Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Two

â€Å"Are you kidding? I barely got off suspension in time to be allowed to come tonight.† Of course, at the moment Gabe was wishing the timing hadn't been so helpful. â€Å"I'm lucky I didn't get expelled.† â€Å"Mr. Reese had it coming. Everyone knows that.† â€Å"Yeah, he did,† Gabe said, a sudden edge sharpening his tone. Everyone at school was wary of Mr. Reese, but there wasn't much they could do until the math teacher crossed a line he shouldn't have. All the upperclassmen knew about Mr. Reese, too, but Gabe wasn't about to stand by while he stalked that clueless freshman kid†¦ Still, knocking out a teacher was a bit extreme. There was probably some better way to have handled the situation. His parents had been supportive, though, as usual. Logan interrupted his thoughts. â€Å"Maybe we should take off,† Logan said. â€Å"I'd feel bad-if Celeste needs a way home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That girl is not your type, Gabe.† She's pure evil-and a full-on whore, Logan could have added, but those just weren't the kinds of things you wanted to say about any girl while Gabe was in hearing range. â€Å"Let her get a ride with the guy sticking his tongue down her throat.† Gabe sighed and shook his head. â€Å"I'll wait to make sure she's okay.† Logan groaned. â€Å"I can't believe you asked her. Well, can we ditch out long enough to pick up a few decent CDs at least? Then we could hijack that pile of crap the DJ's playing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I like the way you think. I wonder if the limo driver would mind a side trip†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Logan and Gabe ended up in a mock argument over the best CDs to retrieve-the top five were obvious, but from there down the list was a little more subjective-both of them having a better time than they'd had all evening. It was funny, but as they joked around, Gabe had a sense that they were the only ones having a good time. Everyone in the room seemed to be frowning about something. And over in the corner by the stale cookies, it looked like a girl was crying. Wasn't that Evie Hess? And another girl, Ursula Tatum, also had red eyes and smeared mascara. Maybe the music and the punch weren't the only things about this prom that sucked. Clara and Bryan looked happy, but aside from those two, Gabe and Logan-both recently humiliated and rejected-seemed to be enjoying themselves more than everyone else. Less perceptive than Gabe, Logan didn't register the negative atmosphere until Libby and Dylan started arguing; abruptly, Libby stalked off the dance floor. That caught his attention at once. Logan shifted his weight, his eyes glued to Libby's departing figure. â€Å"Hey, Gabe, do you mind if I ditch you?† â€Å"Not at all. Go for it.† Logan nearly sprinted after her. Gabe wasn't sure what to do with himself now. Should he find Celeste and ask whether she minded if he bailed? He wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of prying her loose from someone else in order to ask, though. He decided to get another bottle of water and find the quietest corner possible to wait for the evening to drag to an end. And then, as he went searching for that quiet corner, Gabe felt the strange pull again, stronger than he'd ever felt it in his life; it was like someone was drowning in black waters and screaming to him for help. He glanced around frantically, wondering where the urgent call was coming from. He couldn't understand the vital, jagged edge of this distress. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. For just a moment, his eyes locked on one girl-on her back, as she was walking away from him. The girl's hair was black and glossy, with a mirrorlike sheen. She wore a spectacular floor-length dress the color of flames. As Gabe watched, her earrings flashed once, like little red sparklers. Gabe began walking after her in an almost unconscious movement, drawn by the wrenching need that surrounded her. She turned slightly, and he got a glimpse of an unfamiliar pale, aquiline profile-full ivory lips and black slanting brows-before she ducked through the ladies' room door. Gabe was breathing hard with the effort of not following the girl into no-man's-land. He could feel her need sucking at him like quicksand. He leaned against the wall across from the bathroom, folded his arms tight across his chest, and tried to talk himself out of waiting for the girl. This lunatic instinct he had was way off base. Wasn't Celeste proof of that? It was all just imagination. Maybe he should leave now. But Gabe couldn't force his feet to move one step away. Though the girl barely reached five foot three inches in her stiletto heels, something about her figure-whip-slender and rod-straight as a fencing foil-made her appear tall. She was a walking contradiction in more ways than height-both dark and light with her inky hair and chalky skin, both delicate and hard with her tiny, sharp features, and both inviting and repellent with the mesmerizing undulations of her body under the hostile expression on her face. Only one thing about her was not ambiguous-her dress was, without question, a work of art: Bright red tongues of leather flame bared her pale shoulders and licked down her willowy curves until they kissed the floor. As she crossed the dance floor, female eyes followed the pathway of the dress with envy and male eyes followed it with lust. There was another phenomenon that followed her; as the girl in the fiery dress passed through the dancers, little gasps of horror and pain and embarrassment rippled out from around her in strange eddies that could only be coincidence. A high heel cracked, twisting the ankle inside it. A satin dress split along a seam from thigh to waist. A contact lens popped out and was lost on the dirty floor. A vital bra strap snapped in two. A wallet slipped from a pocket. An unexpected cramp announced an early period. A borrowed necklace scattered in a shower of pearls to the floor. And on and on-little disasters spinning small circles of misery. The pale dark girl smiled to herself as if she could somehow sense that misery in the air and enjoy it-taste it, perhaps, considering the way she licked her lips in appreciation. And then she frowned, furrowing her brow in fierce concentration. The one boy who was watching her face saw a strange red glitter near her earlobes, like shooting red sparks. Everyone else turned just then to stare at Brody Farrow, who clutched his arm and shouted in pain; the slight movement of the slow dancing had dislocated his shoulder. The girl in the red dress smirked. With her heels ringing sharply against the tile floor, she strode down the hall to the ladies' room. Faint moans of pain and chagrin trailed after her. A crowd of girls hovered in front of the wall-length mirrors inside the bathroom. They only had a moment to gape at the stunning dress, to notice how the slight girl inside it shivered briefly in the stuffy, too-warm room, before the chaos distracted them. It started with Emma Roland stabbing herself in the eye with a mascara wand. She flailed in dismay, striking the full glass of punch in Bethany Crandall's hand, which then drenched Bethany and stained three other dresses in the most inconvenient places. The atmosphere in the restroom was suddenly hotter than the temperature as one girl-sporting a hideous green smear across her chest-accused Bethany of throwing the punch on her purposely. The pale dark girl only smiled slightly at the brewing fight, and then strode to the farthest stall in the long room and locked the door behind her. She did not make use of the privacy the way one might expect. Instead-showing no fear of the less-than-sterile environment-the girl leaned her forehead against the metal wall and squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands, balled into sharp little fists, also rested against the metal as if for support. If any of the girls in the ladies' room had been paying attention, they might have wondered what was causing the red glow that shone dully through the crack between the door and the wall. But no one was paying attention. The girl in the red dress clenched her teeth tightly together. From between them, a hot spurt of bright flame shot out and singed black patterns into the thin layer of tan paint on the metal wall. She started to pant, struggling with an invisible weight, and the fire burned hotter, thick fingers of red crackling against the cold metal. The fire reached up to her hair, but did not scorch the smooth, inky locks. Traces of smoke began to seep from her nose and ears. A shower of sparks popped from her ears as she whispered one word through her teeth. â€Å"Melissa.† Back out on the crowded dance floor, Melissa Harris looked up, distracted. Had someone just called her name? There didn't seem to be anyone close enough to be responsible for the low sound. Just her imagination, then. Melissa looked back at her date and tried to concentrate on what he was saying. Melissa wondered why she had agreed to go to the prom with Cooper Silverdale. He wasn't her type. A small boy, consumed with his own importance, with too much to prove. He'd been oddly hyper all night, bragging about his family and his possessions nonstop, and Melissa was tired of it. Another faint whisper caught Melissa's attention, and she turned. There, too far across the crowd to be the source behind the sound, Tyson Bell was staring straight at Melissa over the head of the girl he danced with. Melissa looked down at once, shuddering, trying not to care who he was with, forcing herself not to look. She moved closer to Cooper. Boring and shallow, maybe, but better than Tyson. Anyone was better than Tyson. Really? Is Cooper really the better option? The questions popped into Melissa's thoughts as if they came from someone else entirely. Involuntarily, she glanced up into Tyson's heavily lashed dark eyes. He was still staring. Of course Cooper was better than Tyson, no matter how beautiful Tyson was. That beauty was just part of the trap. Cooper babbled on, stumbling over his words as he tried to capture Melissa's interest. You're out of Cooper's league, the thought whispered. Melissa shook her head, embarrassed for thinking that way. It was vain. Cooper was just as good as she was, as good as any other boy. Not as good as Tyson. Remember how it was†¦ Melissa tried to keep the images out of her mind: Tyson's warm eyes, full of longing†¦ his hands, rough and soft against her skin†¦ his rich voice that made even the most common words sound like poetry†¦ the way just the lightest pressure of his lips against her fingers could send her pulse sprinting in her veins†¦ Her heart thumped, aching. Deliberately, Melissa dredged up a new memory to combat the rebel images. Tyson's iron fist smashing into the side of her face without warning-the black spots blossoming in front of her eyes-her hands bracing against the floor-vomit choking in her throat-raw pain shaking her whole body- He was sorry. So sorry. He promised. Never again. Unwanted, the image of Tyson's coffee eyes swimming with tears clouded her vision. Reflexively, Melissa's eyes sought Tyson. He was still staring. His forehead creased, his eyebrows pulled together, grief-stricken†¦ Melissa shuddered again. â€Å"Are you cold? Do you want my-?† Cooper half-shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and then stopped himself, his face flushing. â€Å"You can't be cold. It's so hot in here,† he said lamely as he withdrew the offer, buttoning the jacket back into place. â€Å"I'm fine,† Melissa assured him. She forced herself to look only at his sallow, boyish face. â€Å"This place kinda sucks,† Cooper said, and Melissa nodded, happy to agree with him. â€Å"We could go to my father's country club. There's an incredible restaurant, if you're in the mood for dessert. We won't have to wait for a table. As soon as I mention my name†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Melissa's attention wandered again. Why am I here with this little snob? asked the thought that was so strangely unfamiliar in her head, though it came in her own voice. He's a weakling. So what if he couldn't hurt a kitten? Isn't there more to love than safety? I don't feel the same need in my stomach when I look at Cooper-when I look at anyone besides Tyson†¦ I can't lie to myself. I still want him. So much. Isn't that love, that wanting? Melissa wished she hadn't drunk so much of that vile, burning punch. It was impossible to think clearly. She watched as Tyson left his partner stranded and crossed the floor until he stood right in front of her-the perfect broad-shouldered football hero cliche. It was as if Cooper didn't exist there between them. â€Å"Melissa?