Essay --

Candide by Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet) is a critique of the â€Å"all for the best† philosophy that Christians keenly followed in the mid-1700s. Voltaire is a famous philosopher from the Enlightenment period. He wrote about his perspective on certain issues existent in the world and addressed them in various ways. In Candide, he specifically used French satire to criticize a popular notion of the 18th century stating that all things, good or bad, are for the best. Voltaire himself was an anti-religious man and he rejected this philosophy that all things happen for a reason; this concept seemed highly irrational, unreasonable, and unnatural to him. He felt that it was dangerous for people to think that God has a plan and that if something bad happens in His plans, its still all for the best. He used many utilities to prove his point, including satire and irony. He displayed various themes throughout the story and indirectly targeted his audience with sarcasm. He created va rious characters to represent the different types of people he was targeting. Even the names of the people were satirical. The word Candide, for example, literally means â€Å"naà ¯ve† and â€Å"childlike honesty†. Pangloss, another major character, means â€Å"all tongue†. By doing so, Voltaire was able to play with his readers on every page of the book. Candide was repeatedly put into situations of good fortune only to have that good fortune taken from him by some unexpected tragedy: there was a constant cycle of one good thing happening followed by a bad thing. A good thing happened to fix the previous bad thing, but the bad thing could only be prevented if the good thing never happened. For example, in the beginning of the story, Candide kissed the Baron’s daughter whom he h... ... Enlightenment philosophy or Voltaire’s specific criticisms in mind. It then becomes a very interesting and compelling story. With Voltaire’s notion in mind, one can appreciate the story’s wit and philosophical perspective on the world. Enlightenment philosophers found religion to be irrational and unreasonable and preferred to view things from a more natural perspective; that things do not happen for a reason, they just happen. When they happen, they come with consequences, good or bad, that can or cannot be justified. Candide is both excellent not only in how it utilizes satire and irony, but also because it is appealing to the reader in how it uses philosophy to tell a story. Candide is often claimed to be Voltaire’s best work. It is a philosophical masterpiece that even today can be revered and appreciated by readers years after the Enlightenment era has passed.

Representation of Women in the Action Film Genre – Marion Ravenwood + Lara Croft

In this essay, I will be looking at the representation of women in the action film genre and study the social messages that are constructed and conveyed by the media. The two media texts I will be comparing from are The Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tomb Raider. The female lead in Raiders of the Lost Ark is Marion Ravenwood who is played by Karen Allen and the male lead; Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones. In Tomb Raider Angelina Jolie plays the female lead, Lara Croft. Marion Ravenwood is seen as a typical action heroine.In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Marion unveils different characteristics about herself; for example Marion tends to be quite feisty. She displays this in the beginning, when we see Indy walking into her bar. Acknowledging that they had a past and that Indy left her, instead of being quiet, she goes and slaps him. Another scene is when she’s trying to escape after she’s been kidnapped and this opens another idea that she does not give up. This suggests that wo men, however stereotypically gentle and calm, can be zestful.However courageous, Marion also has her female traits. For example, when she’s in the Well of Souls and there are dangerous creatures lurking at each angle, she screams and complains. This different portrayal of Marion suggests that she as well as being tough, she can also be a female who’s frightened and needs a man (Indiana Jones) in this case to protect her. She is smart and uses whatever she can find, for example the frying pan, to protect herself and her man with.But at the same time, she’s also always getting into trouble because of her zesty self, for example when she refuses to give the gold medallion to the Nazis and nearly getting killed. Lara Croft is seen more as an unconventional action heroine. In Tomb Raider, Lara plays a British Aristocrat and is seen as a woman who likes to live on the edge and can seem as a quite stonehearted woman as she is very focused in what she does. The fact tha t she does martial arts propose of Lara Croft to be of a manly character by carrying and applying traits that are mostly used by successful.When Lara’s butler tries to get her to put on a dress, she drops her towel to reveal herself, which portrays her a sexual character. I believe that the media wants to convey that women can be seen equal to men and although usually underestimated, they can do a lot more than men can. On the other hand, Lara also is very emotional and we see that this is a great weakness of her, which is used against her. Lara is emotionally unstable by her father’s death and tries to take a big risk in order to fulfill her desire of meeting him once more. We see this when Mr.Powell emotionally blackmails her and offers her By this, we can see that Lara has a very emotional aspect in her, which is mostly seen as a womanly trait is the strongest and only thing which is stopping her to become a man. Lara can be seen as a positive character in the fact that she’s self reliant and successful in it, which Marion doesn’t prove to be. Looking at Marion Ravenwood and Lara Croft, we can see that there have been some major changes in the Representation of Women in the Action Film Genre. In both films, the female character is portrayed in a different way.For example, Raiders of The Lost Ark which is a film that was set in the 1936's showed Marion as a side heroine who was dependent on the Male Lead. On the other hand, Tomb Raider which is much more modern movie depicted Lara to be the main star and was independent and even though had a past, didn't