Positive Attitude

Dennis Brown once said, â€Å"The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude. † As someone who always tried to keep a positive attitude in life, it is hard for me to imagine a world where people are not as optimistic about everyday deals. After hitting my Junior year in IB; however, the effects of the stress load really began to affect my attitude towards life. However, even though I barely just began this experience, I can truly say that a positive attitude can go a long way.As we explore this idea, we’ll first discover the benefits of being positive, next look at the negatives of losing hope, and finally learn how to keep life beautiful with a beautiful attitude. An anonymous person with a great outlook on life once said, â€Å"You've got to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you've got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. Learn from mistakes, but never regret. † Though, this person did not disclose their name, their point is simple and clear. Staying positive is better than being negative.It is scientifically proven that staying positive can help decrease stress levels, increase lifespan, and can actually cause a greater resistance to the common cold and many other diseases. Ph. D. Doctor Martin Brofman discovered the benefits of keeping an upbeat attitude at all times. Brofman was diagnosed terminal cancer in 1975 and was told that he only had two months to live; two months before he would be forced to confront with death. Determined to make the most of his last few weeks, he refused to let anything get him down by keeping a positive attitude at all times.When the sky looked rainy during the time he was sick, the sun would come out at his command. He would imagine his cancer cells each dying off, one at a time; he would insist that everything would be okay. Two months later, he went back to visit the doctor that declared him terminally ill. The doctor, in return, had laughed in joy and stated that perhaps they had made a mistake. Brofman later quotes that â€Å"In order to release a symptom, one must release the way of being associated with it. Thus, the process of healing implies a process of transformation. Along with the positives of being positive, there are also several consequences for being negative. According to scientific research, negative attitude can decrease lifespan, cause stress levels to rise drastically which can cause many medical problems such as heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, and can create an unpleasant future. There are six main types of negativity: the miserable type, the silent killer, the drama queens, the woe is, the paranoid type, and finally the trigger type. These all have one thing in common: they tend to see many things in a negative light.According to Winston Churchill, â€Å"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. † In the end, the question asked is: would you rather see the difficulty or the opportunity? If the answer is to see opportunity, there are several ways to create a more positive attitude. Firstly, gratitude. If you are grateful towards things that you have, then you tend to have a positive outlook towards your life. It is said that Gratitude is the beginning of all virtues. The next step would be choosing happiness.Be happy; be positive; even when everything is looking rough, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Thirdly would be substituting problems for challenges. Don’t think of it as a problem, think of it as a challenge. Fourthly, view life as a journey; not a long, weary trek in the end where you go to sleep dejected and exhausted. Think of life as a ride, a ride with twists and turns but nevertheless an honest to goodness fun ride. Next, when you wake up in the morning, think about what a wonderful day it is. A positive start will nearly always end happily.Lastly, stop and s mell the roses and appreciate even the little things in life. As Maurice Setter once said, â€Å"Too many people miss the silver lining because they are too busy looking for the gold. † Often times, people take things for granted and do not look at the positive side of life. However, as shown previously, a positive attitude can create not only great health but also help the people around you. In this sense, a positive attitude is necessary for one to feel truly happy in their lives and necessary for one to truly live the fullest they can.

Impact of Social Networking Websites on Business

IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES ON BUSINESS | Asheri George MatembeleApril 16, 2013| Table of Contents Abstract2 Introduction3 Literature Review3 Comparison of Social Networking Websites5 Benefits of using social network websites for business6 How to Use Social Networking Websites for Business8 Problems Associated with Social Networking Websites10 Conclusion10 References11 AbstractA social networking website is a social structure build-up of individuals or organizations called â€Å"nodes†, which are connected by one or more specific types of mutuality, such as friendship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike relationships of beliefs, knowledge, prestige and information. This paper focuses on social networking websites and their impact on business. It aims to identify opportunities and ways to be effective as promoters of businesses to Internet users all over the world, 24 hours and 7 days, creating unlimited possibilities for advertising potential.This paper revi ews the best social networking websites currently used as well as examples of ways in which business can use these types of websites to expand their target markets. This article also gives insight about the threats and challenges associated with social networking websites, as well as things for businesses to watch out for if they determine to use these types of websites. Social networking websites will continue to shape the ways in which businesses collaborate and communicate, both inside and outside of enterprise.Introduction A social networking website consists of a social structure build-up of individuals or organizations called â€Å"nodes†, connected by one or more specific types of mutuality, such as friendship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike relationships of beliefs, knowledge, prestige and information (McLaughlin, 2012). This paper focuses on social networking websites and their impact on business. It aims to identify opportunities and ways to be effecti ve as promoters of businesses to internet users.Social media are a platform for business visibility. Keywords create a marketing buzz. The most relevant social networking websites currently used are reviewed first and ways in which businesses can use these types of websites to expand their target markets considered next. Some of the threats and challenges associated with social networking websites as well as red flags for businesses to watch out are then discussed. Literature Review – What is Social Networking Website?A social networking website is an online service or website filled with millions of individuals who are seeking to meet other people, to gather and share first-hand information and their experiences about golfing, gardening, cooking, developing friendships or professional alliances, seeking employment, marketing such as advertising, get customer’s feedbacks and even groups sharing information. It is an online service, website or platform that focuses on b uilding and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities.Social Network Services are also increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach. – Facebook Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, while he was a student at Harvard in 2004 and originally called thefacebook and that domain was registered by someone else back in 1997. The general concept was to digitize the legendary freshman-year â€Å"Facebook,† and allow students not only to gawk at one another’s photos but also to flirt, network, interact.Eventually, the web site moved beyond college to everyone and nearly 1 billion people have a Facebook profile. Facebook users can create a profile page that shows their friends and networks information about them-selves. The choice to include a profile in a network means that everyone within that network can view the profile. The profile typically includes Friends, Friends from other Networks, Information, Status, Notes, Groups, Likes, Photos, Videos and The Wall which is the major feature of Facebook. – Google+Google+ is basically Google's latest attempt at creating a social network. Unlike with Facebook where uploading a post will show up on user’s profile for all of user’s friends to see, Google+ lets users do things a little differently. Circles, Sparks, Hangouts, Instant Upload and Huddle are major features of Google+. The concept of Circles is user can have a family Circle, a BFF Circle, a co-workers Circle, and even an â€Å"Epic bros† Circle. Sparks is a feature that lets users select certain areas, interests or hobbies that user particularly like.Google+ Hangouts are quick video â€Å"conferences† that enabling broadcasters to go live with friends and fans, for around the world to see. Instant upload which lets users take a photo and instantly upload it to a priva te album in the cloud server. Huddle is one of the best features of Google+ is Huddle, which lets users coordinate with friends and family in real-time. * Twitter? Twitter was started out as a micro-blogging website has quickly grown into a social messaging platform and one of the top social networks in the world that allows users answer the question, â€Å"What are users doing? by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called â€Å"tweets†, to their friends, or â€Å"followers†. Twitter is phenomenon that transcends social networking to provide an outlet for news, trends, buzz, and chat among many other uses. Twitter is a combination of various forms of communication such as email, instant messenger, VOIP like as Skype, Blogs and distribute content rapidly on the web through RSS feeds. – LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social networking website designed specifically for the business community with over 120 million members which were officially launched i n May 2003.A LinkedIn member’s profile page, which emphasizes their working experiences and education background, has professional network news feeds and a limited number of customizable modules. Network members are also known as â€Å"connections† and unlike other social networking websites such as Facebook or Twitter. LinkedIn needs connections to have a pre-existing relationship. The members of can seek for jobs, join groups, research companies, and network with members of their network. Companies can post information about the company and career opportunities listings on company pages.Companies can also establish the connection with LinkedIn members for recruiting purposes. – MySpace MySpace is a popular online social networking website that composed of personal profiles aimed for mostly at a younger membership. It is extremely popular with teenagers and young adults. It allows users to post images of their self, blog about their ideas and concerns, and post comments on other users’ profiles. MySpace included features such as chat rooms, forums, classified ads, newsgroups and a venue for sharing videos or music like as other online social networking websites.A MySpace profile can be a very important connection to fans of celebrities because MySpace was originally founded as a venue for aspiring musicians and bands to share music and concert dates. The variety of details included in the profile is submitted voluntarily by users. MySpace is easy to use for anyone to submit profile information, even if they have lack of online experience. Comparison of Social Networking Websites There are several different social networking websites and hard to decide which are best for the business. Following figures and tables will give insight to choose suitable one for business somehow.Figure 1: Number of registered users on Major Social Networking Websites According â€Å"Figure: 1†, vast amount of users are registered in Facebook. Goog le+ and Twitter has only 25% of number of Facebook’s registered users. Businesses can be reached many targeted users on the Facebook easily more than other social networking websites. Figure 2: Percentage of Gender distribution by major social networking websites Benefits of using social network websites for business Businesses are getting insight about the benefits of using social networking websites to retain and attract customers.They began to see that their competitors are taking many advantages because of using social networking efforts, they quickly followed suit. Nowadays most of the businesses can be found on asocial networking websites. They are communicating with their customers and clients via social networking websites. They are updating their information or statuses and occasionally acting like they are a part of community. For some people, interacting with businesses on social networking websites gives them an opportunity to experience first-hand how that compan y deals with the public.Most people are becoming accustomed to receiving customer support via a social network. Social networking websites can break the barriers of customer contact significantly so that businesses are using social networks to help their marketing campaigns. For businesses that are willing to shoulder the load, this new medium represents an opportunity in order to keep in touch with customers and update them constantly about companies’ information. This represents are an unprecedented opportunity for businesses which are willing to add values and engaging with customers.The benefits of social networking for business cannot be underestimated as it becomes a crucial component to business. The benefits of using social networking for business are as follows: – Online Presence and Branding Business can create their profile in social networking sites and allows people to see their brand or products and get awareness from user that their business exists. They can post valuable content to those web sites to attract the users. – Customer Service and Engagement Social networking provides a channel for business to interact with their customers and enables customers to provide feedback on the marketing message quickly.It provides as a useful tool to have a direct conversation with their customer base and see patterns of customer’s feedback. It also gives company a platform to be creative in using different social media tools to engage their customers and gain their loyalty to the business. – Lower Cost/Free Advertising Businesses can advertise their products and services for free or at lower costs when they make full use of social networking sites. Social networking sites can be used as a media which help companies find new customers and break the barriers of customer contact. – Find Business Partners or EmployeesAt social networking sites, businesses can find out new business partners, employees, other brands and even their competitor. Businesses can send out messages to notify people they are hiring or accepting applications and they can use these social networking sites to seek out employees. How to Use Social Networking Websites for Business Businesses can establish and maintain business relationships with colleagues and their customers on social networking websites. Some firms are taking it further still and using social networking sites to actively promote themselves and their businesses.Businesses have a number of ways to develop unique advertising methods on each social networking websites and those websites offer several avenues such as the banner ad advertising, creating a profile and page or creating events and groups. * Banner Ad Advertising? Banner Ad advertising is a most popular and majority of advertising method on the Internet. Most of social networking websites have that kind of advertising method and running on every web page which a user must access to view messages, comm ents, and others’ profiles.Often these ads are animated or still images, making them users to see and click on them. eMarketer reported that the global revenue of banner ad advertising from social networks is expected to reach $10 billion by 2013. Figure 3: Social Networking Websites’ Ad Revenues Internationally Figure 4: Percentage Change of Social Networking Websites’ Ad Revenues Internationally – Creating a Profile and Page Many companies have profiles on social networking websites and the information on a profile reflect on those businesses.Therefore they post or upload about their services or products so that users may view them and engaging for clients. This would be a way to keep in touch with their customers for businesses. At the companies’ profile, the user could post concerns, comments, and ideas while viewing blogs on product updates. Companies can review the likes, interests and expressed needs of their customer base from profiles. The y can also use this information to determine how customers’ profile characteristics fit into their marketing targets. Creating groups and Events Another way to use social networking websites is the creation of groups or events according company’s product or service. Moreover, the business can create a group of people who like or interest the product and open discussion forums so that users can share about their experience with the products. Most of the social networking websites are allowed users to create events and those events could be sponsored by the company. The social networking website’s users are partically doing the advertising for the company. Problems Associated with Social Networking WebsitesMost of the businesses concern about privacy and security issues in social networking websites. This is the majority problem since the purpose of social networking websites is for public for personal reasons, a person’s whose privacy is compromised suffer s much distress. Increasing of hacking the account is also another problem suffered by social networking websites. Even though it is a problem, can be protected by user reducing the amount of their personal information they post on the internet. Some of social networking websites services do not agree security is not a major problem.Although many social networking websites have enhanced their security and privacy system, much remains out in the open for regular predators to harm and affect the lives of others. The purpose of visiting social networking websites for most of the people is for their personal reasons or for leisure. So that businesses should realize how to be contributing about their information among users with lack of risk and beware of the personal space of the users. Conclusion Social networking websites are becoming popular among current generation.Even there are many opportunities as well as challenges of social networking websites for business. Most important step for any business is to create a policy of using social networking websites. Businesses are struggling with rapidly developing of technology. Technology is constantly changing the way of doing business at internet and businesses should be aware of these changes. It is in the best interests of a company to know what social networking websites are suitable to its References Daniel Nations, The Top Social Networking Sites, AUG 12, 2012, from http://webtrends. about. om/od/socialnetworking/a/ social_network. htm Darren McLaughlin, Benefits Of Social Networking Websites For Business, AUG 20, 2012, from http://mosthostserver. com/? p=5118 Google+: A Basic Cheatsheet for Marketers, AUG 19, 2012, from http://www. sociableblog. com/2011/10/04/googlepl us-cheatsheet-for-marketers/ Jennifer Bergen, Google+: What is it, and how do I get it? , AUG 15, 2012, from http://www. geek. com/articles/mobile/google-what- is-it-and-how-do-i-get-it-20110628/ Part of the Internet acronyms and lingo glossary , LinkedIn, AUG 15, 2012, from http://whatis. techtarget. om/definition/LinkedIn Part of the Internet applications glossary, MySpace, AUG 17, 2012, from http://whatis. techtarget. com/definition/MySpace Using social networking sites for business marketing: Advantages and disadvantages, AUG 25, 2012, from http://brooger. com/using-social- networking-sites-for-business-marketing- advantages-and-disadvantages/ What is Facebook? , AUG 12, 2012, from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-facebook. htm What Is Social Networking? , AUG 12, 2012, from http://www. brickmarketing. com/what-is-social- networking. htm What is Twitter? , AUG 15, 2012, from http://mashable. com/what-is-twitter/

