A Dirty Job Chapter 22

22 RECONSIDERING A CAREER IN SECONDHAND RETAIL Anton Dubois, the owner of Book 'em Danno in the Mission, had been a Death Merchant longer than anyone else in San Francisco. Of course he hadn't called himself a Death Merchant at first, but when that Minty Fresh fellow who opened the record store in the Castro coined the term, he could never think of himself as anything else. He was sixty-five years old and not in the best health, having never used his body for much more than to carry his head around, which is where he lived most of the time. He had, however, in his years of reading, acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the science and mythology of death. So, on that Tuesday evening, just after sundown, when the windows of his store went black, as if all the light had been sucked suddenly out of the universe, and the three female figures moved toward him through the store, as he sat under his little reading light at the counter in the back, like a tiny yellow island in the vast pitch of space, he was the first man in fifteen hundr ed years to know exactly what – who – they were. â€Å"Morrigan,† Anton said, with no particular note of fear in his voice. He set his book down, but didn't bother to mark the page. He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his flannel shirt, then put them back on so as not to miss any detail. Just now they were only blue-black highlights moving among the deep shadows in the store, but he could see them. They stopped when he spoke. One of them hissed – not the hiss of a cat, a long, steady tone – more like the hiss of air escaping the rubber raft that is all that lies between you and a dark sea full of sharks, the hiss of your life leaking out at the seams. â€Å"I thought something might be happening,† Anton said, a little anxious now. â€Å"With all the signs, and the prophecy about the Luminatus, I knew something was happening, but I didn't think it would be you – in person – so to speak. This is very exciting.† â€Å"A devotee?† said Nemain. â€Å"A fan,† said Babd. â€Å"A sacrifice,† said Macha. They moved around him, just outside his circle of light. â€Å"I moved the soul vessels,† Anton said. â€Å"I guessed that something had happened to the others.† â€Å"Aw, are you disappointed because you're not the first?† said Babd. â€Å"It will be just like the first time, pumpkin,† said Nemain. â€Å"For you, anyway.† She giggled. Anton reached under his counter and pushed a button. Steel shutters began to roll in the front of the store over the windows and door. â€Å"You afraid we'll get away, turtle man,† said Macha. â€Å"Don't you think he looks like a turtle?† â€Å"Oh, I know the shutters won't keep you in, that's not what they're for. The books say that you're immortal, but I suspect that that's not exactly true. Too many tales of warriors injuring you and watching you heal yourself on the battlefield.† â€Å"We will be here ten thousand years after your death, which starts pretty soon, I might add,† said Nemain. â€Å"The souls, turtle man. Where did you put them?† She extended her claws and reached out so they caught the light from Anton's reading lamp. Venom dripped from their tips and sizzled when it hit the floor. â€Å"You'd be Nemain, then,† Anton said. The Morrigan smiled, he could just see her teeth in the dark. Anton felt a strange peace fall over him. For thirty years he had, in some way or another, been preparing for this moment. What was it that the Buddhists said? Only by being prepared for your death can you ever truly live. If collecting souls and seeing people pass for thirty years didn't prepare you, what would? Under the counter he carefully unscrewed a stainless-steel cap that concealed a red button. â€Å"I installed those four speakers at the back of the store a few months ago. I'm sure you can see them, even if I can't,† Anton said. â€Å"The souls!† Macha barked. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"Of course I didn't know it would be you. I thought it might be those little creatures I've seen wandering the neighborhood. But I think you'll enjoy the music, nonetheless.† The Morrigan looked at each other. Macha growled. â€Å"Who says things like ‘nonetheless'?† â€Å"He's babbling,† said Babd. â€Å"Let's torture him. Take his eyes, Nemain.† â€Å"Do you remember what a claymore looks like?† Anton asked. â€Å"A great, two-handed broadsword,† said Nemain. â€Å"Good for the taking of heads.† â€Å"I knew that, I knew that,† said Babd. â€Å"She's just showing off.† â€Å"Well, in this time, a claymore means something else,† Anton said. â€Å"You acquire the most interesting things working in the secondhand business for three decades.† He closed his eyes and pushed the button. He hoped that his soul would end up in a book, preferably his first edition of Cannery Row, which was safely stored away. The curved claymore antipersonnel mines that he had installed in speaker cabinets at the rear of the store exploded, sending twenty-eight hundred ball bearings hurtling toward the steel shutters at just under the speed of sound, shredding Anton and everything else in their path. Ray followed the love of his life a block up Mason Street, where she hopped on a cable car and rode it the rest of the way up the hill into Chinatown. The problem was that while it was pretty easy to figure out where a cable car was going, they only came along about every ten minutes, so Ray couldn't wait for the next one, jump on, and shout, â€Å"Follow that antiquated but quaint public conveyance, and step on it!† And there were no cabs in sight. It turned out that jogging up a steep city hill on a hot summer day in street clothes was somewhat different from jogging on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym behind a row of taut fuck puppets, and by the time he got to California Street, Ray was drenched in sweat, and not only hated the city of San Francisco and everyone in it, he was pretty much ready to call it quits with Audrey and go back to the relative desperation of Ukrainian Girls Loving Him from afar. He caught a break at the Powell Street exchange, where the cable cars pick up in Chinatown, and was actually able to jump on the car behind Audrey's and continue the breathtaking, seven-mile-per-hour chase, ten more blocks to Market Street. Audrey hopped off the cable car, walked directly out to the island on Market, and stepped onto one of the antique streetcars, which left before Ray even got to the island. She was like some kind of diabolical rail-transit supervixen, Ray thought. The way the trains just seemed to be there when she needed them, then gone when he got there. She was master of some sort of evil, streetcar mojo, no doubt about that. (In matters of the heart, the Beta Male imagination can turn quickly on a floundering suitor, and at that point, Ray's was beginning to consume what little confidence he had mustered.) It was Market Street, however, the busiest street in the City, and Ray was able to quickly grab a cab and follow Audrey all the way into the Mission district, and even kept the cab for a few blocks when she was on foot again. Ray stayed a block away, following Audrey to a big jade-green Queen Anne Victorian building off Seventeenth Street, which had a small plaque on the column by the porch that read THREE JEWELS BUDDHIST CENTER. Ray had his breath and his composure back, and was able to watch comfortably from behind a light post across the street as Audrey climbed the steps of the center. As she got to the top step, the leaded-glass door flew open and two old ladies came rushing out, frantic, it seemed, to tell Audrey something, but entirely out of control. The old ladies looked familiar. Ray stopped breathing and dug into the back pocket of his jeans. He came up with the photocopies he'd kept of the driver's-license photos of the women Charlie had asked him to find. It was them: Esther Johnson and Irena Posokovanovich, standing there with the future Mrs. Macy. Then, just as Ray was trying to get his head around the connection, the door of the Buddhist center opened again and out charged what looked like a river otter in a sequined minidress and go-go boots, bent on attacking Audrey's ankles with a pair of scissors. Charlie and Inspector Rivera stood outside Fresh Music in the Castro, trying to peer in the windows past the cardboard cutouts and giant album covers. According to the hours posted on the door, the store should have been open, but the door was locked and it was dark inside. From what Charlie could see, the store was exactly as he had seen it years ago when he'd confronted Minty Fresh, except for one, distinct difference: the shelf full of glowing soul vessels was gone. There was a frozen-yogurt shop next door and Rivera led Charlie in and talked to the owner, a guy who looked entirely too fit to run a sweetshop, who said, â€Å"He hasn't opened for five days. Didn't say a word to any of us. Is he okay?† â€Å"I'm sure he's fine,† Rivera said. Three minutes later Rivera had obtained Minty Fresh's phone numbers and home address from the SFPD dispatcher, and after trying the numbers and getting voice mail, they went to Fresh's apartment in Twin Peaks to find newspapers piled up by the door. Rivera turned to Charlie. â€Å"Do you know of anyone else who could vouch for what you've been telling me?† â€Å"You mean other Death Merchants?† Charlie asked. â€Å"I don't know them, but I know of them. They probably won't talk to you.† â€Å"Used-book-store owner in the Haight and a junk dealer off lower Fourth Street, right?† Rivera said. â€Å"No,† Charlie said. â€Å"I don't know of anyone like that. Why did you ask?† â€Å"Because both of them are missing,† Rivera said. There was blood all over the walls of the junk dealer's office. There was a human ear on the floor of the bookstore in the Haight.† Charlie backed against the wall. â€Å"That wasn't in the paper.† â€Å"We don't release stuff like that. Both lived alone, no one saw anything, we don't know that a crime was even committed. But now, with this Fresh guy missing – â€Å" â€Å"You think that these other guys were Death Merchants?† â€Å"I'm not saying I believe that, Charlie, it could just be a coincidence, but when Ray Macy called me today about you, that was actually the reason I came to find you. I was going to ask you if you knew them.† â€Å"Ray ratted me out?† â€Å"Let it go. He may have saved your life.† Charlie thought about Sophie for the hundredth time that night, worried about not being there with her. â€Å"Can I call my daughter?† â€Å"Sure,† Rivera said. â€Å"But then – â€Å" â€Å"Book 'em Danno in the Mission,† Charlie said, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. â€Å"That can't be ten minutes away. I think the owner is one of us.† Sophie was fine, feeding Cheese Newts to the hellhounds with Mrs. Korjev. She asked Charlie if he needed any help and he teared up and had to get control of his voice before he answered. Seven minutes later they were parked crossways in the middle of Valencia Street, watching fire trucks blasting water into the second story of the building that housed Book 'em Danno. They got out of the car and Rivera showed his badge to the police officer who had been first on the scene. â€Å"Fire crews can't get in,† the cop said. â€Å"There's a heavy steel fire door in the back and those shutters must be quarter-inch steel or more.† The security shutters were bowed outward and had thousands of small bumps all over them. â€Å"What happened?† Rivera asked. â€Å"We don't know yet,† said the cop. â€Å"Neighbors reported an explosion and that's all we know so far. No one lived upstairs. We've evacuated all the adjacent buildings.† â€Å"Thanks,† Rivera said. He looked at Charlie, raised an eyebrow. â€Å"The Fillmore,† Charlie said. â€Å"A pawnshop at Fulton and Fillmore.