necessarily need a man. As a common stereotype created for them, females were shown as smart but by using their brains – Marion, for example when trying to get Belloq drunk so that she could escape while he'd gone unconscious.In modern times, however women are also shown to be using their physicality and brainpower – Lara Croft could be used as an example as she was known to figure out the correct area to place the triangle and defeated the creatures that came her way. Female leads were much more believable back then as they mostly stuck to the stereotype built for them, however Female leads now are not as believable as they showcase more male stereotypical characteristics, one of them being physical strength.This As times have changed so have women's roles in society, and accordingly their representation in the media. The representation of women has improved as they have moved forward into a more equal society. Hollywood is a reflection of real life, and the point that the representation has improved because of society views, making it easier for the audience to relate in general, has proved this. Also, if an Action film has a male lead, chances are that the majority would be male audience as women are mostly not interested.But if an Action film has a female lead, there's more possibility of both gender audiences, as it would contain a bit of emotional drama that women would enjoy and the female lead would have to be attractive, appealing to the male gaze. This shows that Hollywood imitates what has been going on in the natural world. In conclusion, I believe that women in action films are positive role models if we’re looking only at Marion and Lara. Marion and Lara are both very different placed because of the timings

I Was A Music Major Is For Me - 855 Words

â€Å"I thought I was talented†¦then l I came to college† Can you imagine being told your good at something your whole life, then get to college and not be half as good as you thought you were, or maybe not good at all. Just plain BAD! Ok, I’m exaggerating. I’m being really dramatic, but that’s how I feel at least once a month for at least†¦ never mind. In high school, it wasn’t hard for me to stand out. There was one girl that played the snare drum, one person that played classical piano, one person who competed in pageants and gave out signature cards, and one person that said the morning announcements. ME!! I had it ALL!!! All I had to do was smile, and teachers gave me what I wanted. In college, it seems everyone wants what I want. After two weeks, I called my mom crying saying, â€Å"I don’t think being a music major is for me†. I felt so stupid, as I looked at my self cry on FaceTime. (it wasn’t cute) I was struggling terribly in music theory (it’s improving, I guess) and fe lt way behind musically. However, my mom reminded me that I had to work for what I wanted. (something I never did before). I developed a regime where I practice and study non-stop, which works beautifully. I just don’t sleep or eat like a normal human-being, but it’s whatever. The other day, I listened to Pastor Terry Anderson (via YouTube, he lives in Texas) talk about dreams. He said that everyone has a dream that God has placed in our heart, and we must exercise those gifts/dreams to the best of OURShow MoreRelatedPersonal Essay : A Day In The City1245 Words   |  5 Pagesyesterday, I saw something. I noticed there was a group of individuals setting up a tent, electric keyboard, and a few other things amongst these. It was obvious to me as if there was going to be a local concert in the park. I assumed this would be produced by a group of younger people, but it was led by an older group. To me, this was rather interesting since it was as close as Woodruff Park. Th is was a close location from to my dorm and right outside the location of my class. Unfortunately, I was notRead MoreI Attended The Concert Called Artpower ! Presents : St. Lawrence String Quartet949 Words   |  4 Pages On November 7, I attended the concert called â€Å"ArtPower! Presents: St. Lawrence String Quartet† at 8pm in CPMC, UCSD. Four artists performed it: Geoff Nuttall, Mark Fewer for violin, Lesley Robertson for viola, and Christopher Constanza for cello. They performed three String quartets, composed in different eras. The first one is â€Å" String Quartet in C major, Op.76, No.3 ‘Emperor’,† composed by Franz Josef Haydn, 1732-1809. The second one is †Five Pieces for Spring Quartet,† composed by Erwin SchulhoffRead MoreMy Passion For Music And The Music Industry1232 Words   |  5 Pages I have always had a passion for music and the music industry, and my parents and I both knew that I was not going for school, unless it was f or something music related. The music industry is such a broad category and there are so many moving parts within this sector. I chose music promotion for my career project, because it would allow me to go in and out of different departments within the music industry, along being able to work alongside creative individuals for artists. Pursuing a career inRead MoreA Concert At Libby Hall Of Utah968 Words   |  4 Pagesperformed a concert of chamber music orchestra. This was a concert full with interesting presentations and sound that that energies of nature and relationship with humanity. This concert event was performed at Libby Gardner Hall of University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The guest presenters are four educated musicians from Austria who are called the Minetti Quartet. These were four musicians who each played an instrument. Two were violinist, one Viola, and the last was a Celloist. The event is ledRead MoreReflection923 Words   |  4 Pagesas a student at Winthrop University I have been a part of many different experiences that have molded me into the future educator that I hope to become. Some of the biggest experiences that have helped shape me are my class time in CRTW 201, my class time in EDUC 220, and my time teaching private lessons with the Clover High School Band Program. Each of these experiences has played a large role in helping me become the teacher I am today and the teacher that I aspire to be. The first experienceRead MoreReflection904 Words   |  4 Pagesnumerous experiences that have molded me into the future educator that I hope to become. Some of the greatest experiences that have helped shape me are my class time