Pan’s Labrynth †Captain’s Task Essay

â€Å"Leave us now, my honest guards. Go and nag the pathetic cook to make me something appetizing for my lunch. Now, back to you Mercedes, I have always thought you were someone I could trust, someone I could rely on.† Mercedes cowered helplessly against the stony wall as the Captain slowly shadowed over her. His beady black eyes glared ferociously at her as he spoke, â€Å"You and me, we had a special trust, what happened?† His face filled with concern. He then turned around, with his back facing towards her, poured 2 generous glasses of alcohol in and put them on a tray. Mercedes took the hidden knife from her neatly pleated dress and cut the tight rope from her tiny hands. â€Å"I grew up and realised what a ruthless, greedy pig you are.† She replied bluntly. The Captain’s face flushed a bright red. His horrifically big eyes bulged out of their sockets as he struggled to keep his big hands off of Mercedes’ petite face. â€Å"In all my life, I have never seen a women disrespect a man so acutely.† Mercedes stared at his back for several minutes before springing into action. â€Å"I have hated you ever since I met you. You make me sick. How could such a man treat his family like a group of cockroaches? Only a fool would act the way you do.† â€Å"Listen here you spiteful little rodent. I am a well respected man and if you want to live, my sweet, I suggest you start changing your atrocious attitude towards me.† Swiftly, Mercedes rapidly ran and lunged towards the Captain’s back without a second thought. â€Å"This is from your wife.† She whispered. She stabbed him in the top right of his back. â€Å"This is from Ofelia.† She said with her voice raised slightly louder and stabbed hard at the bottom left of his back. â€Å"And this is from me!† She shouted from the top of her lungs. By now, she turned the Captain around and slit his mouth from the right side. His shirt was a bright scarlet shade, and his back and mouth leaked with fresh blood. The Captain was silent for a split second, as the blood glistened from his face, but then he replied, â€Å"You can run, my sweet, but you can’t hide. I will get you, you stupid pathetic runt, if it’s the last thing I do.† Mercedes, petrified, backed out of the old dusty barn and stumbled straight past the 2 guards from earlier. â€Å"Hey, you!† One of the guards shouted. Mercedes knew he was shouting for her, but her heart told her to keep running. As she ran tiredly up the hill, the Captain had caught up. â€Å"GET HER YOU USELESS PARASITES!† Within 2 minutes of the Captain’s screaming catastrophe, there were 20 men on horses charging up the hill for Mercedes. â€Å"I will kill that Captain, even if I have to die trying.† Mercedes whispered to herself. Mercedes ran and ran, faster and faster, as the hill got steeper and steeper. She came to an abrupt hold as the hill began to flatten. The Captain was right; there was no-where she could hide. â€Å"Hello my pretty, what a surprise to see you up here?† Cooed the first guard on a huge horse twice the size of her. He was also armed with several ferocious guns. â€Å"If you come any closer, just watch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Whispered Mercedes. She was shaking with fear. She had the knife in line with her delicate throat. â€Å"Don’t do it, Bonita, you’ll regret it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Murmured the first guard. â€Å"Just let her kill herself, she’s useless anyway† Advised the second guard. There were now 20 huge brawny horses circled around her. Mercedes could hear her head thumping intensely. Out of nowhere, all 20 of the guards were shot off their horses one by one. One minute the empty hill-top was surrounded with tough guards on great big horses, and the next minute, every single guard was shot down from their horses. Mercedes felt as shaky as a leaf. Then, out of the empty surroundings, her brother, Juan, and his army slowly wafted towards her. â€Å"Oh Mercedes! I was so worried about you.† Mercedes turned around and playfully hit her muscular brother. â€Å"Don’t you ever scare me like that again! I was petrified. I never knew where you were, of where you were staying, how you were eating.† â€Å"Don’t worry sis’, I had the whole thing planned out. We were going to attack the stupid Captain anyway, so we thought why not now, and just when my baby sis’ needed me too!† Mercedes’ brother sniggered with laughter with the alongside rebels. Mercedes blushed a shade of rosy pink. Suddenly, one of the quieter ones from the group decided to speak up. â€Å"Sir, when are we going to attack again?