† â€Å"Let's go,† Rivera said, taking Charlie's arm to help speed-limp him to the car. â€Å"So I'm not a suspect anymore?† Charlie asked. â€Å"We'll see if you live,† Rivera said, opening the car door. Once in the car, Charlie called his sister. â€Å"Jane, I need you to go get Sophie and the puppies and take them to your place.† â€Å"Sure, Charlie, but we just had the carpets cleaned – Alvin and – â€Å" â€Å"Do not separate Sophie and the hellhounds for one second, Jane, do you understand?† â€Å"Jeez, Charlie. Sure.† â€Å"I mean it. She may be in danger and they'll protect her.† â€Å"What's going on? Do you want me to call the cops?† â€Å"I'm with the cops, Jane. Please, go get Sophie right now.† â€Å"I'm leaving now. How am I going to get them all into my Subaru?† â€Å"You'll figure it out. If you have to, tie Alvin and Mohammed to the bumper and drive slowly.† â€Å"That's horrible, Charlie.† â€Å"No, it's not. They'll be fine.† â€Å"No, I mean they tore my bumper off last time I did that. It cost six hundred bucks to fix.† â€Å"Go get her. I'll call you in an hour.† Charlie disconnected. Well, claymores suck, I can tell you that,† said Babd. â€Å"I used to like the big sword claymore, but now†¦now they have to make them all splody and full of – what do you call that stuff, Nemain?† â€Å"Shrapnel.† â€Å"Shrapnel,† said Babd. â€Å"I was just starting to feel like my old self – â€Å" â€Å"Shut up!† barked Macha. â€Å"But it hurts,† said Babd. They were flowing along a storm sewer pipe under Sixteenth Street in the Mission. They were barely two-dimensional again, and they looked like tattered black battle flags, threadbare shadows, oozing black goo as they moved up the pipe. One of Nemain's legs had been completely severed and she had it tucked under her arm while her sisters towed her through the pipe. â€Å"Can you fly, Nemain?† asked Babd. â€Å"You're getting heavy.† â€Å"Not down here, and I'm not going back up there.† â€Å"We have to go back Above,† said Macha. â€Å"If you want to heal before a millennium passes.† As the three death divas came to a wide junction of pipes under Market Street, they heard something splashing in the pipe ahead. â€Å"What's that?† said Babd. They stopped. Something pattered by in the pipe they were approaching. â€Å"What was that? What was that?† asked Nemain, who couldn't see past her sisters. â€Å"Looked like a squirrel in a ball gown,† said Babd. â€Å"But I'm weak and could be delusional.† â€Å"And an idiot,† said Macha. â€Å"It was a gift soul. Get it! We can heal Nemain's leg with it.† Macha and Babd dropped their unidexter sister and surged forward toward the junction, just as the Boston terrier stepped into their path. The Morrigan backpedaling in the pipe sounded like cats tearing lace. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, whoa,† chanted Macha, what was left of her claws raking the pipe to back up. Bummer yapped out a sharp tattoo of threat, then bolted down the pipe after the Morrigan. â€Å"New plan, new plan, new plan,† said Babd. â€Å"I hate dogs,† said Macha. They snagged their sister as they passed her. â€Å"We, the goddesses of death, who will soon command the all under darkness, are fleeing a tiny dog,† said Nemain. â€Å"So what's your point, hoppie?† said Macha. Over in the Fillmore, Carrie Lang had closed her pawnshop for the night and was waiting for some jewelry she'd taken in that day to finish in the ultrasonic cleaner so she could put it in the display case. She wanted to finish and get out of there, go home and have dinner, then maybe go out for a couple of hours. She was thirty-six and single, and felt an obligation to go out, just on the off chance that she might meet a nice guy, even though she'd rather stay home and watch crime shows on TV. She prided herself on not becoming cynical. A pawnbroker, like a bail bondsman, tends to see people at their worst, and every day she fought the idea that the last decent guy had become a drummer or a crackhead. Lately she didn't want to go out because of the strange stuff she'd been seeing and hearing out on the street – creatures scurrying in the shadows, whispers coming from the storm drains; staying at home was looking better all the time. She'd even started bringing her five-year-old basset hound, Cheerful, to work with her. He really wasn't a lot of protection, unless an attacker happened to be less than knee-high, but he had a loud bark, and there was a good chance that he might actually bark at a bad guy, as long he wasn't carrying a dog biscuit. As it turned out, the creatures who were invading her shop that evening were less than knee-high. Carrie had been a Death Merchant for nine years, and after adjusting to the initial shock about the whole phenomenon of transference of souls subsided (which only took about four years), she'd taken to it like it was just another part of the business, but she knew from The Great Big Book of Death that something was going on, and it had her spooked. As she went to the front of the store to crank the security shutters down, she heard something move behind her in the dark, something low, back by the guitars. It brushed a low E-string as it passed and the note vibrated like a warning. Carrie stopped cranking the shutters and checked that she had her keys with her, in case she needed to run through the front door. She unsnapped the holster of her. 38 revolver, then thought, What the hell, I'm not a cop, and drew the weapon, training it on the still-sounding guitar. A cop she had dated years ago had talked her into carrying the Smith & Wesson when she was working the store, and although she'd never had to draw it before, she knew that it had been a deterrent to thieves. â€Å"Cheerful?† she called. She was answered by some shuffling in the back room. Why had she turned most of the lights out? The switches were in the back room, and she was moving by the case lights, which cast almost no light at the floor, where the noises were coming from. â€Å"I have a gun, and I know how to use it,† she said, feeling stupid even as the words came out of her mouth. This time she was answered by a muffled whimper. â€Å"Cheerful!† She ducked under the lift gate in the counter and ran to the back room, fanning the area with her pistol the way she saw them do in cop shows. Another whimper. She could just make out Cheerful, lying in his normal spot by the back door, but there was something around his paws and muzzle. Duct tape. She reached out to turn on the lights and something hit her in the back of the knees. She tried to twist around and something thumped her in the chest, setting her off balance. Sharp claws raked her wrists as she fell and she lost her grip on the revolver. She hit her head on the doorjamb, setting off what seemed like a strobe light in her head, then something hit her in the back of the neck, hard, and everything went black. It was still dark when she came to. She couldn't tell how long she'd been out, and she couldn't move to look at her watch. Oh my God, they've broken my neck, she thought. She saw objects moving past her, each glowing dull red, barely illuminating whatever was carrying them – tiny skeletal faces – fangs, and claws and dead, empty eye sockets. The soul vessels appeared to be floating across the floor, with a carrion puppet escort. Then she felt claws, the creatures, touching her, moving under her. She tried to scream, but her mouth had been taped shut. She felt herself being lifted, then made out the shape of the back door of her shop opening as she was carried through it, only a foot or so off the floor. Then she was hoisted nearly upright, and she felt herself falling into a dark abyss. They found the back door to the pawnshop open and the basset hound taped up in the corner. Rivera checked the shop with his weapon drawn and a flashlight in one hand, then called Charlie in from the alley when he found no one there. Charlie turned on the shop lights as he came in. â€Å"Uh-oh,† he said. â€Å"What?† Rivera said. Charlie pointed to a display case with the glass broken out. â€Å"This case is where she displayed her soul vessels. It was nearly full when I was in here – now, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rivera looked at the empty case. â€Å"Don't touch anything. Whatever happened here, I don't think it was the same perp who hit the other shopkeepers.† â€Å"Why?† Charlie looked back to the back room, to the bound basset hound. â€Å"Because of him,† Rivera said. â€Å"You don't tie up the dog if you're going to slaughter the people and leave blood and body parts everywhere. That's not the same kind of mentality.† â€Å"Maybe she was tying him up when they surprised her,† Charlie said. â€Å"She kind of had the look of a lady cop.† â€Å"Yeah, and all cops are into dog bondage, is that what you're saying?† Rivera holstered his weapon, pulled a penknife from his pocket, and went to where the basset hound was squirming on the floor. â€Å"No, I'm not. Sorry. She did have a gun, though.† â€Å"She must have been here,† Rivera said. â€Å"Otherwise the alarms would have been set. What's that on that doorjamb?† He was sawing through the duct tape on the basset's paws, being careful not to cut him. He nodded toward the doorway from the shop to the back room. â€Å"Blood,† Charlie said. â€Å"And a little hair.† Rivera nodded. â€Å"That blood on the floor there, too? Don't touch.† Charlie looked at a three-inch puddle to the left of the door. â€Å"Yep, I think so.† Rivera had the basset's paws free and was kneeling on him to hold him still while he took the tape off his muzzle. â€Å"Those tracks in it, don't smear them. What are they, partial shoe prints?† â€Å"Look like bird-feet prints. Chickens maybe?† â€Å"No.† Rivera released the basset, who immediately tried to jump on the inspector's Italian dress slacks and lick his face in celebration. He held the basset hound by the collar and moved to where Charlie was examining the tracks. â€Å"They do look like chicken tracks,† he said. â€Å"Yep,† Charlie said. â€Å"And you have dog drool on your jacket.† â€Å"I need to call this in, Charlie.† â€Å"So dog drool is the determining factor in calling in backup?† â€Å"Forget the dog drool. The dog drool is not relevant. I need to report this and I need to call my partner in. He'll be pissed that I've waited this long. I need to take you home.† â€Å"If you can't get the stain out of that thousand-dollar suit jacket, you'll think it's relevant.† â€Å"Focus, Charlie. As soon as I can get another unit here, I'm sending you home. You have my cell. Let me know if anything happens. Anything.† Rivera called the dispatcher on his cell phone and asked him to send a uniform unit and the crime-scene squad as soon as they were available. When he snapped the phone shut, Charlie said, â€Å"So I'm not under arrest anymore?† â€Å"No. Stay in touch. And stay safe, okay? You might even want to spend a few nights outside of the City.† â€Å"I can't. I'm the Luminatus, I have responsibilities.† â€Å"But you don't know what they are – â€Å" â€Å"Just because I don't know what they are doesn't mean I don't have them,† Charlie said, perhaps a little too defensively. â€Å"And you're sure you don't know how many of these Death Merchants are in the City, or where they might be?† â€Å"Minty Fresh said there was at least a dozen, that's all I know. This woman and the guy in the Mission were the only ones I spotted on my walks.† They heard a car pull up in the alley and Rivera went to the back door and signaled to the officers, then turned to Charlie. â€Å"You go home and get some sleep, if you can, Charlie. I'll be in touch.† Charlie let the uniformed police officer lead him to the cruiser and help him into the back, then waved to Rivera and the basset hound as the patrol car backed out of the alley.