in CRTW 201, my class time in EDUC 220, and my time teaching private lessons with the Clover High School Band Program. Each of these experiences has played a large role in helping me become the teacher I am today and the teacher that I aspire to be. The first experience that shaped my view of teaching was my class time in CRTW 201. WhileRead MoreSample Essay - Original Writing1221 Words   |  5 PagesI was given the name Julie when I came into the world; my mom told me it was given by my eldest brother (Tea). My full name is Julie Tea. Julie is a name that originates from France, while Tea is a translation of a Cambodian surname. In addition, I was unaware of the meaning of the name, Julie, until I decided to search it up. It can mean several adjectives, such as soft-haired, vivacious, youthful, and beautiful. However, I disagree with much of those adjectives, as I do not truly identify myselfRead MoreMusic Plays A Influence On My Life988 Words   |  4 PagesMusic plays a tremendous role in my life and always has. From the age of five, my parents introduced to me to one particular type of music, which was gospel and it has been a part of who I am ever since. I can remember waking up early on Sunday morning hearing gospel mu sic from artist such as Kim Burrell, Shirley Caesar, and Mary Mary. I began learning these particular gospel songs and then I gained the courage to sing these songs in church. At that moment, I knew singing was a passion of mine andRead MoreHow African Americans Make Racist Jokes915 Words   |  4 Pageseven in the land of Liberty, America. I am aware of the fact that there is racism against not only blacks, but also Whites, Asians, along with people from all other ethnicities. Me coming to America was a blessing. Also my perception about African-Americans was not what I thought. My relatives over here told me a lot about how African-Americans make racist jokes. I didn’t agree with them, because from watching movies like coming to America by Eddie Murphy made me believe African-Americans were niceRead MoreThe Effects Of Reggae Music On The Music1216 Words   |  5 Pagesknow about reggae music. I was one of those people who did not know the existence of the reggae music until I met this one beautiful girl. Julie, my beloved beautiful future wife, introduced me the reggae music. My first thought of this music was boring. After a while the more time I spent with her made me fall in love with the reggae music too. The love of the music gave me the curiosity of the music and why reggae music helped me with to relax and gave comfort as I listen. And also I noticed that a

Evaluation Of A Project For Eciv 405, Fall Side Of The...

Plan of Attack Summary of Project The term project for ECIV 405, Fall 2014 Semester, is the Jake Jabs College of Business Entrepreneurship (JJCBE). JJCBE will be constructed in the northeast side of the campus at Montana State University, Bozeman. The building site is north of Wilson Hall, east of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Building, and about 500 feet north of Montana Hall. JJCBE is expected to attain LEED Gold status at the completion of the project, which is very exciting for Montana State University. The existing project site is relatively flat, existing utilities need to be moved, trees need to be cut down, and pavement needs to be cut before construction can commence. Team Member Responsibilities Our team consists of Andrew†¦show more content†¦Our team will keep work hours strictly to 7AM -5PM with students’ dormitories close by. Time of Day delivery restrictions could also apply given campus activities. Keeping an aggressive schedule, staying ahead of schedule, and planning work far in advance will assist so that these restrictions do not hit unexpectedly. Weather Weather in Montana can be very unpredictable at times. Snow comes early, and stays late. Our team will work in proactive means to prevent delays to the schedule. As we near winter months, we will also account for longer lead times to receive materials so we are not delayed from deliveries, only installation deliveries with unexpected weather. University Traffic Protection of the public is crucial throughout the entirety of the project. Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship is being constructed on a very busy campus, in a populated area. Controlling and detouring traffic, people, and parking around the site properly will be of grave concern. The entire construction site will be enclosed in 6 ft. high chain link fence and where pedestrian safety is exclusively endangered outside this area, barricades will be placed to inform persons of possible safety hazards. If any visitors are brought to the project site, proper safety orientation will be successfully completed and they will wear proper PPE. Crane Operations

The Florist s Dilemm Adopt E Commerce Or Not - 3861 Words

The Florist’s Dilemma: Adopt e-Commerce or Not? LO5A Four Step e-business strategy for the owner of City Flower Step 1 The very first step involves a Cost benefit Analysis. The owner of city flower has to make sure that whatever decision is being taken results in positive results for the business. The cost of employing an extra human resource leads to an additional increase in productivity. Here we are going to talk about the SWOT Analysis. STRENGTH: †¢ Existing Business having existing customers helped City Flowers to retain their hold in the market. †¢ Located in the central business district resulted in ease of shopping to attract new customers on everyday basis. †¢ City Flowers also provided good quality flowers to its customers in order to keep them satisfied and happy. WEAKNESS: †¢ As we all know that flowers fall under perishable good category thus due to such nature its popularity was less and many people chose to buy artificial flowers instead of real ones. †¢ City flower’s was not a big retail outlet instead it was a small shop located on Queens Street Auckland CBD, it lacked in having proper Logistics and Management. †¢ Time Constraint was another factor which acted as a weakness for the business. OPPORTUNITIES: †¢ City Flowers should extend its reach to cover other cities and expand their geographical coverage. †¢ They should focus on entering in big markets. This can be done by increasing their product line and providing extra services to their customers like â€Å"home

