Daimler Chrysler Merger Essay Example for Free

Daimler Chrysler Merger Essay The DaimlerChrysler Merger (A): Gaining Global Competitiveness Question 1: What was the situation at Daimler and what was the situation at Chrysler before the merger? The situation at Daimler was difficult before the merger because Daimler experienced tremendous losses in the beginning of 1990s. Starting from 1995 when the new CEO came in place some changes were instantly done, for example, unprofitable business units were either closed, restructured or sold. Even though the new CEO had in mind how to turn the company around, the Japanese rivals competed really well by offering comparable products in the car industry at cheaper prices. In general, the auto industry was shifting, basically many of the luxury car brand merged with other bigger car companies around the world, and therefore, the number of luxury car brands expanded which also had a positive impact on the economy overall. Chrysler, on the other hand, also experienced a tough period during those two decades; the company was near the bankruptcy twice. Nonetheless, the firm shifted its focus in the direction of cars and light trucks. In the 1990s, Chrysler made significant shifts which ultimately led the company toward a stronger competitor in the car industry. Chrysler shifted its focus and headed for the cost-effective approach, thus the firm was known to be the leanest car manufacturer During the 1990s the company experienced positive changes which turned them into a strong player. The company was focused toward cost-effectiveness approaches which turned to be new world standards. The company was considered as the leanest manufacturer compared to the other participants of the Big3. Nevertheless, the company’s position in the market was weakening after its attempts to expand the company beyond NAFTA. Question 2: How does the external macro-environment look like for the automotive passenger car industry? To address this question I will use the PESTLE forces analysis. Political- the political factors were pretty much stable for the automotive car industry. At the time of the merger and in general, there was not perceived any political instability that would negatively affect this industry. Competition was solely based on the products that each of the companies produced. Economic- The economic factors of that time seemed to contribute positively to the success of the companies. During the 1970s car manufacturers were able to produce fuel-efficient cars due to the oil crises of that time. Countries such as Asia and Latin America were in the expansion nd developing phase and promised an attractive future for the car manufacturing industry. Nevertheless, economic difficulties due to currency volatility, high inflation and competitive pressure resulted in a negative impact for the companies in these markets. Production costs were reduced due to the low cost of raw materials that were set by the suppliers of that time. Socio-Cultural- Socio-Cultural factors of that time did not have a strong impact on the future of the industry. The biggest impact was due to the doubled world population which increased the number of cars purchased. Technological- these factors were the most influential for the future of the car manufacturing industry. The technological developments during the two last decades have shaped largely this industry sector by changing the production methods, affecting the production costs, and changing the working capacities and the employment levels. The companies were investing huge amounts of money in RD which was one of the most crucial aspects of their success. Authorities undertook various technological approaches by the use of computers to reduce the flow of traffic and pollution levels. Environmental- These factors were also crucial for the success of the companies as the world was becoming more conscious and aware for the negative impact that car emissions had on the environment. In order to reduce this impact, companies undertook actions to change the manufacturing process and produce more efficient cars with lower negative impact on the environment. As explained above, the technological developments also played an important role on the reduction of negative impact that cars had and still have on the environment.

Privacy Issues in Social Networking and Social Media

Privacy Issues in Social Networking and Social Media Sophie Muthen Privacy is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the context of social networking sites and social media. Discuss. Nowadays sharing personal information on social networking sites (SNS) has become a social norm, users feel comfortable about sharing their private life online but the issues of privacy online still remains. Martin Zuckerberg stated himself in 2010 that users of SNS have now become more open, sharing more and more personal information online and with a greater number of people. This may have become a social norm in our modern times but users should keep in mind that those information can be used in harmful ways such as for identity theft or stalking. Therefore a balance should be kept between online disclosure and privacy as tipping the scales may be harmful to the users. Users of SNS should take into consideration what kind of information they share online and to whom it should be divulged to. This is why users of social networking sites should develop technical skills to protect their privacy online. This essay will explore the different privacy issues people may face on SNS and ho w a balance between online disclosure and privacy should be maintained to successfully function in both the online and offline world. A clear understanding of social networking sites and privacy issues online is the key to this issue. In the recent years social networking sites (SNS) have attracted millions of people as on such sites people can communicate in various ways. As Beye et al. (n.d) SNS allow people to create a network that represent their social ties, easily share media content online, provides a communication channel and share the daily aspect of their life with friends. However there are potential threats that are posed to privacy of the users, as due to SNS personal information are exposed to a wider audience and often information about a user are posted by others without the his or her consent. Therefore social media complicates the boundaries of what personal information are rendered public. Users of SNS have become so comfortable with the sharing of personal information online that they are not aware of the dangers they face online due to privacy issues. Sharing our everyday life with friends and relatives with just a few clicks is indeed nice but people often forget that digital information is â€Å"persistent and can arbitrarily be copied, distributed, and repurposed† (Debatin, 2011, p. 57). When creating a profile on SNS you are to provide information such as your age, name and the country where you live. These information can easily be accessed either by the public or hackers and this is what leads to identity thefts. As all your personal information are available on the site anyone can use this information to steal the identity of users. Another problem that arises from privacy issues is stalking. Zheleva and Geetor (2009) explains that while the user may choose to make his profile private the friendship links and group affiliation are often visible to the p ublic. This is how the information leaks occurs, people not in your group of friends can see the posts in which you are tagged in which is how they may be able to access your personal information even though your profile remains private. These information link may allow stalkers to follow your activities online. This may also happen when you befriend people online without knowing their