† he asked in his melting voice, sorrow twisting his features. â€Å"Melissa, please!† He held his hand out toward her, ignoring Cooper's wordless spluttering. Yes yes yes yes yes chanted in her head. A thousand memories of desire rocked through her. Her clouded mind buckled. Hesitantly, Melissa nodded. Tyson smiled in relief, in joy, and pulled her around Cooper and into his arms. It was just so easy to go with him. Melissa's blood ran through her veins like fire. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Two The mist of nothing slipped slowly from me in a painful series of prickles and the sound of two people arguing. I felt sick, not from my entire back tingling so painfully I could hardly stand to breathe, but from the feeling of helpless fear that the hushed, back-and-forth voices pulled from my past. I could almost smell the moldy fluff of my stuffed rabbit as I had curled into a ball and listened to the two people who were my entire world frighten me beyond belief. That they had both told me it hadn't been my fault hadn't lessened my grief at all. Grief I had to hold inside until it became a part of me. Pain that adhered to my bones. To cry in my mother's arms would say I loved her more. To cry into my dad's shoulder would say I loved him best. It was a crappy way to grow up. But this†¦ this wasn't my parents arguing. It sounded like two kids. I took a breath to find it came easier. The last of the haze started to fade with the tingles, and my lungs moved, aching as if someone were sitting on them. Realizing my eyes were shut, I opened them to find a blurry black just before my nose. There was a heavy, plasticky smell. â€Å"She was sixteen when she got in that car. It's your fault,† a young but masculine voice said hotly, oddly muffled. I was getting the distinct impression that the argument had been going on for some time, but I only remembered snatches of it amid uneasy thoughts of nothing. â€Å"You are not going to put this on me,† a girl said, her voice just as hushed and determined. â€Å"She was seventeen when he flipped her coin. This is your screwup, not mine. God save you, she was right in front of you! How could you miss it?† â€Å"I missed it because she wasn't seventeen!† he shot back. â€Å"She was sixteen when he picked her up. How was I supposed to know he was after her? How come you weren't there? You slipped up big time.† The girl gasped in affront. I was cold. Taking a deeper breath, I felt a surge of strength. Fewer tingles, more aches. It was stuffy, my breath coming back warm to me. It wasn't dark; I was in something. â€Å"You little piss-ant!† the girl snapped. â€Å"Don't tell me I slipped up. She died at seventeen. That's why I wasn't there. I was never notified.† â€Å"But I don't do sixteen,† he said, his voice going nasty. â€Å"I thought he was flipping the boy.† I suddenly realized the black blur throwing back my breath was a sheet of plastic. My hands came up, and my nails pushed through it in a stab of fear. Almost panicking, I sat up. I'm on a table? It sure felt hard enough for one. I shoved the plastic off me. Two kids were standing by a set of dirty white swinging doors, and they spun in surprise. The girl's pale face went red, and the guy backed up as if embarrassed to have been caught arguing with her. â€Å"Oh!† the girl said, tossing her long dark braid behind her. â€Å"You're up. Uh, hi. I'm Lucy, and this is Barnabas.† The guy dropped his eyes and waved sheepishly. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"How you doing?† â€Å"You were with Josh,† I said, my finger shaking as I pointed, and he nodded, still not looking at me. His costume looked odd next to her shorts and tank top. Both of them wore a black stone pendant around their necks. They were dull and insignificant, but my eye went to them because they were the only thing the two shared. Other than their anger at each other and their surprise at me. â€Å"Where am I?† I said, and Barnabas winced, a tall form scuffing his feet against the tile. â€Å"Where's Josh?† I hesitated, realizing I was in a hospital, but†¦ Wait a minute. I was in a freaking body bag? â€Å"I'm in the morgue?† I blurted. â€Å"What am I doing in the morgue?† Moving wildly, I got my legs out of the plastic bag and slid to the floor, heels clicking in some weird counterpoint as I caught my balance. There was a tag on a rubber band around my wrist, and I yanked it off, taking some hair along with it. I had a long rip in my skirt, and heavy grease marked it. Dirt and grass were plastered to me, and I stank of field and antiseptic. So much for getting my deposit back. â€Å"Someone made a mistake,† I said as I shoved the tag in a pocket, and Lucy snorted. â€Å"Barnabas,† she said, and he stiffened. â€Å"This is not my fault!† he exclaimed, rounding on her. â€Å"She was sixteen when she got in that car. I don't do sixteen! How was I supposed to know it was her birthday?† â€Å"Yeah? Well, she was seventeen when she died, so it is your problem!† Dead? Were they blind? â€Å"You know what?† I said, feeling more steady the longer I stood here. â€Å"You two can argue till the sun goes nova, but I have to find someone and tell them I'm okay.† Heels clicking, I headed for the dirty white twin doors. â€Å"Madison, wait,† the guy said. â€Å"You can't.† â€Å"Watch me,† I said. â€Å"My dad is going to be so-o-o-o ticked.† I strode past them, getting twenty feet before a feeling of disconnection hit me. Dizzy, I put a hand to an empty table as the odd sensation roared from nowhere. My hand cramped where it rested, and I pulled it away as if burned when it seemed the coldness of metal had touched my bone. I felt†¦ spongy. Thin. The soft hum of the ventilation grew muffled. Even the pounding of my heart became distant. I turned, hand to my chest to try and make it feel normal again. â€Å"What†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From across the room, Barnabas shrugged his thin shoulders. â€Å"You're dead, Madison. Sorry. You get too far from our amulets, and you start to lose substance.† He gestured to the gurney, and I looked. My breath slammed out of me. Knees buckling, I half fell against the empty table. I was still there. I mean, I was still on the gurney. I was lying on the cart in a torn body bag, looking far too small and pale, my elaborate dress bunched up around me in an elegant display of forgotten grace out of time. I was dead? But I could feel my heart beat. Limbs going weak, I started to crumple. â€Å"Swell. She's a fainter,† the girl said dryly. Barnabas lurched forward to catch me. His arms slid around me and my head lolled. At his touch, everything rushed back: sounds, smells, and even my pulse. My lids fluttered. Inches from me, Barnabas's lips pressed tight. He was so close, and I thought I could smell sunflowers. â€Å"Why don't you shut up?† he said to Lucy as he eased me to the floor. â€Å"Show a little compassion? That's your job, you know.† The cold from the tile soaked into me, seeming to clear the gray about my sight. How could I be dead? Did the dead pass out? â€Å"I'm not dead,† I said unsteadily, and Barnabas helped me sit up and put my back to a table leg. â€Å"Yes, you are.† He crouched beside me, his brown eyes wide and concerned. Sincere. â€Å"I'm really sorry. I thought he was going to flip Josh. They usually don't leave evidence like a car behind like that. You must really be a broken feather in their wing.† My thoughts flashed to the crash, and I put a hand to my stomach. Josh had been there. I remember that. â€Å"He thinks I'm dead. Josh, I mean.† From across the room came Lucy's caustic â€Å"You are dead.† I sent my gaze to the gurney, and Barnabas shifted to block my view. â€Å"Who are you?† I asked as the dizziness slipped away. Barnabas stood. â€Å"We, ah, are Reconnaissance Error Acquisitions Personnel. Evaluation and Recovery.† I thought about that. Reconnaissance Error Acquisitions†¦ R.E.A.P.E.R.? Holy crap! A surge of adrenaline shot through me. I scrambled up, eyes fixed on me on the gurney. I was here. I was alive! That might be me, but I was standing here, too. â€Å"You're grim reapers!† I exclaimed, feeling my way around the table and putting it between us. My toes started to go numb, and I stopped, my gaze darting to the amulet around Barnabas's neck. â€Å"Oh my God, I'm dead,† I whispered. â€Å"I can't be dead. I'm not ready to be dead. I'm not done yet! I'm only seventeen!† â€Å"We're not grim reapers.† Lucy had her arms crossed defensively as if it were a sore spot. â€Å"We're white reapers. Black reapers kill people before their coin should be flipped, white reapers try to save them, and grim reapers are treacherous betrayers who brag too much and won't survive to see the sun turn back to dust.† Barnabas looked embarrassed as he shuffled his feet. â€Å"Grim reapers are white reapers who were tricked into working for†¦ the other side. They don't do much culling since black reapers don't let them, but if there is a sudden, massive death toll, you know they'll show to pull a few souls early, in as dramatic a way as possible. They're hacks. No class at all.† This last was said with a bitter voice, and I wondered at the rivalry, backing up until I started going spongy again. Eyeing their amulets, I edged forward until the feeling went away. â€Å"You kill people. That's what Seth said. He said something about culling my soul! You do kill people!† Barnabas ran a hand across the back of his neck. â€Å"Ah, we don't. Most of the time.† He glanced at Lucy. â€Å"Seth is a black reaper, a dark reaper. We only show up when they target someone out of time, or there's been a mistake.† â€Å"Mistake?† My head swung up in hope. Did that mean they could put me back? Lucy came forward. â€Å"You weren't supposed to die, see. A dark reaper took you out before your coin should have been flipped. It's our job to stop them, but we can't sometimes. We're here to make a formal apology and get you where you're going.† Frowning, she looked at Barnabas. â€Å"And as soon as he admits it was his fault, I can get out of here.† I stiffened, refusing to look at me on the gurney. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. If you made a mistake, fine. Just put me back! I'm right there.† I took a step forward, scared out of my mind. â€Å"You can, right?† Barnabas winced. â€Å"It's kinda too late. Everyone knows you're dead.† â€Å"I don't care!† I shouted. Then my face went cold in a sudden thought. Dad. He thought I was†¦ â€Å"Dad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I whispered, panicking. Taking a breath, I turned to the swinging doors and broke into a run. â€Å"Wait! Madison!† Barnabas shouted, but I hit the doors hard, stumbling through them even though they only swung three inches. But I was in the next room. I had sort of passed through them. As if I weren't even there. There was a fat guy at a desk, and he looked up at the tiny squeak the doors made shifting. His little piggy eyes widened, and he took a huge breath. Mouth open, he pointed. â€Å"There's been a mistake,† I blurted, heading to the open archway and the dimly lit hall. â€Å"I'm not dead.† But I was feeling really weird again. Misty and thin. Stretched. Nothing sounded right, either, and the gray was edging my sight to make a tunnel-like vision. Behind me, Barnabas pushed through the doors. Immediately the world shifted to normal. It was the amulet he wore that kept me solid. I had to get me one of those. â€Å"Yes, she is,† he said, never slowing down until he grabbed my wrist. â€Å"You're hallucinating. She's not really here. Neither am I.† â€Å"Where did you come from?† the guy managed, staring. â€Å"How did you get in there?† Lucy shoved in, the swinging door banging against the wall to make me and Desk Guy jump. â€Å"Madison, quit being a stiff. You gotta go.† This was too much for the technician, and he reached for the phone. I twisted my wrist, but Barnabas wouldn't release me. â€Å"I have to talk to my dad!† I exclaimed, and he yanked me off balance. â€Å"We're leaving,† he said, a new threat in his eyes. â€Å"Right now.† Frantic, I stomped on his foot. Barnabas howled, his gangly form bending double as he let go. Lucy laughed at him, and I darted for the hallway. Try to stop me, I thought, then ran right into something big, warm, and smelling of silk. I backed up, becoming scared when I saw it was Seth. He had killed me with a sword that left no mark when driving me off a cliff failed to do it. He was a dark reaper. He was my death. â€Å"Why are there two of you?