Thursday, October 31, 2019

Recycled Toothbrushes Make Sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Recycled Toothbrushes Make Sense - Essay Example The great advantage to Recycline is that they get raw materials for production at free cost in partnering with Stonyfield Farm. It is cost-effective and time saving as it eases the efforts made on collecting raw-materials through this partnership deal. An array of techniques can be applied for the sales promotion of these recycled products. In the current business scenario people are exceedingly influenced or affected by the power of advertisement. The celebrities appear in advertisements have an intangible influence on people as they attract public to the respective products. So deploying contemporary celebrities will certainly increase the sales. Announcing special offers on product sale is an emerging trend these days which Hudson can also implement as one of his marketing tactics. In addition to product offers, giving price reduction during special events can also promote sales at a considerable range. It is very difficult for a firm to withstand in the modern business world without being highly competitive. As the business trends change, business policies should also be changed. For this, entrepreneur must be up to date with appropriate strategies to meet the challenges of market fluctuations. Since consumer based marketing is the core of current businesses, the company can launch regional outlets in order to be available the products as and when required by consumers. House door delivery is also a suggestive method. The company can also make use of Information Technology to provide services to customers and collect feedbacks from them. At the same time company should maintain quality of the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Teen Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teen Pregnancy - Essay Example The ages of these girls ranged from 15 years to 19 years. These statistics declined and in the year 2005, the conceptions dropped to 40.5 in every 1000 teenage girls. It was further highlighted that in this era between 1991 and 2005, 750,000 teenagers conceived in the United States. It has been proved that the problem has a higher rate in the United States in comparison to other nations like England, Wales and Canada. There has been a decrease in the rates of teen pregnancy but still the issue is known to be present in the society. This has led to the analysis of the causes of teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is a serious issue of concern and the major contributing reasons for teen pregnancy include low socioeconomic status, lack of education and societal forces (Donaldson et al 2003; Miller 2006; Thomas 2009). The socioeconomic factor is a major causative factor of teen pregnancy. A low socio-economic status means that the parents have lower educational qualifications which do not war rant for a good job. This means that the heads of the families have to work for longer periods of time and stay away from home. Furthermore, despite of this increased working, the overall income of the house is not very high. These families survive in poor conditions. The long working hours of the parents result in a lack of regulation and command over the activities of the children as the parents tend to stay out of the house most of the time. This allows for opportunities for the teens to engage in sexual behavior without the approval of their parents. The parents who possess low educational qualifications may be less learned and they would not be able to explain their children about safe sex strategies owing to their own lack of knowledge. This would result in decreased sexual knowledge amongst the teenagers which would lead to higher cases of teen pregnancy. A low socioeconomic status also serves to result in living conditions beyond satisfactory and these tend to disturb the te enagers. These disturbances provoke them to opt for sexual pleasures and therefore teen pregnancy results. Thus it can be seen that a low socioeconomic status is a cause of teen pregnancy as it results in a lack of supervision over the teenagers accompanied with decreased parental guidance and poor living conditions which tend to result in teen pregnancy (Donaldson et al 2003; Thomas 2009). Teen pregnancy has also been associated with many societal forces that tend to promote sexual behaviors amongst the teenage groups. Cultural variations serve to provide as a major community factor that leads to teen pregnancies. Teenage pregnancies are considered to be normal in a few cultures and this trend continues from the parents to their children. Statistics have revealed that the teen conception rate is very high amongst the Mexican Americans and the blacks. This rate is considerably lower for the whites and the Asians. It has been seen that Mexicans and blacks have disturbed family lives which may be a leading cause for higher teen pregnancies in their communities. It has also been analyzed that the Mexican culture instills values of obedience and compliance amongst girls. The Mexican tradition also upholds the characteristics of â€Å"machismo† and â€Å"virility† amongst boys. This results in the indulgence of these teenagers

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Management Accounting Case Study