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Two Free Essays

string(26) " and over in his fingers\." I didn’t give Lara all the details the next day, only that I’d just broken up with a guy. â€Å"Ice cream,† she advised me through the phone. â€Å"Lots of ice cream. We will write a custom essay sample on Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Two or any similar topic only for you Order Now And tequila. That’s the key.† â€Å"I can’t do a lot of drinking right now.† â€Å"Hmm. Well, maybe get one of those liqueur-flavored ice creams. Like with Kahla or Irish cream.† â€Å"Any other hot tips?† â€Å"Chick flicks.† â€Å"Good God. I’m disconnecting right now.† â€Å"Well, then, try this.† She sounded huffy. â€Å"I just got a call from a guy who thinks there’s a troll in his basement. Seems like beating one of those up would be therapeutic.† â€Å"Lara’s full of shit,† Tim told me later when I recounted the phone call. â€Å"Why do women turn to ice cream? It makes them fat, then they hate themselves and start going on and on about how they’ll never find anybody, blah, blah. It’s stupid. Now, if you’ve got some peyote squirreled away, that’d be a different matter†¦.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"No peyote. Not after what happened last time.† He made a face. â€Å"All right, then. My best advice? Don’t call him. He’s probably going through all sorts of regret and guilt. You call him, he’ll feel smothered and put up his defenses. Let him stew for a while, and he’ll call you.† â€Å"I don’t want him to call.† â€Å"Sure, Eug.† I ended up taking down the troll later that day, but it didn’t really do much for me. Neither did the Kiss puzzle I put together that night. With my doldrums growing, I was only too happy when my next lesson with Dorian came the following day. Considering his fascination with human things and novelty in general, I thought he’d like eating out somewhere. I didn’t know why I bothered; we probably should have gone straight to the lesson. Maybe I felt guilty about the sex thing. Maybe I was lonely. After a quick drive, I arrived at the Catalina Lodge, a prissy hotel about a mile or so from Catalina State Park. I parked in a remote spot, hopefully away from watchful eyes, and sat down on the ground with crossed legs. The ring sat beside me on the asphalt. Slipping on my sunglasses, I leaned against the car and waited. My timing couldn’t have been more perfect. A few minutes later, I felt the pressure and tingling, and then Dorian materialized beside me. He’d left the robes and cloaks at home, wearing dark pants and a blousy, sage-colored shirt that looked only moderately out of place. He squinted up at the bright sunlight and then noticed me on the ground. â€Å"Isn’t it ever cloudy in this infernal place?† I straightened up, and he offered a hand to help me rise. â€Å"I could arrange that if you wanted.† â€Å"And risk you wiping out half of your fair city? No thank you.† â€Å"Figured you’d appreciate that. It’ll make your world domination easier. One less place to conquer.† â€Å"No. I need this place intact. I plan on keeping prisoners and exiled enemies here. Where exactly are we today?† â€Å"Mere steps away from the best food of your life, if rumors are true.† He flashed me one of his trademark grins. â€Å"Pleasure before business? My, my, you never fail to astound me.† â€Å"Hell, wait’ll you hear me identify every water source in the restaurant.† That, at least, had been a good thing to come from Beltane. I could now feel cactuses, wells, and any other water source within a certain distance. I could even sense people now since the human body was supposed to be, what, 65 percent water? That meant no one could sneak up on me. Inside and seated, Dorian found watching his surroundings far more fascinating than anything on the menu. â€Å"Pick something for me,† he said distractedly, watching a family leave with four small children in tow. He cocked his head curiously. â€Å"By the gods, do all those little ones belong to them?† I glanced up. â€Å"Likely.† â€Å"And their mother looks pregnant again. Incredible. Back home, those people would be worshipped as fertility deities. A family with two children is remarkable enough.† The waitress returned. I ordered spinach-stuffed ravioli for me and some sort of spicy chicken for him. â€Å"A lot of middle-and upper-class families actually go out of their way to only have two kids. And a lot of them don’t even start until they’re older than me.† â€Å"Baffling.† He propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. â€Å"A woman your age could have had that many children by now.† â€Å"Hey, I’m like twenty-six. I’m not that old. I don’t even look my age.† â€Å"That’s your father’s blood. And I wasn’t insulting your age – merely making an observation.† He sighed. â€Å"I’d give up half my kingdom for just one child.† I smiled slyly. â€Å"And the chance to be the father of Storm King’s grandson?† â€Å"I’d be just as happy to father his granddaughter too. I’d be happy to father anyone’s child.† â€Å"Then why don’t you find some nice girl and do it?† â€Å"Believe me, it hasn’t been for lack of trying.† His face held a rare seriousness, but the expression vanished as quickly as it came. â€Å"Ah, now there’s a fetching young woman.† Following his gaze across the restaurant, I saw a tall blond woman exit the restroom. She was stuffed into a tiny spandex dress, her chest practically spilling out. I didn’t have the heart to tell Dorian there was probably a lot of silicone in there. His eyes lingered on her, then his charm-alarm must have gone off for fear of neglecting me. He turned back around. â€Å"Not that you don’t look lovely today too.† â€Å"You don’t have to pacify me.† I laughed. â€Å"You’re welcome to ogle other women.† Our late-afternoon meal proceeded nicely, and everything about it continued to enchant Dorian. The credit card I used to pay with at the end especially captivated him. â€Å"It has information about me stored in it,† I tried to explain. â€Å"That information lets the restaurant get money from me.† He picked up the returned card gingerly, turning it over and over in his fingers. You read "Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Two" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Intriguing. I imagine this has to do something with electricity? The blood of your culture?