† he asked as he looked at Barnabas and Lucy. The cadence of his voice was familiar, but the sound of it hit my ears wrong. And the scent of sea now smelled like rot. â€Å"That's right,† he added, pulling his gaze back to me, and I shuddered. â€Å"You died on the anniversary of your birth. Two reapers. My, my, my. Such the drama queen, Madison. I'm glad you're up. It's time to go.† Hunched and afraid, I retreated. â€Å"Don't touch me.† â€Å"Madison!† Barnabas shouted. â€Å"Run!† But there was only the morgue to run to. Lucy got in front of me, hands spread wide as if she could stop Seth with her will alone. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she said, voice shaking. â€Å"She's already dead. You can't flip her twice.† Seth scuffed his shoes confidently. â€Å"As you said, I flipped her coin. She's mine if I want her.† Barnabas paled. â€Å"You never come back for them. You're†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His eyes darted to the stone about Seth's neck. â€Å"You're not a black reaper, are you?† Seth grinned as if it was a big joke. â€Å"No. I'm not. I'm a little bit more. More than you can handle. Leave, Barnabas. Just walk away. It won't hurt if you do.† I stared at Barnabas, helpless. His brown eyes met mine, saw my fear. I watched him visibly gather his courage. â€Å"Barnabas!† Lucy shouted, terrified. â€Å"Don't!† But Barnabas launched himself at the dark figure in black silk. In a motion so casual it was frightening, Seth turned to smack him with the back of his hand. Arms and legs flailing, Barnabas flew backward, hitting the wall and slumping to the floor, out cold. â€Å"Run!† Lucy shouted, pushing me toward the morgue. â€Å"Stay in the sun. Don't let the black wings touch you. We'll get help. Someone will find you. Get out of here!† â€Å"How?† I exclaimed. â€Å"He's in front of the only door.† Seth moved again, this time backhanding Lucy. She crumpled where she stood, leaving only me since the technician had either passed out or was hiding under the desk. Jaw trembling, I stood to my full height-such as it was-and tugged my dress straight. Deeper in it yet, apparently. â€Å"She meant,† Seth said, his voice both familiar and strange, â€Å"to run through the walls. You had a better chance against the black wings in the sun than with me under the ground.† â€Å"But I can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I started, then looked at the swinging doors. I went through them, having shifted them open only a few inches. What the heck was I? A ghost? Seth smiled, chilling me. â€Å"Nice to see you, Madison, now that I can really†¦ see you.† He took off his mask and let it drop. His face was beautiful, like chiseled stone made soft. I licked my lips and went cold to the bone when I remembered him kissing me. Holding one arm to myself, I backed away, trying to get out of Barnabas's and Lucy's influence so I could run through the walls. Hey, if Mr. Creepy thought I could do it, then maybe I could. Seth followed, step for step. â€Å"We leave together. No one will believe I culled you unless I throw you at their feet.† Heels clicking, I kept moving. My gaze darted to Barnabas and Lucy, both still sprawled on the tile. â€Å"I'd rather stay, thanks.† My heart pounded, and my back hit the wall. A little yelp slipped from me. I was far enough away from them that I should be misty, but I wasn't. I stared at Seth, then at that black stone about his neck. It was the same. Damn it! â€Å"You don't have a choice,† he said. â€Å"I'm the one that killed you. You're mine.† He reached out, grabbing my wrist. Adrenaline surged, and I twisted. â€Å"The hell I am,† I said, then kicked him in the shins. He clearly felt it, grunting as he bent in pain, but didn't let go. He had put his face in my reach, though, and grabbing his hair, I slammed his nose against my rising knee. I felt cartilage snap, and my stomach turned. Cursing in a language that hurt my head, he let go and fell back. I had to get out of here. I had to be solid or I'd never make it. Heart pounding, I grabbed the stone about his neck, pulling the necklace over his ears and off him. It tingled in my hand like fire, and I clenched my fingers around it, willing to suffer if it meant I would be whole. Seth hit the floor, gaping up at me with red blood covering his face. He looked as surprised as if he had run into a glass wall. â€Å"Madison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Barnabas rasped from the floor. I turned, seeing him stare at me with pain-laced, unfocused eyes. â€Å"Run,† he gasped. Seth's amulet in my hand, I turned to the open hallway†¦ and I ran. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Two EIGHT HOURS EARLIER†¦ â€Å"Foxy girls know that silence may be golden-but only for four seconds. Anything longer and you re heading for Awkward Avenue,† Miranda read, then frowned at the book. â€Å"If you feel the countdown creeping, make him an offer! A simple ‘Would you like some nuts? said with a smile can break the silence stagnation in a snap. Remember, foxy is as foxy does.† Miranda was starting to deeply distrust How to Get-And Kiss! – Your Guy. Leaning against the side of the black Town Car parked in the loading zone at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport that June evening, she thought of how totally thrilled she'd been when she'd found it at the bookstore. It looked like an and-they-all-lived-happily-ever-after dream come true in book form-who wouldn't want to learn â€Å"The Five Facial Expressions That Will Change Your Life† or â€Å"The Secrets of the Tongue Tantra Only Da Pros Know†? – but having done all the exercises, she wasn't convinced of the transformative powers of the Winsome Smile or spending half an hour a day sucking on a grape. It wasn't the first time a self-help book had let her down-Procrastinate No More and Make Friends with YOU had both been total disasters-but it was depressing because she'd had such high hopes this time. And because, as her best friend, Kenzi, recently pointed out, any senior in high school who acted like Miranda did around her crush really, really needed help. She tried another passage. â€Å"Rephrase one of his questions back to him, adding that hint of suggestion with a raised eyebrow. Or pick up the conversation with a pickup line! You: Are we in the china section? Him: No, why? You: Because you are fine. If china isn't your thing, this one never fails to launch-You: Are you wearing space pants? Him: No, why? You: Because your butt is-â€Å" â€Å"Hello, Miss Kiss.† Miranda looked up and found herself staring up at the cleft chin and tanned face of Deputy Sergeant Caleb Reynolds. She must have been really distracted to not even have heard his heartbeat when he approached. It was distinctive, with a little echo at the end, kind of like a one-two-three cha-cha beat (she'd learned about the cha-cha beat from You Can Dance! another massively unfortunate self-help experience). He'd probably have trouble with that when he got old, but at twenty-two it didn't seem to be stopping him from going to the gym, at least from the looks of his pecs, biceps, shoulders, forearms, wrists- Stop staring. Since she had an attack of Crazy Mouth whenever she tried to talk to a cute guy-let alone Santa Barbara's youngest sheriff's deputy, who was only four years older than she and who surfed every morning before work and who was cool enough to get away with wearing sunglasses even though it was almost 8:00 p.m.-she said, â€Å"Hi, deputy. Come here often?† Causing him to frown. â€Å"No.† â€Å"No, you wouldn't, why would you? Me either. Well, not that often. Maybe once a week. Not often enough to know where the bathrooms are. Ha-ha!† Thinking, not for the first time, that life should come with a trapdoor. Just a little exit hatch you could disappear through when you'd utterly and completely mortified yourself. Or when you had spontaneous zit eruptions. â€Å"Good book?† he asked, taking it from her and reading the subtitle, â€Å"A Guide for Good Girls Who (Sometimes) Want to Be Bad† out loud. But life did not come with a trapdoor. â€Å"It's for a school project. Homework. On, um, mating rituals.† â€Å"Thought crime was more your thing.† He hit her with one of his half smiles, too cool to pull out a big grin. â€Å"You planning on foiling any more convenience store heists any time soon?† That had been a mistake. Not stopping the guys who'd held up Ron's 24-Hour Open Market #3, but sticking around long enough to let the police see her. For some reason they'd found it hard to believe that she'd just been leaning against the lamppost when it fell across the front of the robbers' car as it sped through the intersection. It was sad how suspicious people were, especially people in law enforcement. And school administration. But she'd learned a lot since then. â€Å"I'm trying to keep it to one heist a month,† she said, hoping for a light, ha-ha-I'm-just-kidding-foxy-is-as-foxy-does tone. â€Å"Today it's just my regular job, VIP airport pickup.† Miranda heard his cha-cha heartbeat speed up slightly. Maybe he thought VIPs were cool. â€Å"That boarding school you go to, Chatsworth Academy? They let you off campus any time you want or only certain days?† â€Å"Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, if you're a senior. We don't have classes then,† she said and heard his heartbeat pick up more. â€Å"Wednesday and Saturday afternoons free. What do you do for fun?† Was he asking her out? No. Way. NOWAYNOWAYNOWAY! Flirt! she ordered herself. Winsome Smile! Say something! Anything! Be foxy! Now! â€Å"What do you do for fun?† she repeated his question back to him, raising one eyebrow for that hint of suggestion. He seemed taken aback for a second, then said very formally, â€Å"I work, Miss Kiss.† Please give a warm welcome to Miranda Kiss, our new Miss Idiot Girl of the year, she thought. Said: â€Å"Of course. Me too. I mean, I'm either driving clients or at team practice. I'm one of Tony Bosun's Bee Girls? The Roller Derby team? That's why I do this,† meaning to point to the Town Car but bashing it with her hand instead. â€Å"You have to be a driver for Tony's company, 5Bs Luxury Transport, to be on the team. We usually only have games on the weekends, but we practice on Wednesdays, sometimes on other days†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Crazy Mouth trailed off. â€Å"I've seen the Bees play. That's a professional team, isn't it? They let a high school student play?† Miranda swallowed. â€Å"Oh, sure. Of course.† He looked at her over the top of his sunglasses. â€Å"Okay, I had to lie to get on the team. Tony thinks I'm twenty. You won't tell him, will you?† â€Å"He believed you were twenty?† â€Å"He needed a new jammer.† Deputy Reynolds chuckled. â€Å"So you're the jammer? You're good. I can see why he might have made an exception.† Eyeing her some more. â€Å"I never would have recognized you.† â€Å"Well, you know, we wear those wigs and the gold masks over our eyes so we all look the same.† It was one of the things she liked about Roller Derby, the anonymity, the fact that no one knew who you were, what your skills were. It made her feel invulnerable, safe. No one could single you out for†¦ anything. Deputy Reynolds took his sunglasses all the way off now to look at her. â€Å"So you put on one of those red, white, and blue satin outfits? The ones with the short skirts and that cute cape? I'd like to see that sometime.† He smiled at her, right into her eyes, and her knees went weak and her mind started playing out a scenario involving him without his shirt but with a pitcher of maple syrup and a big- â€Å"Well, there's my lady,† he said. â€Å"Catch you.† And then walked away. – stack of pancakes. Miranda watched him go up to a woman in her early twenties-thick blond hair, thin but muscular-put his arm around her, and kiss her neck. The kind of woman whose bras had tags that said, SIZE 36c, not MADE BY SANRIO in them. Heard him saying excitedly, â€Å"Wait until we get to the house. I've got some amazing new toys, something special just for you,† his voice husky, heart racing. As he passed Miranda, he lifted his chin in her direction and said, â€Å"You stay out of trouble.† â€Å"Yeah, you too,† Crazy Mouth told him. Miranda wanted to bang her head against the top of the car at how idiotic she was. She tried to give a Lite Laff (expression number four from the book) but ended up making herself choke instead. When they were across the parking lot, she heard the woman asking who she was and heard Deputy Reynolds say, â€Å"The local Town Car driver.† â€Å"She's the driver?† the woman said. â€Å"Looks like one of those girls from Hawaiian Airlines you used to date, but younger. And cuter. You know how your judgment gets around cute young girls. You're sure I don't need to be concerned?