Personal Change Essay

Every day I hear people talking about how they do not like this or how they want to change that. Oddly enough, I do not often hear someone say I really need to make a personal change. The thought that people point fingers at others and take not fault weighted on my mind for quite a while. So I decided if I could change one thing about myself in a positive way, it would be to stop being so self-centered. This change would not only be beneficial to me, but also the people around me. They would be a lot happier around me, it would open my eyes to a new perspective on life as a whole, and last but not least, I would not be as irresponsible. From my experience nobody likes to be around a selfish inconsiderate person. Making this change in my life would transform me from that selfish guy, to a caring, considerate and positive individual. Socially my world would sky rocket almost instantly. When someone is fun and considerate, they are easy to be around. This means I would attract more peop le, which leads me to my next point. The more people we meet in life, the more we learn. I feel that if I do not meet new people and experience new things, I will have that same old one tract mind. It is ok to be wrong and do what someone else wants to do from time to time. This will allow me to explore not only the world differently, but myself as well. A basic outlook on life is the direct product of being self-centered and hard to be around. Part of having a new perspective means, seeing that my old self interpretation or old opinion of myself may change. Ultimately this could lead to me looking at how I act and do things honestly. After looking at myself and how I actually am, there is no doubt in my mind I would come to the conclusion that I am not the most responsible person in the world. As a result, the logical thing for me to do next is to fix that problem. If I were more responsible I could take a lot more control of my life. Open new doors for myself in my school life, work life, and social life. Responsibility is the glue that holds a successful life together . All I really want in the end is to be successful anyway, so being responsible would defiantly be a great trait to have. All in all the change to stop being so self-centered would only change my life for the better. I can not think of any other change that would benefit me more. So I say to myself and anyone who will listen â€Å"Don’t let yourself hold you back.†

Financial accounting, management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial accounting, management - Essay Example 2. The role of Financial Accounting is to provide financial information to people outside the organization. Managerial accounting, on the other hand, furnishes financial information relevant for the executives and administrators within the organization. The two mentioned disciplines are focused mainly on compiling and reporting the financial information, while Finance is concerned on managing money and other monetary instruments. Accounting lays down the historical account of financial transactions while finance is more concerned on improving the future financial transactions of a firm. 3. A balance sheet provides a picture of a firm's financial position at a given time. It elaborates the financial position of the firm as being shown by its properties (assets) and what it owes (liabilities and net worth) in a given moment. It actually shows the potentials and the weaknesses that a business has and can also identify business trends particularly on its receivables and payables (Balance Sheets 2003). Each of the accounting convention has different views in accounting for the entries made in the balance sheet.

Value Chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Value Chain management - Essay Example Another complementor, with respect to Relationship Management and Process Improvement, is the highly competitive automobile industry with cut throat competition between the company and General Motors, Honda and Toyota as is reflected by the competitive stock market of the respective companies (C.Heckscher & S.Adler, 2006)(Appendix 3). This provides an incentive for Nissan to come up with state of the art technology and new ways of serving customers better (process improvement). Furthermore, relationship management with customers is complemented by state of the art technology of the company, including the Nissan Fleet Communications (NFC) which provides customer support and maintains a customer database (Jha, 2008). Technology Management/ Relationship Management Perhaps, one of the most recent and core complementor is the Earthquake in Japan (and previously the Tsunami) which has virtually shaken the foundations of major Japanese manufacturers. The company is recently facing supply ch ain management crisis due to shortages of key parts. In some cases, the supplier was changed, in others; the plant was fixed by the supplier.

The Integrated Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Integrated Arts - Essay Example Collections are often secretive, sometimes fetishistic, and can consist of the mundane and disposable, fragments of nature or urban waste (Meecham and Sheldon, 2000, p. 190-192). Art through the eyes of an artist represents the different moods, features, and aesthetics of the contemporary world. The same cannot be said of the spectator, who like many before and after him, see art as a piece of sexuality and provocation. Any discussion on art brings one noting the Greeks. The Greeks during the high classical age (470-430 BC), created standing sculptures of human figures, carved out of limestone and marbles, adapting seventh century Egyptian models. These sculptures were stiff, rigid, decorative, subordinate elements of tombs and temples rather than true sculpture. The range of depictions on heroic nude male (often in athletic contests) and draped female figures were prominent1. Each figure of the period reflected the artistic marvel and importance to this form of art. The sculptures were true living representations of the lifestyle and culture enjoyed by the prominent people of that age. In continuation on the subject of art and artists, this paper focuses on two distinct artists and their way of presenting contemporary world to their audience. First, the paper looks at the works of Fred Wilson and Conceptual Art, and then it's the turn of Judy Chicago and Feminist Art. Fred Wilson is a2.0 Fred Wilson and the Conceptual Art Fred Wilson is a conceptual artist; he doesn't paint, sculpt ortake photographs as he used to, but works with museums, culling through their collections and selecting objects to make his point. He arranges these exhibits against the backdrop of selective wall colors, display cases, lighting and wall labels to communicate with his audience. At an exhibit for the Maryland Historical Society, he juxtaposed fine silver service with slave shackles, and four period chairs lined up to observe a whipping post. He was more than convincing in conveying the message of white oppression over the black; the refined products of white society such as the silver service and chairs against slave shackles and whipping post. Wilson uses the objects to great effect, and this particular exhibit strongly reflected the white society's oppression of the black community. Most of his exhibitions harbor on racism. As a conceptual artist, Wilson takes pain to gather as much relevant material as possible from dif ferent places, and then using his artistic excellence, recreates images that has a longstanding impression on the viewer. In the 'Colonial Collection,' Wilson mocks a museum display, using a row of street-bought African masks with their eyes covered with pieces of the British flag. In a display case in front of the masks are insects and lithographs showing the British infantry fighting native Africans. Wilson has been quite critical of museums and the way they projected artifacts. In many cases, museums have kept materials of historical relevance from public viewing or importance. In 'Old Salem: A Family of Strangers,' 20 or so color photographs of cloth dolls made by blacks during the 19th and 20th centuries were left undisclosed from public viewing from the collection of a southern museum. Wilson has left no stone unturned to

