by the top management who ensure that training program is carried out effectively. They also ensure that training plans are properly documented so that they can give the management the direction of conducting their business.There are evaluation materials that a company can use so that it can determine how it performs its activities these are end –of- program validation method, feedback process and follow-up instruments they deter mine what the employees have learnt in their in house training programs ,they give the employees time to reflect on the all that they have learnt and also enables them to apply all that they have learnt during the training section . The evaluation questionnaires can be used to evaluate whether the objectives of the company have been applied. The employees of the company need to prepare action plans so that they evaluate whether they have understood all that they have been taught in the in- house training program, incase they have not applied the necessary techniques of carrying out their activities then they can take the necessary measures to implement them.The in-house training program for the company can be sustained through establishing long-term goals and then implementing the goals of the company so that there can be consistency in carrying out the activities of the company. The management should be involved in the development of the program since they can ensure that all the n ecessary information that needs to addressed is followed and finally implemented The goals of the company can be sustained if the companies results show some improvement, if the results of the company don’t improve then the management can either rectify the program or they can develop another programs that can suit the needs of the company.An in-house training program can be enforced by the managements company through ensuring that all employees who don’t comply with the rules and regulations of the company are dealt with accordingly such as they may be punished so that they can comply with the rules and the regulations of the company. The in house training programs can bring high performance to the company because if the management of the company addresses the problems that have been identified by the management and the employees of the organization then the company can operate successfully. If in the in- house training program the trainer is able to identify the uniq ue potentials of the employees and then be able to illustrate how the employees would be assigned with tasks they are familiar so that they can perform effectively then this can be a good sign that the in-house program is effective.

Easter Rising 1916

There can be no doubt that the response of the British government to the Rising contributed measurably to the further alienation of Irish public opinion. On 26th April 1916, it had introduced martial law and next day appointed Major-General Sir John Maxwell as Commander-in-Chief of troops, Ireland. He had full authority to restore order, put down the rebellion, and punished its participants. Maxwell never doubted that its leaders should be court-martialled and those most prominent executed.General Maxwell was also determined that, in order to crush militant nationalism, those who had surrendered with them, and their suspected supporters, should be arrested and their arms seized in a nationwide sweep by soldiers, supported by police. General Maxwell quickly signalled his intention â€Å"to arrest all dangerous Sinn Feiners†(1), including â€Å"those who have taken an active part in the movement although not in the present rebellion†(2), reflecting the popular belief that Sinn Fein, a separatist organisation that was neither militant nor republican, was behind the Rising.In total, the security forces arrested 3,430 men and 79 women and of these 1,841 were sent to England and interned there. Meanwhile, those thought to have organised the insurrection had been held back in Ireland for trial 190 men and 1 woman named Countess Markievicz. In 90 cases the court’s verdict was ‘Death by being shot’. All signatories of the proclamation were executed. The executions started on May 3rd in Kilmainham Jail with the execution of Patrick Pearse was the first to be singled out for execution, he was not allowed to see his mother or brother before his execution, Thomas MacDonagh and Thomas Clarke .The second day is the executions of William Pearse brother of Patrick Pearse, Edward Daly, Michael O'Hanrahan, and Joseph Plunkett whom married Grace Gifford in the prison chapel hours before his execution. On the following day John McBride was executed alone refused to be blindfolded before his execution. Then on May 8th Eamonn Ceannt,  Michael Mallin,  Sean Heuston  and  Conn Colbert were executed. On the last day of execution May 12th Sean MacDiarmada and James Connolly who is tied to a chair due to his broken ankle were executed. Sir Roger Casement was tried in London for high treason and hanged at Pentonville Prison on 3 August.In addition to the 15 executed, 97 others of those tried by court-martial were sentenced to death. Alarmed by the shift taking place in public opinion in Ireland and by the outrage expressed in the House of Commons by members of the Irish Parliament Party, most notably Lawrence Ginnel and John Dillion, Prime Minister Asquith travelled to Dublin on 12 May the day where James Connolly and Sean MacDiarmada were executed, in spite of a telegram from Asquith to General Maxwell saying that there were to be no further executions except under special and exceptional circumstances.Maxwell, presumably, c onsidered that MacDiarmada and Connolly had played such leading roles that they could not be reprieved. There were no further executions, the sentences of the other 97 being commuted to terms of imprisonment. The predictable effect of these measures was to increase public sympathy, both for the rebels and their goals. During May, the police authorities noted even amongst moderate nationalists a growing ‘wave of resentment,’ prompted by the feeling that ‘unnecessary severity had been deployed’.Symptoms of the change in attitudes included the following: the increasing frequency of memorial masses for the executed rebels; the growing sales of photographs of them; the setting up of aid funds for their families; the appearance of songs and ballads celebrating their actions; the ubiquity of republican flags and badges; the sight of young men marching military style at Gaelic football matches, and the shouting of rebel slogans anywhere people gathered anonymously together, such as at railway stations.Moreover, there were ominous signs that militant nationalists were reorganising, reflected in a rise in arms thefts and hardening of attitudes towards the police. The release of many who had been interned after the Rising – far from earning public gratitude – fuelled resentment, as it was seen as providing evidence that the arrests had been made ‘without just cause’. Already in mid-June 1916, Maxwell predicted that in a General Election the moderate nationalist Irish Parliamentary Party would probably be replaced.He was right; in December 1918, it was swept aside by Sinn Fein. Some survivors of the Rising went on to become leaders of the independent Irish state and those who died were venerated by many as martyrs. Their graves in the former military prison of Arbour Hill in Dublin became a national monument and the text of the Proclamation was taught in schools. ‘I and my fellow signatories believe we have struck the first successful blow for Irish freedom. The next blow, which we have no doubt Ireland will strike, will win through. In this belief, we die happy. ‘