† He piped Mercedes and her brother both looked at each other. â€Å"Well, Son, we have just finished attacking, so we shall just wait and see.† By now, Juan was sitting on the bare ground smoking a cigar, with his incredibly long legs up and resting on a huge rock. â€Å"How many times have I told you to stop smoking!† Screeched Mercedes. â€Å"HEY! I’m the one who just saved your life, give me a break! I do the hero thing for once, ad I still get told off!† Juan took a long puff on the cigar, and the passed it onto another rebel. â€Å"Look, I don’t want you getting hurt, so make sure you take care of yourself. I won’t always be there to look after you, so remember that.† Mercedes stood straight, smoothed her creased up dress and gave her brother a hug. â€Å"I will go and finish my duty, and you go finish yours, ok?† â€Å"Si, si, mi hermana, I will succeed. Do not worry,† Reassured Mercedes’ brother. Slowly, Mercedes walked off into the sunset, where a huge mission awaited her. She and her brother would just have to wait and see what would happen.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Business - Essay Example In short, international business is facing fewer constraints at present even though it faced plenty of barriers in the past. The mode of entry into overseas market by international companies is often attracted huge debates. Some companies are looking for alliances with a company in the target country whereas other companies are looking for merger and acquisition as a mode of entry strategy to expand their business to overseas countries. Even the same company opts for different mode of entries in different countries. For example, Wal-Mart established a business alliance with Bharti group in India as a mode of entry in India market. At the same time, they used mergers and acquisition as the mode of entry in European and South African markets. â€Å"Cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are a main vehicle for foreign direct Investment. Yet despite its quantitative importance, the determinants of cross-border M&As are still not well-understood† (Brakman et al, 2008, p.1). G aughan (2007) explained M & A as a process in which two corporations combined together to form a single one. Moreover, only one corporation survives after the M & A while the merged corporation goes out of existence after the merger process (p.12). Merger and acquisition are one of the most popular business strategies in the modern business world. However, there are lots of concerns and debates about the success and failures of this business strategy. This is because of the fact that there are plenty of examples about the success and failure of the M & A deals in recent times. Some of the recent statistics show that the popularity of M&A as a mode of entry is decreasing in recent times. Some think the M&A cycle has already started to turn up. In the first three quarters of 2012, as the euro tottered and fear gripped the global economy, M&A activity worldwide was 17.4% lower than in the same period of 2011. Yet it surged in the fourth quarter, to the highest level of any quarter in t he past four years. This is one reason to expect more mergers this year, says a report by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a law firm that specializes in M&A. However, Mr Moritz suspects that some deals in late 2012 were rushed through by companies that were worried about possible changes to the tax code. Most deals in 2013 will probably be fairly small, designed to strengthen or fill a gap in the buyer’s existing operations. These are known as â€Å"plug and play†. Transformational megamergers grew rarer in 2012, with only four deals topping $20 billion. That was the same as in 2011, and fewer than in each of the three previous years (Mergers Shall we?, 2013). From the above statistics, it is evident that business pundits are not sure about the success and failures of M & As. To merge or not to merge, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the pains of negotiation & integration or to defy global trends and find alternatives. This paper critica lly evaluates the arguments of the pro-merger and anti-merger schools and takes a conclusive position that global mega-mergers are a good policy to undertake in international business practice. Arguments in favor of M & A Miller (2008) pointed out that Edwin L. Miller (Author) †º Visit Amazon's Edwin L. Miller Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you