Analyzing Martin Luther Kings' "A Letter from Bermingham Essay

Analyzing Martin Luther Kings' "A Letter from Bermingham Jail" - Essay Example While his idea that peaceful demonstrations are essential in exerting pressure on the government to pay attention to discrimination issues has been widely accepted, there are those who criticized the demonstrators for failing to give the government enough time to respond to the matters. From a critical point of view, there is evidence that Luther is right on the idea that the government has consistently ignored the plight of the black Americans and that peaceful demonstrations are crucial to push the government to look at these issues. This article seeks to analyze critically the arguments of Martin Luther King in his article in Birmingham jail. Luther’s idea that discrimination is an urgent issue that the government has ignored for a long time is sound and has garnered a lot of support. The discrimination of black Americans in the US has been a serious issue for a long time. Evidently, the Blacks were discriminated in all areas including employment, courts, and other public areas. The victimization of Black Americans, referred to as â€Å"negroes,† was common as the authorities perceived this minority group as criminals. A good example is the case in Ferguson when a white police officer, Darren Wilson, shot an unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, after suspecting him as a potential criminal. Later, it was proved that the teenager was innocent, but the court justified the action of the white Policeman. The BlackLivesMatter movement points out that a black person is shot every 28 hours period by a white policeman and that more than 25 percent Black Americans live in abject poverty. These statistics support the idea of Luther that â€Å"justice too long delayed is justice denied† (2). From this angle, Martin Luther’s letter in Birmingham jail presents the true picture of the injustice perpetrated against blacks in the US. Secondly, Luther presents the idea that the US government has been adamant to handle the issues of the Black people is debatable (4).

Detail-level technical architecture- Information technology Research Paper

Detail-level technical architecture- Information technology - Research Paper Example The overall system/farm encompasses system process and people (Shelly, & Rosenblatt, 2012). System process involves rules and procedures that must be followed when the system architecture is executing its operation to give out the most optimal solution (Object Management Group, Inc, 2012). On the other hand, people include; system architectural personnel, information system managers, Information Technology specialist and information security personnel’s who are responsible towards ensuring that the overall information system is running properly as intended (Wang & Wang, 2012). The technological infrastructural aspect may help adopt farm to address system security issues as well as problems attributed to organization governance because it integrate the entire system which allows system administrators to identify the potential problem and develop the most optimal solution (Lang, 2008). The Integrated Architectural design may help Adopt-A-Farm to operate virtually in a more effec tive and efficient manner (Dennis, Wixom & Roth, 2009). For proper analysis of the technical architecture artifacts, the following four divisions may be vital for the purpose of this analysis. The first division entails contextual level analysis, under this level, business visions, missions and drivers are integrated together and documented in a manner that provide the overall architectural design with a clear guideline on what is to be achieved (Schuck, 2007). Moreover, the guiding architectural principles are put so that it can be possible to identify the most urgent priorities and their effects on the operations of Adopt-A-Farm Business (Compton, W. D., & National Academy of Engineering, 1988). Additionally, contextual stage entails data collection and compilation which further provide a blue print for the overall architectural framework (Boucher & YalcÃŒ §in, 2006). Conceptual level analysis is the second division for technical architectural design. Under this level, the

Social media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social media - Research Paper Example This paper shall seek to explain the manner in which online listening offers productive ways of analyzing the various forms of online engagement which have been overlooked for a long time (Crawford 525). Crawford asserts that online listening can be considered in several contexts. These contexts can be wikis, mailing lists, MUDs, blogs, RSS feeds, among others. Additionally, she says, â€Å"listening has not been given much attention as opposed to speaking-up† (Crawford 526). In this context, speaking up refers to writing articles or updating of status on the various types of social media. It is a fact that many people write their updates in order to catch up with their friends or inform the public of various issues. Therefore, there is need for the members of the public to read and comprehend what is being updated. This is what ‘listening’ of social media entails. There are three types of social media listeners, namely; politicians, individuals, and corporations. All the three groups face the need to listen to others by creating a social media presence. In this case, they may create twitter accounts which may give them platforms to listen to other people and be listened to as they interact online. In order to facilitate interactions, they can use the three modes of listening namely: â€Å"background listening, delegated listening, as well as reciprocal listening.† Crawford asserts that twitter’s use as a forum for background listening comes about as a result of the flow of conversations and commentary with few moments of concentration. From this, it is evident that Twitter’s conversations circulate in the background, just like radio. On reciprocal listening, social media I used by several politicians to update their activities, seek for support on policy announcements, among others. For instance, Gordon Brown and Barack O bama have Twitter accounts which they use to communicate to their supporters (Crawford 529). This is

Favorite Restuarant Essay Example for Free

Favorite Restuarant Essay Every year for my birthday we go out as a family to my favorite restaurant, Benihana! For those of you that are ready to have a good time with family or friends this place is definitely the place to go, but it is best to book a reservation ahead of time it isn’t a secret to society. Benihana is an all-time favorite restaurant of mine, with great location, unforgettable entertainment and an excellent menu choice. Benihana is an all-time favorite restaurant of mine because it is located in the heart of downtown, in the midst of all the city lights and city life. When we go to Benihana we park around the block and get a horse carriage to take us to the door. Parking is free the carriage is extra. This is an excellent idea for any special occasion or just a date night on the town. The location is convenient to any of the major freeways (I-45, I-10 and 59). Aside from the location, Benihana is an excellent place to go for a fun filled night of entertainment. I can assure anyone that after an experience at the original Benihana it will be easy to see why I am declaring it to be my favorite restaurant. Benihana has unforgettable entertainment from the moment you walk in. Walking into the restaurant the guest will be greeted by the amazing aroma of some of the best food, laughter and fun for all! The server will take drink orders from each guest and when they come to bring the drink orders, the fun decorated souvenir glass starts out as a unique conversational piece, as the cook prepares the table for even more unforgettable entertainment. At Benihana the food is not only cooked its choreographed. The chefs will have you craving for more as they slice and dice and chop your meal before your eyes, very skilled and trained, in the art of entertainment or â€Å"eater-tainment† as they call it themselves. Each table’s personal chef will perform a uniquely amazing presentation as they cook each guest personal favorites. Everything is cooked right in front of the guest on a Japanese style on a hibachi table. The best entertainment is the entertainment your taste buds get from the outstanding menu. The menu has anything from sushi to steak. Everything is fresh no frozen, no canned, no additives! Each guest will be brought a hot towel to clean their hands. Then served a hot onion soup, as well a huge favorite to many; the salad with the Benihana dressing over the top! You can use chop sticks or the regular silver ware, it’s fun to learn how to use chop sticks, and in case you may not know how to use them, the server will be glad to give quick, fun lessons! One of my personal favorite items from the menu is the â€Å"Sea and Meadow† or better known as steak and shrimp, is served to perfection with vegies, fried rice and sauteed bean sprouts over extra more shrimp. Anything from the menu is to die for and all ranges in price from $10. 75-19. 95 not bad for steak, chicken, and shrimp, or lobster and scallops. Don’t forget to order dessert from the menu, maybe a tempura banana or rainbow sherbet. After dessert the guest have had the most memorable night in a while entertained and full to the brim. For those looking for a new favorite restaurant I would recommend Benihana or even if you are just looking for something outside the norm, or maybe a special someone is having a birthday or anniversary, this is definitely a restaurant that will leave the guest wanting to come back time and time again. Benihana is conveniently located in the heart of downtown, it’s full of surprises, and extreme diner entertainment and everything on the menu is delicious and healthy! Book your reservations and enjoy the experience that will leave a lasting memory and bring home some uniquely designed souvenir cups.