† His wry tone made me smile. â€Å"Something like that.† It wasn’t until we were on the mile and a half walk to Catalina State Park that things got a little tense. â€Å"Heard from the kitsune lately?† â€Å"He has a name,† I snapped. â€Å"Heard from Kiyo lately?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Really? He hasn’t tried to contact you and beg for forgiveness?† â€Å"No,† I repeated between gritted teeth. Something about the way he said it made it sound like I’d been dealt a great insult. â€Å"Odd. I think that’s what I’d do if I’d offended my ladylove. Of course, I suppose when a man spends half his existence as an animal, you can’t really expect him not to act like one.† I halted and turned on Dorian. â€Å"Stop it. Just stop it, okay? Stop trying to poison me against him.† â€Å"You don’t need me to do what he’s already done.† â€Å"Damn it, Dorian. I’m serious.† We started walking again, but it was me who brought up the subject again after several minutes of silence. â€Å"You knew. You knew Maiwenn was pregnant and didn’t tell me.† â€Å"It wasn’t my secret to tell. Besides, I got in trouble the last time I spoke badly of her. You accused me of trying to turn you against her.† â€Å"I’m not sure this is really the same thing. We’re talking about Kiyo now. Last time it was about Maiwenn wanting to kill me.† â€Å"And you don’t think they’re the same thing?† I stopped walking. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Kiyo is her friend, formerly her lover, and now the father of her child. He stands firmly with her against Storm King’s invasion. Yet, where would he stand if it came to a choice between you or her? What if Maiwenn decided you were too great a threat? What would he do? What would he do if you accidentally got pregnant?† A chill ran through me at his words. I abruptly turned away and barely recognized my own voice when I spoke. â€Å"I don’t want to talk about this anymore.† He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture, face calm and affable. â€Å"I honestly intended no harm. Pick another topic. We’ll discuss anything you like.† But I didn’t really feel like talking anymore, so the rest of the walk proceeded in silence. When we finally entered the park, the sun was well into its descent. We still had plenty of light and set out to pick a good place to work. We ended up following one of the less traveled trails and then deviated from it into a semi-treed area. We had nothing even close to dense forest coverage, but rock outcroppings, some scraggly pines, and distance from the path promised relative privacy. The routine proved to be the same. Dorian had me sit on the ground, leaning against a rock. He had another stash of those silk cords and again wrapped them around me. The rock didn’t make a suitable attachment, so he simply let my hands rest in my lap and bound them together at the wrist. Naturally, he did his usual artistic weave on them, intricately wrapping red and blue cords together. When he moved on to wrapping the cords around my chest and arms, his eyes flicked to mine and then back to his handiwork. â€Å"You aren’t really going to stay mad at me for the rest of the day, are you?† â€Å"I’m not mad.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you are. You’re also a terrible liar. Lean forward, please.† I did, letting him tie the knots behind me. â€Å"I just don’t like you playing games, that’s all. I don’t trust them.† â€Å"And pray, what games am I playing?† â€Å"I don’t even know half the time. Gentry games, I guess. You speak the truth, but it always has an ulterior motive behind it.† He leaned me gently back against the rock and crouched on his knees to look me in the face. â€Å"Ah, but I do speak the truth.† â€Å"I just can’t tell what you want sometimes, Dorian. What your plans are. You’re hard to read.† That delighted smile of his spread over his face. â€Å"I’m hard to read? This from the woman who alternately hates and fucks Otherworldly denizens? The same woman who claims not to trust me even while I tie her up, putting her completely at my mercy?† I wiggled in my bonds. â€Å"Well, I trust you with this.† â€Å"Are you sure?† He pressed a hard kiss against my lips. It startled me, but I couldn’t do anything about it. This man, this gentry – the one who could be either helping me or using me – had me trapped. I couldn’t do anything except let him keep kissing me. The realization triggered a response in me that was quite startling, considering my issues with control and helplessness. It made me feel vulnerable†¦and excited. I turned my head away as much as I could, attempting to break off the kiss. â€Å"Stop that.† He leaned back on his heels. â€Å"Just making a point.† â€Å"No, you weren’t. You were just trying to kiss me.† â€Å"Well, yes, you’ve got me there. But the fact remains: Tied up or free, you can trust me. I do nothing that I don’t firmly believe is in the interest of your well-being. The same holds true for casual comments about your love life. Now then.† He stood up. â€Å"Shall we commence this lesson?† â€Å"No blindfold?† I asked, still a little shaken. â€Å"Not needed. You know where the water is. Or you will in just a moment.† He produced the canteen I’d brought along and took off its lid. Searching the area, he found a large boulder, reaching almost to his shoulders. He set the open canteen on top of it and then selected a spot for himself near some scrubby bushes where he had a clear vantage of me and the canteen. â€Å"You feel the water?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Make sure of it. If you accidentally reach one of the trees and end up calling its water, you’ll kill the poor thing.† I extended my senses, considering what he said. After a few moments, I felt certain I had the water sources all differentiated. â€Å"No, I’ve got it.† â€Å"All right, then. Call it to you.† â€Å"Am I supposed to make the canteen rise or something?† â€Å"No. You have no connection to it. But you do connect with the water. You feel it. You touch it with your mind. Now coax it to come to you, to come out of its container. You’ve already done it with storm systems. The trick now is doing it on a small, specific level. Forget about your body – it’s useless to you now. This is all in your mind.† â€Å"That’s all the instruction I get, coach?† â€Å"Afraid so.