The Great Leapfrog Race

The world is made up of many different people. Each of these individuals fall into a category, whether it be judged by their gender, the sports they play or the bands they listen to. For each different class, we have certain expectations for the people in them. The story, ‘The Great Leapfrog Race' both reflects and challenges gender and class expectations. ‘The Great Leapfrog Race', goes against the patriarchal western view that men are superior to women. The idea that men are the dominant force has been widely accepted in civilized cultures, and has only now, over the past couple of decades, has it been challenged. In ‘The Great Leapfrog Race', this is reflected when the female, Rosie, beats the male, Rex, in a game of leapfrog. It is repeated again when the author writes that ‘Rosie whipped every boy she fought'. This shows that she is the superior of the group, and so is the dominant force. However this does not mean that the boys accept it. The story reads that ‘it was very humiliating to be hurt by Rosie', and so the reader assumes that these boys have been brought up with the patriarchal view that men are superior to women. The gender expectations in this instance have been challenged by the story. The writer has written this story, presumably from his own experience. This would infer to the reader that he was brought up in a feministic environment. The general feeling of the story stands to prove this. Although we have no information on the author, the use of gaps and silences in which we make our own assumptions, lead the reader to believe that his own influences in growing up, have had some bearing on this story. The author may have been brought up in a single sex home, most likely to be female; his father may have left when he was a child; or he may have been taught to treat females as equals through some other means. No matter how, it still shows the author reflects his experiences and his gender expectations into the story. There are three main classes in society. Upper class consists of kings and queens and other royalty such as presidents and sultans. Middle class is composed of bureaucrats, and the working class is comprised of cleaners, labourers and other †lower class citizens ‘. Each of these classes are defined by money, success, or job status. All of these different standards were invented by society to unofficially class everybody into their importance in the world. Rosie comes under the latter category of working class, as her father is a bricklayer. Another way that we recognise that she is working class is by the language used to describe Rosie. In the first paragraph, she is said to be a ‘tough little Irish kid' who ‘wore a turtle-neck sweater, usually red'. This suggest that she either did not care much for her appearance, or was used to going without pretty dresses and clothes that other children her age would like and normally wear but that her father could not afford. The story also says that they lived in ‘slum neighbourhood's which are often portrayed as the beginning for much violence and crime. Society perceives children from working class families as being able to hold themselves, and being streetwise. Kids from the slums learn from a young age that this is the sort of world they are going to live in for the rest of their lives. These are the children more likely to shoplift and break into houses because their parents' jobs do not provide for them as well. Girls from these sort of neighbourhoods are expected to be dirty and impolite, whereas middle class girls would turn their nose up at such antics as playing ‘leapfrog' and would much prefer play with their Barbie dolls than play with a group of filthy little boys. It would be a contradiction of our class expectations for Rosie to be concerned over her appearance or how many kids Barbie and Ken have, because of her status as a working class girl. This story reflects societies views on class expectations of the working class, by letting Rosie be a tough little girl, not someone socially adept or worried over how long her nails were, but only interested in rough and tumble ‘tomboyish' activities as is expected for working class girls. Rex Folger comes from a middle class family. This is obvious from the first moment his character enters the story. The story states that ‘he was a natural born leader', he had beaten all the boys in the neighbourhood ‘without any noticeable ill feeling, pride or ambition', and he was also a ‘powerful and superior boy'. All these things suggest, as well as the fact that he was from Texas, one of the southern states of the USA, notorious for it's uppity behaviour, that he is a middle class child. He has all the natural ability that a middle class child ‘should' have. Politeness was one of his strong points, even the other boys in the neighbourhood had to give him that much. After a fight started between Rex and Rosie, he declined to hit her as he was taught that hitting women was the equivalent of boxing his mother. That is another example in itself of him being middle class, as he said he was taught this rather than he believed it, which shows his educational ability off, at the same time as not really showing him his real feelings on the subject. This story gives off a realistic picture of middle class society and what we expect of them, using Rex as a symbolic figure for the majority of the middle class. The female is seen as a lower class compared to the male as we established earlier. The patriarchal ideology is that males are dominant and logical whereas females should be timid, emotional and passive. In the story, the boys of the neighbourhood feel badly that Rosie is the one doing the dirty work so to speak and teaching Rex a lesson, when they believe that it is a mans duty to do such things. The background of the reader influences whether you sympathise with Rosie or Rex in the story. The readers' views on certain issues including women in politics and equal rights can have an impact on their reading of the story. By leaving gaps in the storyline, the person reading the story is left to make assumptions based on their knowledge and experiences and so each reader will most probably read the story differently, therefore, each person reading it will have their background somewhere influencing their thoughts on the subject. This demonstrates how each person's individual views reflect societies opinions through the story. ‘The Great Leapfrog Race' is a very interesting story about a little Irish tomboy, working class child named Rosie Mahoney. It tells the story of a little girl who beats the new kid-on-the-block, big bully Rex Folger, in a game called leapfrog. But the story isn't as simple as that. It also has a deeper meaning. It reflects society. Societies attitudes towards different people, from different classes and genders. It challenges the patriarchal ideology by letting female triumph over male. It uses all sorts of techniques to make the reader see that not everything that society sets out in it's unofficial guidelines are correct. Roles can be reversed and women can prevail over men in many circumstances. This story reflects as well as challenges society views on gender and class role expectations.

Effects if the Columbian Exchange on Europe Essay

The Columbian Exchange refers to the interchange of diseases, crops, and ideas between the New and Old World after Christopher Columbus’s initial voyage to the Americas in 1492. These biological exchanges changed the way of life for both Native Americans and the Europeans, impacting the social and cultural makeup of both sides. The discoveries of valuable metals and crops are perhaps the biggest findings for the Old World, and these encounters helped countries like Europe get out of the Middle Ages and into the years of Enlightenment. However, the exchange not only brought gains, but also losses. The years of exploration and exchange following Columbus’s landing helped European nations in many ways, especially contributing to the development of the economy and population. Before Columbus’s expedition to the distant lands, Western Europe was an agrarian society, in which the people lived in family households. The feudal lords ruled the land strictly, causing living conditions to be poor for the majority of the Europeans. Most peasants and lowerclassmen survived on bread and porridge, seasonal vegetables, and rarely a piece of meat. In addition, one-third of Europe’s population died from starvation and diseases like Black Death. Still, however, productivity was increased by water mills, iron plows, and other new technologies. Under the Roman Catholic Church, and the pope, Europeans lived strictly religious lives. The Columbian Exchange helped bring Europe’s economy out from the depths and also aided food production, protecting Europeans from famine. The seemingly long years of these exchanges helped Europe’s economy for the better, even though much more money was being put into circulation. The introduction of new staple crops like corn and potatoes brought in large sums of money and surpluses. Slave labor saved the European a lot of money, too. Trade and raiding the I ndians, on the other hand, brought in valuable metals like gold or silver, furs, raw materials, and other goods. Additionally, these trades caused for the advancement of ships and other large vessels, which created more jobs and opportunities, helping the economy grow even more. Tobacco, another crop from the New World, was so widely accepted that it became a substitute for currency in some areas of Europe. All of these social and agricultural enhancements assisted in the specialization of labor, eventually leading European countries into the Renaissance. Many of the exchanges that transformed the economy also reformed the population. Surpluses from growing crops saved the  peasants and lowerclassmen from starvation. Since more people were able to survive, rather then dying from malnourishments, the population of European countries rose. The shipment of slaves, although not too large, also caused the population figures to go up. At this point, European countries started to send people to the New World due to overcrowding; however, some diseases like syphilis arrived at Europe from returning the Englishmen. Although syphilis caused many deaths, it did not effect the overall population of Europe, and it was in no way comparable to the epidemics that were caused by immigration to the New World. Europe truly gained from trading and exploring the unexplored, virgin soil of the New World. They gained materials and crops, which helped boost the economy; be that as it may be, the Europeans also lost lives due to diseases like syphilis. All in all, the Columbian Exchange helped the economy, reformed the way of agriculture and education, and started the age of Enlightenment.