J.K.Tyres Analysis

J.K.Tyres Analysis Executive summary A small, sincere and dedicated step towards the fulfillment of my responsibilities and duties ensured me a giant leap to accumulate knowledge and real life exposure to business during my summer training period. My first experience of corporate world started with big frame company J.K.Tyres, a division of J.K.Industries. The projects given to me deals with fitment trend, market share along with consumers perception for J.K.Tyres in truck tyres segment. The area allocated to me was Ghaziabad and Meerut and the time duration in which we completed our project was from 10th May to 24th June. The research, which was carried, was more of descriptive research thus had a planned way to proceed. For appropriate results data collection method is absolutely necessary, in this project I have to depend upon primary data, so keeping this in my mind I collected the data through a set of questionnaire and with the help of observation method to get the accurate data and time to time I made the summery of collected data so that all the datas are gathered at a single place. Personal interviews (with questionnaire) of the customer are taken in order to get their own independent views. I have taken a sample of 230 trucks for knowing the fitment trend and I have tried to cover the entire customer, in the process I met with 90 transporters. In data analysis part various statistical tools like pie bar charts are used for comparative study and convenience in understanding the data to make the data livelier COMPANY PROFILE â€Å"Excellence comes not from mere words or procedures. It comes from an urge to strive and deliver the best. Mindset that says, when it is good enough, improve it. It is a way of thinking that comes only from a power within.† H.S. SINGHANIA J.K.Tyres a division of JK industries is a flagship company under the umbrella of JK organization. The advent of JK organization on the industrial landscape of India almost synchronizes, with the beginning of an era of industrial awareness an endeavor for self-reliance and the setting of a dynamic Indian Industry. This was way back in the middle of the 19th century. And the rest that followed is history. VISION OF THE COMPANY To become the most admired company in India committed to excellence CORE VALUE JK organization has been a forerunner in the economic and social advancement of India. It always aimed at creating job opportunities for a multitude of countrymen and to provide high quality product. It has striven to make India self reliant by pioneering the production of a number of industrial and consumer products, by adopting the latest technology as well as developing its own know-how. It has also under taken industrial venture in several other countries. JK organization is an association of industrial and commercial companies and charitable trusts. Its member companies, employing nearly 50,000 persons are engaged in the manufacture of a variety of products and in diverse fields of commerce. Trusts are devoted to promoting industrial technical and medical research education religious values and providing better living and recreation facilities with the spirit of social consciousness uppermost in the minds of J.K. organization and thus it is committed to the cause of human development. Today J.K. organization, and association of industrial and commercial companies and charitable trusts, continues to grow to greater heights under the stewardship of its president, Shri Hari Shankar Singhania The principal business of JK organization includes tyre, paper, cement, drugs and pharmaceuticals, agri. Genetics, dairy and food products audio magnetic tapes, sugar, cosmetics, woolen textiles, steel, engineering, material handling system, etc. The group besides having a consistent record of growth and diversification has created a reputation for quality for all its products and most of its products enjoy a leadership status in their respective market segments. To cope up with the demand in the market most of the companies in JK organization are certified for international quality systems like ISO 9001,ISO 1401 and QS 9000. JK INDUSTRIES LTD. J.K. Industries is a merge corporate entity that is emblematic of excellence, diversification and pioneering new technologies. A part of J.K. Organization, which ranks among the top private groups in India. J.K. Industries is committed to self-reliance and follows an ethic that views customers satisfaction as an index of achievements. Over the years the company has expanded and diversified its business portfolio. It has developed into a multi product, multi-location corporate entity comprising of following business division. BACKGROUND Group companies Straw and JK Synthetic promoted JK Industries, which belong to Shri Laxmipaty Singhania faction of the J.K. GROUP, in 1951. It was initially engaged in managing agency business. Manufacturing activities began with commissioning of a 0.4mn tyres and tubes plant, in 1977 at Jaykaygarm, Rajasthan, in technical tie up with general tyre international Co., U.S.A, for manufacturer of nylon bias and radial tyres. JKI was the 1st domestic manufacturer of radial tyres. The capacity later increased to 0.625mn tyres. The Rajasthan plant labour problems in the past capacity utilization levels have been low. In 1981, a new factory was set up at Banmore, near Gwalior, M.P for the manufacturer of 0.6mn tyres, capacity has been gradually increased in both the plants and currently JKI has a combined capacity of 2.13mn tyres. In FY90, it set up JKI agri-genetics, to procedure, process and distributes hybrid and high yielding seeds of cereals, Oilseeds and pulses under the brand name of J.K. Seeds. In FY91, it set up J K Pharmachem, a JV with TIDCO for the manufacture of Penciling. It has also set up a trading arm by the name of J K International, which deals in a range of goods including agro products, leather product, textiles and marine product. In FY12/96, the companys pharmaceutical business was restructured and hived off to JK Pharmaceuticals Ltd INTRODUCTION ABOUT TYRES Tyre is an indispensable part of our vehicle and need to be chosen and looked after with care. The wheel was invented over 20,000 years ago. Early wheels were usually made from wood and as these were not flexible, the ride was extremely hard. In 1939, CHARLES GOODYEAR discovered the culcatisation process, which gave rubber its elastic properties. In 1845, R.W. THOMPSON filed a patent for elastic; air filled belt of rubber rises fabric and leather. He had great hopes of his invention becoming successful, but nobody was convinced that one could ride on air; Thompson was sadly forced to abandon his ideas. In 1888, JHON BOYD DUNLOP reinvented the pneumatic tyre and filed a patent claiming easy operation over rough roads, immunity from vibration and increased speed of vehicle. Over the year, several methods were tried to keep the inflated pneumatic tyre fixed to the wheel. By the 1920s most tyre had steel wire beading, which allowed a tyre to remain firmly fitted to the wheel rim. Development was slow and the early tyre led a troubled life, some of the common problems were punctures tread separation, cracking, tearing and even blowouts. Since tyre lasted for only a couple of thousand kilometers, the cost of replacement also account for a large part of expenses. Early tyres were mainly white because they took their colour from the reinforcing agent zinc oxide. It was not until carbon black was found to be the best reinforcing agent that tyre become black. In 1948, MICHELIN made a most significant contribution by introducing the radial tyre, which was to influence tyre design all over the world. Radials offered much superior grip but, the rede was harsh and they also had a tendency to lose grip suddenly once the limits of adhesion were crossed. In contrast, the cross-ply tyre lost its grip, in a gradual manner enabling the driver to take corrective action. Then a new generation of radial tyre evolved, in which the belts were made of rayon, which being more flexible, prevented sudden loss of grip. The evolution of the radial tyre brought about a lot of changes. For the first 60 years, the tyre industry had not been able to produce a tyre that fulfilled its long list of requirement. Good quality was achieved only at the cost of steering response; similarly extra grip resulted in faster wear and a shorter life. The radial tyre changed all this; its structure was such that each part of it could be designed independently. The tread, sidewalls, etc could have a separate construction and they could be made from different materials. New materials, rubbers compound, synthetic polymers, manufacturing methods, all have resulted in present day tyre becoming more reliable, durable, safer and almost maintenance free. In fact, modern day tyre are so good that most of us take these for granted and do not even bother giving them the 2nd look. However it is very important that we do know them better. THE ORIGIN OF WHEEL Wealthy gentlemen pushing himself through 1820s London on a hobbyhorse would have used his muscles just as efficiently as a courier dodging todays traffic on a mountain bike. The story of bicycle technology has been one of going faster for the same effort, researchers have found. Alberto Minetti, of Manchester Metropolitan University, and colleagues have been looking at the work needed to propel different bicycles of different speeds. The bicycles ranged from the hobby horse an expensive toy from the 1820s which riders kicked along with their legs, velocipedes with pedals fixed to the front wheel, through to chain- driven cycle of the 1880s that look much like todays. The main benefit of cycling as opposed to running or walking, the researchers found, is that the riders limbs no longer bear his or her weight, and so their efforts can be devoted to propulsion. Even the hobbyhorse takes two-thirds of the weight off the legs, and allows the rider to go twice as fast as a walker for the same amount of energy. All the bicycles tested were equally efficient at turning their riders muscle power in motion. This came as a shock -â€Å" we were convinced that the efficiency would have increased † as bicycle design improved, says Minetti. â€Å" But muscles were always used at there maximum efficiency.† What ha changed is the speed at which efficiency peaks. The problem with early bicycles, says Robert McNeill Alexander, a biomechanics researcher at the university of Leeds, was that â€Å" to go to reasonable speeds you had to move the pedals very fast â€Å"; leg muscles do not perform well at such high speeds. One solution was the high-wheeler, or penny-farthing, whose all-metal frame, gigantic front wheel; rubber tyres and long springy spokes give a fast and comfortable ride. Safety problems made this bicycle an evolutionary dead end. â€Å" My father used to tell me alarming stories about falling off them † says McNeill Alexander Minettis team found that the ‘safety bikes that superseded the penny-farthing actually needed more work to drive them forward. Their smaller wheels generated a higher resistance with the ground and their primitive chains demanded a lot of legwork. The subsequent invention of pneumatic tyres dramatically reduced the resistance against the road; modern cyclists expand most of their energy battling the wind. One consequence of this study could be come back for the hobbyhorse, says cycle historian John Pinkerton, one of the studys co-authors. â€Å" The hobby horse would be ideal for getting people who would have knee or hip operations back on their feet,† says Pinkerton. The researchers are currently negotiating with hospitals about this possibility. TASKS OF A TYRE A tyre has several roles to play. Its job is to absorb shocks and provide sufficient grip, respond quickly to steering inputs, and work in tandem with the brakes to bring the vehicle to a safe stop in the shortest possible distance. A tyre should have minimum rolling resistance to prevent any strain on the engine, so as to affect either speed or fuel economy. It must also run silently and keep road noise to the minimum. It must have a slow and even rate of wear and be resistance to the effects of sunlight, fuel, debris and other hazards it encounters on the roads. A tyre should be able to perform in all conditions and on all kinds of terrain. A tyre to be good looking and surveys shows that this is one must be string and capable of withstanding heavy loads and a variety of abuse such as hitting kerbed, drivers, etc. Tyres are also expected to influencing factors in the final choice made by the customers. WHAT ARE ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY TYRES? The JK Tyre, being the pioneers of radial technology in India, have taken the lead on all technological aspects to give you the very best. The eco-friendly range of green tyres is one such step in that direction. The manufacturing of these tyres requires state- of- the- art compound development and research facility. These environment friendly tyres are obtained by using special rubber compounding technology. The silica is used instead of carbon black -one of the key ingredients a normal tyre, which is not eco-friendly. The eco-friendly range of tyre help to improve tyre performance, provide better fuel efficiency than normal radial tyres even offer the benefit of low rolling resistance. In fact the JK Tyre range of eco-friendly tyres do not require any