identity. Nowadays it has become a trend to share your everyday activity online, for example, you could post that you are at Bagatelle mall right now. This may allow stalkers to know your every move and schedule daily. The problem of stalkers can also be linked to sexual predators, who looks for younger girls on SNS and add them as friends, they then view the personal information of those girls and stalk them online. Another privacy that users can face is that the information they shared remains online even after four to five years when they have forgotten about it. Companies or the law for investigat ions of social background. Users should be aware of those various privacy issues and share personal information with caution on SNS. While discretion should be exercised when sharing personal information online, there are various benefits to online disclosure. In real life when forming social bonds you selectively reveal personal information, to feel closer to the person and get to know each other. Therefore when doing so on social networking sites (SNS) people also create social bonds with each other. They get to know each other and form friendships but in an online environment. So, SNS has given people a network where they can socialize and form social bonds with people without being limited by distance or time. For example, a man from Mauritius could be able to communicate with a woman from France if he wishes to. SNS have therefore removed this barrier of distance in socialization, allowing people from all other the world to communicate with each other. â€Å"Benniger (1987) describes how mass media has gradually replaced interpersonal communication as a socializing force† (Barnes, 2006). SNS have also increased the number of people with who we can socialize with as due to those websites users are able to form social bonds with multiple people at the same time. â€Å"SNSs have amplified the threshold to the number of social bonds any one human can have† (Papacharissi Gibson, 2011, p. 82). When using SNS you share personal information about yourself, which in turn allows you to connect with people with similar interests or mind set. This allow people to feel less isolated as they are able to communicate with people which are similar to them and they are even able â€Å"mobilize to address the issues that matter to them† (Westlake, 2008, p. 37). The ability to connect with people through social networking sites has made us arguably more social. A balance between online disclosure and privacy is essential for SNS to have a beneficial effect on people’s life. As Debatin (2011) explains, people don’t often realise the importance of privacy as the impact of disclosure is not immediate whereas the benefits of SNS are tangible and felt immediately. While privacy is a basic human right acknowledged by the UN Declaration of Human Rights, users of SNS have to insist on their privacy rights and acquire the technical skills to be able to protect their privacy online. To do so users must be aware of the privacy issues they face online and develop strategies to solve this issues. Nowadays users of social networking sites can choose the level of privacy on their profile, they are able to manage their online privacy themselves and decide if certain information will be visible to the public or only to their friends. â€Å"In order to address users’ privacy concerns, a number of social media and social network websites , such as Facebook, Orkut and Flickr, allow their participants to set the privacy level of their online profiles and to disclose either some or none of the attributes in their profiles† (Zheleva Getoor, 2009, p. 531). Users must therefore learn how to manage those privacy settings to build a secure environment on SNS which will then prevent them from facing issues such as identity theft or stalking. They must make the most of the features provided by SNS to protect their privacy. Developing the appropriate skills to use social networking sites allow users to maintain the fragile balance between online disclosure and privacy. Social media has changed our mind set concerning the amount of personal information that should or should not be rendered public. In the late 1990’s when the internet began gaining popularity it was almost unthinkable to post your photo, location or even your real name online. With SNSs finding success in the mid 2000’s, people allowed this technology to enlarge their comfort zones, as it gave them more freedom to share personal information online and therefore with time making them feel more at ease to do so. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg even goes as far as saying that â€Å"privacy is no longer a social norm† (BCS, 2010). We have been changed by this new technology and while online disclosure has many benefits such as uniting people and creating social bonds, users must keep in mind that they must make the most social networking sites while keeping their right to privacy intact. It has been argued that a balance between privacy and online disclosure is essential when sharing information on SNSs. The dangers of not taking into consideration privacy issues were weighed up against the social benefits of disclosure. It was therefore concluded that the logical solution was for users of SNSs to understand the functioning of social sites and make the best of their privacy settings to create a safe environment online for them to communicate and share personal information with other people. The potential of SNSs to create social enhancement should be embraced but a balance must be constantly kept between privacy and online disclosure. References Barnes, S. (2006). A privacy paradox: Social networking in the United States.First Monday,11(9). doi:10.5210/fm.v11i9.1394 Bcs.org,. (2015).Zuckerberg: Privacy no longer a social-norm | BCS The Chartered Institute for IT. Retrieved 1 June 2015, from http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/34018 Beye, M., Jeckmans, A., Arkins, Z., Hartel, P., Lagendijk, R., Tang, Q. Privacy in Online Social Networks, 1-3. Retrieved from http://doc.utwente.nl/81270/1/Beye12privacy.pdf Boyd, D., Hargittai, E. (2010). Facebook privacy settings: Who cares?.First Monday,15(8). doi:10.5210/fm.v15i8.3086 Debatin, B. (2011). Ethics, Privacy, and Self-Restraint in Social Networking. In S. Trepte L. Reinecke (Eds.), Privacy Online: Perspectives on Privacy and Self-Disclosure in the Social Web (pp. 47-60). Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Dwyer, C., Hiltz, S., Passerini, K. (2007). Trust and privacy concern within social networking sites: A comparison of Facebook and MySpace. Houghton, D., Joinson, A. (2010). Privacy, Social Network Sites, and Social Relations.Journal Of Technology In Human Services,28(1-2), 74-94. doi:10.1080/15228831003770775 Madden, M. (2012). Privacy management on social media sites. Papacharissi, Z. Gibson, P. L. (2011). Fifteen Minutes of Privacy: Privacy, Sociality, and Publicity on Social Network Sites. In S. Trepte L. Reinecke (Eds.), Privacy Online: Perspectives on Privacy and Self-Disclosure in the Social Web (pp. 74-89). Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Walther, J. B. (2011). Introduction to Privacy Online. In S. Trepte L. Reinecke (Eds.), Privacy Online: Perspectives on Privacy and Self-Disclosure in the Social Web (pp. 3-8). Berlin: Springer-Verlag Westlake, E. (2008). Friend Me if You Facebook: Generation Y and Performative Surveillance.TDR/The Drama Review,52(4), 21-40. doi:10.1162/dram.2008.52.4.21 Zheleva, E., Getoor, L. (2009). To Join or Not to Join: The Illusion of Privacy in Social Networks with Mixed Public and Private User Profiles, 531-535. Retrieved from http://www2009.eprints.org/54/1/p531.pdf Sophie Muthen 18073799 Essay

Impact of Brexit and Trump on International Marketing