The Chiefdoms of Powhattan and Ukaguru Term Paper

The Chiefdoms of Powhattan and Ukaguru - Term Paper Example The chiefdom leader ensured that labor loss is minimized. The chiefdom focused on agricultural crop growing. The chiefdom’s most popular crop is the corn. Maize is eaten by the chiefdom members as a regular part of their daily meals. Corn is the most important wealth of the Chiefdom. However, the agricultural practices of the Chiefdom were not enough to ensure a stable economic condition. Statistics indicate that the chiefdom members planted corn plants that generated two corn ears on each plant. Consequently, 2,700 corn plants were harvested in one acre of land alone. In terms of statistics, 15 bushels of corn per person were harvested every year in each household corn plot1. B. Tanganyika Chiefdom. There are unique descriptions of the Tanganyika Chiefdom. Beer drinking is one of the popular activities of the Tanganyika Chiefdom. Cattle theft is also one of the seemingly illegal activities some of the Tanganyika chiefdom residents. The Tribe is located in East Africa. In the cattle theft, a member of one tribe of the Tanganyika Chiefdom steals the cattle of another tribe of the Tanganyika Chiefdom. There is an ambivalent interaction between the people of the Tanganyika Chiefdom2. The people of the Chiefdom are farmers and herdsmen. During the prior wars, the Kaguru members hid among the mountain cliffs of the Kaguru Plateau to defend themselves against their attackers. The Kaguru members of the Chiefdom were metal craftsmen. ... The peasants lived only at the expense of the chief authority and elite privilege. The field laborers worked to feed English settlers, the Elite, and finally themselves, in respective order3. The Virginian settlers commanded the Powhatan chiefdom to plant food. When the harvest arrived, the settlers harvested the food. Wahunsonacock, the people’s leader, controlled the surplus crops. The peasants eagerly obey Wahunsonacock’s commands. To ensure loyal compliance, Wahunsonacock used coaxing to persuade the peasants to obey his every command, without hesitation. Wahunsonacock went out of his way to create a sense of solidarity between himself and his subjects. To ensure solidarity, Wahunsonacock dressed like a peasant, in deerskin breechclout, moccasins, racccon cape or mantle4. As leader, Wahunsonacock was surrounded by the tallest warriors, had more than 11 favorite wives, and several servants maintaining his physical appearance. On the other hand, the Kaburu People of T anganyika are divided into matrilineal groups. Some of the clans have certain rights to own or use land and political power. This concept is dominant in many areas of the chiefdom. The Kaguru Matrilineal clan system is the group’s government organization type. The headman is the leader of the groups. The headman manages the land and other government affairs. The Kaguru people live in little hamlet groups of 3 to 20 huts or even in only one lone homestead. The Kuguru government architecturally set up the people’s homes located in the settlements are bigger than the valleys5). 2. Economics and exchange. In terms of economics and exchange, the Production in excess of household needs is surplus6. the economic is based on

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Response paper - Essay Example Ultimately, it is the view of this student that the choice to diversify into the economy market is a positive one. Essentially, this decision is based upon the fact that unless a firm is continually growing and seeking to diversify its new markets, it risks becoming irrelevant and shrinking. Likewise, relying upon the cash cows that have provided the sustenance of this company into the foreseeable future is not a tenable business plan that can likely continue to promote further success. In terms of what the CEO might actually think of these arguments, it is likely that he will be hesitant to risk company profitability and productivity based upon a product that has not sufficiently been analyzed, tested, or room for market space determined. Nevertheless, he will likely be intrigued by the possibility of engaging this particular product line and production with relatively low startup costs and without a great deal of investment in machinery or

Implications of Cars Running on Oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Implications of Cars Running on Oil - Essay Example To save time, people head to their office on a personal car. This has, however, put much burden on economy and environment. While all the cars and transportation vehicles depend on oil, it is more likely that over the next decade the world will not have enough oil to fulfill the needs of cars. Â  Scientists have been looking for alternative fuel and combination of fuel which can reduce the burden on oil. There are many combinations of liquids that can be used along with oil to reduce the oil usage but the materials that can work well with oil in a mixture are all derived from food crops. This will lead to a burden on food crops and will affect the prices of the food items badly. Depending on food crops for food and as well as for transportation will put heavy burden and prices will soar so much that both will end up being not affordable. High prices will also increase the current food deficit all over the world. Many countries will not be able to provide the first basic necessity to their people which are food. This means adding a mixture of fuel to the equation and keeping the same ICE will not solve the problem over the next decades, it will only worsen it. This means that the initiative taken to completely eliminate the oil from the equation can solve the problem. Â  Many companies are working to invent batteries that can support EV (Electronic Vehicles), an idea which was dropped in the 19th century due to the dependence of EV on batteries which can only last 50 miles and needed replacement of battery very soon. There are also manufacturers who are reducing the car weight by replacing steel which helps in increasing efficiency of the cars running on any other fuel or material other than oil.

INFORMATION SOCIETY & INFORMATION ECONOMY Essay - 1

INFORMATION SOCIETY & INFORMATION ECONOMY - Essay Example These channels have been reported to have coverage to 33.3 million to 47.8 million households from year 1997-2002. They are available through cable, satellite and digital platforms. Transnational channels allow companies to have a platform where they can expand their sales and brands internationally (Collison 2002; Chalaby 2003). The study aims to comprehensively review what transnational television is, its benefits, challenges and impact on globalisation, specifically in the United Kingdom. It will also critically analyze transnational television-related literatures available in peer-reviewed journals. Lastly, the study will review convergence theories that will help provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenal widespread of transnational television. The United Kingdom has seen dramatic changes in television since the 1980s, from the increase in demand for televisions to the increase in the number of networks and programmes (OECD 1997). Changes and transformation in media, specifically television, is commonly characterised by the following: emergence of megaglobal companies which resulted from acquisitions and mergers; privatization of media companies; less restriction on foreign ownership; corporate investments on new advancements in technology such as satellite and cable; and transnationalisation of advertisements (Jin 2007). Acquisitions and mergers are commonly demonstrated by large companies who have the means to expand. Instead of forming and constructing their own, they just merge or acquire and use the machinery and technology of smaller companies. Digital Revolution. The Digital revolution started in 1984 when Apple introduced Mac to the world, commonly characterised by the user-friendly graphics and unique page design and layout tool. The focus in terms of information infrastructures has been on broadband satellite systems, one of which is

The Mexican Revolution of 1910 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Mexican Revolution of 1910 - Essay Example erefore, the themes of the revolution were to end dictatorship and institute land reforms, summarized in the terms ‘land belongs to those who work in it’ (Gonzales, 47). The story of the revolution that can be seen through the lens of these sources is that of a people putting their foot down and demanding a change that would see the actual people who labored in the farms reap the benefits of their sweat and labor, at the expense of the landowners benefiting from the same. The revolution was largely sparked by a plan written by Francisco Madero, an exile political activist living in Texas US in 1910, on how the dictatorial government of the then president Porfirio DÃ ­az would be removed from office (Madero, 732). This document inspired many rebels and intellectuals who were opposed to the dictatorial rule of Diaz that had violated the Mexican constitution of 1857, thus the rebels decided to take up arms. Led by a rebel leader, Francisco Villa from north Mexico, the rebels took up arms and started the struggle from the northern states. It is the success of the northern rebel troops that inspired the outbreak of armed struggle throughout the country, with the south Mexico rebels, led by Emiliano Zapata from the south starting their struggle. Thus, realizing that things were going terribly wrong, the dictatorial president, DÃ ­az, resigned and fled the country on may 1911 (de Fuentes, n.p.). This was the hallmark of the revolution, which nevertheless continued throughout the decade ending the 1920s. The notable social cause of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 was the lack of voice of the people in the leadership of the country. Thus, social welfare of the Mexican was largely denied, with the freedom of press and education that forms essential social platform for a free society, being greatly restricted to the poor and the peasant Mexicans (Coerver and Hall, 22). The government of President Diaz had come into power through a coup, and then it consolidated power