† Miranda heard him laugh, the genuine amusement in his voice as he said, â€Å"Her? Baby, she's just a high school student who has a crush on me. Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about.† And thought: Trap. Door. Now. Please. Sometimes having superhearing supersucked. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Two And he wants me to know that he's coming. He's playing with me now†¦ just like his father played with Mom, before he†¦ well, did what he did to her. Then I hear a strange sound-a sort of whoosh-followed by another â€Å"Dammit!† What is happening? â€Å"Sebastian.† Lila's voice sounds bemused. â€Å"Someone is shooting ketchup at you!† What? Did she just say†¦ ketchup?. And then, as I carefully turn to try to get a look past the pillar to see what Lila is talking about, I see him. Not Sebastian. His shooter. And I can hardly believe my eyes. What's he doing here? Adam It's all Ted's fault. He's the one who said we should follow them on their date. I was like, â€Å"Why?† † ‘Cause the dude's trouble, man,† Ted said. Except there's no way Ted could have known that. Drake had basically turned up from out of nowhere outside Lila's Park Avenue apartment building just the night before. Ted had never even met him. How could he know anything about the guy? Anything at all? But when I mentioned this, Ted said, â€Å"Dude, have you looked at him?† I have to admit, the T Man has a point. I mean, the guy looks like he walked straight out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog or something. You can't trust a guy who's that, well, perfect. Still, I'm not down with following other guys around. It's not cool. Even if, like Ted said, it was just to make sure Lila didn't get into trouble. I know Lila is Ted's lady-ex-lady now, thanks to Drake. And okay, she's never been the shiniest fork in the drawer. But following her on this date with the dude she's hooked up with? That just seemed like a bigger waste of time than-well, that two thousand-word, double-spaced essay I've got due in Mrs. Gregory's U.S. History class on Monday. Then Ted had to go and suggest I bring the Beretta 9mm. The thing is, even though it's just a water pistol, toy guns that look as real as that are illegal in Manhattan. So I haven't really had an opportunity to use mine much. Which Ted knows. And is probably why he kept going on about how freaking hilarious it would be if we soaked the guy. Because he knew I wouldn't be able to resist. The ketchup was my idea. And, yeah, it is pretty juvenile. But what the hell else am I going to do on a Friday night? It beats a U.S. History paper. Anyway, I told the T Man I guessed I'd be down with his plan. So long as I was the one who got to do the shooting. Which was fine with Ted. â€Å"I just gotta know, man,† he'd said, shaking his head. â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"What this Sebastian dude's got,† he said, â€Å"that I don't.† I could've told him, of course. I mean, it's pretty obvious to anyone who freaking looks at Drake what he's got that Ted doesn't. Ted's a decent-looking guy and all, but Abercrombie material he is not. Still, I didn't say anything. Because the T Man was really hurtin' over this one. And I could sort of understand why. Lila's just one of those girls, you know? All big brown eyes and big, well, other parts, too. But I won't go there on account of my sister, Veronica, who says I need to stop thinking of women as sex objects and start thinking of them as future partners in the inevitable struggle to survive in postapocalyptic America (which Veronica's writing her senior thesis on because she feels the apocalypse is going to occur sometime in the next decade, due to the country's current state of religious fanaticism and environmental recklessness, both of which were present at the fall of Rome and various other societies that no longer exist). So that's how me and the T Man ended up at Swig-fortunately, Ted's uncle Vinnie is their liquor distributor, which is how we got in, and without having to go through the metal detector like everybody else-shooting ketchup at Sebastian Drake with my Beretta 9mm water pistol. I know I was supposed to be home doing that paper for Mrs. Gregory, but a guy's got to have some fun, right? And it was fun to see those red stains spurting all over the guy's chest. The T Man was actually laughing for the first time since Lila sent him that text message during lunch, telling him that he was on his own for the prom, because she was going with Drake. Everything was going great†¦ until I saw Drake staring at that pillar over to one side of the dance floor. Which didn't make any sense. You'd have thought he'd have been looking over at us, in our VIP booth (thanks, Uncle Vinnie), considering that's the direction the ketchup assault was coming from. That's when I noticed there was somebody hiding behind it. The pillar, I mean. Not just any somebody, either, but Mary, that new girl from my U.S. History class, the one who never talks to anybody but Lila. And she was holding a crossbow. A crossbow. How the hell did she get a crossbow through the metal detector? No way does she know Ted's uncle Vinnie. Not that it matters. All that matters is that Drake's staring at the pillar Mary's crouched behind like he can see straight through it. There's something about the way he's looking over at her that makes me†¦ well, all I know is that is not where I want that guy looking. â€Å"Moron,† I mutter. Mostly about Drake. But also about myself, a little. And then I aim and shoot once more. â€Å"Oh, snap,† Ted yells happily. â€Å"Did you see that? Right in the ass!† That gets Drake's attention, all right. He turns†¦ †¦ and suddenly, I get what they mean about blazing eyes. You know, in Stephen King books, or whatever? I never thought I'd actually see a pair. But that's exactly what Drake's got, as he stares at us. Eyes that are most definitely blazing. Come on, I find myself thinking in Drake's direction. That's right. Come on over here, Drake. You wanna fight? I've got a lot more than just ketchup, dude. Which isn't exactly true. But it doesn't end up mattering, because Drake doesn't come over anyway. Instead, he disappears. I don't mean that he turns around and leaves the club. I mean that one minute he's standing there, and the next he's†¦ well, he's just gone. For a second the fog from the dry ice seems to get thicker-and when it clears, Lila is dancing by herself. â€Å"Here,† I say, thrusting the Beretta into Ted's hand. â€Å"What the-† Ted scans the dance floor. â€Å"Where'd he go?† But I've already taken off. â€Å"Grab Lila,† I yell back at Ted. â€Å"And meet me out front.† Ted utters some pretty choice expletives after that, but no one even notices. The music's too loud, and everyone's having too good a time. I mean, if they didn't notice us shooting at some dude with a ketchup-filled water gun-or a few seconds later, that dude literally vanishing into thin air-they're hardly likely to notice Ted shouting the F word. I reach the pillar and look down. She's there, panting as if she's just run a marathon or something. She's got the crossbow clutched to her chest like a kid's security blanket. Her face is as white as notebook paper. â€Å"Hey,† I say to her, gently. I don't want to startle her. But I do anyway. She practically jumps out of her skin at the sound of my voice and turns wide, frightened eyes up at me. â€Å"Hey, take it easy,† I say. â€Å"He's gone. Okay?† â€Å"He's gone?† Her eyes-green as the Great Lawn in Central Park in May-stare up at me. And there's no missing the terror in them. â€Å"How-what?† â€Å"He just vanished,† I say with a shrug. â€Å"I saw him looking at you. So I shot him.† â€Å"You what?† Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Two Gee, thanks, Madame Z, I thought. Could we dig a little deeper here? Give me something to work with? â€Å"But is he-I mean, the person-going to act on his passion?† I was brazen, despite my knotted stomach. â€Å"To act or not to act†¦ that is the question?† Madame Z said. â€Å"Yes, that is the question.† â€Å"Ahhh. That is always the question. And what one must always ask oneself-† She broke off. Her eyes flew to Will, and she paled. â€Å"What?† I demanded. â€Å"Nothing,† she said. â€Å"Something,† I said. Her message-from-the-spirits performance wasn't fooling me. She wanted us to think she'd been suddenly possessed? That she'd had a stark and powerful vision? Fine! Just get to the bloody answer! Madame Z made a show of pulling herself together, complete with a long, shaky draw on her cigarette. Looking dead at me, she said, â€Å"If a tree falls in a forest, and no one's there to hear it, does it still make a sound?† â€Å"Huh?† I said. â€Å"That's all I've got. Take it or leave it.† She seemed agitated, so I took it. Although I made cuckoo eyes at Yun Sun when Madame Z wasn't watching. Will claimed not to have a specific question, but Madame Z was oddly insistent on relaying a message to him anyhow. She waved her hands over his aura and warned him sternly of heights, which was curiously appropriate as Will was an avid rock climber. What was more curious was Will's reaction. First his eyebrows shot up, and then a different emotion took over, like some secret anticipatory pleasure. He glanced at me and blushed. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. â€Å"You have your sneaky face on.† â€Å"Exsqueeze me?† he said. â€Å"What are you not telling us, Will Goodman?† â€Å"Nothing, I swear!† â€Å"Don't be stupid, boy!† Madame Z harped. â€Å"Listen to what I'm saying.† â€Å"Oh, you don't have to worry about him,† I said. â€Å"He's a total Mr. Safety.† I turned back to Will. â€Å"For real. Do you have a fabulous new climbing spot? A brand-new shiny carabiner?† â€Å"It's Yun Sun's turn,† Will said. â€Å"Yun Sun, go.† â€Å"Can you read palms?† Yun Sun asked Madame Z. Madame Z exhaled, and she was barely engaged as she traced her finger over the plump pad below Yun Sun's thumb. â€Å"You will be as beautiful as you allow yourself to be,† she told her. That was it. Those were her pearls of wisdom. Yun Sun seemed as underwhelmed as I was, and I felt like protesting on all our behalves. I mean, seriously! A tree in the forest? Be careful of heights? You will be as beautiful as you allow yourself to be? Even with her somewhat convincing touches of atmospheric creepiness, the three of us were getting cheated. Me in particular. But before I could say anything, a cell phone on the desk rang. Madame Z picked it up and used a long orange nail to punch the talk button. â€Å"Madame Zanzibar, at your service,† she said. Her expression changed as she listened to whoever was on the other end. She grew brisk and annoyed. â€Å"No, Silas. It's called a†¦ yes, you can say it, a yeast infection. Yeast infection.† Yun Sun and I shared a glance of horror, although-I couldn't help it-I was also delighted. Not that Madame Z had a yeast infection. I mean, ick. But that she was discussing it with Silas, whoever he was, while all of us listened in. Now we were getting our money's worth. â€Å"Tell the pharmacist it's the second time this month,† Madame Z groused. â€Å"I need something stronger. What? For the itching, you idiot! Unless he wants to scratch it for me!† She twisted on her swivel chair, pumping one Juicy Coutured leg over the other. Will looked up at me, his brown eyes wide with alarm. â€Å"I will not be scratching it for her,† he stage-whispered. â€Å"I refuse!† I laughed, thinking it a good sign that he was showing off for me. The Madame Z experience hadn't gone as intended, but who knew? Maybe it would end up having the desired effect after all. Madame Z pointed at me with the lit end of her cigarette, and I ducked my chin contritely, like Sorry, sorry. To distract myself, I focused on the strange and varied clutter on her shelves. A book called Magic of the Ordinary and another titled What to Do When the Dead Speak-But You Don't Want to Listen. I nudged Will with my knee and pointed. He mimed choking the poor deceased bastard, and I snortled. Above the books I saw: a bottle of rat poison, an old-fashioned monocle, a jar of what looked like fingernail clippings, a stained Starbucks cup, and a rabbit's foot, claws attached. And on the shelf above that was†¦ oh, lovely. â€Å"Is that a skull?† I asked Will. Will whistled. â€Å"Holy cannoli.† â€Å"Okey-doke,† Yun Sun said, averting her eyes. â€Å"If there really is a skull, I don't want to know about it. Can we leave now?† I took her head in my hands and pointed her in the right direction. â€Å"Look. It still has hair!† Madame Z snapped her cell phone shut. â€Å"Fools, every one of them,† she said. Her pallor was gone; apparently talking to Silas had shaken her out of her funk. â€Å"Ahh! I see you found Fernando!