Impact of Brexit and Trump on International Marketing â€Å"In light of the Brexit and other political events in 2016, discuss the possible implications for companies international marketing strategies.† Introduction The world as we know it, is changing. In light of the previous years, humanity has witnessed severe changes in the political arena around the world. The election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States (U.S), the referendum in the United Kingdom (U.K), the failed Coup in Turkey, the breakup of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Rise of the Far-Right in Europe are just some of the major political events that will change and reform the world dramatically imposing changes in businesses international marketing strategies (Foster, 2016; Lindsay, 2016). Amendments in the political scene trigger changes in all aspects of everyday life, with the impact of these alterations depicted in economy, business, society and even in climate. In this paper, an analysis will be conducted to examine the relation between marketing strategy and politics and how they affect the international marketing strategy in terms of standardization or adaption, along with possible alterations in the marketing mix. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to discuss the possible impact that important political events, such as Donald Trump’s presidency and Brexit, had on companies’ strategies. Relations between political environment and businesses In recent decades, the world has observed the globalisation and democratization of markets, a phenomenon that enabled companies to transcend borders and entry international markets (Czinkota, 2016). As Theodosiou and Leonidou (2002) claimed, the globalisation and democratization of international business scene is related moderately to the liberation of trading, which has changed the way companies and marketers design and implement their international strategies. Reduced domestic growth and excessive domestic competition are further reasons for firms moving into foreign markets (Kotler et al., 1996). As companies gain more knowledge and experience in international operation, they progress through stages of internationalization following the Upsala Internationalization Model (Keill0r, Boller & Luke, 1998). In other words, companies had to assess if they will comply with a standardization approach or adapt their strategies in cross-border countries. The former approach was led by: the similarities of countries due to the globalization of markets, the update and expansion of international communication channels and the birth of Internet, while the latter underlined that companies should acknowledge and adapt to the variations amongst different countries (Theodosiou & Leonidou, 2002). Kottler et al. (2011) claim that businesses’ decisions on which market they will enter, and by what means, are based on the evaluation and ranking of several factors. One of them is the risk of the political power that each country and government has. According to Ghauri & Cateora (2014), the importance of the political power over companies can be understood by the recognized authority that each government has, to control and restrict companies’ operations, by either offering support and encouragement or by implementing restrictions in the mode of expropriation, import restrictions (to protect their own industries), confiscation, domestication, price controls etc. It is then clearly understood, that the political environment places power on businesses and plays a great role in international companies’ operations and margin.    Indeed, ‘the ideal political conditions for a foreign firm is a stable and friendly government’ (Ghauri & Cateora, 2014: p.91). Both political climate and continuity of the set of rules established in a country are essential elements of the cultivation of good relations between companies and governments in a mutual beneficial and prosperous way. As Agawal & Feils (2007) suggest, ‘Political risk is highly relevant factor during the pre-entry and post-entry stages of the â€Å"process† model of internationalization.’ (p.166). Therefore, it is ideal for multinational companies to rely on stability to, sustainably, expand and invest. As mentioned, political changes have a great impact on the company’s decisions and marketing strategies. In fact, changes in the political scene have reflections into more factors than just trading policies. When a new government introduces import restrictions and trade tariffs, it affects the prices of goods, since companies trade expenses are increasing (Mor, 2017). In addition, additional border checks make the transport and distribution of commodities slower and more expensive. However, the introduction of tariffs is followed by a variety of non-tariff technical barriers, such as different product standards in labelling, packaging and safety (Mor, 2017). Combining all these together, it is obvious that not only are all four P’s in the marketing mix affected, but also the strategy which is designed by the marketers (Baines, Fill & Rosengren, 2017). Furthermore, apart from the impact to the global economy, political changes affect currency power. To be more precise, changes in governments which influence stock markets and trade, affect the value of the currency (Samson, Wigglesworth & Bullock, 2017), since its depreciation causes the equilibrium in trade to collapse (Melvin & Sultan,1990). Indeed, the value of each country’s currency affects the exchange rates followed by changes in import and export expenses, effecting the company’s competitiveness in foreign markets (Cox, Chu & Rodionova, 2017). Nevertheless, companies, in order to minimize the impact of the political uncertainty and risk, will reassess and readjust a great part of their international marketing strategy, which is thus how they enter the markets, choosing a safer path than the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Indeed, ‘the higher the degree of country risk, the greater the probability is that exporting (contractual agreement) rather than FDI as a market entry strategy will occur at the early (late) standardization phase.’ (Malhotra, Agarwal & Ulgado, 2003: p.19). In other words, FDI implies a ‘higher level of commitment’ (Keillor, Boller & Luke, 1998: p.2). Impact of political events in international marketing strategies Donald Trump Presidency One of the events that altered modern history is the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the U.S. Donald Trump promised a series of political changes with effects extending to businesses and trade, such as reducing corporate taxes by 20%, investments in infrastructure, cutting the trade deficit to enhance job creation within the U.S and the creation of a ‘border tax’ for the companies that trade commodities outside the U.S to the U.S (BBC News, 2017). Trump’s aggressive political strategy, his order to withdraw the U.S from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, failure to effectively renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, and establish fair trading relations with China, has reformed America’s marketing climate. International marketing will experience a great hit, since Trump’s strategy is basically introverted. Trump’s policy leans toward domestically-orientated companies which are expected to succeed in favour of higher economic growth and protectionist trade policies (Samson, Wigglesworth & Bullock, 2017). Trade between the U.S and international companies will be affected since trade restrictions will be imposed and renegotiations will change the way commodities are distributed inside and outside the U.S. Asia and Latin America will be affected the most, while tariffs could jeopardise the exporting of their goods to the U.S. Indeed, according to FXCM (2017), imposed tariffs in imports will pressure multinational companies to