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example In a massive scale business operation as Tesco, the management of human resource becomes a very challenging task. The leadership and management of the company plays a key role in its success and Tesco is known for its strong organisational culture, which has lent to its high performance. Managing workforce moral in service organisations of the scale of Tesco is a huge challenge, which needs innovative management and reward practices. This report assesses the leadership and management role within Tesco; the company culture which impacts upon its operations and the workforce motivation issues within the company. Leadership is defined as â€Å"the ability to influence individuals and groups to work toward attaining organizational objectives† (Weiss 2001). Leadership defined by Mescrn, Albert and Khedourn as â€Å"the ability to influence individuals and groups to work toward attaining organizational objectives† directly addresses the role of leadership in the context of organisational management. Leadership and management bears critical impact on the performance of an organisation as it is the leadership that can provide direction and vision to the rest of the organisation. In assessing the role of leadership and management at Tesco, the leadership style and contributions by Sir Terry Leahy should be addressed. Sir Terry Leahy, the dynamic 50-year old CEO of Tesco joined Tesco as a marketing executive in 1979 and progressed in career to be appointed to the board in 1992. Becoming the CEO in 1997, he has dramatically reshaped and driven the supermarket chain to be the leader in UK supermarket industry with impressive growth in not only local but also international markets. Being chosen as Britain’s â€Å"Business Leader of the Year 2003†; Fortune magazines’ â€Å" European Businessman of the Year 2003† as well Britain’s â€Å"Most Admired Business Leader 2005† are few accolades in recognitions of his leadership role at Tesco

See Attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

See Attachment - Essay Example Similarly, the teachers utilize the internet to supplement their lessons. In essence, the internet has benefited education by opening up a substantial amount of knowledge to a broader range of students. Advancement in technology will compel the institutions of higher learning to broaden internet course and change the credentialing structures. It is, therefore, important for schools to introduce free internet on Campus. Through the introduction of free internet in Campuses, students will be able to access online courses provided by different universities. Some students cannot afford tuition fees charged by universities; therefore, by introducing online classes needy students will be able to get  the  learning  using the school’s libraries. According to research 75% college students argue that university tuition is very expensive, and not everyone can afford it (Anderson et al n.d). It is, therefore, important for schools to introduce free internet and expand their online courses for such students. The introduction of free internet in campuses will also boost collaboration among students. The existence of online discussion among students will boost their cooperation, the refore by introducing free internet in schools all students will be able to participate in the discussions. The Internet has also broadened several sectors in US. Therefore, Campuses ought to introduce free internet as it will benefit students and country as a whole. Some of the sector that have improved include Libraries. Many libraries have adopted the use of the internet as they made it possible for students to access their collection of books online. Librarians also argue that the introduction of internet has made it possible for students to access information and it has also changed the way of doing research. Initially, students were required to go through the tiring process just to access books in the libraries

Globalisation is a force for good. Discuss Essay

Globalisation is a force for good. Discuss - Essay Example Considering all the advantages of globalisation, the argument that this concept is a force for good cause remains true. This paper is meant to examine the positive effects of globalisation that resulted in the transformation of major areas like education, technology and business as a relationship with the relevance of international cooperation instilled by globalisation. Make a quick overview of the development around the world that has taken place in the recent two decades and it will be clear how great the aspect of ‘globalisation’ is. It is obvious that the politically segmented world map is now filled with a number of cities and economic hubs where labour and capital are brilliantly invested and operated in a variety of enterprises. This rapid growth in urbanisation and development in the human resource quality meant for economic growth of many countries became a reality through the integration of ideas and efforts from different parts of the world. As such, the commonness in opinion and the willingness to share material and abstract things meant for progress of human communities across political borders can be considered as the basis of globalisation. The interchange and exchange of information and material meant for mutually beneficial prospects between two or more countries constitute globalisation. According to a suggestion, â⠂¬Å"Globalisation is the term used to describe the process of removal of restrictions on foreign trade, investment, innovation in communications and transport systems† (Paul, 2008, p.55). The clear observation of this process will open a chamber of international participation in almost all the walk of economic enterprises. Under the franchisee of globalisation concept, the countries participating in joint economic ventures are supposed to be transparent and liberal among them in order to make the process of

Drinking Age Dialectic Essay Example for Free

Drinking Age Dialectic Essay Everyone should be able to go to social organizations for the community or school. Sometimes not everyone can attend though because of alcohol being served. Teens enjoy going to see their favourite bands play when they come near by. Some are held in bars which limit the people who can go. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would open up safer and monitored drinking locations for those teens. The Sask. Party should recognize that a lot of good can come out of lowering it rather then all the drinking and driving aspects of it. It is moral and ethical to consider lowering the drinking age. This is not an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking?’ This is an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking legally?’ That is the fundamentally difference. One of the highest rates of impaired driving is among younger adults because they don’t think of the consequences. Even the best crafted law can only be applied after it’s been broken. If the drinking age does go through that does not mean there will be any less accidents or anymore accidents, people are going to drink and drive whether they can legally drink or not. It is immoral and unethical to consider lowering the drinking age. Saskatchewan already has one of the highest impaired driving rates in the country. There is understandable concern about a potential increase in impaired driving. Politicians have wrestled with the appropriate drinking age for decades. With the drinking age possibly going down is raises worry with drinking and driving. This is not an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking?’ This is an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking legally?’ That is the fundamentally difference. Nathan Sgrazzutti spoke in favour of lowering the drinking age because it would improve student safety and increase the number of major events students could attend. Generally, first year students are 18 and excluded from attending many student union-organization events because they typically include alcohol. Should students be able to drink in an establishment where there are bounces to protect them and bartenders to cut them off when they’ve had too much or drink at home where they can get blackout drunk with no one around to pass out in their own vomit which is dangerous. It would be better for 18-year-olds to drink at a safe place and be able to attend more school functions that may have not of been able to before. One of the highest rates of impaired driving is among younger adults because they don’t think of the consequences. If the drinking age gets lowered the main purpose would be to ensure that people who are drinking no matter the age find a safe ride home. â€Å"Our focus regardless of the legal drinking age is make sure people aren’t drinking and driving,† said Rebecca Schultz, SGI’s manager of media relations. If today’s youth want to drink, they are going to find a way to get alcohol, check out Facebook and you will see plenty of teenagers posing in groups holding up their Red Solo cups. Teens and young adults are going to drink no matter what making sure they have a safe ride is something that does matter though. Politicians have wrestled with the appropriate drinking age for decades. Eighteen-year-olds who can’t legally drink need to only cross an imaginary line to enter a jurisdiction where it is legal for them to drink. Lowering the drinking age will likely reduce underage drinking rates since the novelty and thrill of drinking when it’s prohibited will wear off. At 18 one is considered an adult, able to vote, purchase tobacco and lottery tickets but not alcohol. If at 18 you are considered an adult you should be able to drink in all provinces not just some when all you have to do is go on a trip to go and drink legally. Saskatchewan already has one of the highest impaired driving rates in the country. Drinking and driving is most common among young people ages 18-25. According to SGI, there were 1 284 alcohol-related collisions in 2011, 59 of those involved where 18 and 66 where 19. SGI says alcohol is the No. 1 contributing factors to fatal collisions in the province. If alcohol is a big deal in fatal collisions we should start thinking about raising it not lowering the drinking age. There is understandable concern about a potential increase in impaired driving. After a record low of 46 deaths in 2005, 2006 and 2007 alcohol related fatalities have since risen. Over last Christmas and New Year, three people died and 64 were injured in alcohol related collisions. Statistics show that impaired driving charged had jumped nearly three-fold on year after the drinking age slipped to 18 years ago. If impaired driving causes so many deaths we should stricken the laws and leave the drinking age. Politicians have wrestled with the appropriate drinking age for decades. Until 1969, when it was lowered to 19, the legal drinking age in Saskatchewan was 21. 36 years ago when a majority of the Saskatchewan MLA’s in a free vote opted a to nudge up the age to which people could legally drink in the province to 19 from 18. Many of the same arguments bubble up again except this time its about lowering it from 19 to 18. Every province should have the same drinking age and stick with it instead of always changing them. What if my child could legally drink at eighteen? Making sure they had a safe ride home even if it meant calling to ask for one would be a main priority. I know they are going to drink anyways whether it is legal for them to do it or not. I would feel better knowing that they are at a bar where there are people to monitor them then at a party where people do not care. If my child is going to drink I would sooner it be legal for them to do so they are not sneaking around where no one knows where they are. What if every was able to legally drink? If everyone was able to drink places would be ciaos and full of alcoholics. You would need to stricken the drinking and driving laws to prevent collisions. It would create more jobs as the demand for alcohol would be higher. If everyone drank life would take a turn for the worse but there is also no harm in lowering it one year. With all these points the Saskatchewan Party will have to take a long hard look towards lowering the drinking age to 18. The Sask. Party government should look into how other provinces try to prevent impaired driving collisions. Drinking and driving is going to occur no matter what the legal drinking age is. Teens are finding ways to drink now and will continue to find ways if the drinking age stays the same. No one really knows the appropriate drinking age or will they ever know if nothing ever changes. Sometimes change can be for the better and people are mature enough to deal with it and other times it turns out bad but you can’t find out what will really happen by looking at statistics and predicting what is going to happen.