Costumer service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Costumer service - Essay Example Researchers have developed different models for quantifying customer service as explained by Kapur (2010). The models are significant since they help the management in identifying problematic areas in quality control. This helps the management to devise strategies to improve on customer service leading to an overall improvement of profitability and performance of the firm (Pang 2007). Most of the models in customer service focus on the concept of service quality gap. If the customer expectations are greater that performance, then the perceived quality is less and the customer is said to be dissatisfied. The current case will take the 4 Gap Model to measure customer service. The 4 Gap Model Research has been conducted in different sectors including banking, telecommunication, repair and maintenance and in insurance concerning the model (Ramsaram- Fowdar 2007). The gap models developed by researches are used to measure the service quality expectations before and after the service. Ther e are five major determinants of service quality in the model are tangibility, reliability, perceptibility, safety and empathy. The use of The 4 Gap model shown below became widespread in the measurement of service quality. The model has received criticism when analyzed from a methodological and conceptual aspect. In spite of this, the model has been used in various researches regarding quality of customer service (Ben-Haim 2006). The basic feature of the model is that it places an emphasis on oversight regarding quality between the customer and the service provider (The Marketing Association of Australia and New Zealand 2011). The

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Literature Review - Essay Example There are questions that often come up when the issue of abortion is deliberated upon: some critics believe that abortion compromises known standards of morality and allow people, most especially women, to abuse their bodies without minding that their random sexual habit would backfire in unwanted pregnancies (Dellapenna, 1979). But this assertion may not be true on all occasions since abortion has been deemed necessary in some complicated circumstances: for examples, victims of rapes, sexual harassment and other crimes against women may carry pregnancies that they do not want from such encounters—in such situations, they need to terminate them to remain sane and happy (Dellapenna, 1979). Why has abortion created this much trouble for all parties involved in its heated debate? Abortion, typically, is a medical procedure that involves removing living fetus from the womb of a woman. This process has been in practice over several centuries, but it becomes more pronounced in the current period because of the decay of morality in homes and societies. This has led to wanton sexual behavior that, on most occasions, leads to unwanted pregnancies that would be aborted (Dworkin, 1993). There are two perspectives to the matter of abortion: one school of thought regards the act as a subtle way to kill a living human soul (as in fetus); the other group sees it as an opportunity or right to freedom individual should enjoy, explaining that everyone should have the power of choice—whether to do abortion or not (Dworkin, 1993). The opponents of abortion think that people in America could help themselves if they would pay attention to their lifestyles and/or do Family Planning or Contraceptive Procedures to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The groups that support it believe that everyone could do whatever he/she likes in as much as the laws are not broken—this may include having the freedom to enjoy sex randomly; a practice that could cause

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 23

History - Assignment Example Arguably, the most divisive political issue in American history has been slavery; understanding its evolution over time is key in helping to explain a significant portion of our nation’s past. Trace the path of slavery from its origins in early European colonization of North and South America to the time of the Constitutional Convention. How did the practice of African slavery begin? How and why did it expand in the 13 English colonies of North America? Finally, how was the issue of slavery impacted by the American Revolution? Slavery in Africa has existed even before the Arabian and the Atlantic slave trade. Owning of slaves is part of their culture and it was boosted by the Roman siege and influenced by Islam and other introduced as well as native religions (Lovejoy, 2012). But the start of African slavery in the American colonies is pegged at 1619, when the 1st African slaves docked in Virginia (Berlin, 2003). From Virginia, the practice of slavery spread to all 13English Colonies in North America. The slaves were used as laborers in cotton, sugar, and other plantations, household help, as well as skilled workers in the craft of carpentry, and welding among others. It was also a status symbol promoted by the government so as to quell the disparity of rich, land-owning Whites against the poor, land-less Whites. This move strengthened the foundation for racial slavery and racism (Wood, 2005). The American Revolution started the transformation in the attitudes of the colonial Whites towards slavery that w ill eventually lead in the abolition of slavery in January 01, 1863, with President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation. The newly freed â€Å"Americans† set freedom as one of its country’s undeniable virtues and with that, slavery must be put to an end. The presidential proclamation against slavery became the key to abolishing African slavery yet a considerable amount of time still passed between the enactment of