relocate production facilities and readjust the distribution channels. China will face the biggest threat since the U.S is the largest market for Chinese commodities; receiving 18% of China’s exports. There are winners and losers of Trump’s policies. In accordance to Milne (2016), pharmaceuticals such as Pfizez, oil & gas companies like Continental Resources are among the sectors that will benefit from Trump’s strategies based on his campaign. However, U.S carmakers who place their production outside the U.S such as GM, Cadillac, Ford and Japanese carmakers, are expected to be affected by the pricing strategies to foreign exchange rates. Furthermore, retailers and consumers will have a significant impact, since his policies will affect their expenses, trade agreement and supply chain; ‘could destroy the cross-border trade between the U.S and Mexico in high fructose corn syrup’ (Milne, 2016). To conclude, by imposing taxes and tariffs, standardization becomes adaption in the biggest world market and the domestically-oriented strategy affect the way marketers place and promote products in this market, insinuating changes in the marketing mix. Moreover, the U.S will affect the marketing strategy of international companies towards this market and they will put pressure to the potential entry of new companies. FDI is now a risk. By implementing new regulations and trades agreements international companies will observe a rise in their distribution expenses towards the U.S, affecting their margin. In order for these companies to survive in this market, they will have to increase prices which will pose a reduction to the consumption of their products, since natives will be attracted by domestic substitutes with lower prices, resulting in a possible loss of their competitive advantage (Milne, 2016). However, in order to maintain or minimize their profit decline, companies will ei ther try to negotiate with the U.S on their trading terms or in the worst-case scenario, costly relocate their activities and abandon this market. Brexit Within the scope of the biggest and most important referendum of modern history, British people voted for the U.K to leave the E.U, in an act that reflects that British people are not keen on accepting the migration tendency and people’s diversity (Czinkota, 2016). According to the same author, Brexit carries the burden of a future conflict within not only the E.U but also between the U.S, weakening their relationships. The importance of Britain’s businesses is reduced, while the British pound has reached its lowest level in the last 31 years (Market Inspector, 2017). As Brexit happened, the country fell into political uncertainty and turbulence. Financial Times (2016) proclaim that Britain is not ready to absorb the consequences of Brexit since the scene is still unclear. In the light of this uncertainty though, not only the U.K’s economy, but also businesses domestically and internationally are affected (Watts, 2017). The impact is great since, in accordance to Market Inspector (2017), exports will be affected if they leave the E.U without negotiating a new trade agreement-imposing tariffs-, resulting in a potential loss of U.K businesses’ competitive power in the E.U and global markets. Furthermore, the loss of access into the Single Market and higher trade tariffs will decrease the FDI flow in the U.K by 22%, a figure which may not be realistic due to the uncertainty of the future trading relations (Market Inspector, 2017). Based on Bowler (2017), the fall of the pound benefited the exporting activity, but it also made travel into international destinations less affordable for the British public, but more affordable for the inbound tourists. However, the worst impact of the pound’s decline was observed in terms of import expenses; a major factor in the U.K’s car industry and in the food and drinks sector (Cox, Chu & Rodionova, 2017). In addition to the general norm of Brexit, some companies already witnessed Brexit’s consequences and took premeasures in order to prepare for the upcoming changes, as depicted in the table below: Figure 1 : Companies Statements of Action in light of Brexit. (Source: Market Inspector, 2017) However, as suggested in Market Inspector (2017), despite the loss of negotiation power within the E.U, the U.K will possibly acquire more control over negotiation with countries outside the E.U, which will allow a fresh start for business deals with countries all over the world, exploring trades with China in a greater extent. By negotiating freely with other countries on its own terms, Britain can capitalize on new trading deals which will benefit international markets. The report produced by Irwin (2015) claims that Brexit exposed several countries in different magnitudes such as the Netherlands, Ireland, and Germany, due to their alignment with the U.K trading policies, while ‘export, supply chain, investment and policy interests of many large corporates would be adversely affected’ (p.39). Similarly to the situation in the U.S, international companies which operated using the U.K as their base or were relying on the U.K’s business economy and economic importance, now face threats and have to be proactive for the future. This implies that marketers should now adjust their strategies to be relevant to the future agreement that the U.K will have with Europe and the world in general. Adaptation is gaining ground since Britain’s referendum was a clear sign of a form of xenophobia and introversion (Czinkota, 2016). Since new trade deals will be imposed and new non-tariff technical agreements will be made (Mor, 2017), product’s place, promotion and price will change, consequently marketers have to readjust not only the new elements of the marketing mix to be effective and competitive, but also the way they enter the market, by reassessing exporting and the advantages of FDI. Conclusion To conclude, an analysis of the relation between politics and international marketing was conducted. Radical changes in the political scene can occur in the most stable governments and are translated in changes in the business world. Tariffs, taxes, boarder checks, non-tariff technical barriers and exchange rates imposed by the new governments according to their campaigns and beliefs, reflect in a business’s international marketing strategy, as the liberation of the markets is now being narrowed and limited. Adaption is gaining power over standardization and companies re-evaluate their strategies under the light of the political changes and the risk within them. The scene in the U.S and U.K is still uncertain, and this feeling is not welcomed by international companies which hunt markets with balance and stability in their internal and external policies, affecting the way and the means which a business chooses to operate within or with them. As the future is unclear, and sever al agreements are in stake, the world in on the edge of major changes in two of the biggest and most important markets. References: Agarwal J.  and  Feils D. (2007) Political risk and the internationalization of firms: An empirical study of Canadian-based export and FDI firms.  Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences / Revue Canadienne des Sciences de lAdministration  24:3, 165-181. Baines, P., Fill, C. and Rosengren, S. (2017). Marketing. 4rth Edition, Oxford Press, ISBN:9780198748533, pp.1-135 BBC News. (2017).  Where Trump stands on key issues. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-37468751 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]. Bowler, T. (2017).  How has the economy fared since the Brexit vote? [online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36956418 [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. Cox, J., Chu, B. and Rodionova, Z. (2017).  Cost of Brexit: The impact on business and the economy so far.   [online] The Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/brexit-economy-sterling-currency-investment-cost-impact-business-financial-banks-insurance-retail-a7695486.html [Accessed 12 Nov. 2017]. Czinkota, M. (2016).  How Marketers Can Ease Brexit and Other Isolationist Transitions. [online] American   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing Association. Available at: https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/how-marketers-ease-brexit-isolationist-transitions.aspx [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]. Financial Times. (2016).  Uncertainty will shape the UK economy in 2017. [online] Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/fa8715c4-c843-11e6-9043-7e34c07b46ef [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. Foster, P. (2016).  2016 in review: World events that changed history. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/31/2016-review-world-events-changed-history/ [Accessed 9 Nov. 2017]. FXCM (2017).  How Will President Trumps Policies Affect Trade And Economics? FXCM. [online] FXCM Insights. Available at: https://www.fxcm.com/insights/how-will-president-trumps-policies-affect-trade-and-economics/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]. Ghauri, P. and Cateora, P. (2014). International marketing. 4th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, pp.3-284. Irwin, G. (2015).  BREXIT: the impact on the UK and the EU. [online] Global Counsel. Available at: https://www.global-counsel.co.uk/sites/default/files/special-reports/downloads/Global%20Counsel_Impact_of_Brexit.pdf [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. 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[online] Ft.com. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/401d0d88-de64-11e6-9d7c-be108f1c1dce [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]. Watts, J. (2017).  Mark Carney just warned Brexit is already dragging down your wage. [online] The Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-uncertainty-mark-carney-uk-eu-economy-future-wages-eu-single-market-customs-union-bank-a7874956.html [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Friends of Scouting :: essays research papers

Friends of Scouting, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Eagle Scouts... I would like to start by saying: there are no more important people in this room than the two young men we honor here. If there were a Congressman, a United States senator, a governor, or even a chief executive officer of a FORTUNE 500 company here today, there would be no one in the room more important than our new Eagle Scouts. They are among the most important people in America. These two new Eagle Scouts are the worthiest members of the greatest youth organization on earth, â€Å"The Boy Scouts of America†. While not alone in serving the needs of children and youth, the BSA is almost the oldest and certainly the most successful. Tonight, you young men join the two percent of all Scouts who have achieved this highest and most noble goal. It is true. Of the millions of boys who have joined the Boy Scouts of America since 1910 (over the past 94 years) only TWO out of every 100 has became an Eagle Scout. By achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, each of you has proven to yourself, to your community, to your state, to your country and even to the World that you are Can Do, Will Try person. I’d like to quote, the words of Marian Wright Edelman - from her book The Measure of Our Success: A letter to My Children and Yours. "We need to teach our children--by example--not to be lazy, to do their homework, to pay attention to detail, to take care and pride in work, to be reliable, and not to wobble and jerk through life. Each of us must take the initiative to create our opportunities, not waiting around for favors. We must not assume a door is closed but must push on it. We must not assume if it was closed yesterday that it's closed today." "Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them. We must all resist quick-fix, simplistic answers and easy gains, which often disappear just as quickly as they come." "Assign yourself. Don't wait around for your boss, your friends or your parents to direct you to do what you are able to figure out and do for yourself. Don't do just as little as you can to get by." "Be a can do, will try" person. As our newest Eagle Scouts, you need to understand that the happiness in a person’s life is directly proportionate to that person’s commitment to Excellence, regardless of the person’s position in life.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Lawrence Durrells Zero and Asylum in the Snow :: Wallpaper Asylum gilman Durrell Essays

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Lawrence Durrell's "Zero and Asylum in the Snow" Society is a close-knit unit of individuals who unknowingly conform to an ideal set by them. The ideal that I speak of is not set in stone, but is ever changing, as is society. This changing ideal appears to be threatened by individual thinkers who rebel against social norms and who refuse to support conformity. This rebellion is exemplified in "The Yellow Wallpaper," written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and in Lawrence Durrell's story, "Zero and Asylum in the Snow." These stories both involve characters that are labelled as sick in relation to the people who 'mesh' well with society. Society, however, has peculiar methods of healing these characters and succeeds only to force them further away from reality and deeper into a conscious dream world. 'Conscious' in the previous line, refers to how one may dream while awake, yet no outsider may become involved in the dream. A dream world is not necessarily a bad place to dwell, and is only perceived as being bad because not everyone can freely enter its walls. Moreover, the walls are unique to each dreamer, therefore, are transparent. This uniqueness is shown in the short stories I am focusing on. For Durrell, the walls were as white as snow, and for Gilman they are covered in crude yellow wallpaper. When reading these stories, it is easy for one to become confused. It is difficult for the reader to understand exactly what is trying to be said, because these stories are so personal. Durrell and Gilman attempt to give some form of insight into their characters minds, but we as readers are restricted by our thoughts. How can we conceive another's dream world? It is possible only through an open mind; one must not think that the author is talking about nonsense, for this way of thinking proves the success society has in grooming our thoughts to fit within its standards. In "Zero and Asylum in the Snow," we are introduced to a character that seems to be rambling to some unknown person about nonsensical illusions of snow, farmyards, Christianity, and five other existing characters. As one progresses through the story, one realizes that the snow Durrell writes of is everywhere. It surrounds the character, which is later revealed to be Durrell himself, and "chimes about [them] and [he] can do nothing, nothing.

Future Technological Impacts and Influences on News Reporting and Prese