† He stretched out, rolling onto his side to get comfortable. For someone who took such care with his clothes, he seemed nonchalant about getting them dirty. I supposed laundry was a small concern when you had a full staff to take care of it. Sighing, I turned back to the canteen. What I attempted seemed ludicrous – but, then, so had feeling the water in the first place. So, I followed what he said as best I could. My grip on the water was so tight, I might as well have held it in my hand already. But no matter how hard my concentration focused, I couldn’t make the water move. It reminded me of the wind. I could feel it but not control it. Well, actually, if my training progressed, I might actually be able to control it some day. But the analogy stood, nonetheless. Time dragged. Extensively. I tried and tried to order the water around, but it refused to obey. More time passed. It crawled. I finally decided it was a good thing the cords covered my watch because I’d be pissed off if I discovered how much time had elapsed. Hours had slipped by; I felt certain of it. The light had grown dimmer and dimmer. Looking over at Dorian, I swore he was asleep. â€Å"Hey,† I said. No response. â€Å"Hey!† He opened one eye. â€Å"I’m not getting anywhere with this. We should call it a night.† He sat up. â€Å"Giving up already?† â€Å"Already? It’s been like two hours. Probably three.† â€Å"Miracles don’t happen overnight. These things take time.† â€Å"How much time? I’m starting to wonder if you made this magic rule just to procrastinate on getting Jasmine.† â€Å"Well. You can believe that if it makes it easier for you. The truth – if you trust me enough to hear it – is that this is for your own protection. In a perfect world, we would go in and extract the girl quietly. In the real world, we will likely fight Aeson’s guards and Aeson himself. I would prefer we both walk out of this alive. You didn’t fare so well last time.† â€Å"This is going to take forever. This training.† I knew I was being whiny and petulant, but my back hurt, and mosquitoes had come out. At least in identifying the water source, I’d been able to take guesses. Here I could do nothing more than just wait and stare. If nothing happened, nothing happened. â€Å"I’m sorry,† I told him. â€Å"I’m just tired, that’s all. Didn’t mean to bitch you out.† He seemed untroubled by my reaction, just like always. Indeed, I could see his face regarding me kindly in the twilight. â€Å"No problem at all. Let’s go, then.† He walked over to the canteen and recapped it. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back against the rock to wait for him to release me. As I did, I felt something cool and wet, like mist, spread out behind my back and neck. To my new water senses, it didn’t feel†¦right. Moments later, before I could ponder the difference, the mist coalesced into slimy skin. â€Å"Dori – â€Å" My scream was cut off by cold, clawed hands. One covered my mouth, and the other gripped my throat. Dorian had spun around before my cry, making me think he’d sensed something before I had. He leaped toward me, but four wet, human forms materialized in the air before him, blocking his way. Nixies. Water spirits. Two were male; two were female. Legends whispered they could shape-shift into more beautiful forms, but here they appeared drab. Clammy skin, mottled and gray. Clothes sodden and dripping. Seaweedlike hair hanging down. The one holding me pushed me down flat to the ground, all the better to cut off my oxygen that much faster. Water dripped onto me from her hair, and her eyes gleamed a sickly green in the waning light. She hissed with pleasure and pressed harder while I frantically assessed my options. I finished the assessment pretty quickly because I had no options. I was fully armed but unable to reach anything because of Dorian’s fucking bondage fetish. Covering my mouth stopped me from summoning a minion. The world flickered with starbursts as my air disappeared. My lungs and throat heaved, trying desperately to latch onto something. Her claws dug into the tender flesh of my neck, and I half-wondered if she’d rip it out rather than wait for suffocation. My only hope was Dorian, but he wouldn’t get to me anytime soon, not with his own army of – Every stone and pebble in the area suddenly lifted off the ground. Shortly thereafter, the really large stones and boulders followed suit. Those big ones exploded, fracturing into thousands of tiny shards. All those little pieces of rock rose higher, joining each other, slowing rotating in a clockwise manner. My captor’s grip had lessened slightly, probably from surprise. It didn’t return my air, but I twisted my head enough to see Dorian standing with his arms raised up like some sort of symphony conductor. Above him, that cyclone of sharp rocks spun faster and faster, a blur to the eye. Then, as though giving the song’s grand finale, he brought his arms down sharply. And down came the rocks. A portion of that maelstrom swooped and soared, the primitive predecessors of bullets. At first their movements seemed chaotic, and I feared falling into their path. But it turned out every rock had its own plan, its own target. Those sharp pieces honed down on the nixie holding me, piercing and slicing with a fierce precision. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as blood splashed onto me, and her torn body collapsed in a bloody, wet pile. I twisted out from under her, taking in big gulping breaths of air. Beyond her, Dorian gave another downward motion, urging his orchestra to its next climactic moment. The rocks swooped into another nixie, cutting it to pieces. Then another†¦and another†¦until the nixies were nothing but ribbons of blood and gore. Their task complete, the rocks gently fell to the earth, as soft and placid as drops of rain. The entire counterattack had taken less than a minute. Immediately, Dorian knelt by my side, helping me sit up as I gasped my way back to life. â€Å"Easy, easy,† he warned. Blood covered both of us. â€Å"Small breaths.† â€Å"Untie me! Get me out of this!† He pulled the silver athame from my belt. In moments, he sliced open the cords, freeing my arms and hands. I jerked away, my adrenaline still surging. He reached for me, but I flailed against him. â€Å"Damn you! You almost got me killed!† I yelled, hearing the hysteria in my voice. â€Å"You almost got me killed!† He grabbed my upper arms with a solid strength, pulling me to him and forcing me to stillness. â€Å"Eugenie, calm down. Eugenie!