Speech on Success free essay sample

Writing Folio-persuasive Explanation: I wrote this speech for the group of American University students that were to attend this lecture to inspire them to commit if they want to succeed. I was performing this speech with the intention of making a few people that have a high potential of succeeding as they go to a top university, fulfill their potential. I didnt want any more people failing in life and not succeeding at what they wanted to do and then not knowing why. I showed the students that commitment leads to success using examples such as the economic growth of China and the commitment that makes Lance Armstrong successful. I kept the speech relatively short as inspirational speakers often make their speeches shorter to make themselves more interesting to the audience and not lose the power of their points. I used assertive in phrases such as never going to happen and you must. We will write a custom essay sample on Speech on Success or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I didnt include any points that would show what happens if you dont commit and succeed so the speech stays positive and upbeat. If you commit to something you will succeed. Today we have the honor of having the famous speaker Edward Crooks come to talk to us. Recently he has been touring around America and has been giving speeches to arioso VIVO League Universities, and today he will be talking on the topic of how commitment brings success. Please give him a warm welcome. Thank you, thank you. As you Just heard today I want to talk to you about how commitment and success are linked together and if you truly commit to something you are guaranteed to succeed. Now, put your hands up if you want to become successful. I see thats all of you, good coo you shouldnt be here if you dont. However I doubt most of you really want to succeed, youll Just take it if its offered to you and you dont have to go to far out of your way to get it. Ill tell you now, thats never going to happen, success is not handed to you on a silver platter, you have to really work to be able to succeed, thats the way life works. Nothing comes for free. Are there any Economics students in here? Tell me, which country is currently booming with wealth and still rising? Thats right, its China. Now let me tell you how incredibly hard every single one of these Chinese millionaires worked to be able to rise so high and become so successful in a country with 1. 3 billion people in it. They would give themselves a goal, and they then commit themselves to that goal and ant to succeed more than they wanted to eat, more than they wanted to sleep, more than they wanted to breath! This is the level of commitment you have to show if you really want to become successful, or you might as well leave it. This is a quote from Lance Armstrong; Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its worker, one of the hardest workers of all time. When Lance Armstrong sets himself a goal he will commit to that goal like no one else would. He wouldnt sleep for 2 days straight while preparing for the Tour De France. His commitment to what he does is the reason why he is the best at what he does. Now, I didnt come out here today for nothing, so if some of your didnt listen to this whole speech, I guess thats your loss. However you must take one thing out of this if you really want to succeed. If you commit, if you endure everything that they throw at you, you WILL be successful. If you never give up, something will come from it. Hard work is rewarded. Thank you for listening. Commitment- Expository piece Explanation: I based my expository piece on an interview I invented based on Kobo Breasts recent improvement in the NAB. For a long time Kobo Bryant has been the best basketball player in the league however recently he has somehow been improving. It is a very interesting concept as even though he should be getting worse with his ageing body, he is somehow improving. In the piece I wanted to explain through an interview that this isnt Just luck but its because he has shown so much commitment to what he does that it was bound to pay off. The language that I use is informal conversational as the interview is taken with someone that is taking it as a normal conversation, not as something formal. I wrote this piece for any Los Angels Lake and/or Kobo Breasts fans. It could also be interesting for any NAB fans as this is talking about I wrote this piece in first person and in the present tense, as it is an interview. In the piece I show what commitment meaner to me as I show you that I think commitment is something that isnt an easy thing to do, but something that takes a lot of strength and resilience. Why Kobo Bryant is the best of all time. Interview with renowned Basketball trainer Michael Bennett: My career as a professional Basketball trainer started about twelve years ago, and I gust say, committing to this Job was the best thing that ever happened to me, but thats not what Im here to talk about today. I want to show you Just how committed to the sport of Basketball Kobo Bryant is. Over my career as a trainer, I have been able to work with a range of athletes from mediocre high school level to some astounding players on professional stage. In the past few weeks there has been a lot of commotion around Kobo, as people have noticed that even though he is ageing, he is still improving. So as I have coached him a few times, almost everyday people are asking me: How is he getting better with GE? The answer for me is simple, that man is the most committed basketball player of all time. Let me tell you a story. I was invited to Alas Vegas last year to help Team USA with their training before they headed off to London to participate in the Olympics, and as you probably know, they came back with the gold medal. Before this experience, Ive such as Lebanon James and Russell Westbrook but this was my first ever interaction with Kobo. We first met three days before the first premier practice scrimmage. We had a brief conversation where we talked about his conditioning work, what level Id like to be at when the NAB season started again, and we talked a little about the upcoming game. So before I left I gave him my card and told him to call whenever he needed it. On the night before the first scrimmage, I was watching a movie while in bed at around 2:30 in the morning. As I slowly start to drift off into sleep, my phone rings. I wonder who would be calling me at this time. It was Kobo. I slowly pick up the phone, wondering what he wanted. Hey, Rob, I hope Im not disturbing anything yeah? Nah, whats up Kobo? l was Just wondering if you could Just help me out with some conditioning work, hats all. I look at my clock. It was 4:00 AM. Yeah sure, Ill see you in a bit. It took me about thirty minutes to rise out of bed, grab my gear and get out of the hotel. When I finally got there and opened the door to the main practice floor I saw Kobo. Alone. He was drenched in sweat as if he had Just had a bath or had gone for a swim. It wasnt even 4:45 yet. We did some conditioning work for an hour or so. Then we entered the gym, where he would do a solid work out, focusing m ainly on strength exercises for the next 45 minutes. After that we parted ways and he Jogged back to the practice floor to shoot. I went back to the hotel and crashed. Man, I was spent. I was meant to be back at about 11 AM. I woke up feeling tired, drowsy, and pretty much experiencing every effect that you can get from sleep deprivation. Thanks, Kobo. I had a breakfast and headed to the practice facility. This next part was the thing that really made me see Just how committed this man was, I remember it very clearly. All the Team USA players were already there, getting pumped for the first scrimmage. Lebanon was having a chat to Bosh, and I believe Coach Skewering was trying to get some tactics into Chris Paul. On the right side of the practice facility, I saw Kobo by himself shooting Jumpers. And this is exactly how our next conversation went I walked over to him, and said, Good work this morning. Huh? The conditioning. Great work. Oh Yeah, thanks Rob. I appreciate it. So when did you finish up? Finish what? Finish your shooting practice. What time did you leave the court? Oh Just now. I wanted 800 baskets so yeah, Just now I guess. My Jaw dropped. It was then that I realized that theres no surprise to why hes been as effective as he was last season, as he has always been. Every story about his commitment, every quote that hes said about hard work was finally all coming together, it was all so true, So the string of amazing performances recently have been