special treatment for their maintenance. All one has to do is to wash tyre periodically with mild soap solution to remove dust and mud that might subdue the colour. Advantage of eco-friendly tyres:  · Superior handling and cornering at high speeds  · Optimized tyre life  · Better dry and wet traction  · Silica-based compound for better fuel efficiency  · Reduced rolling resistance  · Less carbon black MAIN COMPETITORS IN THE MARKET SR. NO. COMPANY NAME 1. M.R.F. 2. APOLLO 3. CEAT 4. BIRLA 5. CHINESE (VIVA) JK TYRE Ever since its inception it has been JK Tyres belief in the value of technological superiority that has made it grow by leaps and bounds. This division produces and sells Light Commercial vehicles, Multi Utility Vehicles and Tractors. The company pioneered Steel Radial Technology in India in 1977 and continues be the industry leader in the industry leader in the Radial segment in India. KJ Tyre is the only Tyre Manufacturer in the country to produce high performance â€Å"T† â€Å"H† -rated steel radial tyres. JK Tyre has consciously followed a policy of continuously modernizing and expanding its tyre manufacturing facilities to retain its edge in the market place. Our customer base covers virtually the entire original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in India together with Replacement market for four wheeler vehicles, Defence and State Transport Units. Besides India, we have a worldwide base in over 45 countries across all 6 continents. To keep pace with the market demand as well as technological leadership in Indian market, J.K. Industries acquired Vikrant Tyres Limited, Mysore in 1997.J.K.Industries and Vikrant Tyre limited are the only tyre companies in India to have received all three ISO 9001, QS 9000 and ISO 14001 certificates. This indeed is a true reflection of our commitments to system-oriented approach. Technical collaboration with M/S Continental AG, Germany, which is among the top five technical tyre manufacturers in the world to keep pace with latest technological developments. To stay at the forefront of technological advancements a state of art Research Industries Development center, Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer and Tyre Research Institute (HASETRI) was set up, which remains the nerve center for providing cutting edge technology. In a short span of time it has emerged as the 17th largest tyre manufacturer in the world an achievement in itself. BEYOND BUSINESS Identifying with social issues and contribution to the society has been a philosophy, which has been carried on from the founding fathers. Various institutions set up by the group throughout India in diverse fields of social welfare stand testimony to this philosophy. Involved with the diverse array of medical and health services, the organization has set up a number of pioneering institutes all over country including super specialty Pushpawati research institutes, New Delhi for liver, renal and digestive diseases, the first of its kind in India. JK Tyre attaches tremendous value to RD in its efforts to maintain the high quality of its products and lead the field in innovation. HASETRI, a world-class research and development center is a symbol of this. The Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer Tyre Research Institute (HASETRI) is the very 1st of its kind in India. Established in October 1991, HASETRI has already been recognized under SIRO (scientific and industrial research organization) by the department of scientific and industrial research (SDIR), Govt. of India. And has been acknowledged by the Indian institute of technology (IIT) and other universities for registration leading to higher studies. HASETRI fulfills the research requirements for services related to elastomer and tyre industry. PLANT LOCATION: With three plants located in Rajasthan, Madhyapradesh and Karnataka, JK tyre is the largest manufacturer of truck and bus tyre in India. The truck and bus producer accounts for nearly 74% of total tyre business in India, thus giving JK Tyre an undisputed position. Additionally, JK Tyre is the only manufacturer of truck/bus steel radial tyre, and the second largest manufacturer of 4-wheeler tyre in the country. Also JK Tyre is the largest exported tyre brand form India. It enjoys preferred premium brand status in truck bias market in USA and across many markets in Africa, Middle East and East Asia. NEW TYRE LAUNCH: During the year, the company introduced â€Å" tanker lug † and â€Å" jet haul † in the truck and bus tyre segment. In the truck tyre category â€Å"WL-407† has been launched and developed for a specific target for new car models. JKI also became the 1st tyre company to introduce jeep radial tyres. The company has a 3,500 strong dealer network nation wide. In order to increase its retail push, the company has introduced an innovative â€Å"dial a tyre† scheme. Under this scheme mobile vans are at hand to set right problems arising wheels. STEEL WHEELS: The ever-growing steel wheelers chain continues to provide cutting edge service to the customer and is a vital last mile interface problem. Several milestones have been crossed during the past year as a part of the network expansion programmes. Some of them are 1st installation of the 3D Alignment equipment at a company franchised in India to service the vehicles. INTRODUCTION JK Tyre is one of the leading domestic tyre producers and pioneer in radial tyres in India. JK Tyre has a presence in truck bus passengers cars and tractor tyre segments. My project, which was given to me, is concerned with consumers behavior, market share and fitment trend of JK Tyre in truck segment at Meerut and Ghaziabad. To understand the project it is necessary to know about trucks and tyre specifications, which are filled in their vehicle. Basically here are two types of truck: 1) 6 Wheeler 2) 10 Wheeler The examples of trucks are: TATA 1210 TATA 1613 TATA 1612 Companies like Apollo, Birla, Ceat, MRF some local players among with JK Tyre have their presence in the market in the corresponding segment. The range of JK companies of super JK, Track King, Jet miles, Jet Rib, Jet King, Jet Track 39,Jet track 39 DLX, JK DX (Rear) The tyre sizes, which are filled in these vehicles, are 90.0-20 PR16 OR PR18 for both front and rear tyres. PRODUCT PROFILE Jet Rib (front Tyre): Features Benefits  · Aggressive 5-Rib pattern for easy steering  · Computer designed to ensure uniform tread wearing.  · Sides designed to ensure uniform tread wearing.  · Strong casing for dimensional stability, longer life and better casing value.  · Dual compound tread to ensure structural stability and high mileage potential.  · The ultimate Rib tyre for maximum mileage  · Offers best value for money.  · Higher retread ability JET TRACK (REAR TYRE) FEATURE AND BENEFITS:  · For load carrying light commercial vehicle.  · Time proven patterns-Reduces lug chips  · Use of specially compounded thread rubber for cooler running and more mileage  · Special bead construction to carry heavy loads  · Special tread design for better handling  · Wider center Rib for higher initial mileage and read life Renders excellent service and clean casing fetches far better casing Value. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Methodology is a systematized effort to gain new fact and knowledge. The peculiarity of a research lies in its design. First the aim and purpose of research has to be explored. The determination of research methodology is a most important part of it as one has to decide what technique should be adopted. The choice of technique depends upon the scope and the nature of market research. The determination of technique facilities the research program. Question arise which analysis is relevant information and consequently identifying and solving problems in the field of marketing. While dealing with project I have tried integrate all possible way to find out customer perception and fitment trend of our brand with the help of customer feedback and observation. RESEARCH PROCESS The market research process involves the number of interrelated activities that does not follow particular sequence and often requires few steps ahead. In the project I have carried out an independent survey for the comprehensive study of JK Tyres position in Truck Tyres segment by looking in different brands of tyres used by different customers with the help of fitment survey. I also carried out a survey by making a set questionnaire for consumers to know their perception about the tyre they are using and why do they prefer that brand. Through the questionnaire I came to know what consumer wants from our brand and what are the main reasons for using or not using out brand. RESEARCH DESIGN The research carried out is a descriptive research where the purpose is to ho through an intensive study of the perception of consumers about JK Truck Tyres. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds, to portray accurately the characteristics of particular individual, situation or a group. DESIGNING OF DATA COLLECTION In order to get the information I have to depend on the primary data, for that I have done 1) Finding market share 2) Fitment Survey 3) Consumer survey 4) The methods used for collecting data are; 1) Observation Method 2) Survey Method 3) Questionnaire 4) All the above stated methods were in order to get the data. To find the market share we have visited many transport companies, met with the transport owner and then observed more than 1600 fitments. In fitment survey observation method was used a set of questionnaire which has to be answered by observing the Truck Tyres itself. On the other hand method (With Questionnaire) was used for consumer contact Survey method was based on personal interview to collect detailed information from the customer. A suitable questionnaire was designed through people were comfortable in answering questionnaire was designed through were comfortable in answering questions orally rather than going through people were comfortable in answering questions orally rather than going through a questionnaire. SAMPLING DESIGN After deciding to carry out a field survey, its time for sample design .The survey was the mixture for both 1) Census Survey 2) Sample Survey For consumers contacts census techniques was used. I tried to cover almost all consumers. I have met with 90 customers who have truck vehicles. For the fitment survey it was not practically possible to cover the entire vehicle, hence sample of 230 trucks has been taken. SWOT ANALYSIS 1) Strength 2) Weakness 3) Opportunity 4) Threats STRENGTH 1) JK Tyre has a renowned name. 2) JK Tyre has one its own R D center â€Å"HASETRI† 3) A lot of quality awards are their associated with JK Tyre ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9002 4) JK Tyre is Indias only tyre super brand. WEAKNESS 1) After sale service is good enough. 2) Schemes are not attractive. 3) Consumers perception is not strong regarding its performance. 4) Relation of dealers with customers is not good. OPPORTUNITY 1) Lot of potential in the Truck Tyre segment. 2) JK Tyre should try to concentrate on a single aspect of low cost tyre with good quality 3) More consumers awareness should be needed, as JK is one of the oldest tyre manufacturing companies, as new companies are more focused on advertising. 4) JK Tyre should try to capture its lost position by giving more advantages to its customer. THREATS 1) A good numbers of competitors are there in the tyre industry. 2) Tyre companies like Apollo and MRF are stressing on a single agenda, improving quality of tyres. 3) Apollo is totally concentrating on after sales service, while Ceat is concentrating on low price. 4) JK Tyres major competitors in the market like Apollo, MRF, Ceat and Birla are doing aggressive advertising and promoting their products FITMENT TREND OF TRUCK TYRES Fitment survey is conducted with the objective of knowing the position of different companies and their brands along with JK that are get fitted in the Truck tyres. The trend of the tyres are get fitted, company wise as well as Brand wise according to the Fitment Survey for both Front Rear are as follows: I have taken data of 230 trucks, these include 160 six wheelers and 70 ten wheelers. It means 460 front and 1200 Rear Fitment. COMPANY WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) MEERUT Apollo: 29.12% JK: 14.10% Birla: 20.16% Ceat: 18.14% MRF: 10.08% OTHERS: 08.40% MEERUT Company wise front fitment: COMPANY WISE FITMENT (FRONT) MEERUT Apollo: 19.12% JK: 14.10% Birla: 20.16% Ceat: 18.14% MRF: 10.08% OTHERS: 08.40% MEERUT COMPANY WISE FITMENT (FRONT) COMPANY WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) GHAZIABAD Apollo : 29.42 % JK : 20.16 % Birla : 10.44 % Ceat: 17.18 % MRF : 14.36 % OTHERS : 08.64 % Company wise front fitment Ghaziabad FRONT TYRES COMPANY WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) GHAZIABAD Apollo : 29.42 % JK : 20.16 % Birla : 10.44 % Ceat : 17.18 % MRF : 14.36 % OTHERS : 08.64 % COMPANY WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) BRAND WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) MEERUT BRAND WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) MEERUT BRAND WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) MEERUT BRAND WISE FITMENT (IN FRONT TYRES) GHAZIABAD KZ-77R 12 AMAR 64 AT-RIB 1 XT-7 8 JET TRAK 5 JET RIB 1 TRAK KING 22 FLEET KING 14 SUPER TRAK KING 1 BT-339 10 BT-369 4 ROAD MILER 4 SUPER MILER XB 15