† He shook me – hard – where I still struggled, and I halted abruptly, quelled by the harsh sound of his voice and ferocity of his grasp. I could no longer find the silly, languid gentry king. There was a stranger holding me, his face hard and commanding. â€Å"Do you think I’d let anything happen to you?† he demanded, almost shouting. â€Å"Do you think I’d let anything harm you?† I swallowed, still in pain from the nixie’s claws on my throat, and found my body shaking. His grip was so tight, I might as well have been tied up again. He scared me, having turned into someone else. Someone powerful and awe-inspiring. Looking into his eyes and seeing the sweat on his face, I realized fear had touched more than just me. He was scared too, not for himself, but for what had almost happened to me. Something inside me eased up, and I nearly slumped into him. â€Å"I can’t believe what you did,† I whispered. I killed all the time without much thought or effort, but this†¦this had been something else entirely. And he wasn’t even at full strength in this world. â€Å"You slaughtered them.† â€Å"I did what I had to do.† The heat in his voice had faded, replaced with a deadly calm. â€Å"And you’ll be able to do the same someday.† One of his hands released me and moved to my head, smoothing my hair back. He pressed our bodies together and rested his cheek against mine so his soft words could spill into my ear. â€Å"You will surpass me, Eugenie. Your power will be so great, none will stand against you. Armies and kingdoms will fall, and they will bow down before you.† I found myself trembling again, feeling the same fear and excitement that had filled me during our last kiss. Only this time, I didn’t know if my feelings came from his body’s proximity†¦or the promise of power he offered. How to cite Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Two, Essay examples

Marketing Strategy Recommendations for Positioning Statement

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Strategy Recommendations for Positioning Statement. Answer: Background Shebah is the first and the only rideshare service in Australia which is completely female oriented as its offers ride services to the women and children and the service providers i.e. the drivers are also female members of the society. The service was launched in the year 2017, March on the occasion of International Womens Day which worked through a mobile application and is one of the most popular and used applications in Australia. The services started with the aim of offering a convenient and safe transportation to female members of the society (Shebah, 2017). The report will present the marketing strategy and recommendations for the marketing plan for the selected organisations, Shebah highlighting the target market and positioning statement, marketing strategy recommendations and a brief conclusion. Target market and positioning statement Target market The target market of Shebah is Australia as there are several regions of Australia which are still deprived of the services of Shebah. The key target market is the female customers as the main aim of the company is to offer ride services to only the female members of the society as well as the children. The target market comprises of those female individuals who are in a need of cabs on an instant basis for their day to day work. Therefore, the key target market so the female users and various regions of Australia including Perth, Darwin and Adelaide and may more regions (Chan, et al., 2016). Positioning statement The positioning statement of Shebah is to evolve the manner in which the world moves for making the destinations more accessible and offering a more secure and safe rides to the female members of the society by having female drivers at first time in Australia. Thus, the positioning statement of Shebah is not only to offer transportation services to the females but also to have a better society with decreased rate of crimes by providing a secure travelling experience to the women of Australia (Sharma and Das, 2017). Marketing strategy recommendations Marketing mix: Product strategy As a marketing product strategy, the company will be taking use of various different cab facilities in terms of seat availability and cab model. There will be available three kinds of cab facilities to the women comprising of luxury which will be comprised of premium car models whose charges will be a little high in comparison with other models of cabs, the second will be the Shebah X category which has a capacity of more than 4 people but up to 7 people. This is the second range but focusing upon the seat capacity of the cans for more number of travellers. The third is the Shebah Micro range of cabs which is for maximum 4 people which has comparatively a lower price range than other two varieties of cabs offered by the company (Jing and OUYANG, 2016). Making available the services in variant ranges is the product strategy of the company so that every kind of individuals can be the customer of Shebah according to their specific needs and requirements as well as affordability. To comp ete with other companies offering cab services, there is a need to have such product marketing strategy which can offer a diverse set of services to the women so that they can be the reliable customers of Shebah and use the services on a regular basis (Bashir, Yousaf and Verma, 2016). Marketing mix: Price strategy The marketing strategy recommendation in respect with the price strategy, there are offered diverse set of prices to the customers. Shebah will offer three different set of prices as per the three different cab services offered by the company. The highest range of prices will be quoted when the customers book a luxury car i.e. the premium class cars. The second range is of the Shebah X which is also a little high in nature because of the seat capacity offered by the car. And the most affordable and nominal prices are quoted for the cars i.e. the micro range of cabs of Shebah which is also the most commonly used cab service by the customers on a regular basis. There are also price based marketing strategies will used by the company i.e. offering ride services on discounted prices on various occasions such as Christmas day, new year and various other national occasions of Australia (Khan, 2014). There is one