Microsoft Strategies in Marketing and Leadership

Microsoft Strategies in Marketing and Leadership Almost 27 years Microsoft operates through their windows and technologies in order to satisfied customer. They are provided a advance technology for all users such as for the company, personal users etc. other than that, in 1983, Microsoft has announced the development of windows which is a graphical user interface. At that time, they are creating the windows for IBM pc and the windows are compatible with the computers. However, the product line has changed from a graphical user interface to modern operating system. And now days, the windows corporation has focus on their five business divisions which is offers greatest potential to serve their customer. According to Microsoft.com (2010), the Microsoft corporation has motivated and inspired every day by how their customer use their software to find creative solutions to business problems, develop breakthroughs ideas, and stay connected to whats most important to the customer. The five business divisions that Microsoft focuses on are Windows and Windows live division, server and tools, online services division, Microsoft business division, and entertainment and devises division. With their five business division, they have different strategies to implement. First of all, from our research, Microsoft Corporation is using intensive strategies. Intensive strategies is require intensive efforts to improve a company more competitive position with existing product. In other words, intensive strategy is making the company to make more improvement in the existing product. In the intensive strategy, there have three strategies which are market penetration, market development and product development. However, from our research about Microsoft Corporation is using only two strategies from intensive strategies which is market penetration and product development. According to qfinance.com (2009), market penetration defined as the percentage of potential sales that company has made a measure of the percentage or potential percentage of the market that a product or company is able to capture, expressed in terms of total sales or turnover. Market penetration is often used to measure the level of success a new product or service has achieved. In other words, market penetration seeking an increased market share for present product or services in present market through. Microsoft Corporation is using this strategy because they want to increase their market share for present product. For an example, Microsoft Corporation is using or influence customer by using advertisement and promotion through online. When they are advertise the customer through online, they able to influence the customer to purchase the product, hence indirectly Microsoft Corporation are able to increased their market share. Other than that, according to Elorbany.R (2010), Micros oft Corporation redesigns MSN in order to Bing search market going up. They are hoping by redesign MSN, will help the company increase market share of online search and attracting people to MSN. This means that, Microsoft Corporation are using market penetration strategy to increase their maker share. Besides that, by using this strategy, Microsoft Corporation is able to make market share of competitors declining while the total of Microsoft Corporation industry sales increasing. By using this strategy, not just Microsoft Corporation able to increase market share but also increased their sales. Product development is seeking increased sales by improving present products or services or developing new ones. In other words, product development strategy is another strategy in intensive strategy that make the company make a new improvement in the existing product and make a new product in order to increased the sales of the company. Moreover, one of reason that Microsoft Corporation is using this strategy is, their mission and their value are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their potential. Other than that, Microsoft Corporation is also making a improvement on their existing product. For example, Microsoft office is one of product from Microsoft Corporation. This product is exist is to help people and the businesses easier to do their work. Microsoft Office exist since 1992 which is Microsoft office 4.x and Microsoft Corporation make a new improvement year by year and in 2010 Microsoft Corporation came out with new features in the Microsoft office and the software call Microsoft office 2007. Michael porters generic strategies Michael Porters Generic Strategies adapted from www.marketingteacher.com Michael Porters generic strategies is a strategy where the company can implement the strategy as taking actions by create a defendable position is an industry. In general, this strategy can be defensive and offensive towards their industry position. Other than that, the Michael porters generic strategy is an advantage over the competitors gained by offering the customer greater value, either by provided the lower prices of great features of the product and services. In this strategy, there have three strategies that the company can implement either implement three of it or one of it. The strategies are cost leadership strategies, differentiation strategies and focus strategies. According to case scenario, Microsoft Corporation is focusing on these two strategies which are cost of leadership and differentiation strategies. First of all, the cost of leadership is about of gaining the competitive advantage. Moreover, by increasing the profit and minimize the cost of production is also give an advantages to the company to earn more profit. Other than that, by increasing the market or the demand of the market is also give the corporation affects to earn more profit. Microsoft Corporation is a worldwide leader in software, services, and the solutions, that help people and business realize their potential. According to Microsoft.com (2010), there is about 108 country in the worldwide is subsidiaries the Microsoft Corporation product and it is also include Malaysia. Hence, the reasons why the Microsoft Corporation is using this cost of leadership strategies because Microsoft Corporation is a leader market of technology besides their competitor Apple.Inc. Microsoft Corporation is able to provide five divisions business to the customer through personal software to customer, software for business organizations, and entertainment for customer such as Xbox games. Other than that, the Microsoft Corporation is able to linkages with suppliers and distributors. Cost of leadership strategies are pursued in conjunction with differentiation strategies. Hence, cost of leadership is together with differentiation strategies. The differentiation strategies are also one of strategies that the Microsoft Corporation is implementing. The differentiation strategies are involves by making the product or services are different from the competitors and the product is also attractive from those of their competitors. Other than that, the products are offering by something new in the product, features, unique and valuable. According to Microsoft.com (2010), the Microsoft office has provided Microsoft hardware such as mouse, keyboard, cooling pad for laptop, mobile headset etc. This product is make Microsoft Corporation is different than other competitor beside provided operating software to the all distributors. In order to compete with the biggest competitors Apple.inc, Microsoft Corporation are also provided software for Mac such as Microsoft office Mac. This is one of strategy that Microsoft Corporation has using. With this strategy, Microsoft Corporation is able to make more profit and able to compete with other competitors in this industry. Merger and acquisitions According to entrepreneur.com (2010), merger defined as the combination of one or more corporations or other business entities into a single business entity. It is a joining of two or more companies to achieve greater efficiencies of scale and productivity. Besides that, according to entrepreneur.com (2010), acquisitions is define the company or large corporations who capable to purchase of one corporation by another through either the purchase of its shares or the purchase of its assets. Hence, merger and acquisitions are two commonly used ways to pursue the strategies. Microsoft Corporation is using merger and acquisitions strategies to get more competitive advantages for their own company. According to Rigby.B (2010), the company will encourage more technology mergers and acquisitions. From that, we able to see that Microsoft Corporations are implement these strategies to get more strength for their Corporations. Since 1994 Microsoft Corporation has an acquisitions every year, whi ch mean Microsoft Corporation purchase the smaller company to achieve massive growth literally overnight and increase the market share. According to Microsoft.com, almost every year Microsoft Corporation purchases the smaller company which is since 1994 until 2009. This is a good strategy for Microsoft Corporation in order to be a successful leader in technology advance. Other than that, by using this strategy Microsoft Corporation is able to provide more improvement on capacity utilization which is fully utilize capabilities and to make better use of an existing sales force. Conclusion As a conclusion, Microsoft Corporation is a leader in software and technology of computing. They are made a new improvement year by year in order to satisfy their customer. Besides that, Microsoft corporation is also involves with entertainment such as computing mobile, games (Xbox). This is means that, Microsoft Corporation have a variety loyal customer in the worldwide country. We can take an example in Malaysia. Most of computer, laptop is using windows one of product from Microsoft Corporation. Windows is able to provide new features, and it is a unique product to customer and the businesses. Other than that, government of Malaysia is also using windows product for their operating system. Moreover, one of the strategies that Microsoft Corporation implement is they are using mergers and acquisition with other company in order to increase the market share and in order to improve on their product and service to the customer. Furthermore, market penetration is giving a big impact to the company such as by improve the product, the Microsoft are able to increase the market share and the economic scale. Hence, strategy is important to every company, not just to Microsoft Corporation but to all the company that runs the business with their objective to maximize the profit and fulfill customers needs and wants. Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix Introduction Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is a very useful tool in formulating strategies. It is an analytical tool which can generate useful information regarding the strategies that a company plans to implement. Strategic management of a company always uses Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) as a tool in strategic planning or strategic management process. In this process, there are three main stages which are strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation. Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is always fits into the first stage which is the strategy formulation. In strategy formulation, there are three steps that will come into which are the input stages, the matching stages and the decision stages. All these stages are using different strategic management tools and Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) will be used at the decision stages which is the last stage of strategy formulation. This tool can determine the importance of each strategy and at the same time can decide among feasible alternative strategies. This is because the strategies will be weighted according to their external and internal factor. The best thing about Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is that sets of strategies can be examined sequentially or simultaneously. This means that by using this tool, the company can save a lot of time and making fast decision yet accurate. Other than that, by using QSPM, it is less likely that key factors will be overlooked or weighted inappropriately. Key factors such as the opportunities and threats can be weighted properly and all the factors can be compared accordingly. In order to develop QSPM, intuitive judgment is required. Thus, it is important to know the overall condition of the industry and the company itself. A lot of researches have to be done in order to know the key factors of the business. There are six steps of developing Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). The six steps are: Make a list of the firms key external opportunities/threats and internal strengths/weaknesses in the left column of the QSPM. Assign weights to each key external and internal factor. Examine the Stage 2 matrices and identify alternative strategies that the organization should consider implementing. Determine the Attractiveness Scores (AS). Compute the total AS. Compute the sum Total AS. Six steps of developing Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). Future Strategies for Microsoft and Methodologies used to Evaluate Strategies Based on task one in the previous page, there are three strategies which we have suggested for Microsoft to implement. The strategies are intensive strategies, Michael Porters Generic Strategies and merger or acquisition strategies. In intensive strategy, there are three related strategies are market penetration, market development and product development. The definition of these strategies has been explained in the previous tasks. After we have done some research regarding Microsoft and information technology industry, we think that Microsoft should implement product development strategy for the future strategy of the company. This is because, they have lot opportunities in the market that they can capture. Other than product development strategy, Microsoft also has done market penetration strategy where this company increasing their market shares by implementing this strategy. Both these strategies will be evaluated in QSPM in order to know how important they are to be used in future. In Michael Porters Generic strategy, there are two types of strategies that Microsoft used. The strategies are cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy. These two strategies are interrelated where cost leadership strategies pursued in conjunction with differentiation. The important of these strategies also will be evaluated in the QSPM. In merger or acquisition strategy, Microsoft has been successfully merger several large company to be their own. One of them is Yahoo which according to Burrows (2009), ever since Microsoft made its $45 billion bid for Yahoo in early 2008, it was clear the software giant was serious about taking on arch-rival Google in the lucrative internet search business, and now, after years of talks with yahoo, it seems Microsoft has achieved its goal. This is a big achievement of Microsoft and they manage to expand their market share in information technology industry. We think that, this strategy is very good for Microsoft to implement in future in order for them to continue be the market leader of information technology industry. So, in order to choose one strategy that very important for Microsoft to implement, we will evaluate all the key factors of each strategy in Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). QSPM utilizes key internal and external information of the business. These factors are usually identified in the previous stage of the strategic planning process. External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFEM) and Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFEM) are the example of tools used in the previous stage of the strategic planning. The above Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) has been development accordingly with appropriate weight and attractiveness score. Weights that have been used are representing the importance of the key factors to the implementation of the strategies. The more weight placed the more important the factor to the implementation of the strategies. On the other hand attractiveness score is a score to show the attractiveness of the factors. The score of 1 to 4 is placed which indicate the more score is place the more attractive the strategies to be implemented. Or in other words, attractiveness score of 1, 2, 3, or 4 is used to tell about each strategys attractiveness given the respective external or internal factor, where 4 is the best and 1 is the less attractive. For example, for product development under intensive strategy, attractiveness score of 4 is given to technological, competitive, management, finance, research and development and computer information systems. This means that these key factors are very attractive factors for the product development. The present of these factors will contribute to the successful of the product development strategy implementation. On the other hand the attractiveness score of 1 is given to the factor of political and production or operations. This means that political gives less impact on the successful of product development. For information industry, production or operation is less important because the industry is more to service types of business. Thus, production is less needed. This strategy has the third higher score which is 3.12. This means that this strategy also has its important to be implemented in future after the product development strategy. The score of 4 is given to the competitive, political, management and finance factors. In order to acquire a company, competitors will always have interest to compete with Microsoft. This is because merger strategy is able to expand the market share of a company. This means that buy acquire a company to be a part of Microsoft property, they will become stronger in the market and they will possess another competitive advantage. The same goes to political. Political is important because in order to merger the company, all procedure must be approved by the government. Management and finance are the most important factors in internal environment because they are responsible to negotiate and managing the activities in the process of merger. Other than that, finance and accounting department of Microsoft will calcul ate all the costs involve in acquire a particular company. According to nikkie.co (2009), industry analysts had praised Bill Gates for guiding his company on a path of growth that saw its revenue stream increasing by more than 50 percent per year in an extremely competitive, even cutthroat, market. In other words, Bill Gates has guiding his company on the right path of growth that saw its revenue stream increasing by more than 50 percent per year. Bill Gates has success to capitalize early and effectively on industry trends. Besides that, his compliance to take risks on such fledgling technologies as Microsofts CD-ROM based software packages. A fledgling technology has become an industry standard. Moreover, Bill Gates had organized the company structure which is all the company structure all in together on all phases of software products through business cycle from development to distribution. Furthermore, in 1995 Bill Gates has done and towards in internet area which is creates a search engine through internet. And Bill Gates was success to assess by the actuality that Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser. Through that, Microsofts Internet Explorer Web browser has become the industry leader in 2000. In addition, Bill Gates has success in initial a competitive Internet browser. While that, the desktop of database and office-suite has success. By Bill Gates creatures, it has proved that Bill Gates had formed a company quick enough to jump into a market that others were developing. And Bill Gates also able to take as a lead away from the competition. Furthermore, according to nikkie.com (2009), in 1998 Bill Gates has announced a new point in Microsofts development that would allow him to focus his energies on strategy and product development. In other words, in 1998, Bill Gates wants to concentrate on his strategy and product development in order to satisfy customer needs. While that, the company funnelled a large amounts of money into improving customer supports and feedback. Other than that, Bill Gates has planned that he want his company directs work in such areas as intellectual telephones and television, as well as the combination of such new computer input techniques such as speech, vision and handwriting using computers. Even though windows had previously gone through several upgrades. Theory Y assumptions that managements role is to build up the possible in employees and help them to release that potential towards common goals in the organization. Bill had a vision as a teenager that every business and household should have a computer to make their life easier and effective. The realization of Bill Gates vision has changed the computing world. Microsofts vision is empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, (microsoftvision.com,) The leadership style of microsoft is the charismatic style which is a leadership style that usually come from the people that are born with it. This kind of leadership style can usually win the heart of the workers more efficiently because they are good at picking up the moods and concern of both individuals and larger audiences. This type of leadership is effective because when the leader at the top, its takes time to ground his own self and stay close to the operation. When the top management involves the business with employee, not only does he gain the knowledge but he furthers his employees to work double as hard for the company. Being in the trenches builds loyalty and of course real knowledge about how the operation is being run. The company CEO must understand cultural dynamics to formulate their strategies, to locate production facilities and suppliers worldwide, to design and market culturally appropriate and services as well as to manage cross-cultural interaction thorough out the organization. Therefore, based on the roles and responsibilities above, when implementing strategies such as mentioned before intensive product development the CEO is very important to become the agent of making the strategy work. Bill Gates and the late Loh Boon Siew is very articulate in conveying their vision to the company mentioned in the Theory X and Theory Y assumptions, and thus that is why the company is able to strive.