Management Accounting Case Study INTRODUCTION: This is a report of management accounting will focus more on cost and budget. According to reports, the issue of cost method, information analysis, computation, theory and applications of gold companies that can help readers may clear understanding of this topic. The problem in making the cost of the largest organizations will also be mentioned in the report. Moreover, there are many examples of information expected costs for the next year and analyze the information that can make the reader practical experience in accounting environment. I. Identify and classify the different types of costs incurred in Wine Company 1. Cost classification The cost classification is divided into three categories called cost classification for stock valuation and profit measurement, cost classification for decision making and classification for the control. According Vang Company, they have adopted the classification of expenses for stock valuation and profit measurement that can help them make the kind of cost-effective and also predict risk or revenue for their future. There have costs that are present in all organizations can help accountants can easily calculate the cost of an organization. Accordingly, the cost will be divided into direct material costs, direct labor costs and direct costs for each corresponding indirect. Moreover, the cost also refers to a number of other costs such as administration overhead, high on S D, production costs and time costs. ( Case Study ) 1.1 Direct costs Direct costs means costs that are directly attributable to production of a product or service provider. A direct costs include direct material costs, direct labor costs and other direct costs ( financial accounting and management financial statements, p6, 2010 ) . The first is the direct material costs. Direct material costs are the direct costs of materials used to make and sell products or provide services ( financial accounting and management financial statements, p7, 2010 ). At Vang Company, because this is a company specializing in producing custom t-shirts for corporate events, family and group, they should have sufficient material to produce t-shirts as fabric, sewing. So to have the documents, the company needs to pay for the provider. Next is the direct labor costs. Direct labor costs are the specific costs of employees or workers directly used in the production of goods and services ( Ukessays, 2014 ). Direct labor costs include salaries, wages, allowances and deductions from wages as social insurance, health insurance. According to the law of Vietnam, workers minimum wage is 1,150,000 VND / month. At Vang Company, has 25 employees, including 21 in production and 4 in management and sales ( Vang Company Case Study, 2014 ). So Vang Company must pay their employees at least 1,150,000 VND / month and can pay more depending on the job level ( Wikipedia, 2013 ) . Direct expenses are part of the direct costs that are spent in making a product or providing a particular service, or run a department ( financial accounting and management financial statements, p7, 2010 ). To ensure the quality of T shirts, Vang Company using electric sewing machine to sew and hand silk screen printed. Using the device s power costs incurred to produce T -shirts ( case studies vang Company, 2014 ). They are tools to be purchased or leased by Vang Corporation to make T -shirts . 1.2 Indirect costs : Indirect costs or overhead costs include indirect costs that material, indirect salary costs, indirect costs, administration costs, S D costs . Indirect materials related to products, but not derived from the finished product. That the documents without material used as direct but it also helps to finished product. For example : A number of indirect materials in their wine companies are sewing machines, chemicals for cleaning cloth or machine, scissors, gloves protect workers when they work or some tools that can help to determine product . Indirect salary costs for wages that but it is not related to the production process and to not participate in the product. For example : Vang Company also need to pay for the management, monitoring and help them search activities and enterprises but they do not work on the product line. The security and cleaner for Vang company also not working on product activity so that Vang company also have indirect wages for them. Indirect costs which are not charged directly to production ( management accounting and financial statements, 2010). Vang companies also pay insurance for employees, their production and also pay rent for the old buildings that they rent for offices and factories . The administration costs that the costs related to the management and operation of the company ( SmallBusiness, 2014 ). For example, Vang Company will pay the wages office concluded wages of secretaries, accountants and also they have to pay rent, rates, insurance, light, sanitation, telephone, portal, bank charges, legal costs . The S D costs, including marketing materials, advertising, packaging, salary and commission sales staff, rent, rate, insurance, cost of product delivery Vang company. They also change the quality and packaging of individual products are wrapped in recycled brown paper bag 1.3: Fixed cost, step cost, variable cost and semi-variable costs: Fixed cost is a cost which remains constant within a certain level of output or sales is unaffected by changes in the level of activity (Finance management accounting and financial reporting, p11, 2010). Figure 1: Graph of fixed cost (Google, no date) In Vang Company, the fixed cost could be salary of employees, the rent of factory building and equipment. However, in Vang company case study, fixed factory cost changed from 2006 to 2008. It increased from 20,000$ to 30,000$ in 3 years. This proves that the economy is not stable. Step cost is fixed cost when paying company but costs have risen because of the increase of production volume or something it might be reduced because of reduced production