† â€Å"Is that whose skull that is?† I asked. â€Å"Fernando's?† â€Å"Oh God,† Yun Sun moaned. â€Å"Wormed his way to the surface after a gully washer, out in Chapel Hill Cemetery,† Madame Z told us. â€Å"His coffin, that is. Crappy wooden thing, must'a been from the early nineteen hundreds. No one left to care for him, so I took pity on him and brought him here.† â€Å"You opened the coffin?† I said. â€Å"Yep.† She seemed proud. I wondered if she'd worn her Juicy Couture during the grave robbing. â€Å"That's gross that it still has hair,† I said. â€Å"He still has hair,† Madame Z said. â€Å"Show some respect.† â€Å"I didn't know dead bodies had hair, that's all.† â€Å"Skin, no,† Madame Z said. â€Å"Skin starts to rot right away, and believe me, you don't want to smell it when it goes. But hair? Sometimes it keeps growing for weeks after the deceased has made his crossing.† â€Å"Wowzers.† I reached down and tousled Will's honey-colored curls. â€Å"Hear that, Will? Sometimes the hair keeps growing.† â€Å"Amazing,† he said. â€Å"What about that?† Yun Sun asked, pointing to a clear Tupperware container in which something reddish and organlike floated in clear liquid. â€Å"Please tell me it didn't come from Fernando, too. Please.† Madame Z waved her hand, like Don't be ridiculous. â€Å"That's my uterus. Had the doc give it to me after my hysterectomy.† â€Å"Your uterus?† Yun Sun looked ill. â€Å"I'm going to let 'em toss it in the incinerator?† Madame Z said. â€Å"Fat chance!† â€Å"And that?† I pointed to a clump of dried-up something on the highest shelf. This show-and-tell was proving far more enjoyable than our actual readings. Madame Z followed my gaze. She opened her mouth, then closed it. â€Å"That's nothing,† she said firmly, although I noticed she had a hard time tearing her eyes from it. â€Å"Now. Are we done here?† â€Å"Come on.† I made praying hands. â€Å"Tell us what it is.† â€Å"You don't want to know,† she said. â€Å"I do,† I said. â€Å"I don't,† Yun Sun said. â€Å"Yes, she does,† I said. â€Å"And so does Will. Right, Will?† â€Å"It can't be worse than the uterus,† he said. Madame Z pressed her lips together. â€Å"Please?† I begged. She muttered something under her breath about idiot teenagers and how she refused to take the blame, whatever came of it. Then she stood up, pawing the top shelf. Her bosom didn't jiggle, but stayed firm and rigid beneath her top. She retrieved the clump and placed it in front of us. â€Å"Oh,† I breathed. â€Å"A corsage.† Brittle rosebuds, their edges brown and papery. Sprigs of graying baby's breath, so desiccated that puffs of fiber dusted the table. A limp red ribbon holding it all together. â€Å"A peasant woman in France put a spell on it,† Madame Z said in a tone that was hard to decipher. It was as if she were compelled to speak the words, even though she didn't want to. Or, no. More like she did want to but was struggling to resist. â€Å"She wanted to show that true love is guided by fate, and that anyone who tries to interfere does so at her own peril.† She moved to return the corsage.

Multi National Corporation

â€Å"On balance, multinational corporations provide more positive outcomes for society than negative ones†. Multinational corporations are practically in every sphere of modern life, from policy making to the  environment and international security; from problems of identity and community to the future of work and nation state. (Gabel and Bruner,  2003, VI) A multi-national corporation (MNC) is a business organisation which has its headquarters in one country but conducts and controls productive activities in a range of different countries.There are numerous examples of such organisations, car manufacturers like Ford, Toyota, Honda , Volkswagen; oil companies like Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil ; technology companies like Dell, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard ,Canon ; food and drink companies such as Coca Cola, Interbrew, McDonalds, FMCG companies like P&G and banking companies like Yes bank, Hsbs, etc.According to Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998), the multinational organisation is defined by the following characteristics: ‘A decentralized federation of asset and responsibilities, a management process defined by simple financial control systems overlaid on informal personal coordination, and a dominant strategic mentality that viewed the company’s worldwide operations as a portfolio of national business. In a multinational organisation, the decisions, obviously, are decentralised. ’ Generally speaking multinational corporations are a boon to this world.They have made this world a better place to live in. There are numerous positive outcomes of a MNC. These corporations have brought this world together and have connected the whole mankind. They have developed the underdeveloped countries through their investments and improving their economy. MNC, by their very nature, are large organisations. Their size means they often have considerable power and influence and as a result have come in for some criticism of their actions. It is also assumed that MN Cs tend to locate operations in poor countries only.This, of course, is not the case. Honda and Nissan have both invested heavily in production facilities in the UK but are Japanese companies. (Bized, 2007) Multinational Corporations are believed to play a major role in improving the economy and lifestyle of the developing country. MNC have made this world a global village and connected people from all parts of the world and made them work together in a state of harmony. Due to these transnational corporations, the working of people from different origin, caste, and race is possible.These corporations are the reason that we can now live together with any type of human. They have made it possible for us to think globally and live globally. It is believed among many economists that MNCs fill various gaps within a host country's economy. The first and most often cited one is that, when domestic investment and savings doesn't meet the required rate of growth in the economy, the gap in i nvestment is filled by the MNCs' investment because these corporations have large funds and so can help in building an economy benefitting the whole world.Secondly when the targeted foreign exchange is not met by the net foreign exchange derived from imports and exports together with net public debt, the gap is constituted by MNCs' net exports and capital inflow. These giant enterprises also fill the gap between targeted government tax revenues and locally raised taxes. Lastly the gap of management skills, entrepreneurship and technological skills are believed to be filled by the MNCs. They bind all sorts of people together because these are huge agencies and so require works of all type.Engineers use technological skills to make a product which is sold by entrepreneurs using management skills and lastly the whole all account is managed by managers. So everyone works together filling up the gap between them. (Financial times, 2001) According to A. K. Cairn Cross, ‘It is not po ssible to buy development so cheaply. The provision of foreign capital may yield a more adequate infrastructure, but rarely by itself generates rapid development unless there are already large investment opportunities going a begging. That is why the intervention of multinational corporations is imperative in the context of the economic growth and modernisation of developing economies where ample investment avenues lie open and yet due to lack of capital and technical know-how, these potentials remain unexploited. Multinational corporations help in reorganising the economic infrastructure in collaboration with the domestic sector through financial and technical help. These corporations build huge buildings and factories which improves the infrastructure of a developing country to a huge extent. Multinational organisations (MNO) have helped in he increase of employment in the host nation as well as in the other countries where it functions. Let us assume that a company manufactures a nd supplies raw material for making furniture. To this firm, the contract to supply the raw material for the new plant might be worth ? 35000. If the plant was not built then the firm will not generate that order and not receive that work. For workers working in the plant, the order helps to maintain the flow of orders and can keep them in employment. It can also be expected that the additional income will find its way through the local economy.If additional people are hired, they will receive an income which they spend. For existing workers, increased orders might equate to job security and they too might feel more confident in spending on new items – furniture, house extension, new white goods, holidays and so on. Inward investment therefore can act as a trigger to generating wealth in the local economy. If a MNC is attracted to an area then this might also lead to other smaller firms in the supply chain deciding to locate in those areas. Other firms providing services to t hese firms are then attracted to the area and so on. (Bized, 2007)MNCs provide immense resources and investments, technology, innovation and expertise to the host societies. A culture of research and development is encouraged and human resources are developed, at least within the organization. MNCs also contribute significantly to the national treasury by paying taxes. As these organisations have huge revenues and profits so the amount of tax paid by these organisations is also large, this in turn lifts up the economy of the country. MNCs bring with them new ideas and new techniques that can help to improve the quality of production and help boost the quality of human capital in the host country.Many will not only look to employ local labour but also provide them with training and new skills to help them improve productivity and efficiency. In some cases this can prove a challenge but in others it can lead to improvements in motivation and productivity. The skills that workers build up can then be passed on to other workers and so this improves the supply of skilled labour in the area which makes it more attractive to new industry as it helps to reduce the costs of training and skilling of workers. In addition to the investment in a country in production and distribution facilities, a multinational orporation might also invest in additional infrastructure facilities like road, rail, port and communications facilities. This can provide benefits for the whole country as in building road or port one requires labour, therefore eradicating the problem of unemployment. If people are employed they will like to buy different products which will lead to increase of production and supply leading to making of new factories to meet the demand and therefore uplifting the whole economy. Peter Drucker (1975) remarks that multinationalism and expanding world trade are two sides of the same coin.He points out that the period of most rapid growth of multinational trade was in t he fifties and sixties. Indeed, during this period the world economy grew faster than the fastest growing domestic economy of Japan. India has always been facing the issue of brain drain since the past few decades where   Indian students go to developed economies like United States for higher studies and  never return back. But the above statement highlights a new trend, even though not as  prominent as the earlier one, entrepreneurs migrating to other emerging economies for better business prospects.But due to liberalization in 1991 many multinational corporations are allowed in our country which has reduced brain drain to a much greater extent, as students get the opportunities to work in a better environment that is matching their level of education, in their home country itself as these corporations give the skilled employees a good amount of money which was missing before the globalization. So they come back after the higher education to work in their home country instead of settling in foreign nations. In short it causes Brain Gain instead of Brain Drain.Good governance, organizational transparency, clear command structures, and performance-based evaluation and incentives programs for employees encourage the merit system. MNCs introduce a professional working environment and culture for local organizations to emulate, thereby promoting sound management and business education. In some cases, large-scale economies, quality control and a healthy competition lead to price cuts and other benefits for the end-user. People have more access