Curriculum Development Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Curriculum Development Paper - Essay Example To wash hands is the best strategy to prevent the spread of germs in the healthcare environment. The hospitals are full of germs (disease causing micro organisms) and nurses have some power of ensuring that their spread is prevented. In order to impact this knowledge to the nurses, a lesson plan will be designed to guide the process of refreshing the knowledge on why washing hands is extremely significant in the healthcare environment, Hand washing Liaison Group (1999) About 20 nurses washing their hands will spend only five minutes when this is done at fifteen seconds each and if this is done throughout the day, a lot of time will be spent but it would be worth it as germs will be reduced considerably and the spread will also be limited. The nurses will have to wash their hands in warm water by using the hospital soap dispenser and leally lather it up. The nurses will wash the front as well as the back of their hands and they will pretend that they are going to handle a very delicate situation like surgery. The soap should be massaged between the fingers ensuring that the nails are properly washed and this should take about fifteen seconds per individual. The nurses can be timed (Bergquist & Pogosian 2000). The scrubbing action is very important as it helps to break up germs and remove them altogether. After this, hands should be properly rinsed with clean water and dried with a clean piece of cloth preferably clean white towel or the fresh paper towels currently in use. Nurses should note that when cleaning hands in the washrooms used by many people, the paper towel is the one to be used to open the door knobs and handles as they are in most cases contaminated. Since nurses are professionals in the medical field, they are in a better position to explain how the germs spread disease and due to this; the hand washing habit should be habitual and needing less prompting (Hoffman & Wilson 1994). Nurses have a responsibility of their own health and that of the patients as well because they are the ones offering professional assistance in this case. Learning the Importance of Hand Washing In order to ensure that nurses are updated on the correct procedure of washing hands, they will have to discuss why hand washing is important citing possible consequences of not doing so. On the other hand a list of benefits of washing hands will be established. There are lots of micro-organisms that cause diseases yet many of these cannot be seen by a necked eye. Precaution is therefore very important since the hospital also present an environment that could host even more germs than a normal home or house (Rosenau et al 2009). Objectives Nurses will have to concrete reasons as to why they have to wash their hands Nurses will also be required to explain and comprehend that

Domestic Policy Issue - Immigration Research Paper

Domestic Policy Issue - Immigration - Research Paper Example Immigrant workers take up some jobs that Americans workers would have taken, since they are ready to work for cheaper wages. At the same time, illegal immigrants get healthcare services, welfare as well as money, obtained from American taxpayers. Immigrants suck up the limited resources of U.S. and the taxpayers’ money. Because they gain benefits such as welfare, education and healthcare, yet they do not pay taxes hence to do not help in solving American problems. One reason why immigrants remain a big concern to Americans is because many companies continue to employ them, and their numbers continue to increase. With hard economic situation facing America, and the high number of unemployment, losing more jobs to immigrants compounds the issue further. Despite the various laws enacted to address this issue, these laws have not been very successful as the numbers suggest. In deed it is estimated that up to 18 million illegal immigrants stay currently reside in America (Morrison, 2010). What complicate the issue most is the many humanitarian as well as economical issues. Since September 11, it became clear that immigrants could lead to security threat to American, since some of these immigrants were out to commit crimes. Thus need to address the issue by the government. What solutions have been proposed by the president, Congress, interest groups etc. Many people feel that there is need to come up with measures and laws to restrict immigrants from entering America, and that the borders should strictly be guarded. Those illegal immigrants caught should be handed heavy punishment to discourage others from doing the same. As suggested by WERE, the government should as well carry out regular checks within corporations in relation to hiring illegal workers and those companies found to engage immigrants in their labor force ought also to be punished through fines. The government should as well increase its border patrol particularly along the Mexican border becau se thousands of immigrants cross to America using this border. As observed by Morrison (2010) people can simply walk to America through Mexican border unnoticed, and even if they are caught they simply return the next day. President’s solutions President Obama hold the view that the current immigration system is broken and can only be rectified by tackling real issues and avoiding politics as true solutions are to protect American borders are sought. Thus, Obama proposes that immigration policy need to be directed by the best judgment of Americans in regard to its economy and the welfare of the American workers. Thus, he understand that there is need for a well organized, orderly border as well as an immigration structure that is formulated to address the economic needs that are crucial cornerstones of a vibrant economy. Accordingly, President Obama proposed the following four key aspects: Strengthening border control: to tackle immigration Obama has a view that the integrity of American borders is very important. Thus, there is need to improve the infrastructure, technology and increasing the personnel manning the borders and ports of entry to America (The Whitehouse, 2011). Enhancing immigration system: according to president Obama the immigration