The beliefs of Childrens Learning

The beliefs of Childrens Learning Identifying the beliefs of Childrens Learning, Development, and the Social Influences that shaped them. A childs learning and development begins from the moment they are born, the early years from birth to five are an important milestone in a persons life, what a child experiences in the early years has a major impact on their future chances in life. A safe, secure and happy childhood is important in its own right. We can shape a childs learning from an early age, children learn through experience and adult involvement, therefore interaction with babies and young children is fundamentally important, it helps to build ideas, creates thinking and helps them develop as learners. Babies are born with an interest in people and a drive to find out about their world. Observing and assessing babies and young children is an important basis in their learning and development. Watching children learn can open our eyes to the capacity of how they learn (Pugh, 2001, p. 66), and this shows us the i mportance of these first few years in a childs life. Over the decades early education, policies and practices have seen significant changes. We still use many of the earlier theories and methods through the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in our early education settings today. The EYFS is part of a ten year Childcare Strategy introduced in 2008, it relates to the Childcare Act 2006, and its aim is to give young children the best start in life, it sets standards to enable early years providers to implement the rich and personalised experience many parents give their children at home. It provides legal requirements relating to learning, development, assessments and welfare. The EYFS principles which guide all practitioners consists of four themes; a Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments, Learning And Development. It implies that all children from birth to five will acquire the same skills and knowledge in preparation for school while at the same time recognising that all children are individuals that require ind ividual learning strategies. The construction of early education and care of children and young people dates back many years, as early as the 17th century. Friedrich Froebel a major theorist was born in 1782 in Thuringia what is now Germany and was well known for saying play is a childs work, he formulated the idea of kindergarten meaning childrens garden as a means of educating young children. Play and the outdoor environment were important in Froebelian kindergartens. His approach emphasized that children are able to develop their capacity for learning through play, and that active learning is essential with guidance and appropriate direction. He believed that training of workers within the early years was essential, and the importance of parents as partners in the education of young children. The influence of Froebels methods are well established in early years settings to date, his work was one of the theories that made the basis of early education. Many recent theorists based t heir work on these early findings, and say, he was ahead of his time as one of the EYFS themes and commitments, of today states active learning. Active learning it is implemented through the learning and development principle of the EYFS, it provides physical and mental involvement, decision-making and personalised learning, and it occurs when children are keen to learn and are interested in finding things out for themselves. Play is a dynamic process that develops and changes, it provides children with opportunities for developing cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills. Froebelian kindergartens were seen to be middle class; despite this his methods were adapted for use with disadvantaged children and families within developing 20th century nursery and infant schools. (Pound, 2008, p. 16). The first nursery school opened in Scotland in1816 by Robert Owen(1771-1858), he was a mill owner who refused to employ children less than 10 years of age, he believed that education should be a common right for all children, and that children are passive, contrived and by due preparation and accurate attention can be formed into any human character. He managed their behaviour through kindness, which in the19th century was unusual, children as young as 2 years attended his school. The opening of his nursery school influenced changing attitudes on child labour, and set the basis of early education for young children. The start of the curriculum method was one of Owenss ideas, his vision on education-inspired generations of activist; he recognised the link between social welfare and early education this is an important part of practice in modern day settings. His commitments to education were radical as were his ideas on the importance of equality, although his policies were a bold ste p forward, he was criticised as being rooted in his desire for profit. (Pound, 2008, p. 13) In the UK the development of early education was very slow compared to Europe, it was In 1870 that publicly funded education became compulsory for children age 5, the need to understand these early childhood services is important as they laid down the foundations of our education system (Pugh, 2001, p. 8) During the 1960s the voluntary playgroup movement emerged. A letter sent to the Guardian by Belle Tutaev, a young mother of a four-year-old expressing concern to the lack of appropriate nursery provision within our education system. For many years the main means of early education was state primary schools, and this was aimed at children over 5 years, after campaigning to the authorities to no avail she opened her own playgroup, this progressed and by the seventies playgroups became a recognised form of pre-school provision. Over the next 2 decades the changing family patterns and employment patterns meant early years provision were a much needed source, this saw the growth of private nurseries. Only after a review in 1988 on early childhood and education services, (The Education Reform Act) did the government realise there was a growing problem. It found flaws, in uncoordinated services, which varied between different parts of the country, compared to the rest of Europe there were low levels of public funding. It had different services ran by a diversity of different organisations, this meant a wide range of clients used them, all with different aims and purposes. The education system needed the government to intervene. A number of national reports was to be published, one of them the Rumbold report published in 1990, expressed concerns about education and the lack of access to Early Years services. It highlighted the need for the development of good quality provision in the early years, and believed it to be vital that all that work, or are involved with young children recognise the importance of their educational role and fulfil it. She urged those who make provision recognise the growing demand for and the expansion of high quality services to meet children and parents needs (rumbold, 1990). The report also highlighted the way in which young children learn are as important as what they learn, and argued against the introduction of formal learning. At the time, this report was ignored but it is now used as a basis for best practice in todays Early Years settings. The establishment of the Early Childhood Education forum in 1993 meant bringing together all national agencies working in the field, (Pugh, 2001, p. 11) it clarified that an early years policy is needed, and an expansion in services, the forum gathered strength with over 45 national organisations by 1998. Its aims were to champion childrens rights and entitlements, support the training development and education of early childhood practitioners, and all those who work with children and their families. The government took action and in 1995, funding for the education of 4 year olds was introduced this was in the form of vouchers that could be redeemed in private, voluntary, or local authority nurseries, the vouchers were extremely criticised at the time and was abolished in 1997 when Labour Government was elected. The election of the Labour Government brought big changes in the way our whole Education System was run, especially Early Education; its key issue is to eradicate child poverty, and provide more family friendly policies and childrens centres. The Sure Start initiative, launched in 1999 under the National Childcare Strategy plays a major role in doing this, by helping families in local communities of need with children under 4years old. The government pledged 1.4 billion pounds over 6 years. This meant that parents had access to a multi agency of services within the Sure Start Childrens Centres. They are now a key influence within our communities helping children, families and society, by learning and developing life skills in the early years so that young children grow up to be happy, healthy and are able to achieve their goals in life. The centres are at the Heart of the Every Child Matters Change for Children 2004. The green paper Every Child Matters was published in 2003, in response to a report by Lord Laming in 2001, into the death of Victoria Climbie. Victoria was a young girl who was horrifically abused, tortured and killed by her great aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao and partner Carl Manning; they were the people who were supposed to be caring for her. Shameful failings within a number of systems meant on 12 occasions over 10 months the chances to save Victoria were missed. Evidence from this Inquiry demonstrated the dangers of staff from different agencies not fulfilling their separate and distinctive responsibilities. The death of Victoria showed a fundamental need for an integrated service that would be part of a political agenda for many years, despite the Children Act 1989 provisions, child protection strategies and services stayed within the social service system, and the level of communication and co-operation between these and other services in health and education were variable. The Ev ery Child Matters agenda is recognised by five outcomes; be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and achieve economic wellbeing; these outcomes are a universal ambition for the government, and form a strong basis for the EYFS curriculum used in Early Education Settings to date. The transfer of responsibility for children under 8-years-old were made from the Department of Health, to the Department of Education and Skills and from 2001, an integrated inspection service was introduced, bringing together all the services, enabling multi-agency working, which was an important step forward. The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership in local authorities were also introduced, helping to increase levels of provision in Childcare. Working in partnership with the Local Education Authority, each authority completed an audit, with a plan to reach the governments targets for early education places for all 3- and-4year-olds. This was made easier in the change of policy earlier, that allowed non maintained sectors to apply for nursery grants, children in private day nurseries, pre-schools and some childminders could now access their free half-day nursery provision. In this way the strategy started to tackle the long-term split between Early Years education serv ices and the childcare services. (Macelod- Brundenell,and Kay 2nd edition 2008 pg 352 ). It has been without doubt that Early Education has come a long way since Froebel in the 17th century, and the opening of Owens nursery school in 1816, but not many things have changed, it was evident then that children learn through play and exploration, and early learning is important in the first five years. Maybe many generations of children have missed out the chances given to young children of today. The EYFS has been an important milestone for early education and young children, and is now the way forward in preparing a child for school, but its existance is still in the primary stages, and many small nursery settings may find adapting to these changes and sustaining them quiet difficult as the standards and welfare requirements set are extremly high.

Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Testing in Schools Essay -- essays research

â€Å"Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Testing†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The procedure of testing student for drugs, alcohol and tobacco before every school day should be allowed. The fact that the subject of drug testing has even been brought up is a sign that illegal substances have become troublesome in high school environments. Therefore, school officials should be allowed to use any means necessary to discourage the use of these illegal substances, even if it means that the school officials could become dangerously close to violating the students’ constitutional rights. A student under the influence of drugs or alcohol could endanger his or her fellow students or faculty and that student should not be allowed to attend that school. School officials must protect those who are at that school, so having a student whose actions are being controlled by illegal substances would not be the best way to protect the students and faculty. Students should be tested everyday for drugs, alcohol, and tobacco so that the students are healt hier, the students have better grades, and the students never start doings things that could have a negative impact on their future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, schools should be allowed to test students for illegal substances everyday so that the students are healthier. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco have all been proven to be very unhealthy to a person at any age, especially to a person in his or her teenage years when he or she is still growing. In...

Struggle and Growth in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay -- Color Purp

Struggle and Growth in Alice Walker's The Color Purple The Color Purple depicts the struggle and growth of Celie, an uneducated slave of the South who became a victim of racism, sexual roles, men, and social injustices, in numerous letters that she writes as a diary. Walker uses Celie's uneducated grammar to help the reader perceive the pain that she thinks and feels in order to become a mature, twentieth-century woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Celie writes to God for guidance and strength asking that she may carry on, her letters subtly shift to be intended for her intensely loved sister, Nettie, whom separated from Celie at an early age. Celie becomes a victim of brutal violence as she refuses to fight back to the injustices that black men, such as her husband and father, inflict upon her, including rape, verbal abuse and physical abuse. When Shug Avery, a blues singer who had an affair with Celie's husband, enters the novel, Celie's outlook on life gradually alters. Shug's manipulative, potent, and independent character aids Celie in growing strong and eventually learning to love others as well as herself as they share an intimate, sexual relationship together. Shug's belief in freedom of black women urges Celie to take complete domination of her own life. After years of keeping the memories of Nettie alive, Celie's courageous spirit and love of Nettie and Shug lead Celie t o forgiveness and reconciliation for all the pain inflicted upon her. When Nettie returns home with Celie's children after experiencing a whole new life in Africa, Celie finally is able to encounter true happiness through mental and emotional rebirth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Nettie's character remains detached for years, she serves as Celie's confidante th... ...lthough Celie didn't receive Nettie's letters till months, sometimes years, after they were written, Celie continued to confide in Nettie with her deepest emotions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Without Nettie's character existing in the novel, Celie would eventually give up her gaining perseverance and cling onto the abuse and injustices she grew up in. Nettie served as Celie's emotinal and spiritual support while allowing the reader to experience knowledge of her African culture. Nettie explains to Celie the vast differences between her life in Africa, with blacks as the majority, and life in America, with blacks as the minority. She serves not only as a confidante but also as an educator for Celie's lost mind. Nettie's character intensifies Celie's need to love and be loved in The Color Purple. Works Cited: Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.New York: Pocket Books. 1982

Interpretation :: essays research papers

Humans are set apart from all other animals for one reason. We have the power of imagination and thus power to interpret what we read. Therefore, we can argue that the written word is the most meaningful of all types of communication. It is valid to say that if ten people read a book and were asked to retell the book in their own words that we’d hear ten different versions of the same book. In today’s society, our interpretations are feared. We might interpret anything contrary to the author’s intentional meaning. The author could then possibly be liable for any actions we take after reading his works. Don Quixote is one who consciously decides to interpret his books of chivalry as the right way of life and concurrently decides to live his own life in that manner. â€Å"I remember reading that a certain Spanish knight . . . having broken his sword in battle, tore a great bough or limb from an oak†(69). Since Don Quixote had read about this particular knigh t, he justifies it to himself that he too could also tear a limb from a tree and uses it as a makeshift lance. When Sancho asks if Don Quixote had any pain, he replies, â€Å"I do not complain of the pain†¦because a knight errant is not allowed to complain of any wounds†(69-70). Again, Don Quixote is going by a set of rules of chivalry that he obtained from his reading. At night, Don Quixote refuses to sleep â€Å"but thought about his Lady Dulcinea, to conform to what he had read in his books about knight errants spending many sleepless nights in the woodland and desert dwelling on the memory of their ladies†(70). I do not believe that Don Quixote is mad, as some may say, but that he is only interpreting what he has read to suit him. If Don Quixote were a real human in today’s society his family could very well sue the publishers of the books that he read, claiming that the books drove him to insanity and should not have been published. However, if all wri tten works were feared in that context, then it is also a possible that all books are to be feared. This is shown when Don Quixote’s niece helps a priest and a barber to burn Don Quixote’s treasured books of chivalry. When the barber suggests that â€Å"These do not deserve burning with the rest, because they do not and will not do the mischief those books of chivalry have done†(61).