to the comforts of life with a large variety of choices.Today a person is available with many choices if he goes to buy a handbag or a shoe. There are ten brands offering the same material so the company is forced to use the best quality materials for their product reducing the amount of prices. Earlier before liberalization there was no competition so as there was a single local company selling a product which gave tha t local company full authority over the prices and the material used in making the product. These local companies used low quality material and increased the prices of the goods.But this drawback has been fulfilled by these multinational corporations. MNCs help boost cross-boundary interaction among people. Even education, particularly, business education, has taken on a global perspective. The global perspectives and opportunities for cross-cultural understanding increase the adaptability of students to alien environments. This leads to the mixing of cultures and practices and encourages pluralism as well as competition which helps in overall learning of the student and makes him capable of working in any environment. (Khalid Rahman, n. d. The enormous resources of the multinational enterprises enable them to have very efficient research and development systems. Thus, they make a commendable contribution to inventions and innovations. They also work to equalize the cost of Factors of Production- Land, Labour, Capital and Entrepreneur-around the world. MNCs also stimulate domestic enterprise because to support their own operations, the MNCs may encourage and assist domestic suppliers. So they help in increase completion and break domestic monopolies.Today fun and entertainment have become a refuge for man from their misery, tension and daily hectic routine. A good level of Media Company can provide that kind of entertainment that will help the common man to relax. A good show can only be made if the company has enough funds to afford it which is only manageable by a multinational corporation. Due to the globalization we are able to enjoy the fun of the animated movies, thrill of James Bond and Romance of Twilight. We have been able to enjoy the 3D effects and the shopping mall life due to these corporations.The luxuries offered by the Grand Hayat or Radisson are not possible without MNCs. Reliance is a perfect example for a MNC which provides entertainment to all sorts of people worldwide. From theatres to producing a movie, from channels to televisions, reliance provides everything related to entertainment to the rest of the world. The ‘khushiyon ki home delivery’ of dominoes or the yummy Mc veggie burger of McDonalds was not even believed to be possible in your home town thirty years back. In this world of skyscrapers and travelling to mile long distances for work, one requires transport.I don’t think one can travel by foot twenty kilometres to your office. One has to possess a vehicle or travel by public transport. These vehicles are manufactured by the MNCs like Ford, Mahindra, Honda, Tata and many more. Multinational companies have made your easy and comfortable. In a survey carried over all over the world the most important, unavoidable and most needed service or profession is the field of medicine. To answer the question of MNCs having more positive outcomes than the negative ones, why not take this important f ield as an index, Particularly in India.This is a proven fact that medical professionals trained in India are amongst the best in the world. A large percentage of doctors in NHS UK (National Health Scheme) 26 % to be exact, and in United States are doctors of Indian origin. This so called brain drain was primarily because of lack of availability of infrastructure and facilities for specialized training and treatments in India. With the advent of Multinational corporations the best of the training facilities, knowledge equipments and medicines are now available freely in India at affordable cost. Health commission of India, London) We take a particular example in the field of orthopaedic surgery, particularly joint replacements. The Dr. C S Ranawat– Atal Bihari Vajpai episode- is not far away when India or India trained doctors replaced our prime ministers knee joint with an artificial joint made by a foreign MNC which was designed and invented by Dr C S Ranwat himself. Incide ntally who is from Indore and an old Dalian. To take a company in particular as an example DEPUY, this was previously owned by Johnson and Johnson but now merged with Synthes.They are the largest manufactures of artificial joints of hip and knee in the world. As their operations are now very well established in India the best, latest joints are available freely to us. As these companies have access to the most modern training facilities and so the faculty Indian doctors can get trained in India and abroad at affordable expenses and with ease. The Depuy academy in Chennai, the Ethicon institute in New Delhi and many others are amongst the best training institutes in the world set up by these huge multinational enterprises.As these corporations have associations, sponsorships with the faculties who are in the fore front of research, the Indian doctors now have better opportunity to gain knowledge with the leaders in their field. The sessions held in many cities held in India of the Am erican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon (AAOS) and annual meetings of IGOF Indo German orthopaedic foundations are possible only because of the logistic and financial support of these corporate. Similarly the British orthopaedic society is having a special autumn session in the national conference of the Indian orthopaedic association in Chennai.So now we have a situation where the best of the medical professionals with world class training and knowledge armed with all the latest equipments and implants available at our door step. Now a common man who previously could not afford to have such modern operations or surgeries now can have access to them. One do not have to go abroad to have these procedures. Agreed that some profit goes to the multinational giants but the ultimate beneficiary is the common man. As the number of these high end surgeries increases the local hospitals, doctors, infrastructure, paramedical staff have their own benefits.Looking to the huge population of India and as the number of these surgeries are growing rapidly, the Indian doctors are also now becoming opinion at world level and the Mncs are designing the implants to special Asian needs. And as the experience of the Indian MNCs are supplying same products to the world. So the product used in its home country will be same as the product it has supplied to the rest of the world. One cannot deny the fact that, today multinational companies have become part of our lives.With all the above glamour and luxuries offered by these corporations they provide a lot of economic help to the developing countries. There are some negative aspects of multinational companies but there are more positive outcomes. They have made our lives worth living. The technological advancements and business growth is the result of working of these corporations. MNCs have connected the world as a whole. Some will say that globalization has ruined the culture of a country, say India. But what MNCs have eradicated is n ot our rich traditions but our false believes.One still celebrates Diwali with the same enthusiasm as he used to do ten years ago. But due to globalization today women have the right to vote, the literacy rate of our country has increased, female foeticide and infanticide is banned, untouchability has been banned, caste system is eradicated. Today people have started following their own dreams, not doing what others say. Education system of the country has developed. Number of students going into higher education is increasing year by year.This all is possible only because MNCs have brought Globalization which has led to change in the narrow minded mentality of the people to a realistic logical one. Today’s generation is grown up and does not live in a world surrounded by superstitions. Imagine a world without MNCs where we don’t have all the big companies and your favourite brands. From coca-cola to KFC, from Reebok to Adidas, from Starbucks to Barista, CK to UCB, and Louis Vetton to Gucci â€Å"You Are Living It†. REFRENCE LIST 1. Gabel M and H Bruner,  2003. Global In, New York: The New Press. 2.Peter drucker, management, Bombay, Allied publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1975, p. 733 3. Christopher A Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal, Managing Across Borders, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, 1998 4. Bized, 2007, Economic Notes- Multi-national Corporations, http://www. bized. co. uk/learn/economics/notes/multi. htm (date accessed: 16/10/2012) 5. Dinithi Thanthiriwatte, 6th June 2004, MNCs – bane or boon for development? Financial Times, Sunday Times. 6. A K Craincross, 1953, Home and Foreign Investment, 1870-1913: Studies in Capital Accumulation, University Press . Khalid Rahman, MNCs and TNCs: Their Role and Socioeconomic Impact on Host Societies, Policy Perspectives, Volume 4, No. 2, http://www. ips. org. pk/globalization/1007-mncs-and-tncs-their-role-and-socioeconomic-impact-on-host-societies. html (date accessed: 18/10/12) 8. Health Com mission of India, London, Biotechnology and Healthcare, http://hcilondon. in/biotech. php (date accessed: 20/10/2012 ) 9. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, http://www3. aaos. org/education/international/courses/prev_courses. cfm? evt_year=2012 (date accessed: 21/10/2012)

Hope vs Expectations Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hope vs Expectations - Term Paper Example The author has stressed that hope and expectations of the people within the organization are the most important factors that have direct impact on their performance outcome as well as that of the organization. The expectations of the people and their hope are issues that may have wider ramifications on the performance as they may encompass diverse objectives and meanings. The expectations are about how things should be whereas hope is how people would like the things to be. According to the author while the expectations and hopes are two different aspects of decision making, good leadership within the organization can bring them together to form a teamwork that is united in its goals and efforts. Leadership in all areas assumes special meaning because it motivates and encourages collective decision making and ensures effective communication with the employees with shared vision of the common goals. The leadership encourages creativity and innovative practices that give a unique perspective to participatory approach of management by developing positive attitude. The author says that ‘think yourself as an agent of hope, call people to invoke their hopefulness and not their fear (xi). Strong communication skill and intrinsic understanding of human nature become vital factors that inspire people to give their best and work together to produce a cohesive output representing the organization’s unique objectives and goals. Leadership qualities have become vital tools to encourage people’s participation in the overall strategy of having collective goals through shared learning. They motivate and encourage their people so that their hopes and expectations converge to become common goals. That is the reason that effective team work constitutes one of the most important factors that make valuable contribution to the organization promoting a