Future Technological Impacts and Influences on News Reporting and Presentation Forms of technology have always had a significant influence on the way news is both reported and presented; there is no reason to suppose this situation will change as new technologies develop and mature in the future. Examples from the past are legion, but a couple of particularly striking ones may serve to illustrate the extreme impact changes in technology have upon what we regard as "news". The development of the printing press (in Europe in the mid-Fifteenth Century) allowed for the first time the widespread and low cost dissemination of written material. Reading was no longer the sole preserve of educated elite; the ramifications of that seminal technological development are still being felt to this day. Ideas and information were 'democratised', social changes inevitably flowing from the spread of those ideas. It is possible that no other single technological innovation has had the impact on western civilisation than that of the printing press. By the late Nineteenth Century the development of photography (and its application to printed media) changed newspapers and journals forever. This was important because images are powerful; to actually see a picture of the Hindenburg in flames, or a Bradman shot for four, or Churchill walking the rubble of Coventry, conveys so much meaning and influence (whether for good or not, or whether these images are manipulated is another question altogether) as to make the gathering and reporting of the news stories associated with the images only an equal partner, or even subservient, to the images themselves. Kevin Kawamato (2004) suggests: ...photos can evoke emotions. Reading about ... ...ulletin Web site. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/970623/reeves.html Mendham, T. (2004). Building portals of mass interaction. Computerworld Web site. (March 24, 2004). Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;770380183;relcomp;1 Sauter, V. G. (2004). A Full-Employment Act for Ombudsmen! Organization of News Ombudsmen Web site. (2004). Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.newsombudsmen.org/sauter.html Schroeder, C. M. (2004, June 18). Is This the Future of Journalism? MSNBC Newsweek Web site. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5240584/site/newsweek/ Other web sites referenced: http://www.alternet.org/ http://www.google.com/ http://www.nytimes.com/ http://www.salon.com/ http://www.slashdot.org/ http://www.slate.com/ http://www.theonion.com/ Future Technological Impacts and Influences on News Reporting and Prese Future Technological Impacts and Influences on News Reporting and Presentation Forms of technology have always had a significant influence on the way news is both reported and presented; there is no reason to suppose this situation will change as new technologies develop and mature in the future. Examples from the past are legion, but a couple of particularly striking ones may serve to illustrate the extreme impact changes in technology have upon what we regard as "news". The development of the printing press (in Europe in the mid-Fifteenth Century) allowed for the first time the widespread and low cost dissemination of written material. Reading was no longer the sole preserve of educated elite; the ramifications of that seminal technological development are still being felt to this day. Ideas and information were 'democratised', social changes inevitably flowing from the spread of those ideas. It is possible that no other single technological innovation has had the impact on western civilisation than that of the printing press. By the late Nineteenth Century the development of photography (and its application to printed media) changed newspapers and journals forever. This was important because images are powerful; to actually see a picture of the Hindenburg in flames, or a Bradman shot for four, or Churchill walking the rubble of Coventry, conveys so much meaning and influence (whether for good or not, or whether these images are manipulated is another question altogether) as to make the gathering and reporting of the news stories associated with the images only an equal partner, or even subservient, to the images themselves. Kevin Kawamato (2004) suggests: ...photos can evoke emotions. Reading about ... ...ulletin Web site. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/970623/reeves.html Mendham, T. (2004). Building portals of mass interaction. Computerworld Web site. (March 24, 2004). Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;770380183;relcomp;1 Sauter, V. G. (2004). A Full-Employment Act for Ombudsmen! Organization of News Ombudsmen Web site. (2004). Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.newsombudsmen.org/sauter.html Schroeder, C. M. (2004, June 18). Is This the Future of Journalism? MSNBC Newsweek Web site. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5240584/site/newsweek/ Other web sites referenced: http://www.alternet.org/ http://www.google.com/ http://www.nytimes.com/ http://www.salon.com/ http://www.slashdot.org/ http://www.slate.com/ http://www.theonion.com/

Last Sacrifice Chapter Ten

WHEN YOUR BOYFRIEND IS A dream-walker, you pick up a few lessons. One of the most important is that doing physical things in dreams feels exactly like doing them in the real world. Say, like kissing someone. Adrian and I had shared a number of dream- kisses intense enough to spark my body wanting to try a whole lot more. Although I'd never actually attacked someone in a dream, I was willing to bet a punch here would feel just as painful as a real one. Without hesitation, I lunged toward Victor, uncertain as to whether I should sock him or choke him. Both seemed like good ideas. Turned out, I did neither. Before I could reach him, I slammed into an invisible wall–hard. It both blocked me from him and bounced me back at the impact. I stumbled, tried to regain my footing, but instead landed painfully on the ground. Yup–dreams felt just like real life. I glared at Robert, feeling a mix of both anger and uneasiness. I tried to hide that last emotion. â€Å"You're a spirit user with telekinesis?' We'd known that was possible, but it was a skill neither Lissa nor Adrian had mastered yet. I really didn't like the idea that Robert might have the power to throw objects around and create invisible barriers. It was a disadvantage we didn't need. Robert remained enigmatic. â€Å"I control the dream.' Victor was looking down at me with that smug, calculating expression he excelled at. Realizing what an undignified position I was in, I leapt to my feet. I kept a hard stance, my body tense and ready as I wondered if Robert would keep the wall up continuously. â€Å"Are you done with your tantrum?' asked Victor. â€Å"Behaving like a civilized person will make our talk so much more pleasant.' â€Å"I have no interest in talking to you,' I snapped. â€Å"The only thing I'm going to do is hunt you down in the real world and drag you back to the authorities.' â€Å"Charming,' said Victor. â€Å"We can share a cell.' I winced. â€Å"Yes,' he continued. â€Å"I know all about what happened. Poor Tatiana. Such a tragedy. Such a loss.' His mocking, melodramatic tone sparked an alarming idea. â€Å"You †¦ you didn't have anything to do with it, did you?' Victor's escape from prison had triggered a lot of fear and paranoia amongst the Moroi. They'd been convinced he was coming for them all. Knowing the truth about the escape, I'd dismissed such talk and figured he'd simply lie low. Now, remembering how he'd once wanted to start a revolution among the Moroi, I wondered if the queen's murderer actually was the most evil villain we knew. Victor snorted. â€Å"Hardly.' He put his hands behind his back as he paced the room and pretended to study the art. I again wondered how far Robert's shield extended. â€Å"I have much more sophisticated methods to accomplish my goals. I wouldn't stoop to something like that–and neither would you.' I was about to point out that messing with Lissa's mind was hardly sophisticated, but his last words caught my attention. â€Å"You don't think I did it?' He glanced back from where he'd been studying a man with a top hat and cane. â€Å"Of course not. You'd never do anything that required that much foresight. And, if what I've heard about the crime scene is true, you'd never leave that much evidence behind.' There was both an insult and a compliment there. â€Å"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. I've