of little surprise when I witnessed something like that, the mans a machine. Its no surprise to me that he was leading the league in scoring but when his team needed it, he switched to a style that suited his coach and team mates more. He is Just a phenomenal player and I am grateful that I had the privilege of working with him. Thank you Kobo Bryant. Reflection I thought that we were very lucky to have the workshop lessons that we had as it was great opportunity to get your work edited and get ideas from other people. I also enjoyed editing and helping out other people with their work as it helped me get few ideas that I applied to my own writing. Even though the work shop lessons were almost always very productive, I felt like sometimes I wasnt getting enough time to have my work looked over by my peers as on a few occasions I wouldnt get enough time to finish looking over my partners work or vice versa. Also, even though my own sessions were very productive I found that a minority of people werent very willing to vive beneficial advice. Although there were people that made these lessons difficult, most of the people that I worked with gave very constructive feedback and I did the same for them. Overall, I found that these sessions were useful, but there are certain problems that ruined it for some members of the class. Without these workshop sessions I am sure that my pieces would not be at the level they are at now. Drafts- Persuasive Draft 1 Today we have the honor of having the famous speaker Edward Crooks come to to talk to us. Recently he has been touring around America and has been giving speeches to arioso Universities, today he will talking on the topic of commitment to success. Please give him a warm welcome. Thank you, thank you. As you Just heard today I want to talk to you how about how successful? . I see thats all of you, good coo you shouldnt be here if you dont. However I doubt most of you really want to succeed, youll Just take it if its offered to you and you dont have to go to far out of your way to get it. Ill tell you now, thats never going to happen, success is not handed to you on a silver platter, you have to really work to be able to succeed, thats the way life works. Nothing comes for free. Booming with wealth and still rising? Thats right, its China. Now let me tell you how rise so high and, become so successful in a country with 1. 3 billion people in it. They than they wanted to breath! This is the level of commitment you have to make house if you really want to become successful, or you might as well leave it. Place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. Lance Armstrong is an incredibly hard goal he will commit to that goal himself like almost no one else would. He wolfhounds sleep for 2 days straight while preparing for the Tour De France. His commitment to what he does is the reason why he is the best at what he does. Now, take Lances quote and make something of it. Go out there and commit to If theres only one thing you take out of this remember this. Success doesnt come e asy. It will be a hard Journey. But if you commit to it, you WILL be successful. Thanks for listening. Draft 2 successful. I see thats all of you, good because you shouldnt be here if you dont. However I doubt most of you really want to succeed, youll Just take it if its offered to really work to be able to successful, thats the way life works. Nothing comes for free. Oncoming with wealth and still rising? Its China. Now let me tell you how incredibly hard every single one of these Chinese millionaires worked to be able to rise so high and become so successful in a country with 1. 3 billion people in it. They would give themselves a goal, and they then commit themselves to that goal and want to succeed more than they wanted to eat, more than they wanted to sleep, more than they wanted to breath! This is a quote from lance Armstrong, the amazing winner of the tour De France Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will upside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. Lance Armstrong is an incredibly hard worker. When Lance Armstrong sets himself a Now, I didnt come out here today for nothing. If theres only one thing you take out of this, I want you to remember this one thing. If you commit, if you endure everything that they throw at you, you WILL be successful. If you never give up, something will come from it. Thank you for listening. Drafts- Expository My career as a professional started Basketball trainer about twelve years ago, and I hats not what Im here to talk about today, I want to show you Just how committed to players on professional level. In the past few weeks there has been a lot of commotion around Kobo and how somehow as he is ageing, he is improving at the young mans sport of basketball. So as I have coached him a few times, almost everyday people are asking me: How is he getting better with age? The answer for me is simple, this man is the most committed basketball player of all time. Heir training before they headed off to London to participate in the Olympics, and as you probably know, they came back with the gold medal. Before this experience Ive training camp Ive been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the games greatest players such as Lebanon James and Russell West brook in the past but this would be my first ever interaction with Kobo. The first time w e met was three days before the first practice scrimmage. We had a brief conversation where we talked about his conditioning work, What level hed like to be at when the NAB season started again, and we talked a little about the upcoming game. So before I left I gave him my card and number and told him to call whenever he needed it. The night before the first scrimmage, at the time I was watching some movie on T. V at around 2:30 in the morning, and as I slowly start to drift off into sleep, my phone vibrates. I wonder who would be calling me at this time. It was Kobo. I slowly pick up the phone, wondering what he wanted. Nah nah, whats up Kobo? hotel. When I go there and opened the door to the main practice floor I saw Kobo. Alone. He was drenched in sweat as if he had Just had a bath or had gone for a swim. It wasnt even 4:45 yet. We did some conditioning work for a bit more than an hour. Then we entered the weight room, where he would do a solid work out, focus mainly on strength exercises for something like the next 45 minutes. After that we parted ways and he Jogged back to the practice floor to shoot. I went back to the hotel and crashed. Man I was exhausted. I meant to be back at about 11 AM. I woke up feeling tired, drowsy, and pretty much every effect that you can get from sleep deprivation. Thanks, Kobo. I had a breakfast and headed to the practice facility. This next part I was something that really made me make the statement, as I remember it very clearly. All the Team USA players were already there, getting pumped for the first scrimmage. Lebanon was having a chat to Bosh, and if I believe Finish you shooting practice. What time did you leave the court? Oh Just now. I wanted 800 baskets so yeah, Just now I guess. My Jaw dropped. Holy Mother of God! Was last season, has ever been. Every story about his commitment, every quote that hes said about hard work was finally all coming together, it was all so true, this was phenomenal, Id never heard about anything like it in mall my years. That suited his coach and team mates more. Thank you Really good work so far. You have obviously put a lot of work into this piece of writing make it flow a bit better and be careful about typos. It might be in your interest to add a few lines as a conclusion egg. Kobo is a team player. Kobo is committed. to make it sound more powerful and to reiterate your point that Kobo is committed to Basketball. Besides that, Im really liking where this is going. Green Smoothness Red Typos and minor mistakes Commitment In the past few weeks there has been a lot of commotion around Kobo, because as he is ageing, he is improving at the young mans sport of basketball. So as I have coached GE? The answer for me is simple, this man is the most committed basketball player been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the games greatest players such as Lebanon James and Russell Westbrook but this would be my first ever interaction with Kobo. The first time we met was three days before the first practice scrimmage. We had a brief conversation where we talked about his conditioning work, what level hed like to be at when the NAB season started again, and we talked a little about the upcoming game. So before I left I gave him my card and number and told him