volumes. The cost steps can occur due to the companys expansion. For example: For Vang company if they received more T-shirt from customers that they will make more t-shirts, and they need to have more staff will make them increase the cost or they need to hire to plant because the increase of the laborers. Variable cost is a cost of labor or material change with activity level (Rosemary Peavler, 2014). In Vang Company, variable costs include raw materials, packaging, and labor directly involved in the production process of the company. Variable cost plants raised from $ 70,000 to $ 120,000 in 3 years from 2006 to 2008 (Case Vang Company, 2014). Figure 3: Graph of variable cost (Google, no date) Semi-variable cost are the costs that contain fixed cost and variable cost components. For example: Vang company also need to pay salary (fixed cost) and commission (variable cost) for salesperson and its a semi-variable cost. Figure 5 : Semi-variable cost (google)

Friday, October 25, 2019

The First Descent of the Grand Canyon Essay -- American America Histor

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Wesley Powell was one of the foremost explorers in American history, and his first descent down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is one of America’s greatest adventure stories. Although he is not as well known as other explorers, his travels and his contributions to American history are significant because they represent a spirit of discovery motivated not by self-glory or the acquisition of gold or land, but by a curiosity about and appreciation for both the natural world and the native peoples of the West.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Wesley Powell pursued knowledge and the uncommon experience his entire life. Born in 1834 in Ohio to a Methodist minister, he became interested in science as a boy and was fortunate to have a neighbor who was both an amateur scientist and a willing teacher (Stegner 13–14). In 1846, the Powell family moved to Wisconsin, where John Wesley struggled to continue his scientific education against the will of his father, who wanted him to become a preacher. In 1857, he set off on his first great adventure: a trip down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in a rowboat (Stegner 16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1861 Powell enlisted in the Union Army and was elected captain of artillery under U. S. Grant. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 and lost his right arm. Despite his debility, however, Powell returned to active duty and finished the war (Stegner 17).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Civil War, Powell became a professor of science at Illinois Weslyan and curator of the Illinois State Natural History museum. In 1867 he went on his first expedition to Colorado and began his life-long love affair with the American West and the native peoples who lived there. The next year he went back to Colorado and spent the winter amon... ...de him fearless and victorious against hardship. Because of his unfaltering dedication to knowledge and the preservation of the West, Powell is truly one of the most significant American explorers of the nineteenth century. Works Cited Hillers, John K. â€Å"Tau-gu, Chief of the Paiutes, and Major John Wesley Powell.† 1873. National Anthropological Archives. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. Powell, John Wesley. The Exploration of the Colorado River. Ed. Wallace Stegner. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1957. ---. Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States. 2nd ed. Washington: GPO, 1879. ---. â€Å"Wreck at Disaster Falls.† Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Washington: GPO, 1875: 26. Stegner, Wallace. Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1954.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Literacy narrative Essay

Audience: Professor and fellow students of the English 102 course Purpose: To explain how I became literate in my lifetime and what contributed to my literacy level today 1,357 Words Benefits of Being a Bookworm Have you ever been asked, â€Å"What is your first language? † Living in such a melting pot of a country, the United States, minorities often get asked this question. Usually when people ask others this question, it is not because they want to know which language you learned to speak first. People ask this question to see which language the one being questioned is more fluent in. Is it possible that your second language might be the one you are more fluent and literate in? The answer to this question is yes. I am a first-generation immigrant to the United States and proud. My first language (to be politically correct) would be Cape Verdean Portuguese Creole. What I want to ask is why is it important to know what my first-language is when I am more literate and fluent in English? If I can compare my languages to my siblings, I would, due to the fact that I was raised with both of them equally during the course of my life. I learned Creole at home with my parents ad family, but I owe my literacy I English to school, and the love I had for reading. Practice makes perfect. A person’s literacy level is completely based on practice. Schools aim to train students to be literate and educated, but those students who practice at home (outside of the regulations of school) are the true scholars. Let’s look at Malcolm X, for example; a man who had formal schooling up until the eighth grade and nothing after that. Yet, even though Malcolm X had less schooling than all of us college students here at UMASS Dartmouth, he is probably, in my opinion, more literate