Marilyn Bell

Marilyn BellMarilyn Grace Bell Di Lascio is a retired long distance swimmer, born October 19, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario. She was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario and later swam the English Channel and Strait of Juan de Fuca.Personal lifeBell was born in Toronto, Ontario to parents Sydney and Grace Bell. The family moved to North Bay, Ontario, then Halifax, Nova Scotia before returning to Toronto in 1946.[1] After her swimming career, Marilyn married Joe Di Lascio and moved to New Jersey, United States. They raised four children, Lisa, Michael, Jodi, and Janet. Joe died in September 2007.Swimming careerBell first took up swimming lessons in 1946 at Oakwood Pool, joining the Dolphinette Club coached by Alex Duff.[2] In 1947, Bell entered her first long-distance race: a one-mile swim at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Lake Ontario.[3] It was at that first race that Bell first met her future coach Gus Ryder, who was coach of the Lakeshore Swimming Club. Bell soon jo ined the Lakeshore Club and started practicing at the indoor pool of Humberside Collegiate in Toronto.[4]1954 Lake Ontario swimOne September night, Bell started her swim across Lake Ontario from Queens Beach Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to Toronto at virtually the same time as world famous United States long-distance swimmer, Florence Chadwick. The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto had offered Chadwick $10,000 to swim the lake as a publicity effort for the annual exhibition. Bell, who felt the offer snubbed Canadian swimmers, took on the challenge without pay with the encouragement of Alexandrine Gibb, a Toronto Daily Star reporter. After several hours, Chadwick was forced to give up with stomach pains and vomiting, while 16-year-old Bell completed the swim, the first person ever  to swim the thirty-two-mile (52 km) distance when she arrived in Toronto the next day.A third swimmer, Torontonian Winnie Roach, also attempted the swim at this time, but failed. Bell swam fo r 20 hours and 59 minutes under gruelling conditions before she finally reached a breakwater near the Boulevard Club, west of the CNE grounds. The planned route straight across the lake was 51.5 km (32 mi), but she actually had to swim much further because of strong winds and the lack of modern navigation equipment. Waves that day were almost 5 m high, (up to 15 ft), water temperature was 21  °C (65  °F) and lamprey eels were attacking her legs and arms.Bell kept up her strength with Pablum, corn syrup, and lemon juice with water, along with heroic encouragement from her boat crew and her coach, Gus Ryder. Radio stations broadcast hourly reports of her progress and rival newspapers published â€Å"extra† editions throughout the day. When she finally arrived at about 8:15 p.m., a crowd of 300,000 people gave her an emotional welcome at the Sunnyside waterfront. In an article, Bell later thanked the Toronto community for the support, especially Alexandrine Gibb, the Star re porter.[5] The CNE decided to give Bell the $10,000 prize, and she was later given numerous gifts, including a car, television, clothing and furniture.Other swimsIn 1955, she became the youngest person to swim the English Channel and in 1956, she swam the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the Pacific coast. She retired that year from swimming.Awards and recognitionIn 1954, Bell was named the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year by the Canadian Press, awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year and awarded the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canadian female athlete of the year. Bell was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1958. In 1993 she entered the Canadian Swimming Hall of Fame and was named one of Canada's top athletes of the century. In 2002, Bell (now Marilyn Bell Di Lascio) was presented with the Order of Ontario.The national Historic Sites and Monuments Board designated Bell's crossing of the lake a National Historic  Event in 2005, and a federal plaque was erected in 2008 near the site of her landfall.[6][7] Another plaque is mounted on the base of a statue of a lion along Lake Shore Boulevard by the Government of Ontario Building of the CNE. Parkland near the location where Bell arrived is now named Marilyn Bell Park. In 2009, the Lakeshore Swimming Club of Toronto held the first annual Marilyn Bell Swim Classic, a meet sanctioned by Swim Ontario.In 2010, a ferry boat to serve the Toronto Island Airport was named the Marilyn Bell 1. The name was chosen as the top name in a contest held by the Toronto Port Authority.[8] The story of Bell's historic swim was told in the 2001 made-for-TV film Heart: The Marilyn Bell Story with Caroline Dhavernas portraying Marilyn Bell.