to call whenever he needed it. On the night before the first scrimmage, I was watching some movie on T. V at around 2:30 in the morning, and as I slowly start to drift off into sleep, my phone rings. I swim. It wasnt even 4:45 yet. We did some conditioning work for an hour or so. Then we entered the gym, were he would do a solid work out, focusing mainly on strength exercises for something like the next 45 minutes. After that we parted ways and he Jogged back to the practice floor to shoot. I went back to the hotel and crashed. Man, I was spent. Was, I remember it very clearly. All the boys Team USA players were already there, tenting pumped for the first scrimmage. Lebanon was having a chat to Bosh, and I believe Coach Skewering was trying to get some tactics into Chris Paul. It was then that I realized that theres no surprise to why hes been as effective as he quote that hes said about hard work was finally all coming together, it was all so true, this was phenomenal, Id never heard about anything like it in all my years. In the past few weeks there has been a lot of commotion around Kobo, (rephrase to although he is ageing, he is still improving? ) because as he is ageing, he is improving at the young mans sport of basketball. So as I have coached him a few times, almost everyday people are asking me: How is he getting better with age? The answer for me is simple, (that not this? ) this man is the most committed basketball player of all time. On the night before the first scrimmage, I was watching (a movie would sound better) some movie while in bed at around 2:30 in the morning. As I slowly start to drift off into sleep, my phone rings. I wonder who would be calling me at this time. It was Kobo. I slowly pick up the phone, wondering what he wanted. Swim. It wasnt even 4:45 yet. This is very very good

Go For It Example

Go For It Example Go For It – Article Example Decision-making Decision-making is a cognitive process of identifying, analyzing and settling on an option as the best way to resolve a particular problem or a challenge faced. Every human being involves self in one or more forms of decision-making daily. People make decisions to improve their conditions of living (Köksalan, Wallenius & Zionts, 2011). While some decisions result to good outcomes or achievements, others lead to regrets. Over my life, I have made a number of decisions with some being good as they led to positive outcomes and some bad as they led to undesired results. One of the problems faced and that required critical decision-making was to balance between cohabiting life and academic commitments while in university. While in school, I engaged in love affair that led to cohabitation. As time lapsed, I experienced serious problem balancing between commitments to my partner and performing my academic responsibilities effectively. At one time I failed my examinations since I tended to allocate more time relationship and got refer. It is then that I desired to suspend the relationship and move out of cohabitation into lonely life. Since making the decision, I faced challenges adapting to a new life but finally managed to settle, and had my concentration on academics improved. Performance improved, and was scoring at least credit in my examinations. Another good decision I made in my life was to move to a smaller and cheaper house while in school. As a self-sponsored student in the university, I have to engage in part-time work to be able to raise money for fees, a room, and other humanly wants. In the beginning, I lived in a one-bedroom house that I paid $800 monthly. Within a short time, I began encountering challenge, as the balance from my earnings did not satisfy my wants. I had to think about my monthly expenditures, and resolved to relocate in a smaller house where now pay $300 monthly, and save enough money to cater for other wants. The b ad decision I made was to enter into cohabitation. I would have just made love but not cohabit as the move was placing in a marriage-like situation, and I was subject to face every challenges of marriage even when I was psychologically prepared. Another bad decision I made was to defer my university studies by 2 years. One of the consequences of the move were loss of time that I would use in advancing other critical progresses in life. Another consequence was that the university administration raised fees payable for the course above the initial amount payable could I finish the course within the actual duration. ReferenceKöksalan, M. M., Wallenius, J., & Zionts, S. (2011). Multiple criteria decision making: From early history to the 21st century. Singapore: World Scientific.

Living on a farm to living in the city Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Living on a farm to living in the city - Essay Example Most people think that living on a farm in the countryside costs a lot lesser than the city life. A blogger from Des Moines, Iowa in fact calculated his family’s annual cost of living and compared it to those who live in Boston, Massachusetts. His computation showed that a difference of almost forty percent makes such huge difference for people who are thinking on which side of the country they wish to live in (Trent, 2007). In addition, the cost of a small apartment in the city may already allow one to buy a house with a huge yard in the countryside. Optimizing the space that is readily available in the countryside allows people to save a lot more money at the same time. Either the back or the front yard can be used to grow one’s own vegetables and fruit trees as well. As a result, there is no need for them to buy some of the produce in the market, thus, allowing them to save a few dollars every month. Not only they are able to spare some money out of cultivating their own food, but they are also able to serve fresh and healthy food for the family. On the other hand, as country living offers a cheaper place to live in, it may not provide as many choices to its residents when it comes to entertainment. The city, along with the diverse individuals who have their own ways of keeping up with the busy city life, offers diverse choices in making these people entertained. Small and big events such as gigs and concerts happen almost on a nightly basis. Movie theaters that present classical and modern films are found in almost every corner of the city street. Pubs and restaurants that serve all kinds of beer and liquor from all over the world and serve a variety of good food also showcase local and national artists. They are found close to each other that one can go from any of them to another in just a few steps away. Furthermore, one can simply be entertained for free even when

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Project management - Essay Example Besides, there is also a requirement for effective risk and problem management in every phase of project life cycle (Richardson and Butler 1-97). Based on this aspect, paper discusses a distinguished project namely RMS Titanic project. THESIS STATEMENT The objective of the paper is to analyse the life cycle of the project. Furthermore, the paper also describes the procedure of resource management, risk management and management of problems throughout the project. ABOUT RMS TITANIC PROJECT Titanic was regarded as the biggest passenger ship around the world. RMS Titanic was a legendary project and was the first ship to use SOS. The RMS Titanic project was initiated by White Star Line organisation in collaboration with Harland and Wolff dockyard. The project started in the year 1910 and finished in the year 1912. Nevertheless, on 15th April in 1912, the RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic sea. The incident resulted in death of about 1517 people and loss of valuable resources, time and effo rt. At that time, the managing director of the organisation, i.e. White Star was Bruce Ismay. The model of Titanic was designed by Thomas Andrew and the captain of the ship was Edward Smith. These people are the key stakeholders of the project RMS Titanic and were liable for ensuring that every operation is done according to plan (Jones 59-80). PROJECT LIFE CYCLE OF RMS TITANIC The lifecycle of any project consists of five typical phases. The first phase is idea generation phase. In this phase, the project is planned according to expected business requirements and outcomes. The second phase is designing phase, where the architecture and design of a project is decided according to the business requirements. The third phase is construction phase, where the project is implemented according to agreed requirements and prior decisions regarding design. The fourth phase is testing