Motivation to study a Masters degree

Motivation to study a Masters degree I basically belong to India from where I received my secondary education, later on I went on pursue my graduation in the commerce field from Cambridge College, Commercial University, Mumbai. I have done my Masters in Marketing Management from the same University. I have had considerable amount of work experience at prominent organizations. I worked as the Sales Advisor for Marks Spencers for almost two years and moved on to work at Reebok as the Retail Sales Coordinator for an year. Honestly, I believe, studying abroad for an international MBA degree is a greatly satisfying rewarding as someone interested in business of Sales and Marketing. Choosing Bangor University was a choice made on the basis of lot of information and research. My educational advisors helped me choose Bangor as a truly international destination for study purposes, which provides an atmosphere conducive for studying and remarkable living place. As a resourceful, creative and solution-oriented individual I found travelling abroad for my MBA will serve my challenge taking nature. I have been working effectively as a team member with well-known companies and have also acted as team leader as and when opportunity arose. I believe my eight long years of experience in the field of Sales and Marketing with a brief exposure to working in US in the Macys apparel department as the Sales Executive. I have also travelled to Melbourne, Australia to work as a freelancer merchandiser. Coming to UK is not rocket science. After been to US and Australia, UK was an obvious choice to continue with my professional qualification. I strongly believe this venture will be a life-changing experience for I will get to learn the European ways of business and will get an opportunity to interact with local people and people from around the world. Motivation to study in UK is also associated with the reputational factors attached with UKs education system. Most of the countries like US and Australia offer mostly two years rigorous MBA curriculum, whereas UK allowed me with the one year MBA, which was obviously a better choice if I consider my professional experience and life. I could not commit to a two-year program, thus a one-year program was an added advantage for me and one of the strongest reasons to choose UK. While researching about the universities in UK, Bangor University was highly advised by my counsellors back home and I was told it to be one the best educational institutes with a rich history in education. After coming here, I can say they were quite right. With stimulating lectures and vibrant life I can call it a perfect place to live and study. I view the world with a whole new perspective and my thinking about business and culture has been affected profoundly. I am out of my educational comfort zone and am being continuously challenged every day to develop my views and think in new ways. While earlier also I have been in stimulating environments, studying for a postgraduate qualification in UK is an altogether different endeavour. At Bangor University, I will develop my self-reliance and independence and will leverage on my previous professional experience and will mature academically and brighten my career prospects. MBA at Bangor means enrichment on every level. According to a survey by the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), when asked about personal growth, 98% students agreed that education abroad increased their self-confidence and facilitated maturit y and 97% students revealed it had a lifelong impact on their world view (The London School of Economics and Political Science/LSE). I am here to seek friendship on a greater diversity level. Studying MBA will also enable me to build enduring friendships and developing relationships with people from various countries. I will remain in contact with them even after my education here is completed. Bangor University will provide me with academic benefits through excellent courses and lectures, unavailable at my home country. It will enhance the value of my degree by allowing me to study the subjects with more depth. Studying in UK will make me more aware culturally and I will be able to appreciate the differences in different cultures I have been in. I will be able to understand different people in better ways, thus becoming a part of world that is increasingly becoming more diverse. With this international exposure, I will be able to appraise the different points of view. MBA from Bangor University will definitely be advantageous to my future career as a manager in corporate world. In todays time more and more employ ers are placing great emphasis on the value of adaptability and flexibility. They also seek people who understand different cultures and can effectively communicate with people. It will prove to be of great help while the employers analyse my compatibility for a job as I will be able to demonstrate such skills to the employers. Interpersonal skills are the single most important attribute that the employers consider and I will gain on this front for having both academic and professional experience abroad. Undeniably I sought the international education and experience because they exhibit my own capability and confidence to carry on with it. Bangor University provides very challenging experience; academically, culturally, and socially and is naturally going to provide me an edge over others and help me stand out in the crowd. All the faculty members are internationally oriented and the academic quality is rich. Besides these reasons, the cost of tuition fee and cost of living are also important factors considered for choosing Bangor University. The place is rated extremely safe across the UK. Thus Bangor is my choice for both the teaching reasons and non-teaching reasons, bending towards the quality of faculty and cost of living as the most important reasons. Studying in an international setting at Bangor University with students from around the world will surely provide me with the opportunity to develop my communication skills with individuals from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds. The companies I have previously worked for are multinational companies with offices in various countries of world. This will prepare me for an international work. Considering my past ventures in US and Australia, I possess the experience of dealing with various cultures and this will only foster my value as an individual and an employee. Q. 2. What is your approach to learning? Q.3. What issues do you anticipate in the group work? In higher education, the inclusion of group work has become increasingly important, prominently due to greater significance assumed by skill development, lifelong learning and potential of students as future employees. Group work has wide reached consequences if not carried out with proper execution. It is a widely argued topic in the realm of higher education research literature by the likes of Webb, 1994 and Boud et al., 1999 (Mellor, A. 2009). There are three types of group works as identified by Davis (1993). They are formal learning groups, informal learning groups and study groups. Formal groups are created for accomplishing a particular task which is to be completed within a given period of time is given to them, such as preparing a report on the organizational behaviour and its elements in an MNC. Informal groups (random groups of individuals) are easily identifiable in a class where students discuss various academic (and non-academic) issues and the study groups are formed t o assist the group members during a projects progress. According to Webb, 1994; Gledhill and Smith, 1996, group work is extremely complex and has effects on the students learning mechanism. Before formation of a group, it is important to consider issues such as the right size of group, diversity in a group, balancing the load on different members of a group, preparing students to effectively participate in group work. Knight (2004) has argued that the students prefer being assessed individually rather than in groups. Group work can become more disliked by students in our groups if it involves peer assessment. As argued by Maguire and Edmonson (2001) it can lead to issues such as lack of rational judgement and prejudices. The most common issues that I can anticipate in the group work are trying to control the group or some members, coercing them to support them in every discussion. Mills (2003) also said that the thing students dislike most are poor group dynamics and personality cla shes. There can be an issue of some students who act as obligate parasites by deriving all the advantage without putting any efforts on their own. It discourages other members who actively contribute towards the success of group working. Such students have been called as passengers by Bourner et al. (2001) and Parsons (2002). Whereas, Hand (2001) coined the term freeloader for such students. An effective solution to this problem can be keeping the group size as minimum possible so that the scope of free riding can be minimized. Davis (1993) advised the perfect group size to be between 3 to 4 and no more than 6 to 7. Glebhill and Smith (1996) have discussed the issue of age, gender and qualification difference as the factors affecting the group dynamics, for example a more mature person will think quite differently than a young individual. There can also be a situation where a particular student is undermined by other members, this can seriously hamper his emotional confidence and th is sort of rejection can lead to bigger problems such as group conflict (Chang, 1999). In any group there can be some people who like to be followed and some who just follow without considering the bigger picture. While Thorley and Gregory (1994) believe that groups selected by teachers can be more effective answer to the task or situation, however there is a natural inclination among the students to form self-selected groups on basis such as friendship, ethnic or cultural proximity. This can become problematic in our case, as there are students from around the world. It is not necessary that every individual has made enough friends. Also, if some members are unable to form a group of their choice, they might feel hostile in a group of unknown people. It is not necessary that they will easily adjust in any group. It can not only hamper their participation but can also hurt their emotional well-being (Mellor and Entwistle, 2008). Q.4. How will you attempt to address these? Conclusion I, as an MBA student am looking forward to a rich academic and cultural exposure at Bangor University classrooms. Learning is certainly going to be an area of focus while also looking into the areas that need improvement. Developing personality to a better level will definitely be on top of the list. I am also looking forward to working in groups composed of diverse students. During the one year I have at Bangor, I will ensure I develop my transferrable skills and enhance my employability through the way of developing my leadership, negotiation abilities, decision making and increasing adaptability by fitting myself in different roles as the course progresses.