more price marketing strategy i.e. a fixed fair strategy in which the consumer s had to pay a fixed fair for a minimum of ten kilometres of distance. If the users have to go to a destination which is less than ten kilometres then they had to pay a fixed fair. Such price strategy helps in having an increased customer base who wants to travel a long destination (Sun, et al., 2017). Marketing mix: Place strategy The marketing mix place strategy of Shebah will be providing the can services in many distant locations so that the women can have a safe travelling experience. Earlier there fare limited places where the cab services are offered but now there will be provided services out of some cities too so as well as on the basis of time or hourly basis with a fixed rent. This will help in getting booking for the cans for several out of city locations and increasing the market share and user base. There will be also availability of cabs 24*7 on all the covered locations in Shebah so that the users can have a better and easy access to the cabs on an instant basis (Paraboschi, Santi and Ratti, 2015). Marketing mix: Promotion strategy The marketing mix promotional strategy are the most vital strategy for the company as the more promotion and advertisement of the services will be the increased customer base and market share will be acquired by Shebah. The promotional strategies used by the company will be the discounts on referral which means that when any existing user of Shebah will refer the cab services to any other new user, than after the first ride of the new user with a referral code will get a discount on the cab after of fifty percent to both the existing as well as the new user. It is one of the most significant marketing strategies for fetching the attention of the new users and attaining increased customer base (Wood, et al., 2017). The other promotional strategy will be various discounts to the users who take continuous or regular use of the services such as women taking the use of cabs for going their office or workplace on a daily basis. They will be offering regular discount coupons (Parker, Van Al styne and Choudary, 2016). The one of the best promotional strategy which will be used by Shebah is the use of social media platforms for advertising and promoting the services such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc. All these social media platforms are the best place for the promotion as there will be display of advertisement on these platforms as well as by linking the account of the user to any of the account of these social media websites, the customers will be getting more discounts on their rides. The other promotional marketing strategy will be advertisements in newspapers, on televisions and taking sue of hoardings (Baker, 2014). The existing customers will also be getting the promotional messages on their linked emails so that they acne be aware of the services, discounts and various other offers provided by the company. All these promotional strategise will help Shebah in getting an increased customer base and higher brand visibility (Rayle, et al., 2014). Conclusion There is a vital significance of the marketing strategy recommendations to have a successful marketing plan and have increased customer base for the services and products. From this report, it can be concluded that there are various marketing strategy recommendation in respect with product, price, place and promotion which can be sued by Shebah for promoting its cab services. If the company will take use of these marketing strategies recommendations then there are increased chances of having upsurge revenues and extended market share. It can also be concluded that strategy recommendations such as promotional strategise can help Shebah in attaining strong market visibility and brand recognition. With the use of price strategies, there can be gained an increased customer base even from the competitors too by fetching the attention of the users through discounted prices. It is also concluded that with the various strategies in respect with product and place, Shebah can gain a more devel oped user base as availability of cans on unusual time and at distant places will give an increased target market to the company and also help in performing a successful implementation of the marketing plan. Reference List Baker, M.J., 2014.Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Bashir, M., Yousaf, A. and Verma, R., 2016. Disruptive business model innovation: How a tech firm is changing the traditional taxi service industry.Indian Journal of Marketing,46(4), pp.49-59. Chan, J.W., Chang, V.L., Lau, W.K., Law, L.K. and Lei, C.J., 2016. Taxi App Market Analysis in Hong Kong.Journal of Economics, Business and Management,4(3). Jing, Z.E.N.G. and OUYANG, F., 2016. Designing a Mixed Carpool Mechanism on the Online Cab Service.DEStech Transactions on Engineering and Technology Research, (ssme-ist). Khan, M.T., 2014. The concept of'marketing mix'and its elements (a conceptual review paper).International journal of information, business and management,6(2), p.95. Paraboschi, A., Santi, P. and Ratti, C., 2015. Modeling Urban-level Impact of a Shared Taxi Market. InThe 14th International Conference on Computers in Urban Planning and Urban Management.-2015.-P. Paper(Vol. 305). Parker, G.G., Van Alstyne, M.W. and Choudary, S.P., 2016.Platform revolution: How networked markets are transforming the economy--and how to make them work for you. WW Norton Company. Rayle, L., Shaheen, S., Chan, N., Dai, D. and Cervero, R., 2014.App-based, on-demand ride services: Comparing taxi and ridesourcing trips and user characteristics in san francisco university of california transportation center (uctc). UCTC-FR-2014-08. Sharma, K. and Das, S., 2017. Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction-With Special focus on the Online Cab Industry in India.International Journal of Business and Management,12(7), p.192. Shebah, 2017. About. Accessed on: 31st October, 2017, Accessed from: https://shebah.com.au/about/ Sun, Z., Yu, M., Zeng, J., Wang, H. and Tian, Y., 2017.Assessment of the Impacts of App-based Ride Service on Taxi Industry: Evidence from Yiwu City in China(No. 17-06426). Wood, Z., Parry, G., Carruthers, J. and Rose, K., 2017. Assessing the impact of digital innovations in the London transportation network.