phase where the project is tested to recognise predicted risks as well as procedures for mitigating them. Fina lly, the fifth phase is launch phase, where the project is launched for real time performance (Seacord and Nwosu, â€Å"Life Cycle Activity Areas for Component-Based Software Engineering Processes†). Idea Generation of Titanic Project. During 1908s, White Star was confronting tremendous business pressures due to increased competition in the area of technology and also due to emergence of new entrants in the business segment of the organisation. Furthermore, White Star also faced considerable challenges because of aging technological structure and substandard customer services. As a result, it lost considerable amount of market share and customers. In order to deal with these business issues, White Star developed a business strategy which can leverage emerging technology and can enhance the number of customers. White Star concentrated on improving the quality of journey and passenger experience as a part of its reaction to the competition. This business strategy necessitated h igh investment in new technology. Hence, in order to enhance the business performance, White Star invested in new super liners and attempted to exploit the travelling market in the Atlantic route. The outcome of this investment was initiation of RMS Titanic project which was mostly intended to address the requirements of three passenger classes with topmost priority on upper class customer segment. Therefore, in RMS Titanic project, the emphasis was on the comfort of passengers, rather than the speed

Case Analysis Of Dippin Dots Marketing Essay

Case Analysis Of Dippin Dots Marketing Essay The case analysis of Dippin Dots utilizes tools such as Porters Five Forces Mode, Contingency Framework, SWOT analysis and Value Chain analysis to research Dippin Dots position. These tools have also been used to analyze its potential for the expansion of its franchises. From its inception, Dippin Dots has prided itself on being The Future of Ice Cream, but in recent years the company and the industry as a whole has been relatively flat. This case will review the issues as well as offer alternative solutions that might resolve some of the issues and issue recommendations that the company should consider. Introduction Dippin Dots is an ice cream snack that was created in 1987 by Curt Jones. This product was created by a patented six step flash-freezing process that uses liquid nitrogen. Currently Dippin Dots is operating over 400 franchise locations and is selling products such as ice cream, frozen yogurt as well as frozen ice (Dippin dots, inc., 2011). The company is currently utilizing the marketing slogan as its ice cream being Ice Cream of the Future Dippin Dots Inc. is a privately traded company meaning they do not offer or trade its company stock to the public or in the stock exchange. This company also has global licenses that reach to 10 different countries outside of the United States of America. Most of Dippin Dots are manufactured at their headquarters in Paducah, Kentucky. Dippin Dots believes that through its flash-freezing the ice cream ingredients would lock in flavor as well as freshness (More info, 2011). The company is home to the nations largest -50OF commercial walk in freezer. The once patented company lost its freezing process patent in 2007 through a series of lawsuits. This patent was deemed invalid because Jones had made over 800 sales of the product prior to applying for the patent (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. C209). Problem Statement Given the case study on Dippin Dots Ice cream a few problems have been identified. Firstly the company is faced with an issue of its previous customers becoming uninterested in the product. Secondly Dippin Dots has seen a significant reduction in franchising numbers since the year 2000. Finally the company is no longer the only company who offers flash-frozen ice cream. All of these factors have contributed to the recent stagnant growth of Dippin Dots. Through extensive research several recommendations will be made in this analysis to address the previously mentioned problems that Dippin Dots faced. Strategic Analysis Contingency Analysis Dippin Dots is facing an issue of whether or not they should continue to expand both its franchises in the midst of a flattened market or should it continue to reduce its number of franchises that it allows to operate. Dipping Dots can also expand into different markets with the most popular being the in-home ice cream market which it has stayed away from in years past do to the shelf life of the product. The contingency analysis below will analyze the different market conditions scenarios and the possible consequences and outcomes that the company might face. Market Condition Scenarios /Possible Consequences Market Continues to flatten out Market starts to grow/ Buyer spending increases Cut back on number of franchises globally Cutting back the number of franchises will cut down some of the overhead expenses for the company if the market continues its trend of flattening out This is the more likely of the two scenarios. If the company continues to cut back on the number of franchises that it has globally and the markets grow then it might not be able to handle the demand for that product which will give competition an advantage if they are better equipped. This is the less likely of the two scenarios. Keep number of franchises where they are This strategy will be more costly than the option to cut back the number of franchises like it has been doing over the past several years. If the market starts to grow then this will be a profitable option. While this decision is profitable the company must be cautious to not over expand in case the market shrinks again. Continue to expand in to different markets such as the in-home ice cream market If the market continues to react the way it is currently, this would result in a failure of entering a new target market. This new target market coupled with a growing market could prove to be one of the most profitable options for Dippin Dots. Value Chain Analysis The value chain analysis of Dippin dots is fairly typical. The different aspects that make up this analysis are its franchising opportunities, finance department and financial information, technical development, marketing and how it converts its traffic to buyers Franchising Dippin Dots, Inc. has very strict rules when it comes to its franchising opportunities. Dippin Dots offers two types of franchising opportunities: an event-based opportunity and a store-based opportunity. In 2008 the initial franchise fee was $12,500 just to be able to use the name. This also came with an initial investment range that topped out close to a quarter-million dollars (Book, p.c208). The companies website gives extra criteria in which owners must meet before they can become a franchise. A few examples of the criteria includes: the location has to be around great neighbors (beach, tourist areas, movie theatres or restaurants) and have great space (good visibility, strong mixture of pedestrian and auto traffic, must be within 800-1000 sq feet and have appropriate signage) (Dippin dots franchising, 2011). Finance Dippin Dots is a privately traded company which makes its financial records and information on its financial department virtually impossible to find. While researching financial information and information about the finance department, the only relevant information that could be accessed was that the director of finance is Sheri Dikin (Dippin dots, inc., 2011). Technical Development (R D) Innovation has always been the driving force behind Dippin Dots, Inc. Their Research and Development departments are constantly looking for the next big thing. New products, such as Coffee Dots, are hopeful in the efforts of Dippin Dots to return to the top of the innovative throne. Marketing Marketing could very easily be a strong point for Dippin Dots. Each of the companies 400 franchises place  ½% into the companies overall advertising fund (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. C209). While most marketing it targeted at youth, one set of marketing techniques proved to be highly successful. One thing that consumer value is the approval from celebrities. In 2008 Oprah Winfrey had Curt Jones on her show to talk about the product and after she tasted it, she gave Dippin Dots a thumbs-up approval (Horovitz, 2009). Conversion from traffic to buyers The bulk of Dippin Dots sales are based at what the company calls Fun Places. The organization classifies theme parks, major league sports venues and water parks (The original beaded, 2007). Dippin dots is also starting to be involved in on-line sales with the product being delivered in a cooler packed in dry ice. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Innovative Product Brand Recognition Advertising Fund High Prices Limited places that the product can be sold Storage Issues Target Marketing Opportunities Threats In-Home ice-cream market Different forms of Ice-cream Competitors such as Frosty Bites and Mini Melts Strengths: The first strength for Dippin Dots is what made them famous, their innovative product. Dippin Dots has claimed to re-invent ice-cream (The original beaded, 2007). Innovation is has a great impact on consumers, especially when its based on a technology that hasnt been seen or used before. This was the case with the flash-freezing technique that Dippin Dots employed. Dippin Dots also has a brand recognition that gives them a slight advantage of its competitors. Being the market share leader in high profile locations gives Dippin Dots a brand that is viewed hand in hand with Fun Venues. Any franchise of Dippin Dots must agree to give one-half of one percent to the general advertising fun. This creates strength because with over 400 franchises worldwide, Dippin Dots advertises globally instead of having each individual store be held accountable for its own advertising expenses. This allows for the company to be more unified in its advertising efforts. Weaknesses: The first weakness of Dippin Dots is its extremely high prices. Prices range from an individual Pre-Packaged Dots for $2.50 to a 2.5 gallon tub for $50.00 (Check out dippin', 2011). These high prices are an extreme weakness since the market for ice-cream products as well as an overall buyer downturn in America. Coupled with high prices, Dippin Dots is weakened in the locations in which they can sell their products. The product has to be served at sub-zero temperatures, -10 to -20 to be exact. This makes it nearly impossible to be consumed unless it is near a retail location (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). This also causes storage issues. Because of the fact that Dippin Dots can only hold it shape for roughly 2 weeks any type of inventory is virtually impossible. This means that if they dont sell their product it goes to waste within two weeks. Target marketing is usually a good thing and it is the first step in creating a marketing plan. For Dippin Dots it was act ually the opposite. Dippin Dots targeted a market that consisted of a younger demographic (The original beaded, 2007). Limiting your demographic, in this case, will also limit your profits. Some of Dippin Dots customers feel like they are being ignored and want something new to keep up with their claim of being the ice-cream of the future. Opportunities: This case only revealed one opportunity for Dippin Dots. Based on one of the companys weaknesses, the move from solely an out-of-home ice-cream company to one that encompasses in-home as well could be very promising as well as profitable. Exploring this market would be difficult based upon the shelf-life of the product, but if Dippin Dots was able to fix this it would add a convenience factor to the marketability of the product. For instance, if you wanted to curb your craving for Dippin Dots at 2am on a Sunday morning, the way the company was set up in the case wouldnt allow you to get any of their products. If there was some way to enhance their product to where it could be bought and frozen in a household freezer, the product becomes that much more valuable and convenient. Also based upon the 2008 numbers there is an $8.9 billion on ice cream products that were strictly for at-home consumption (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. c205). Threats: Dippin Dots faces a few threats based off of the information given in this case. The first threat is the presence of different types of ice cream. Most of the novelty ice creams could be found at local supermarkets and at a cheaper price. This brings into question, how willing is the buyer to be loyal to Dippin Dots when it can get the other types of ice cream wherever they desire. Secondly the competition from companies who offer the same flash-frozen ice cream is starting to become an issue. If companies like Frosty Bites are marketing its nitrogen frozen ice cream as The Ultimate Ice Cream Sensation and the failed lawsuit to halt Frosty Bites production, it will be hard for Dippin Dots to contain as much of the market share as it currently has (Mehl, 2004). Five Forces Analysis The reasoning behind Michael Porters five forces analysis is to be a model for industry analysis. This is done on an industry by industry basis because different industries can sustain different rates and levels of profitability. This analysis takes into consideration the variance in industry structures. Dippin Dots is classified to be in the frozen dairy industry. The degree of rivalry The degree of rivalry in the frozen dairy industry is relatively high. Not only does Dippin Dots compete with other flash-frozen companies such as Frosty Bites and Mini Melts but they are also in competition with their more traditional counterparts. According to the yahoo directory, there are currently 43 companies who sell ice cream and frozen dairy products nationally, with more companies selling world-wide (Yahoo! directory, 2011). This rivalry is fuelled by the availability of most products. Nearly every convenience store and grocery store that you go to sells multiple brands of ice cream or other frozen dairy products. Based upon a high buyer power companies in this industry must compete to have a quality product that its consumers must enjoy and offer it at the lowest price that they can. The threat of new entrants The threat of new entry for the frozen dairy industry is extremely low. There are several barriers to entry that a company must fight through in order to join the industry. Each of the eight sections that are categorized in the frozen dairy industry has different and high standards that are regulated by the federal government (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). Things such as different percentages of fat content, weight per gallon and package size make smaller companies with less cash flow for RD nearly impossible to be successful. High start-up costs are another determining factor as to why the threat of new entry is low. Porter says that one thing that would make threat of new entry low is if brand names are well-known. In this industry there are several known brand names including: Dippin Dots, Good Humor, Ben Jerrys and Klondike. The threat of substitutes There is a medium threat of substitutes. The frozen dairy industry is mostly consumed by the same consumers of other desert. If something was to go on with the currently flat industry, many of the consumers would be able to switch to items such as cakes and pies and other deserts. This makes the probability of product substitution high. With this being known the frozen dairy industry has to find more ways to make customers want the frozen dairy products over alternative dairy products. Currently there is also a trend of consumers heading towards a more health-conscious treats (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). Buyer power The buyer power for the frozen dairy industry is mixed. There are two types of buyers for this market, there are the individual consumers and then there are the retail clients. Individual consumers are more brand-conscious when it comes to this market, meaning that they look at the brand first before they look at the price. Retail clients are the opposite. While frozen diary is a multi-billion dollar industry, it does not make up a significant portion of a food retailers business, which will increase buyer power and heighten price sensitivity at the same time (Ice cream in, 2008, p. 15). The buyer power becomes mixed due to the fact that the consumer still drives the retailers purchases based upon their demand. Supplier power Overall the supplier power for frozen dairy products is moderate. In regards to large manufacturers there is a strong negotiating position and there is also an absence of fixed-term agreements. This makes for the cost of switching suppliers and supplier power to be low (Ice cream in, 2008, p.15). The dairy companies are slightly larger than most of the frozen dairy product companies, and since the companies must maintain a certain level of quality the strength of dairy suppliers is relatively high. Alternative Solutions Utilize the innovation that brought you your initial success Dippin Dots must get back to doing some innovative