Allies For Freedom :: Essays Papers

Allies For Freedom Introduction The reason I choose â€Å"Allies For Freedom† is because I am very interested in slaves and how they gained their freedom. I also wanted to learn about the famous â€Å" john brown† and everything this man did to change history. This book looked interesting to me because it covers not only just john brown but also other allies for the slaves. I wanted to see the different views of the people during slavery. This book also interested me because I knew he was raised in Ohio and I thought to relate to his views from being born and raised in Ohio also. This is a very important subject in history. Slavery changed American history and how we view things today. This book helps us see and understand that not all people were for slavery and there were people willing to give or risk their lives to do something they believe in. the main person this book is about is john brown. To me he is a hero that opened up opportunities for many blacks and slaves. John brown was a main leader for abolitionist. He led Harpers Ferry with 21 men. They cut telegraph wires, and then made their attack. First the captured the federal armory and arsenal. Then the Hall’s Rifle Works, and supplier of weapons to the government. Then they got 60 citizens of the town and held them as hostages. Hoping that their slaves help them in the fight, but none did. Brown also led a murder of five proslavery men. He led many abolitionists like himself in the fight against slavery. Benjamin Quarles, the author of â€Å" allies for freedom†, was a noted author, editor, and historian, and the first African American to be published in what became the journal of American history. He has written many books on slavery and abolitionists. He tried, through his books and writings, to show the Declaration of Independence and the rights it gave to the blacks and slaves. Benjamin Quarles is a very experienced author. He has written many book and novels on the topic. I think that the purpose that the author was trying to give the reader was to inform and educate them about slavery and abolitionists. The author tells about john brown and how he stood up for slaves and the equality of all men. Benjamin Quarles points out all the problems about slavery and America during this time.

Growing Up In A Single-Parent Family Essay -- Single Parent Family Pap

Growing Up In A Single-Parent Family With the divorce rate as high as it is, more and more children are growing up in single-parent families. Ideally, it is better for children to live with their mom and dad happily married; however, children who grow up in single-parent households can still be well- adjusted children, teenagers, and adults. Although there are always exceptions to every rule, for the most part, children who grow up in single-parent working households are more mature, realistic and independent. First, in a single-parent working family, children tend to be more mature. The children are more mature because they often have to be responsible for themselves. For example, if their mom or dad has to work late, or if they work evenings, the children are in control of when to do their homework or even in some cases when to go to bed. Also, children in this environment or situation sometimes have to be responsible for taking care of their brother, sister or other close relatives. For example, they have to be re...