and more educated than most of us. Interesting isn’t it? The reason why Malcolm X was so educated is because he read every day, non-stop, in his jail cell, with no distractions. He kept a dictionary by his side to teach himself any new words he would come across that he was unfamiliar with. What better way is there to familiarize yourself with a language and expand your vocabulary other than reading written works by other people that most likely know things you don’t know and have a different vocabulary than you? By reading you learn new diction, new facts, and cause your brain to grow in knowledge. I can say that aside from school, reading, like Malcolm X, expanded my literacy skills. As I had said before, I am a first generation immigrant; my parents also are first generation immigrants. I never had the luxury of being taught English by my parents, being read to by my parents, or getting help with my homework or anything academic at all except for math, of course, which doesn’t vary between countries that speak different languages. But even with this being said, I had always been at the top of my class in elementary school, done very well in middle school, and done well enough in high school to have the pleasure of being offered the opportunity to be in an Advanced Placement English class. I was a nerd in my early years. I used to enjoy reading very much. I would always ask my father to take me to the library, where I would check out many books and go through them like a bullet. During class time, when the teacher would be finished or took a break and there was nothing else to be done, I loved reading; I looked forward to silent reading time in class. When I had a 100-page book, I would tend to finish it within a day. Longer books such as the Harry Potter series would be finished within a few days. I never had a problem with reading assignments because I would finish them so quickly and understand everything I read. I had an eighth-grade reading level in elementary school while I would watch other students struggle while reading aloud as they stumbled on their words and wouldn’t know how to properly pronounce them. I never understood why it was so easy for me while other students would find it difficult. As a child I read all the Harry Potter books; they were my favorite. I also enjoyed other series such as Curious George, The Babysitter’s Club, and Judy Blume. I also read plenty of other books that I cannot remember because the list was so long. I believe that there is a strong relationship between reading and writing. Someone who is an excellent reader and comprehends what he/she reads should have a big vocabulary and a sense of how real, professional writers perform. Every book, magazine, and newspaper we read or look at is composed of articles and passages written by professional writers. If you have a lot of experience with all this, then you should know what a professional piece of work looks like and sounds like. Therefore, I feel like someone who reads a lot will be a good writer as well. The two things are connected, and it helps to write when you are a skilled reader and vice versa. Books are the perfect model for those who want to become more skilled as writers. After all, that is exactly what Malcolm X did, and he became very skilled. It takes a very skilled writer to produce the best books out there. If one does not know how to read and cannot understand words on a page, then how is it that they can know how to write the words down on their own pages. Similarly, if you are deaf, how can you learn to speak properly? Hearing words and their pronunciation is the model for the deaf to learn how to speak; and if they are missing their model or example, it can be almost impossible to learn naturally, on their own. I feel that reading and writing are the most important elements of school and learning. Books, articles, research papers, whether they are non-fiction or fiction, all serve a very important purpose. Whether you are reading for pleasure to expand your imagination and reduce your stress, reading to attain information on a specific topic or just to expand your knowledge, or reading to practice and become more literate and a better writer, you are never at a loss. Therefore, writing becomes very important because, if it wasn’t for writing, there would be nothing out there for us to read in the first place. Reading is not for the lazy. I used to love reading as a kid and found it so interesting, but as I grew into my teenage years and became more interested in action, reality and drama, I distanced myself from all the reading and became more of an extrovert. The occasional newspaper article or magazine article is still entertaining to me though. Even now, as a college student, you will never find me reading anything unless it is required for me to achieve the grades I desire; never do I read for pleasure. I feel that I achieved a high reading level way back in my middle school days, and that has influenced me to think that the only thing now that can improve my writing is to keep writing. I feel that I have acquired a great deal of knowledge throughout my lifetime and I did a lot of this myself through all my readings. Nobody pushed me to read during my spare time. My parents weren’t very literate in the English language to be role models for me or to help me read or even read to me. All the instructions I have read, all the words I learned how to pronounce, I did it on my own through reading. As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember seeing my father ever read a book, and my mom didn’t start reading until after she went back to school to get her college degree. Literacy is all about exploring the world of words, and pages, reading, and writing. In order for one to achieve great literacy, one will need to push and challenge himself/herself to read more and understand the readings.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Book Review Share Jesus Without Fear Essay