things that brought them their success from the companys inception. Curt Jones and the rest of his executive staff must make their products stand out at a time in which the market for frozen dairy is stagnant. Its recent efforts have shown that they are taking a step in that direction. In 2009 Jones mentioned that the company was going to try and take its innovative lead business a step further. Keeping the same flash-frozen technique, Jones has gone on record to say that he will be offering coffee dots. All you would need to do is add hot water and the consumer would have freshly brewed coffee. He has affectionately given Coffee Dots the same slogan as its ice cream counterparts by calling it The Coffee of the Future (Horovitz, 2009). Dippin Dots needs to pump money into its Research and development team to find the next big things that will help their company if not the whole industry out of the slump that it currently faces. Dippi ng Dots has made its money being ahead of the curve and without added funding to its RD other competitors may take that competitive advantage. Get rid of targeted market Target marketing in a business strategy is very risky. Targeting a certain market may be risky since it can hamper the organizations ability to quickly respond to changes in the markets condition and needs (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2009, p.252). With target marketing a narrow segment can be accessed less expensively through outlets such as the internet. Dippin Dots was targeting the youth which seemed like a good idea at first. The problem with targeting the youth is that they become older and then they arent targeted again. As seen in the case the adults who still purchase the product are looking for something different from the brand. One customer went on record as saying How can this stuff keep continuing to call itself the ice cream of the future? Well the future is now (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c209). Integrate more health conscious items to the company Frozen dairy products arent considered to be the healthiest of industries. By definition ice cream must have at least 10 percent butterfat in it before the additions of its bulky ingredients (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). In recent years there has been a trend towards a more healthy option for after dinner treats. Companies like Nestle and Haagen-Dazs have been offering a low-fat option since 2004. Coupled with the fact that the company needs to be more innovative, it must also become more health-conscious. With a number of consumers going to healthy alternatives such as frozen yogurt and smoothies, Dippin Dots must do something to ensure that they are not losing their consumer base. Increasing product differentiation will also allow them to reach out to a broader market. They must be careful not to go away from the product that made them so successful, but reach out to different markets such as the health-friendly market. Doing something as simple as offering a no-sugar pro duct will show its diabetic consumers, who might not been able to eat the normal product, that they are concerned about them as well. Take no action Doing nothing is always an option. This option poses the most risk for Dippin Dots. If the market continues to flatten out like it currently is, then Dippin Dots and the rest of the market could find itself in more trouble than they currently are. Many would agree that this reactive stance might not be the best stance in regards to growth, if the market continues in the slum that it is in Dippin Dots could potentially save itself a lot of money in the long run. This alternative may also allow for competition to move ahead if Dippin Dots sits back and waits for the market to improve. Recommendations In regards to the overall United States economy, it is recommended that Dippin Dots should continue its expansion efforts and broaden its target market. Based off the above analysis there are a few steps in which Dippin Dots can approach the current problems faced with the following steps: Focus on creating a non- seasonal product that you can market equally year round. (Coffee Dots or Smoking Joes a good start) Keep innovative breakthroughs secret and ensure that all patents are filed correctly. This will hinder competitors from stealing ideas. Put the advertising fund to good use. Continue to build brand equity through the use of celebrities such as Shaq and Oprah. Switch slogan. Ice Cream of the future isnt as promising as it initially was. This approach will allow Dippin Dots to continue to have a competitive advantage with its innovative efforts through its Research Development departments. Currently Dippin Dots has brand recognition advantages over its competition but without working on some of its weaknesses one of the other competitors might close in on the market share. Conclusion The frozen dairy industry and Dippin Dots has faced a reasonably flat market over the past decade. This has made the company reduce its number of franchises in every year since 2005. Dippin Dots has also fluctuated on its position on Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 lists. Through careful analysis of the company and the industry I have illustrated a few alternative solutions for the company that might stimulate potential growth as well as made some recommendations that Dippin Dots should strongly consider. Since Dippin Dots is a privately traded company, its financial records arent made public. These financial records could have given more insight to the financial health of the company and could have yielded some other recommendations. One thing that became completely evident through this case analysis, Dippin Dots must continue to build upon its brand equity and sustain its innovative advantages over its competitors if it wants to stay relevant in its industry.

Love And Lovability (wuthering :: essays research papers fc

Love and Lovability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “There is no character in Wuthering Heights who is completely lovable, who wins our sympathy completely.';(Bloom 99) Love, in one way or another is the force which makes people unlikable. In Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, people’s adoration for one another is the reason why no character is completely lovable. Receiving too much attention spoiled Catherine Earnshaw. Heathcliff was disliked because he had to grow up without a real family to love him. Finally, Hindley turned into a pitiful man because of the love that he lost. For some, affection can change people for the better, but for others love can be a poison for their souls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being the only daughter, Catherine was endeared by all those around her. The unwavering love that her family and friends gave her soured her disposition. While on a business trip, her father told his children that they could choose any gift that they wanted. Catherine, being a good rider, “chose a whip.';(40) When she learned that Heathcliff was the reason why she did not get her present, she responded “by grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing.';(41) Since she was used to getting everything that she wanted, she became haughty and had no respect for other people’s feelings.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Why canst thou not always be a good lass, Cathy?';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And she turned her face up to his, and laughed, and answered,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Why cannot you always be a good man, Father?'; (47) Even on his deathbed, Catherine chose to vex her father instead of comforting him. Catherine’s faults, which can be attributed to her rich upbringing, do not endear her to readers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heathcliff, being the villain of the tale, is the most horrid character in Wuthering Heights. He manipulates everyone around him and has no regard for anyone but himself. His rotten nature can be traced back to his early years when he was a “poor, fatherless child.';(43) The lack of parental love and guidance made his life a difficult one. Heathcliff was an unwanted child who brought turmoil to a previously happy household. “So from the very beginning, he bred bad feelings in the house.';(42) Instead of rising from his poor position, he degenerated into an evil beast. When Catherine had begun to spend more time at Thrushcross Grange with the Linton’s, Heathcliff lost his self-respect and dignity. “If he were careless and uncared for before Catherine’s absence, he had been ten times more so since.