been worrying about what you'd think.' This earned me a smile, and I crossed my arms over my chest. â€Å"How do you guys even know what's happening at Court? Do you have spies?' â€Å"This sort of thing spreads throughout the Moroi world quickly,' said Victor. â€Å"I'm not that out of touch. I knew about her murder almost as soon as it happened. And about your most impressive escape.' My attention mostly stayed on Victor, but I did cast a quick glance at Robert. He remained silent, and from the blank, distracted look in his eyes, I wondered if he was even aware of what was being said around him. Seeing him always sent a chill down my spine. He was a prominent example of spirit at its worst. â€Å"Why do you care?' I demanded. â€Å"And why the hell are you bothering me in my dreams?' Victor continued his pacing, pausing to run his fingertips along the harp's smooth, wooden surface. â€Å"Because I have a great interest in Moroi politics. And I'd like to know who's responsible for the murder and what their game is.' I smirked. â€Å"Sounds like you're just jealous someone else is pulling the strings besides you for a change. No pun intended.' His hand dropped from the harp, back to his side, and he fixed his sharp eyes on me, eyes the same pale green as Lissa's. â€Å"Your witty commentary isn't going to get you anywhere. You can either let us help you or not.' â€Å"You are the last person I want help from. I don't need it.' â€Å"Yes. Things seem to be going quite well for you, now that you're a hunted fugitive and on the run with a man that many still believe is Strigoi.' Victor gave a calculated pause. â€Å"Of course, I'm sure you don't mind that last part so much. You know, if I found you two, I could probably shoot you and be welcomed back as a hero.' â€Å"Don't bet on it.' Rage burned through me, both at his insinuation and because he'd caused so much trouble for Dimitri and me in the past. With great force of will, I replied in a low, deadly voice: â€Å"I am going to find you. And you probably won't live to see the authorities.' â€Å"We already established murder isn't in your skill set.' Victor sat down in one of the cushioned chairs, making himself comfortable. Robert continued standing, that out-of-it expression still on his face. â€Å"Now, the first thing we need to do is determine why someone would want to kill our late queen. Her abrasive personality is hardly motivation, though I'm sure it didn't hurt. People do things like this for power and advantage, to push their agendas through. From what I hear, Tatiana's most controversial action recently was that age law–yes, that's the one. The one making you scowl at me like that. It stands to reason that her murderer opposed that.' I didn't want to comply with Victor at all. I didn't want a reasonable discussion with him. What I wanted was some indication of where he was in real life, and then, I wanted to take a chance on slamming into that invisible wall again. It'd be worth the risk if I could do some damage. So, I was a bit surprised when I found myself saying, â€Å"Or, whoever did it wanted to push something worse through–something harsher on dhampirs. They thought her decree was too soft.' I admit, catching Victor Dashkov off guard was one of the greatest joys of my life. I had that satisfaction now, seeing his eyebrows rise in astonishment. It wasn't easy proposing something a master schemer like him hadn't already considered. â€Å"Interesting,' he said at last. â€Å"I may have underestimated you, Rose. That's a brilliant deduction on your part.' â€Å"Well, um †¦ it wasn't exactly my deduction.' Victor waited expectantly. Even Robert snapped out of his daze and focused on me. It was creepy. â€Å"It was Tatiana's. I mean, not her deduction. She said it directly–well, that is, the note she left for me did.' Why was I rambling in front of these guys? At least I surprised Victor again. â€Å"Tatiana Ivashkov left you a note with clandestine information? Whatever for?' I bit my lip and turned my attention over to one of the paintings. It showed an elegant Moroi woman with those same jade green eyes most Dashkovs and Dragomirs shared. I suddenly wondered if perhaps Robert had formed this dream in some Dashkov mansion from their childhood. Movement in my periphery made me instantly turn back to the brothers. Victor rose and took a few steps toward me, curiosity and cunning all over him. â€Å"There's more. What else did she tell you? She knew she was in danger. She knew this law was part of it †¦ but it wasn't the only thing, was it?' I remained silent, but a crazy idea began forming in my mind. I was actually considering seeing if Victor could help me. Of course, in retrospect, that wasn't such a crazy notion, considering I'd already busted him out of prison to get his help. â€Å"Tatiana said †¦' Should I say it? Should I give up the secret even Lissa didn't know? If Victor knew there was another Dragomir, he might use that knowledge for one of his schemes. How? I wasn't sure but had long learned to expect the unexpected from him. Yet †¦ Victor knew a lot of Moroi secrets. I would have enjoyed watching him and Abe match wits. And I didn't doubt that a lot of Victor's inside knowledge involved the Dragomirs and Dashkovs. I swallowed. â€Å"Tatiana said that there was another Dragomir. That Lissa's dad had an affair and that if I could find whoever this is, it'll give Lissa her power back on the Council.' When Victor and Robert exchanged shocked looks, I knew my plan had backfired. Victor wasn't going to give me insight. Instead, I'd been the one to just yield valuable information. Damn, damn, damn. He turned his attention back to me, his expression speculative. â€Å"So. Eric Dragomir wasn't the saint he so often played.' I balled my fists. â€Å"Don't slam her dad.' â€Å"Wouldn't dream of it. I liked Eric immensely. But yes †¦ if this is true, then Tatiana is right. Vasilisa technically has family backing, and her liberal views would certainly cause friction on a Council that never seems to change their ways.' He chuckled. â€Å"Yes, I can definitely see that upsetting many people–including a murderer who wants to oppress dhampirs. I imagine he or she wouldn't want this knowledge to get out.' â€Å"Someone already tried to get rid of records linking Lissa's dad to a mistress.' I again spoke without thinking and hated myself for it. I didn't want to give the brothers any more info. I didn't want to play like we were all working together here. â€Å"And let me guess,' said Victor. â€Å"That's what you're trying to do, isn't it? Find this Dragomir bastard.' â€Å"Hey, don't–‘ â€Å"It's just an expression,' he interrupted. â€Å"If I know you two–and I feel confident I do– Vasilisa is desperately trying to clear your name back at Court while you and Belikov are off on a sexually charged adventure to find her brother or sister.' â€Å"You don't know anything about us,' I growled. Sexually charged indeed. He shrugged. â€Å"Your face says it all. And really, it's not a bad idea. Not a great one either, but not bad. Give the Dragomir family a quorum, and you'll have a voice speaking on your behalf on the Council. I don't suppose you have any leads?' â€Å"We're working on it,' I replied evasively. Victor looked at Robert. I knew the two didn't have any psychic communication, but as they exchanged glances, I had a feeling they were both thinking the same thing and confirming with each other. At last, Victor nodded and turned back to me. â€Å"Very well then. We'll help you.' He made it sound like he was reluctantly agreeing to do me a big favor. â€Å"We don't need your help!' â€Å"Of course you do. You're out of your league, Rose. You're wandering into a nest of ugly, complex politics–something you have no experience with. There's no shame in acknowledging that, just as I'm not ashamed to admit that in an irrational, ill-planned fist fight, you