History of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Art - Essay Example 2.) Italian Renaissance is more vibrant and more prominent than Northern Renaissance. Since there are more commercial and trading centers in Italy at those times than the countries in the north of Italy, particularly France, the Netherlands, and Germany, Italian Renaissance artists had more patrons than their Northern counterparts. The Dukes of Burgundy in the Northern Renaissance were more interested in buying illuminated manuscripts, tapestries and furnishings while Italian art patrons were more into painting. Humanism, a revisiting of Greco-Roman scientific presentation of art, is the driving force behind the Italian Renaissance artists. The Northern Renaissance focused more on topics on religious reform. In terms of rendering of paintings, Italian Renaissance painters are keener on scientific aspects, while their Northern counterparts are more concerned on what they art look like thus, putting emphasis on color and detail. Jan van Eyck's Madonna in the Church, for example, is painted in vivid colors and in sharp details, in contrast with Raphael's The School of Athens focus on depth and perspective. 3.) Both Robert Campin's Merode Altarpiece and Roger van der Weyden's St. Luke Drawing the Virgin have prominent proportion. However, Weyden's painting is more realistic in scale and proportion. The figures are tilted in almost the same manner as we see the object. Campin's painting consists of elements that are cluttered and unrealistically proportioned. Weyden effectively used shading that suggests depth and more realistic visual space. 4.) Italian Renaissance is concerned more on the scientific aspects of art, presenting humans and objects as scientific specimens that move in logical and predictable ways. Italian Baroque art, in contrast, emphasizes exaggerations in motion and movement to produce dramatic and emotional effect. In painting, Pierro della Francesca's Baptism of Christ reflects the logical movement of people as compared with the overt dramatic tension of Federico Barocci, Aeneas' Flight from Troy. In sculpture Michelangelo's La Pieta is more reserved as compared to the vibrant actions of Bernini's Apollo and Daphne. In architecture the revival of Greek and Roman architecture is prominent in St. Peter's Basilica, while the San Benedetto Cathedral in Catania produces dramatic lighting "chiaroscuro" effect inside the edifice. 5.) Neo-Classicism is a revival of the classical art forms as contrasted from the sensuality and triviality of Rococo art. Arts in this period were also made for political propaganda use. For example, political message is clearly reflected in Jacques Louis-David's Death of Marat. Classical themes painted by fresh techniques, such as the use of contrast, characterize David's style and those of Neoclassical artists (Heindorff). 6.) The Oath of Horatii depicts Jacques Louis David's pioneering effort in French painting. It is marked by the usage of contrast in identifying three different groups of figures in the painting. David also effectively uses harmony of colors, arrangement of figures and of a majestic shadow that provides depth and contrast, as well as abstract nature of the painting (Jacques-Louis David: The Oath of the Horatii). 7.) Since the United States were under the British colonial rule, most European influence can be vividly seen in early American paintings. Neoclassicism, with its aim to use art as a form

Solar Energy - West Village, New York Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Solar Energy - West Village, New York - Essay Example A sensible estimate for the number of institutions in the area would be around 50 maximum, and population expansion would suggest that, although this seems high compared to the knowledge above, this number should be exaggerated when trying to ascertain how much power is needed for the area. It is reported that there are 21567 housing units in the area. This means that this information does not need to be estimated. However, the number should be rounded up to allow for any mistakes to avoid power shortages. The number suggested here is 24000, an approximately 10% markup on the official data. The number of businesses in the area is harder to ascertain. Census data suggests that this there were 2276 businesses in the area in 2008, although this is likely to fluctuate. Again allowing for any mistakes made in other areas, it is suggested that this be rounded up. The suggested number here is 2500, an approximately 10% markup from the official data. The total of each of these areas is 26550 units. This is the number of areas that need to be catered for in calculating the necessary power. However, it is important not to assume that each type of place will use a similar amount of energy, and this needs to be factored into any equations. Official and accurate data for the availability of local fuel in the area was difficult to find directly. Various data suggests that fuel for the area is derived almost exclusively from coal and gas resources, and is distributed to the residents and businesses by various different companies. The price and type of fuel available to you is dependent upon which street you live in within the zipcode. There are very few outages according to the information given by NYISO, which suggests that the actual availability of fuel for the area is very high and unlikely to run out. However, it is important to note that coal and gas are finite resources so the situation relating to the availability of local fuel needs to be

Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) - Essay Example Identify the submodalities relating to this belief. Identify internal representation and internal feeling of it. Identify a belief that you are unsure about in your life and explore this internally. Contrast the differences between the unwanted belief and the unsure belief. Test each submodality that you’ve worked out as being different by exchanging the submodality relating to the negative belief with your unsure belief. Change each one back to the way that it was before moving on to test the next one. Ask yourself what new liberating belief you would like instead of the old one. Identify this positively and that it is something you really want rather than what you feel you should want. Look at how this new belief will affect others around you. If needed, make slight changes in your wished for belief to account for this. You are now ready to change your negative belief to the way you feel about the unsure belief. Leave the content the same, change one or more of the most powe rful submodality differences you discovered in step. Change the content of the old belief to the new belief using the submodality shift. You can move your perception of the old belief away and replace it with the new wanted belief. Test by checking that your new belief is automatically represented by the new submodalities and check for the feeling you were aiming for. The six Representational Systems recognised in NLP are Visual (sight), Auditory (hearing), Kinesthetic (touch, physical bodily sensations including emotions), Gustatory (taste), Olfactory (smell), and Auditory-Digital. Mission Statements are the inspiring words chosen by successful leaders to clearly and concisely convey the direction of their organisation. A clear mission statement is able to communicate intentions and motivate the person to realise an attractive and inspiring vision of the future. Though, a personal mission statement is a different from a

Socially Responsible Procurement Programme Essay

Socially Responsible Procurement Programme - Essay Example The companies in order to be successful need to cope up with the situation maintaining profitable performance and showing ethical conduct towards investors, business partners, vendors, employees, governments and communities, and the most important customers. The companies are routinely being rewarded and punished on the basis of their performance of balanced act. Thus procurement plays a major role in the outcome. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be split into four distinct classifications based on a theorist's approach and view of society. The role of business in society and its related theories fall into the following foundational areas: instrumental, political, integrative or ethical (Garriga & Mele, 2004). From the instumental perspective, participation in CSR activities is endorsed only if it is in concert with wealth generation, and therefore CSR is seen as an instrument in which greater profits can be achieved, a means to an end. In political setting, business is considered as a "citizen" or part of society as a whole with responsibilities assigned thereto (Davis, 1973). The resultant power of a corporation from its operation must be used for the benefit of society and, just as importantly, harnessed as not to have negative influence on the marketplace. Further, as a member of society, a business has a responsibility to use its power effectively. Integrative approach to CSR in dicates that business and society are interdependent, where one party cannot exist without the other; and, as such, each relies on the other for validity, status and survival. According to ethical perspective, businesses through their activities must treat the individuals that compose that society fairly, must contribute to the sustainable development of the environment in which they function and forever keep in mind the "common good" in business planning. If a business can be seen as a group of individuals seeking fulfillment in society to meet its personal goals, then there is a strong relationship between the corporate sector and the "common good." For business, the "common good" would be defined as the strategic actions taken by the corporation that would help the members of that entity realize their individual goals. When action such as this is taken, the collective personal interests of the employees, when combined with the shareholders of the corporation, meld; and company su ccess is virtually guaranteed. As Carter & Jennings (2000) postulate that procurement social responsibility (PSR) consists of a wide array of

Fighting Cyber-Crime Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fighting Cyber-Crime - Term Paper Example This is because: 1. Every country has their own and separate legal, technical and organizational issues. 2. All information is stored in free-text format. 3. Information keeps changing dynamically. Thus, it has become a biggest international challenge. So how are they fighting against cybercrime? This is the topic of discussion in this task. What is Cybercrime? Cybercrime is any illegal activity that is conducted through the use of computers, the internet and computer network. There are many kinds of cybercrimes that exist: internet fraud, computer hacking, spreading of malicious code or viruses, cyber piracy and many more. And new types of cybercrime keep on being introduced. (Yang, 2008, p. 32). There are many reasons why people commit cybercrime; some of which are as follows: 1. Intellectual: when hackers gain illegal access to information on a secured website or crack passwords. 2. Emotional: when hackers take revenge from any employee of a company by giving threats through the u se of emails. 3. Financial: when hackers gain money through internet fraud. 4. Accessibility: when people download pirated software from the internet. Hence, cybercrime is not an accidental approach; it is an intentional act to gain some or the other kind of benefit on the part of the person committing it. (Cross and Shinder, 2008, p. 29). Some Examples of Cybercrimes Bob Smith who was a residence of Oklahoma, observed that his credit card had been used by some criminal who did fraudulent purchases. Two accounts had been opened with his information in two different banks. The criminal further applied for a loan in Dallas to buy a car and he changed the address of Bob to some address in Dallas which was a fake address. This was an example of use of internet fraud which is a cybercrime. (Cross and Shinder, 2008, p. 4). On 8 March, 2008, some data thieves broke into computers of chain of supermarkets Sweetbay and Hannaford Brothers, and stole around 4.2 billion credit card and debit ca rd numbers. A person’s email account password was hacked and his account was misused for sending malicious code to the contacts in the person’s address book. As the people receiving the malicious code think that it is coming from their friend, they open it and execute the attachments which infect their computer with the malicious code. (Nagpal, 2008, p. 133). Fighting Against Cybercrime The police should not be the only one involved in fighting against cybercrime. Legislators should also perform their part by making appropriate laws. Furthermore, the IT community and the society themselves should report the incidents of cybercrimes to the higher authorities as well as they should take measures to prevent themselves from becoming victim to these crimes. To fight against cybercrime, the following steps are being taken: 1. Educating the IT Professionals: As they already understand computer security, IT professionals are further made aware of computer crimes in which they are educated about the law which states what things come under computer crime and what things do not. The IT professionals are also being included in the law making in which they share their expertise. Furthermore, they are being involved with the police in the investigation of any computer crime scene so that they can give technical help and advice through their expertise.