Frostbite Chapter 22

TWENTY-TWO HORROR AND SHOCK CONSUMED ME, so much so that I thought my soul would shrivel, that the world would end right then and there- because surely, surely it couldn't keep going on after this. No one could keep going on after this. I wanted to shriek my pain to the universe. I wanted to cry until I melted. I wanted to sink down beside Mason and die with him. Elena released me, apparently deciding I posed no danger positioned as I was between her and Isaiah. She turned toward Mason's body. And I stopped feeling. I simply acted. â€Å"Don't. Touch. Him.† I didn't recognize my own voice. She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Good grief, you're annoying. I'm started to see Isaiah's point- you do need to suffer before dying.† Turning away, she knelt down to the floor and flipped Mason over onto his back. â€Å"Don't touch him!† I screamed. I shoved her with little effect. She shoved back, nearly knocking me over. It was all I could do to steady my feet and stay upright. Isaiah looked on with amused interest; then his gaze fell to the floor. Lissa's chotki had fallen out of my coat pocket. He picked it up. Strigoi could touch holy objects- the stories about them fearing crosses weren't true. They just couldn't enter holy ground. He flipped the cross over and ran his fingers over the etched dragon. â€Å"Ah, the Dragomirs,† he mused. â€Å"I'd forgotten about them. Easy to. There's what, one? Two of them left? Barely worth remembering.† Those horrible red eyes focused on me. â€Å"Do you know any of them? I'll have to see to them one of these days. It won't be very hard to- â€Å" Suddenly, I heard an explosion. The aquarium burst apart as water shot out of it, shattering the glass. Pieces of it flew toward me, but I barely noticed. The water coalesced in the air, forming a lopsided sphere. It began to float. Toward Isaiah. I felt my jaw drop as I stared at it. He watched it too, more puzzled than scared. At least until it wrapped around his face and started suffocating him. Much like the bullets, suffocation wouldn't kill him. But it could cause him a hell of a lot of discomfort. His hands flew to his face, desperately trying to â€Å"pry† the water away. It was no use. His fingers simply slipped through. Elena forgot about Mason and jumped to her feet. â€Å"What is it?† she shrieked. She shook him in an equally useless effort to free him. â€Å"What's happening?† Again, I didn't feel. I acted. My hand closed around a large piece of glass from the broken aquarium. It was jagged and sharp, cutting into my hand. Sprinting forward, I plunged the shard into Isaiah's chest, aiming for the heart I'd worked so hard to find in practice. Isaiah emitted a strangled scream through the water and collapsed to the floor. His eyes rolled back in his head as he blacked out from the pain. Elena stared, as shocked as I'd been when Isaiah had killed Mason. Isaiah wasn't dead, of course, but he was temporarily down for the count. Her face clearly showed she hadn't thought that was possible. The smart thing at that point would have been to run toward the door and the sun's safety. Instead, I ran in the opposite direction, toward the fireplace. I grabbed one of the antique swords and turned back toward Elena. I didn't have far to go, because she'd recovered herself and was heading toward me. Snarling with rage, she tried to grab me. I had never trained with a sword, but I had been taught to fight with any makeshift weapon I could find. I used the sword to keep distance between us, my motions clumsy but effective for the time being. White fangs flashed in her mouth. â€Å"I am going to make you- â€Å" â€Å"Suffer, pay, regret I was ever born?† I suggested. I remembered fighting with my mom, how I'd been on the defensive the whole time. That wouldn't work this time. I had to attack. Jabbing forward, I tried to land a blow on Elena. No luck. She anticipated my every move. Suddenly, from behind her, Isaiah groaned as he started to come around. She glanced back, the smallest of motions that let me swipe the sword across her chest. It cut the fabric of her shirt and grazed the skin, but nothing more. Still, she flinched and looked down in panic. I think the glass going through Isaiah's heart was still fresh in her mind. And that was what I really needed. I mustered all my strength, drew back, and swung. The sword's blade hit the side of her neck, hard and deep. She gave a horrible, sickening cry, a shriek that made my skin crawl. She tried to move toward me. I pulled back and hit again. Her hands clutched at her throat, and her knees gave way. I struck and struck, the sword digging deeper into her neck each time. Cutting off someone's head was harder than I'd thought it would be. The old, dull sword probably wasn't helping. But finally, I gained enough sense to realize she wasn't moving. Her head lay there, detached from her body, her dead eyes looking up at me as though she couldn't believe what had happened. That made two of us. Someone was screaming, and for a surreal second, I thought it was still Elena. Then I lifted my eyes and looked across the room. Mia stood in the doorway, eyes bugging out and skin tinged green like she might throw up. Distantly, in the back of my mind, I realized she was the one who'd made the aquarium explode. Water magic apparently wasn't worthless after all. Still a bit shaken, Isaiah tried to rise to his feet. But I was on him before he could fully manage it. The sword sang out, wreaking blood and pain with each blow. I felt like an old pro now. Isaiah fell back to the floor. In my mind, I kept seeing him break Mason's neck, and I hacked and hacked as hard as I could, as though striking fiercely enough might somehow banish the memory. â€Å"Rose! Rose!† Through my hate-filled haze, I just barely detected Mia's voice. â€Å"Rose, he's dead!† Slowly, shakily, I held back the next blow and looked down at his body- and the head no longer attached to it. She was right. He was dead. Very, very dead. I looked at the rest of the room. There was blood everywhere, but the horror of it didn't really register with me. My world had slowed down, slowed down to two very simple tasks. Kill the Strigoi. Protect Mason. I couldn't process anything else. â€Å"Rose,† whispered Mia. She was trembling, her words filled with fear. She was afraid of me, not the Strigoi. â€Å"Rose, we have to go. Come on.† I dragged my eyes away from her and looked down at Isaiah's remains. After several moments, I crawled over to Mason's body, still clutching the sword. â€Å"No,† I croaked out. â€Å"I can't leave him. Other Strigoi might come†¦.