ABSTRACT Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay with Linda Evans Shepherd was written to inform the reader how important and how to share your faith with people. It is a book that tries to motivate and teach believers to be successful in sharing their faith (the gospel) in a simple but effective way. The author believes very strongly that â€Å"the success of sharing one’s faith is not about winning or bringing souls (people) to Christ it is all about obedience through faithfulness of the Christian (believer).†1 He reminds us that we cannot save people; the only thing we can do is share the gospel, our faith and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the author tells us that the only way to fail in evangelism, sharing one’s faith is if we fail to share – the sin of silence. In other words The author goes on to state that as few as 5 to 10 percent of the people in the average church have shared their faith in the past year and that means that 90% of us have chosen the sin of silence.2 The sin of silence means exactly what it says, â€Å"instead of sharing your faith you keep silent.† He goes on to divide people into two groups: 1) those who talk about the  lost and 2) those who talk to the lost.3 The author goes on to inform us of reasons why people don’t share their faith and then he removes all excuses by stating that one must drop the excuses and practice obedience to the Great Commission.4 The author then discusses the need to overcome fear when sharing one’s faith. The author then gives five simple â€Å"Share Jesus† questions that aid in starting a conversation that can be directed to an opportunity to share the gospel. The author goes on to explain each of these questions. By asking these questions Fay states the conversation can be easily steered towards Jesus Christ because these questions allow people to give their opinions freely. Once the door is opened to share, Fay then gives selected passages of Scripture that are to be used during the second step of evangelism. Let the Bible speak for itself. Fay’s main concept in this step is to have the person read the scripture aloud for themselves then ask them what it means to them. This gives them the Holy Spirit a chance to use their own voice to speak to their own hearts. If the person does not explain the scripture correctly, Fay asks them to read it again until they get the correct meaning. The author again reminds us that God will work through his word and that we do not have to try and do the work for him, God is God alone and will use the Holy Spirit to work in the person’s life. Finally, at the end of the book, Fay discusses the most common objections to accepting Christ, as well as giving suggestions how to overcome these objections when one is faced with them. In conclusion, the book is about sharing Jesus without fear. Being in obedience. It is about how to overcome fear in evangelism. The author uses many personal experiences as examples, which I found to be supportive of his method of evangelizing. The author stresses the importance of sharing one’s faith and that every believer should be aware of committing the â€Å"sin of silence.† CONCRETE RESPONSE When the book spoke of fear of sharing one’s faith, it reminded me of one of my personal life experiences at the beginning of my walk with Christ. In the beginning, I had the thought that I was not good enough to share Jesus  with anyone. After all, before being saved I was a drug addict, criminal and a prostitute. I always thought how I could even be worthy enough to represent Christ let alone speak about him. Part of the reason I felt this way is I could not forgive myself for prostitution. Thanks to my mentor, Lisa the woman who helped me come back to Christ knew I was having difficulty in sharing my faith with people because of this, ministered to me and through scripture (Romans 10:9-10 and Psalms 103:2) that Christ has saved me from every sin and remembers them no more. I learned that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus and am worthy to represent him. God showed me that I am more than good enough to share the gospel with others and because of what I have went through i n life I can give a better testimony of what God can and will do because he did it for me. Praise God I overcame the spirit of not being good enough and now I share my faith with anyone who will listen. REFLECTION As it relates to the book, I found the book to be very encouraging in sharing one’s faith. Fay firmly believes that everyone should be sharing his or her faith. I agree with this that every believer should be sharing Jesus with someone. The book for all practical purposes does outline a simple way to share faith. It gives detail on how to initiate a conversation, how to overcome fear and objections, how to use scripture and how to let the Holy Spirit have control. The author reminds us that we are not the ones who is saving people only God can do that and that all we have to do is not keep silent about Christ. I liked the way Fay uses Scripture to back up his approach and how he used examples of his personal experiences. However, one thing that I believe could have made the book helpful especially for those who have had rejection in sharing their faith would have been the mention of more personal experiences where rejection was the result. This would have helped the reader rel ate to rejection, as they would have read actual experiences of rejection that would help encourage them in the same situations. On the other hand, maybe Fay did not mention more rejection experiences because as he states throughout the book one cannot fail when sharing one’s faith. As long as one is willing to share and not keep, silent God can work with it. I have to say that until I read Fay’s book I did not think of not sharing one’s faith as the â€Å"sin of silence.