would certainly prove superior.' Another backhanded compliment. â€Å"We're doing just fine. We have an Alchemist helping us.' There. That would show him who was out of whose league. And, to my credit, he did look slightly impressed. Slightly. â€Å"Better than I expected. Has your Alchemist come up with a location or any lead yet?' â€Å"She's working on it,' I repeated. He sighed in frustration. â€Å"We're going to need time then, aren't we? Both for Vasilisa to investigate Court and you to start tracking this child.' â€Å"You're the one who acts like you know everything,' I pointed out. â€Å"I figured you'd know something about this.' â€Å"To my chagrin, no.' Victor didn't really sound all that put out. â€Å"But as soon as we get a thread, I assure you, I'll be essential in unraveling it.' He walked over to his brother and patted Robert's arm comfortingly. Robert stared back adoringly. â€Å"We'll visit you again. Let us know when you have something useful, and then we'll meet up with you.' My eyes widened. â€Å"You'll do no such–‘ I hesitated. I'd let Victor escape in Las Vegas. Now he was offering to come to me. Maybe I could repair that mistake and make good on my earlier threat to him. Quickly, I tried to cover my lapse of speech. â€Å"How do I know I can trust you?' â€Å"You can't,' he said bluntly. â€Å"You've got to take it on faith that the enemy of your enemy is your friend.' â€Å"I've always hated that saying. You'll always be my enemy.' I was a bit surprised when Robert suddenly came to life. He glared and stepped forward. â€Å"My brother is a good man, shadow-girl! If you hurt him †¦ if you hurt him, you'll pay. And next time you won't come back. The world of the dead won't give you up a second time.' I knew better than to take the threats of a crazy man seriously, but his last words sent a chill through me. â€Å"Your brother is a psycho–‘ â€Å"Enough, enough.' Victor again gave Robert a reassuring pat on the arm. Still scowling at me, the younger Dashkov brother backed off, but I was willing to bet that invisible wall was back in place. â€Å"This does us no good. We're wasting time–which is something we don't have enough of. We need more. The monarch elections will start any day now, and Tatiana's murderer could have a hand in those if there really was some agenda going on. We need to slow down the elections–not just to thwart the assassin, but also to give all of us time to accomplish our tasks.' I was getting tired of all this. â€Å"Yeah? And how do you propose we do that?' Victor smiled. â€Å"By running Vasilisa as a candidate for queen.' Seeing as this was Victor Dashkov we were dealing with, I really shouldn't have been surprised by anything he said. It was a testament to his level of craziness that he continually caught me unprepared. â€Å"That,' I declared, â€Å"is impossible.' â€Å"Not really,' he replied. I threw my hands up in exasperation. â€Å"Haven't you been paying attention to what we've been talking about? The whole point is to get Lissa full family rights with the Moroi. She can't even vote! How could she run for queen?' â€Å"Actually, the law says she can. According to the way the nomination policy is written, one person from each royal line may run for the monarch position. That's all it says. One person from each line may run. There is no mention of how many people need to be in her family, as there is for her to vote on the Council. She simply needs three nominations–and the law doesn't specify which family they come from.' Victor spoke in such a precise, crisp way that he might as well have been reciting from a legal book. I wondered if he had all the laws memorized. I supposed if you were going to make a career of breaking laws, you might as well know them. â€Å"Whoever wrote that law probably assumed the candidates would have family members. They just didn't bother spelling it out. That's what people will say if Lissa runs. They'll fight it.' â€Å"They can fight it all they want. Those who are denying her a Council spot base it on one line in the law books that mentions another family member. If that's their argument, that every detail must count, then they'll have to do the same for the election laws– which, as I have said, do not mention family backing. That's the beauty of this loophole. Her opponents can't have it both ways.' A smile twisted at Victor's lips, supremely confident. â€Å"I assure you, there is absolutely nothing in the wording that prevents her from doing this.' â€Å"How about her age?' I pointed out. â€Å"The princes and princesses who run are always old.' The title of prince or princess went to a family's oldest member, and traditionally, that was the person who ran for king or queen. The family could decide to nominate someone else more fitting, but even then–to my knowledge–it was always someone older and experienced. â€Å"The only age restriction is full adulthood,' said Victor. â€Å"She's eighteen. She qualifies. The other families have much larger pools to draw from, so naturally, they'd select someone who seemed more experienced. In the Dragomir case? Well, that's not an option, now is it? Besides, young monarchs aren't without precedence. There was a very famous queen–Alexandra–who wasn't much older than Vasilisa. Very well loved, very extraordinary. Her statue is by the Court's church.' I shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"Actually †¦ it's, um, not there anymore. It kind of blew up.' Victor just stared. He'd apparently heard about my escape but not all of the details. â€Å"It's not important,' I said hastily, feeling guilty that I'd been indirectly responsible for blowing up a renowned queen. â€Å"This whole idea about using Lissa is ridiculous.' â€Å"You won't be the only one who thinks so,' Victor said. â€Å"They'll argue. They'll fight. In the end, the law will prevail. They'll have to let her run. She'll go through the tests and probably pass. Then, when voting comes, the laws that govern those procedures reference a family member assisting with the vote.' My head was spinning by now. I felt mentally exhausted listening to all these legal loopholes and technicalities. â€Å"Just come right out and put it in simple language,' I ordered. â€Å"When voting comes, she won't be eligible. She has no family to fulfill the role required at the actual election. In other words, the law says she can run and take the tests. Yet, people can't actually vote for her because she has no family.' â€Å"That's †¦ idiotic.' â€Å"Agreed.' He paused. I don't think either of us ever expected to concur on something. â€Å"Lissa would hate this. She would never, ever want to be queen.' â€Å"Are you not following this?' exclaimed Victor. â€Å"She won't be queen. She can't. It's a badly written law for a situation no one foresaw. It's a mess. And it will bog down the elections so badly that we'll have extra time to find Vasilisa's sibling and find out who really killed Tatiana.' â€Å"Hey! I told you: There's no â€Å"we' here. I'm not going to–‘ Victor and Robert exchanged looks. â€Å"Get Vasilisa nominated,' said Victor abruptly. â€Å"We'll be in touch soon on where to meet you for the Dragomir search.' IT â€Å"Thats not–‘ I woke up. My immediate reaction was to swear, but then, remembering where I was, I kept my expletives inside my own head. I could make out Dimitri's silhouette in the corner, alert and watchful, and didn't want him to know I was awake. Closing my eyes, I shifted into a more comfortable position, hoping for true sleep that would block out the Dashkov brothers and their ridiculous schemes. Lissa running for queen? It was crazy. And yet †¦ it really wasn't much crazier than most of the things I did. Putting that aside, I let my body relax and felt the tug of true sleep start to take me down. Emphasis on start. Because suddenly, I felt another spirit dream materializing around me. Apparently, this was going to be a busy night.