† My eyes burned like I desperately wanted to cry. I couldn't say for sure. The bloodlust still pounded in me, violence and rage the only emotions I was capable of anymore. â€Å"Rose, we'll come back for him. If other Strigoi are coming, we have to get out.† â€Å"No,† I repeated, not even looking at her. â€Å"I'm not leaving him. I won't leave him alone.† With my free hand, I stroked Mason's hair. â€Å"Rose- â€Å" I jerked my head up. â€Å"Get out!† I screamed at her. â€Å"Get out, and leave us alone.† She took a few steps forward, and I lifted the sword. She froze. â€Å"Get out,† I repeated. â€Å"Go find the others.† Slowly, Mia backed up toward the door. She gave me one last, desperate look before running outside. Silence fell, and I relaxed my hold on the sword but refused to let it go. My body sagged forward, and I rested my head on Mason's chest. I became oblivious to everything: to the world around me, to time itself. Seconds could have passed. Hours could have passed. I didn't know. I didn't know anything except that I couldn't leave Mason alone. I existed in an altered state, a state that just barely kept the terror and grief at bay. I couldn't believe Mason was dead. I couldn't believe I'd just summoned death. So long as I refused to acknowledge either, I could pretend they hadn't happened. Footsteps and voices eventually sounded, and I lifted my head up. People poured in through the door, lots of them. I couldn't really make out any of them. I didn't need to. They were threats, threats I had to keep Mason safe from. A couple of them approached me, and I leapt up, lifting the sword and holding it protectively over his body. â€Å"Stay back,† I warned. â€Å"Stay away from him.† They kept coming. â€Å"Stay back!† I yelled. They stopped. Except for one. â€Å"Rose,† came a soft voice. â€Å"Drop the sword.† My hands shook. I swallowed. â€Å"Get away from us.† â€Å"Rose.† The voice spoke again, a voice that my soul would have known anywhere. Hesitantly, I let myself finally become aware of my surroundings, let the details sink in. I let my eyes focus on the features of the man standing there. Dimitri's brown eyes, gentle and firm, looked down on me. â€Å"It's okay,† he said. â€Å"Everything's going to be okay. You can let go of the sword.† My hands shook even harder as I fought to hold on to the hilt. â€Å"I can't.† The words hurt coming out. â€Å"I can't leave him alone. I have to protect him.† â€Å"You have,† said Dimitri. The sword fell out of my hands, landing with a loud clatter on the wooden floor. I followed, collapsing on all fours, wanting to cry but still unable to. Dimitri's arms wrapped around me as he helped me up. Voices swarmed around us, and one by one, I recognized people I knew and trusted. He started to tug me toward the door, but I refused to move just yet. I couldn't. My hands clutched his shirt, crumpling the fabric. Still keeping one arm around me, he smoothed my hair back away from my face. I leaned my head against him, and he continued stroking my hair, murmuring something in Russian. I didn't understand a word of it, but the gentle tone soothed me. Guardians were spreading throughout the house, examining it inch by inch. A couple of them approached us and knelt by the bodies I refused to look at. â€Å"She did that? Both of them?† â€Å"That sword hasn't been sharpened in years!† A funny sound caught in my throat. Dimitri squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. â€Å"Get her out of here, Belikov,† I heard a woman say behind him, her voice familiar. Dimitri squeezed my shoulder again. â€Å"Come on, Roza. It's time to go.† This time, I went. He guided me out of the house, holding onto me as I managed each agonizing step. My mind still refused to really process what had happened. I couldn't do much more than follow simple directions from those around me. I eventually ended up on one of the Academy's jets. Engines roared around us as the plane lifted off. Dimitri murmured something about coming back shortly and left me alone in my seat. I stared straight ahead, studying the details of the seat in front of me. Someone sat beside me and draped a blanket over my shoulders. I noticed then just how badly I was shivering. I tugged at the edges of the blanket. â€Å"I'm cold,† I said. â€Å"How am I so cold?† â€Å"You're in shock,† Mia answered. I turned and looked at her, studying her blond curls and big blue eyes. Something about seeing her unleashed my memories. It all tumbled back. I squeezed my eyes shut. â€Å"Oh God,† I breathed. I opened my eyes and focused on her again. â€Å"You saved me- saved me when you blew up the fish tank. You shouldn't have done it. You shouldn't have come back.† She shrugged. â€Å"You shouldn't have gone for the sword.† Fair point. â€Å"Thank you,† I told her. â€Å"What you did †¦ I never would have thought of that. It was brilliant.† â€Å"I don't know about that,† she mused, smiling ruefully. â€Å"Water isn't much of a weapon, remember?† I choked on a laugh, even though I really didn't find my old words that funny. Not anymore. â€Å"Water's a great weapon,† I said finally. â€Å"When we get back, we'll have to practice ways to use it.† Her face lit up. Fierceness shone out from her eyes. â€Å"I'd like that. More than anything.† â€Å"I'm sorry †¦ sorry about your mom.† Mia simply nodded. â€Å"You're lucky to still have yours. You don't know how lucky.† I turned and stared at the seat again. The next words out of my mouth startled me: â€Å"I wish she was here.† â€Å"She is,† said Mia, sounding surprised. â€Å"She was with the group that raided the house. Didn't you see her?† I shook my head. We lapsed into silence. Mia stood up and left. A minute later, someone else sat down beside me. I didn't have to see her to know who she was. I just knew. â€Å"Rose,† said my mother. For once in my life, she sounded unsure of herself. Scared, maybe. â€Å"Mia said you wanted to see me.† I didn't answer. I didn't look at her. â€Å"What†¦what do you need?† I didn't know what I needed. I didn't know what to do. The stinging in my eyes grew unbearable, and before I knew it, I was crying. Big, painful sobs seized my body. The tears I'd held back so long poured down my face. The fear and grief I'd refused to let myself feel finally burst free, burning in my chest. I could scarcely breathe. My mother put her arms around me, and I buried my face in her chest, sobbing even harder. â€Å"I know,† she said softly, tightening her grip on me. â€Å"I understand.†