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 18

Elena came back to the real world slowly, fighting it all the way. She sank her nails into the leather of Damon's jacket, found herself wondering briefly if removing it would help, and then her mood was shattered again by that sound – a sharp, imperative knock. Damon raised his head and snarled. We are a pair of wolves, aren't we? Elena thought. Fighting nail and tooth. But, another part of her mind supplied, that isn't stopping the knocking. He warned those girls†¦. Those girls! Bonnie and Meredith! And he'd said not to interrupt unless the house was on fire! But, the doctor – oh, God, something's happened to that poor, wretched woman! She's dying! Damon was still snarling, a trace of blood on his lips. It was only a trace, because her second wound had really been healed just as thoroughly as the first, the one across her cheekbone. Elena had no idea how long it had been since she had pulled Damon to her to kiss this cut. But now, with her blood in his veins and his pleasure interrupted, he was like an untamed black panther in her arms. She didn't know whether she could stop him or even slow him down without using raw Power on him. â€Å"Damon!† she said aloud. â€Å"Out there – those are our friends. Remember? Bonnie and Meredith and the healer.† â€Å"Meredith,† Damon said, and again his lips peeled back, exposing terrifyingly long canines. He still wasn't in reality. If he saw Meredith now, he wouldn't be frightened, Elena thought – and, oh yes, she knew how her logical, thoughtful friend made Damon uneasy. They saw the world through such different eyes. She irked him like a pebble in his shoe. But right now he might deal with that unease in a way that would leave Meredith a savaged corpse. â€Å"Let me go see,† she said, as the knock came again – couldn't they stop that? Didn't she have enough to deal with? Damon's arms merely tightened around her. She felt a flash of heat, because she knew that, even as he restrained her, he was holding back so much of his strength. He didn't want to crush her, as he could if he used a tenth of the power in his hard muscles alone. The wave of feeling that washed over her made her shut her eyes briefly, helplessly, but she knew she had to be the voice of sanity here. â€Å"Damon! They could be warning us – or Ulma may have died.† Death got through to him. His eyes were slits, the bloodred light from the kitchen shutters throwing bars of scarlet and black across his face, making him look more handsome – and more demonic – than ever. â€Å"You'll stay here.† Damon said it flatly, with no idea of being a â€Å"master† or a â€Å"gentleman.† He was a wild beast protecting his mate, the only creature in the world that wasn't competition or food. There was no arguing with him, not in this state. Elena would stay here. Damon would go to do whatever needed to be done. And Elena would stay for as long as he thought necessary. Elena truly didn't know whose thoughts these last were. She and Damon were still trying to untangle their emotions. She decided to watch him and only if he really got out of control†¦ You don't want to see me out of control. Feeling him snap from raw animal instinct to icy, perfect mental dominance was even scarier than the animal alone. She didn't know whether Damon was the sanest person she had ever met or just the one best able to cover up his wildness. She held her torn blouse together and watched as he moved with effortless grace to the door and then, suddenly, violently, wrenched it almost off its hinges. No one fell; no one had been listening in on their private conversation. But Meredith stood, restraining Bonnie with one hand, and with the other hand raised, ready to knock again. â€Å"Yes?† Damon said in glacial tones. â€Å"I thought I told you – â€Å" â€Å"You did, and there is,† Meredith said, interrupting this Damon in an unusual attempt to commit suicide. â€Å"There is what?† Damon snarled. â€Å"There's a mob outside threatening to burn the whole building down. I don't know if they're upset about Drohzne, or about us taking Ulma, but they're enraged about something, and they've got torches. I didn't want to interrupt Elena's – treatment – but Dr. Meggar says they won't listen to him. He's a human.† â€Å"He used to be a slave,† Bonnie added, wresting free of the chokehold that Meredith had on her. She looked up at Damon with streaming brown eyes, hands outstretched. â€Å"Only you can save us,† she said, translating the message of her gaze aloud – which meant that things were really serious. â€Å"All right, all right. I'll go take care of them. You take care of Elena.† â€Å"Of course, but – â€Å" â€Å"No.† Damon had either gone reckless with the blood – and the memories that were still keeping Elena from forming a coherent sentence – or he had somehow overcome all his fear of Meredith. He put a hand on each of her shoulders. He was only one and a half or two inches taller than she was, so he had no trouble holding her eyes. â€Å"You, personally, take care of Elena. Tragedies happen here every minute of the day: unforeseeable, horrible, deadly tragedies. I do not want one happening to Elena.† Meredith looked at him for a long moment, and for once didn't consult Elena with her eyes before answering a question involving her. She simply said, â€Å"I'll protect her,† in a low voice that nevertheless carried. From her stance, from her tone, one could almost hear the unspoken addition, â€Å"with my life† – and it didn't even seem melodramatic. Damon let go of her, strode out the door, and without a backward glance disappeared from Elena's sight. But his mental voice was crystalline in her mind: You'll be safe if there is any way to save you. I swear it. If there was any way to save her. Wonderful. Elena tried to kickstart her brain. Meredith and Bonnie were both staring at her. Elena took a deep breath, automatically sucked for a moment back into the old days, when a girl fresh from a hot date could expect a long and serious debriefing. But all Bonnie said was, â€Å"Your face – it looks much better now!† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said, using the two ends of her blouse to tie a makeshift top around her. â€Å"My leg's the problem. We didn't – didn't finish it yet.† Bonnie opened her mouth, but closed it determinedly, which from Bonnie was a display of heroics similar to Meredith's promise to Damon. When she opened it again it was to say, â€Å"Take my scarf and tie it around your leg. We can fold it sideways and then tie a bow over the side that got hurt. That'll keep pressure on it.† Meredith said, â€Å"I think Dr. Meggar has finished with Ulma. Maybe he can see you.† In the other room, the doctor was once again washing his hands, using a large pump to get more water into the basin. There were deeply red-stained cloths in a pile and a smell that Elena was grateful the doctor had camouflaged with herbs. Also in a large, comfortable-looking chair there sat a woman whom Elena did not recognize. Suffering and terror could change a person, Elena knew, but she could never have realized how much – nor how much relief and freedom from pain could change a face. She had brought with her a woman who huddled until she was almost child-size in Elena's mind, and whose thin, ravaged face, twisted with agony and unrelenting dread, had seemed almost a sort of abstract drawing of a goblin hag. Her skin had been sickly gray in color, her thin hair had scarcely seemed enough to cover her head, and yet it had hung down in strands like seaweed. Everything about her screamed out that she was a slave, from the iron bands around her wrists, to her nakedness and scarred, bloody body, to her bare and rusty feet. Elena could not even have told you the color of the woman's eyes, for they had seemed as gray as the rest of her. Now Elena was confronted by a woman who was perhaps in her early-to mid-thirties. She had a lean, attractive, somehow aristocratic face, with a strong, patrician nose, dark, keen-looking eyes, and beautiful eyebrows like the wings of a flying bird. She was relaxing in the armchair, with her feet up on an ottoman, slowly brushing her hair, which was dark with occasional streaks of gray that lent an air of dignity to the simple deep blue housecoat she was wearing. Her face had wrinkles that lent it character, but overall one sensed a sort of yearning tenderness about her, perhaps because of the slight bulge in her abdomen, which she now gently laid a hand on. When she did this her face bloomed with color and her whole aspect glowed. For an instant Elena thought this must be the doctor's wife or housekeeper and she had a temptation to ask whether Ulma, the poor wreck of a slave, had died. Then she saw what one cuff of the deep blue housecoat could not quite conceal: a glimpse of an iron bracelet. This lean dark aristocratic woman was Ulma. The doctor had worked a miracle. A healer, he had called himself. It was obvious that, like Damon, he could heal wounds. No one who had been whipped as Ulma had could have come round to this state without some powerful magic. Trying to simply stitch up the bloody mess that Elena had brought in had obviously been impossible, and so Dr. Meggar had healed her. Elena had never experienced a situation like this, so she fell back upon the good manners that had been bred into her as a Virginian. â€Å"It's nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Elena,† she said, and held out her hand. The brush fell onto the chair. The woman reached out with both hands to take Elena's into hers. Those keen dark eyes seemed to devour Elena's face. â€Å"You're the one,† she said, and then, swinging her slippered feet off the ottoman, she went down on her knees. â€Å"Oh, no, ma'am! Please! I'm sure the doctor told you to rest. It's best to sit quietly now.† â€Å"But you are the one.† For some reason, the woman seemed to need confirmation. And Elena was willing to do anything to pacify her. â€Å"I'm the one,† Elena said. â€Å"And now I think you should sit down again.† Obedience was immediate, and yet there was a sort of joyful light about everything Ulma did. Elena understood it after only a few hours of slavery. Obeying when one had a choice was entirely different from obeying because disobedience could mean death. But even as Ulma sat, she held out her arms. â€Å"Look at me! Dear seraph, goddess, Guardian – whatever you are: look at me! After three years of living as a beast I have become human again – because of you! You came like an angel of lightning and stood between me and the lash.† Ulma began to weep, but they seemed to be tears of joy. Her eyes searched Elena's face, lingering on the scarred cheekbone. â€Å"But you're no Guardian; they have magicks that protect them and they never interfere. For three years, they never interfered. I saw all my friends, my fellow slaves, fall to his whip and his rage.† She shook her head, as if physically unable to say Drohzne's name. â€Å"I'm so sorry – so sorry†¦.† Elena was fumbling. She glanced back and saw that Bonnie and Meredith were similarly stricken. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I heard your mate killed him on the street.† â€Å"I told her that,† Lakshmi said proudly. She had entered the room without anyone noticing her. â€Å"My mate?† Elena faltered. â€Å"Well, he's not my – I mean, he and I – we – â€Å" â€Å"He's our master,† Meredith said bluntly, from behind Elena. Ulma was still looking at Elena with her heart in her eyes. â€Å"Every day, I will pray for your soul to ascend from here.† Elena was startled. â€Å"Souls can ascend from here?† â€Å"Of course. Repentance and good deeds may accomplish it, and the prayers of others are always taken into consideration, I think.† You sure don't talk like a slave, Elena mused. She tried to think of a way to put it delicately, but she was confused and her leg hurt and her emotions were in turmoil. â€Å"You don't sound like – well, like what I'd expect from a slave,† she said. â€Å"Or am I just being an idiot?† She could see the tears form in Ulma's eyes. â€Å"Oh, God! Please, forget I asked. Please – â€Å" â€Å"No! There is no one I would rather tell. If you wish to hear how I came to this degraded state.† Ulma waited, watching Elena – it was clear that Elena's least wish was to Ulma, a command. Elena looked at Meredith and Bonnie. She couldn't hear any more noises of yelling outside on the street and the building certainly didn't seem to be on fire. Fortunately, at that moment, Dr. Meggar wandered in again. â€Å"Everybody getting acquainted?† he asked, his eyebrows working in opposition now; one up, one down. He had the remnants of a bottle of Black Magic in his hand. â€Å"Yes,† Elena said, â€Å"but I was just wondering if we should be trying to evacuate or anything. Apparently there was a mob – â€Å" â€Å"Elena's mate is going to give them something to think about,† Lakshmi said with relish. â€Å"They've all gone to the Meeting Place to resolve the stuff about Drohzne's property. I bet he'll bash a few heads in and be back in no time,† she added cheerfully, leaving no doubt as to he was. â€Å"Wish I was a boy so I could see it.† â€Å"You were braver than the boys; you were the one who led us here,† Elena told her. Then she consulted Meredith and Bonnie with her eyes. It sounded as if the commotion had moved on elsewhere, and Damon was a master at getting himself out of commotions. He might also†¦need to fight, to rid himself of excess energy from Elena's blood. A commotion might actually be good for him, Elena thought. She looked at Dr. Meggar. â€Å"Will my – will our master be all right, do you think?† Dr. Meggar's eyebrows went up and down. â€Å"He'll probably have to pay Old Drohzne's relatives a blood price, but it shouldn't be too high. Then he can do what he likes with the old bastard's property,† he said. â€Å"I'd say the safest place for you right now is here, away from the Meeting Place.† He went on to enforce that opinion by pouring them all glasses – liqueur glasses, Elena noted – of Black Magic wine. â€Å"Good for the nerves,† he said and took a sip. Ulma smiled her beautiful, heartwarming smile at him, as he took the tray around. â€Å"Thank you – and thank you – and thank you,† she said. â€Å"I won't bore you with my story – â€Å" â€Å"No, tell us; tell us, please!† Now that there was no immediate danger to her friends or to Damon, Elena was eager to hear the tale. Everyone else was nodding. Ulma flushed a little, but began sedately, â€Å"I was born in the reign of Kelemen II,† she said. â€Å"I'm sure that means nothing to our visitors but much to those who knew him and his – indulgences. I studied under my mother, who became a very popular designer of fashions in fabrics. My father was a designer of jewelry almost as famous as she was. They had an estate on the outskirts of the city and could afford a house as fine as many of their wealthiest customers – though they were careful not to show the true extent of their wealth. I was the young Lady Ulma then, not Ulma the hag. My parents did their best to keep me out of sight, for my own safety. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ulma – Lady Ulma, Elena thought, stopped and took a deep sip of her wine. Her eyes had changed; she was seeing the past, and trying not to upset her listeners. But just as Elena was about to ask her to stop, at least until she felt better, she continued. â€Å"But despite all their care†¦someone†¦saw me anyway and demanded my hand in marriage. Not Drohzne, he was just a furrier from the Outlands, and I never saw him until three years ago. This was a lord, a General, a demon with a terrible reputation – and my father refused his demand. They came on us in the night. I was fourteen when it happened. And that is how I became a slave.† Elena found that she was feeling emotional pain directly from Lady Ulma's mind. Oh, my God, I've done it again, she thought, hurriedly trying to tune down her psychic senses. â€Å"Please, you don't need to tell us this. Maybe another time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I would like to tell you – you – so you will know what you have done. And I would prefer to say it only once. But if you do not wish to hear it – â€Å" Politeness was warring with politeness here. â€Å"No, no, if you want – go ahead. I – I just want you to know how sorry I am.† Elena glanced at the doctor, who was patiently waiting by the table for her with the brown bottle in his hands. â€Å"And if you don't mind, I'd like to get my leg†¦healed?† She was aware that she'd said the last word doubtfully, wondering how any one being could have the power to heal Ulma like this. She was not surprised when he shook his head. â€Å"Or stitched up, rather, while you talk, if you don't mind,† she said. It took several minutes to overcome Lady Ulma's shock and distress that she had left her savior waiting, but at last Elena was on the table and the doctor was encouraging her to drink from the bottle, which smelled like cherry cough syrup. Oh, well, she might as well try the Dark Dimension version of anesthetic – especially since the stitching was bound to hurt, Elena thought. She took a sip from the bottle and felt the room reel around her. She waved away the offer of a second sip. Dr. Meggar undid Bonnie's ruined scarf, and then began to cut off her blood-soaked jeans leg above the knee. â€Å"Well – you are so good to listen,† Lady Ulma said. â€Å"But I knew you were good already. I will spare us both the painful details of my slavery. Perhaps it's enough to say that I was passed from one master to another over the years, always a slave, always going down. At last, as a joke, someone said, ‘Give her to Old Drohzne. He'll squeeze the last use out of her if anyone can.'† â€Å"God!† Elena said, and hoped that everyone would attribute it to the story and not to the bite of the cleansing solution the doctor was swabbing over her swollen flesh. Damon was so much better at this, she thought. I didn't even realize how lucky I was before. Elena tried not to wince as the doctor began to use his needle, but her grip on Meredith's hand tightened until Elena was afraid she was breaking bones. She tried to ease the grip, but Meredith squeezed back hard. Her long, smooth hand was almost like a boy's, but softer. Elena was glad to be able to squeeze as hard as she liked. â€Å"My strength has been giving out on me lately,† Lady Ulma said softly. â€Å"I thought it was that† – here she used a particularly crude expression for her owner – â€Å"that was leading me to death. Then I realized the truth.† All at once radiance changed her face, so much that Elena could see what she must have looked like when she was in her teens and so beautiful that a demon would demand her as a wife. â€Å"I knew that new life stirred within me – and I knew that Drohzne would kill it if he had the chance – â€Å" She didn't seem to recognize the expressions of astonishment and horror on the three girl's faces. Elena, however, had the feeling that she was groping through a nightmare, on the edge of a black crevasse, and that she would have to keep groping in the dark, around treacherous, unseen fissures in the ice in the Dark Dimension until she reached Stefan and got him free of this place. This casual reference to abomination wasn't the first of her steps around a crevasse, but it was the first she had recognized and counted. â€Å"You young women are very new here,† Lady Ulma said, as the silence stretched and stretched. â€Å"I did not mean to say anything out of place†¦.† â€Å"We're slaves here,† Meredith replied, picking up a length of rope. â€Å"I think the more we learn the better.† â€Å"Your master – I've never seen anyone so quick to fight Old Drohzne before. Many people clucked their tongues, but that was all most dared to do. But your master – â€Å" â€Å"We call him Damon,† Bonnie put in pointedly. It went right over Lady Ulma's head. â€Å"Master Damon – do you think he might keep me? After he pays the blood price to – to Drohzne's relatives, he will get first pick of all Drohzne's property. I am one of the few slaves he has not killed.† The hope in the woman's face was almost too painful for Elena to look at. It was only then that she consciously realized how long it had been since she'd seen Damon. How long should Damon's business be taking? She looked at Meredith anxiously. Meredith understood exactly what the look meant. She shook her head helplessly. Even if they had Lakshmi take them to the Meeting Place, what could they do? Elena bit back a wince of pain and smiled at Lady Ulma. â€Å"Why don't you tell us about when you were a girl?† she said.