† Now I can  see that it is a sin to be silent because God does tell us to witness, and share the gospel and if we are in disobedience in this area then we are sinning – whether intentionally or not. I also agree with the follow up advice Fay gives after someone receives Christ. Do not let them be on their own, find a church for them to be involved in so they can continue to grow in their relationship with Christ. Too many of us lead someone to Christ then we leave him or her to fend for himself or herself. Should not be! What I took from the book is the importance of evangelizing and sharing one’s faith. Not to be fearful and look for every opportunity to share Christ. I also learned that this is what all believers are called to do and if we do not then we are committing the â€Å"sin of silence.† We all need to be aware of people around us who need Jesus and take every opportunity to share Christ with them. ACTION This book has enlightened me in some areas that I need to improve in my life. I do evangelize whenever the opportunity arises but there are times that, I get so busy I do not notice those around me in everyday situations. In everyday situations, I do sometimes find it difficult to start conversations where they can be directed to sharing Christ. Therefore, I do like the approach Fay gives in his book. I also like the suggestion of a prayer list of actually writing down people’s names that we should be praying over. As a minister, I have people asking me to pray for them and sometimes I am guilty of forgetting their names when I am in prayer. A prayer list would help me remember not only those I should pray for but those who have asked for prayer. The book had many suggestions that I will start using. In the future, I plan to be more aware of people around me especially in everyday situations. Start to use some of the Share Jesus Questions and Scriptures Fay uses to direct conversations toward sharing Christ. I am going to start writing a prayer list that will enable me to remember those that need prayer and to pray for them diligently. I also plan to get a small pocket Bible with the Share Jesus Questions and Scriptures and have it with me at all times that I can be prepared when opportunities arise to share Christ. I believe this is a necessary change for me. It makes sense  that we need to be ready in any given situation to share Christ and many of us does not carry a big bible with us everywhere we go whereas a small pocket bible we can. I never thought of this until reading this book. This is what Fay does and it seems like a perfect solution to having scripture with you at all times. In conclusion, I have a better understanding and I am more encouraged in the area of sharing my faith and evangelizing. I really enjoyed the book and found it helpful in teaching other methods of evangelism than I have done. It has been encouraging to me to continue evangelizing wherever and whenever the opportunity arises not only then but also to look for those opportunities because opportunities to share can be often missed if we are not looking for them. As believers we need to share our faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Bibliography Fay, William with Shepherd Linda Evans. Share Jesus Without Fear. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1999.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone is a book about an adopted child named Wart. He is of royal blood and does not know this. One day when Wart is in the forest, he finds a magician named Merlin. Merlin comes home with Wart and agrees with Sir Ector, Wart's guardian, to become Wart's tutor. Merlin goes about educating Wart by transforming him into different animals. Through each transformation Wart experiences different forms of power, each being a part of how he should rule as king. The first transformation plunges Wart and Merlin into the castle's moat as fish. They proceed to meet the largest fish in the moat, who is the ruler. This fish takes what he wants because of his size. In a speech about power, he tells Wart that, "Might is right," and might of the body is greater than might of the mind. Because of the way the fish-king rules, his subjects obey him out of fear for their lives. Wart experiences this firsthand when the fish-king tells him to leave. He has grown bored of Wart, and if Wart does not leave he will eat him. The king uses his size as his claim to power, therefore his subjects follow him out of fear. In Wart's next transformation into a hawk, he soars into the castle's mews. All the birds in the mews have a military rank. Their leader is an old falcon, who Sir Ector keeps for show. The birds who rank below the falcon, hold her in highest regard because of her age. She applies her power over the other birds with no concern for their lives. In one instance, Wart is ordered to stand next to the cage of a crazy hawk who almost kills him. On the other hand, her seasoned age brings respect, since she had not been released once she outlived her usefulness as a huntress. This allows her to maintain a powerful grip over all the birds Next, Wart is transformed into an ant and posted within an ant colony. There is a single leader of the ants, and she is the ...