Race o racism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Race o racism - Research Paper Example The marathon race will feature numerous other activities apart from running. These include an avenue to interact among the participants and share ideas. It will also be a family affair where the children will be educated on the importance of stopping racism. The proceeds from the marathon will help the affected racism victims around the world through the organizations planning. This agency has numerous branches all over America and all over the world. The main theme of the marathon is creating awareness on racism. Through the marathon, people will also appreciate the importance of alleviating racism since it has numerous impacts to a society. To highlight on the impacts, racism cause disintegration in a society. The disunity of the society affects numerous other activities of the society especially the developmental projects. Societies cannot develop well since the members do not appreciate each other’s role and position based on racism. It is in this respect that the society lags behind in terms of development. Through having joint public initiatives like this marathon, everyone in the society understand the importance of forgetting the racial differences and working together as one people. This marathon, therefore, is necessary to attend for individuals who seek to debunk the racism problem in the society. In many instances, an individual can be faced with a situation involving racial prejudice. This can be at the workplace, school or even at the church. When the individual is judged base on their race, they get psychological torture. They might feel that they have no place in the society and in some cases commit suicide. The case of racial segregation also develops hatred among different people of the society. The individuals start judging others on ethnic lines. From that perspective, the hatred is likely to develop into conflict. The conflict can further escalate to unprecedented levels. Affect this means that not only will the individuals involved but the whole community as a whole. Through the marathon, you will get to understand how to evade such situations. This would be an available activity for individuals who do not want to participate in the race. Racism also causes uncertainty among the members of a society. Everyone lives not sure of the other persons intention towards them they might feel that any action an individual does is directed to them. The state on uncertainty is not appropriate for the social health of the society (Jackson et al 15). The members do not interact freely and in a mutual interest way. It is in line with this that the race is purposed to bring together members from different races. Participants will get the chance to overcome their racial differences and compete in the marathon. The interaction among these members is a vital step to achieve a racism free country. Through the marathon, the participants will get the chance to prove their competency outside the realm of racism. For the participants who do not wish to participate in the race, various activities are also available to suit their needs on understanding racism. There would be centers where talks are held about racism. Similarly, there would be discussions on racism and its effects. The participants in these discussions are also expected to give some of the possible solutions to racism. The International Agency against Racism hopes that, through this marathon, everyone will have a

Pakistan Steel Mills Essay Example for Free

Pakistan Steel Mills Essay Topic: Privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills Subject: Pakistan Economic Policy Submitted By: M. Faizan Sohail (7133) Faculty: Shahid Iqbal Date of Submission: 12th August 2010 Pakistan Steel Mills Introduction: Pakistan Steel Mills is the producer of long rolled steel products in Karachi, Pakistan. The Pakistan Steel Mill is the countrys largest industrial undertaking having a production capacity of 1. 1 million tons of steel. The enormous dimensions of the project can be visualized from the construction inputs which involved the use of 1. 9 million cubic meters of concrete, 5. 70 million cubic meters of earth work (second to Tarbela Dam), 330,000 ton of machinery, steel structures and electrical equipment. It’s unloading and conveyor system at Port Qasim is the third largest in the world and its industrial water reservoir with a capacity of 110 million gallons per day is the largest in Asia. A 2. 5 km long sea water channel connects the sea water circulation system to the plant site with a consumption of 216 million gallons of sea water per day. Soviet Contribution to Steel Mill In January 1971 Pakistan and the USSR signed an agreement under which the latter agreed to provide techno-financial assistance for the construction of a coastal-based integrated steel mill at Karachi. The huge construction and erection work of an integrated steel mill, never experienced before in the country, was carried out by a consortium of Pakistani construction companies under the overall supervision of Soviet experts. Corporate Business and Net worth Pakistan Steel not only had to construct the main production units, but also a host of infrastructure facilities involving unprecedented volumes of work and expertise. Component units of the steel mills numbering over twenty, and each a big enough factory in its own right, were commissioned as they were completed between 1981 to 1985, with the Coke Oven and Byproduct Plant coming on stream first and the Galvanizing Unit last. Commissioning of Blast Furnace No. on 14 August, 1981 marked Pakistans entry into the elite club of iron and steel producing nations. The project was completed at a capital cost of Rs. 24,700 million. The completion of the steel mill was formally launched by the then-President of Pakistan on 15 January, 1985. Pakistan Steel today is the countrys largest industrial undertaking, having a production capacity of 1. 1 million tons of steel. Founders of Pakistan Still Mills The real founders of Pakistan Steel Mills are Prof. Dr. Niaz Muhammad, Wahab Siddiqui and Russian scientist Mikhail Koltokof. It was the hard work of Dr. Niaz Muhammad that thousands of scientists and technical staff got trained by him. His inspirations and innovations got him the highest award from President of Pakistan, and also from Government of Russia. The Government of Pakistan has given him Pride of Performance. His nomination for Nobel Prize was biggest respect what Pakistan achieved. Social obligations Pakistan Steel Mills, besides its core activities, has done a lot in making the environment in and around Pakistan Steel green and beautiful through the addition of three unique projects: the Quaid-I-Azam Park, The Quaid-I-Azam Cricket Park and the Quaid-I-Azam Beach. The Quaid-I-Azam Park, which spreads out over an area of 45acre, consists of a series of six interconnected lakes, lush green lawns and grassy terraces, colorful flower beds, fountains, life- size steel-made models of wild and marine animals, a jogging track, a bird sanctuary and mini-zoo, as well as a childrens play and recreational ground and boating facilities. The other unique project, known as the Quaid-I-Azam Cricket Park, has been established amidst the pleasing surroundings of Steel Town, featuring sloping grassy terraces all around for spectators and four diagonally-located hillocks with seating arrangements to provide a panoramic view of the game. This is spread over an area of 32000 sq. meters and is equipped with all the necessary facilities, conforming to international standards. The third project, Quaid-I-Azam Beach, is being developed with the aim to provide a seaside recreational spot to the employees of Pakistan Steel, especially those residing at Steel Town and Gulshan-e-Hadeed. Pakistan Steel is also on its way to establish Quaid-I-Azam National Park over a vast area of 400acre adjacent to Steel Town which shall be a tremendous contribution in the development of the environment. The organization also has a football team Pakistan Steel FC that currently competes in the Pakistan Premier League. History Privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills After independence in 1947, it did not take long for Pakistan to come to the realization that progressive industrial and economical development would be impossible without the possession of a self reliant iron and steel making plant. The dependence on imports would cause serious setbacks to the country along with an extortionately high import bill which would be impossible to support. In 1968, the Government of Pakistan decided that the Karachi Steel Project should be sponsored in the public sector, for which a separate Corporation, under the Companies Act, be formed. In pursuance of this decision, Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation Limited was incorporated as a private limited company to establish and run steel mills at Karachi. Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation concluded an agreement with V/o Tyaz Promexport of the USSR in January, 1969 for the preparation of a feasibility report for the establishment of a coastal-based integrated steel mill at Karachi. Bhutto  had signed a contract with the former USSR to help build the project. The project was estimated  to cost Rs 10 billion but was completed at a cost of Rs 30 billion and took ten years to finish. The foundation stone of this vital and gigantic project was laid on 30 December, 1973 by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The completion of the steel mill was formally launched by the then-President of Pakistan on 15 January, 1985. The steel mill project provided 20,000 jobs for workers from all over Pakistan. Unfortunately, from the very beginning plotting were launched by the bureaucracy against the workers in order to destroy their moral and ruin their potential. A propaganda campaign was started in the media to give the impression that the project was a burden on the national economy and that it was â€Å"a white elephant†. This campaign gradually became noisier  and  the idea that there were 8000 surplus workers who were a burden and needed to be gotten rid of was widely propagated. However, the bureaucracy and the press found it impossible to attack the workers due to the political strength and unity of the militant trade unions. With its propaganda having failed and its aims in ruins, the bureaucracy resorted to the traditional and criminal tactics of the ruling class – the tactic of â€Å"divide and rule†. In 1986 Zia-ul-haq dictatorship  began a series of brutal political assaults in Pakistan. The ruling class succeeded in generating racial  conflicts among workers, which  not only divided the workers but also weakened the labor movement. This tactic of â€Å"divide and rule† also affected Pakistan Steel. In 1988 the trade unions were divided on racial grounds which resulted in bloody hatred and ended  the traditional revolutionary unity of the unions. The labour movement was constantly harassed and its leadership degenerated and became demoralized. In 1992 Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed a General, Sabeeh Qamar-uz-zaman, as chairman of Pakistan Steel. He was given the task of improving the situation and â€Å"normalizing† the working conditions. He imposed an undeclared ban on the trade unions at Pakistan Steel. Terror and the harassment  of the unions were  enforced in the name of discipline. An  internal security intelligence  unit, the  FIU, was also established and was headed by an army colonel. This notorious  intelligence unit discovered that 1500 workers were a â€Å"security risk†. These workers were punished and removed from their jobs. In 1995 Benazir Bhutto, in her second term in office, reinstated most of these workers. However not all of them were reinstated. During his second tenure in 1997, Nawaz Sharif  introduced  many reactionary anti-labour laws. The ex-chief of the FIU, Colonel Afzal, a batch mate of General Musharraf, was appointed as managing director of Pakistan Steel. This gentleman was twice suspended on corruption charges from his previous post as chief of the FIU, yet somehow he still merited the promotion to chairman. After Musharraf overthrew Nawaz Sharif in 1999, he introduced his â€Å"Seven Point Agenda† to the nation. Not surprisingly his top priority was the introduction of the brutal policies of rightsizing and downsizing, which in practice meant maximizing  unemployment. These policies  were sweetened with another Black Law: the Industrial Relations Ordinance 2000. In June 2000 the chairman of Pakistan Steel announced the immediate dismissal of 436 workers. The workers were informed in their dismissal orders that their services were no longer required. This was just the beginning however, and a new policy was enforced where workers were requested to enjoy the â€Å"benefits† of the VRP (Volunteer Retirement Policy). All of these laws and policies were exercised in the worst manner in Pakistan Steel; it became a model and an example to whole country, and to all workers and trade unions. 8500 jobs were ruthlessly cut by these barbaric policies. These sackings affected the workers deeply, and led to a change in consciousness. On December 31, 2001 the workers of Pakistan Steel organized a general strike against the anti-labor policies of the chairman and the government. The workers blocked all roads and access to the mill. On February 7, 2003 the workers again organized a strike. The authorities attempted to stop the strike by using the tactics of delay. But this only served to provoke the workers, and on March 8, 2003 the workers again blocked the roads. This time they also occupied the mill. This action paralyzed the authorities but unfortunately the struggle was lost because the workers were betrayed at the negotiating table by the trade union leadership. It was apparent that  this struggle could have galvanized the working class nationally  and that it could have found a mass basis. However, in the end it was drowned in petty compromises and conciliations. On December 30, 2003 Chairman Afzal was suddenly dismissed and again a General, Abdul Qayum was appointed as the new  chairman. He immediate gave the impression to the workers that the situation would be totally reversed and that the workers would not have to fear any  more suspensions or dismissals. He also announced an extension plan for Pakistan Steel that would create more jobs. However, just before initiating the extension plan, it was announced that Pakistan Steel would be privatised rather than proceed with the extension. This was a clear declaration of a severe attack on the rights of the workers. This was a clear attack  on their jobs and their working conditions. This declaration provoked 12,500 workers who are drawing the conclusion that they need to fight back. The government was not as lucky in the case of Pakistan Steel Mills as it had been with regard to certain other privatization deals.