Alternative fuel for cars – Research Proposal

This research proposal is written for proposing further research on the suitable and economically sustainable alternative fuel for cars. This study was taken as need of hour to reduce the cost towards oil imports and control pollution, which if not controlled now, will lead to worst Global Warming. Basically this proposal is based on the current and projected car population. To be sustainable and economical, the researcher has taken the study envisaging on the car market. The cars are major attributors to emission. Since car population density is directly proportional to the human population density, there will be more harm to the people.Car population and projections Number of cars in the developing world will increase 300% between 1995 and 2020. The growth in automobile population is growing at slightly less than twice the rate of the human population in North America and Western Europe. The growth of cars in developing countries is proliferating due to economic boom. There have be en no oil field discoveries since 1988 and there will be a global decline in oil production within 15 to 20 years. It is projected that by 2020 there will be well over 1. 1 billion motor vehicles (cars) in the world. Riley, R (2006).World car population. Retrieved April 7, 2008, Web site: http://www. rqriley. com/sld002. htm There were 200 million cars in 1970 and 500 million cars in 1990. During 1997 there were 600 million cars and by 2027 the projection is double the figure of 1997 data. Elert, G (2003). Number of cars. Retrieved April 7, 2008, Web site: http://hypertextbook. com/facts/2001/MarinaStasenko. shtml Current Global warming and its effect and projection CO2 had varied only about 5 percent from the last ice age (10,000 years ago) to the industrial revolution year in the last century.The CO2 level in atmosphere from the industrial revolution year to 2030 is estimated to be doubled. That means within 150 years, the CO2 level in atmosphere will be doubled. Main reason and o ne of the biggest single contributors for this change is emission from the burning of fossil fuels. We were able to control emissions by 95% in the last 20 years by the state of art emission control systems and research on fuel ingredients which resulted to lesser emissions. But looking at the projected car population the advantage gained through the emission control will be wiped off in a decade. Riley, R (2006).World car population. Retrieved April 7, 2008, Web site: http:// www. rqriley. com/moma2. htm Different alternative fuels –Merits and Demerits Ethanol –Produced from starch crops like corn and other crops like sugar beets, cane or cellulose materials, fast growing trees and grasses. It produces less green house gas emissions than conventional fuel. One third of US gasoline contains ethanol in a low level blend to reduce air pollution. The disadvantage is, it gives lesser mileage because of its lower energy content than straight petrol. Bio diesel – Prod uced from vegetable oils and animal fats.It produces less air pollution than petroleum based diesel. Production is expensive. Cost can be brought done by doing research. No need to modify the engines. Good lubricant to the engine. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-Fossil fuel, generates less air pollutants. It is expensive. Compressed natural gas (CNG) – It produces very low level of pollution. Available refuelling station is still a problem. The storage place in the car occupies more space. Not able to go long distance because of refuelling station availability problem. Hydrogen-It can be produced from fossil fuels, nuclear power or from renewable resources like hydropower.Fuel cell vehicles powered by pure hydrogen emit no harmful air pollutants. Methanol – It is also known as wood alcohol. Methanol is produced by a process using natural gas as a feedstock. It will contaminate ground water. It gives very less mileage. Electricity-It is very silent and no pollution at all . The cost of Vehicle fitted with electric motor is in higher side, the battery charging time is too long. It takes even 8-10 hours to fully charge. The cost of running the car is very cheap. It is only good for city riding with lesser kilometre. For a long distance, it cannot be used because recharging is required for every 150 km.Hybrid cars- It uses combination of small internal combustion engine and an electric motor. It switches between IC engine and electric motors depending on the terrains and speeds. The cars with this type of arrangement are getting popular. The good example for this is Toyota Prius Ron giles (2006), Web extension to Babyboomers, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. babyboomersguide. co. nz/Articles/Alternative+Fuels. html Methodology The above said alternate fuels are under continuous research and until now no breakthrough outcomes has been implementation.The problems with the above fuels are the cost of production of fuel itself. It is costlier than petrol and diesel, the performance does not match with the existing petrol and diesel engines, engine modification cost is too high to accommodate the alternative fuel, refilling, recharging and distribution problem exists. Hence there is no practical breakthrough yet. Already all car manufacturers have invested huge money, time and effort in developing engines for performance and getting succeeded in terms of better torque, noise level, better pickup and mileage.To cope up with this, the research should be practicable and down to earth without any major investment. My proposal My proposal is for Bio Diesel. The reason for selecting for further research is, it is viable, practicable and affordable alternative fuel with no major research cost comparing with research cost of other alternative fuels. By using Bio Diesel there is no pollution problem, no modification of existing car engines for using the same. Only slight adjustments required. It lubricates the engines thus gives longer life to it. The existing distribution system of petrol pumps can be used.It performs better at par with petrol and diesel. It is very safe in transportation better than petrol and diesel because of high flash point. Bio Diesel works well with new technologies such as catalysts. The areas where the research is required is only on ensuring abundant economical availability of the inputs and reducing cost of production by looking into the process . This researcher strongly recommends research on Bio Diesel as future alternative fuel for cars to control the petrol, diesel prices and reduce emission which threatens in the form of Global Warming.References Web extension to National Biodiesel Board, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. biodiesel. org/ Web extension to Bio Diesel Now, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. biodieselnow. com/ Ron giles. (2006). Web extension to Babyboomers, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. babyboomersguide. co. nz/Articles/Alternative+Fuels. html Web extension to Car Stuff, Retrived April 7,2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. car-stuff. com/carlinks/future. htm About. Inc. (2008). Web extension to About.com:cars, Retrieved April,7 2008 from world web http://cars. about. com/od/alternativetransport/ US Department of Energy. (2007, November,20), Web extension to Alternative and Advanced fuels , Retrived April 7, 2008 from the World wide web: http://www. eere. energy. gov/afdc/fuels/ Edumands Inc. (2007). Web extension to China’s car boom:Privately owned car, Retrived April 7, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www. edmunds. com/insideline/do/News/articleId=121598 Fuel Economy (2007),Web extension to Alternative fuels, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www. fueleconomy.gov/Feg/current. shtml Hydrogen boost. (2007). Web extension to What is the Hydrogen-Boost Mileage Enhancement System? Retrieved April 7, 2008 from World Wi de Web: www. hydrogen-boost. com/ About. Com (2008). Web extension to Alternative fulesyou’re your car and gasoline saving, Retrived April 7,2008 from World Wide Web,http://saveenergy. about. com/od/fuelingyourautomobile/Alternative_Fuels_for_your_Car_and_Gasoline_Savings. htm About. Com (2008). Web extension to Bio Diesel, Retrived April 7,2008 from http://saveenergy. about. com/od/fuelingyourautomobile/g/biodiesel. htm

Veterans day essays

Veterans day essays Veterans Day should be an occasion for a national vow: no more war victims on the other side; no more veterans on our side. This concluding statement of Howard Zinns article on Veterans Day emphasizes ample cause on the negative outlook on a war holiday. Having a Veterans Day, in one perspective, is a day that honors the men and women (if there were any) for their hard work and dedication in serving their country. From another viewpoint, as taken by this article, a day, like Veterans Day, is instead of an occasion for denouncing war, has become an occasion for bringing out flags, the uniforms, the martial music, the patriotic speeches reeking with hypocrisy. Most, if not all American holidays have drifted too far away from the meaning of the holiday or celebration in the first place. Christmas, for example, has become a time of Christmas tree purchasing, gift buying, Santa falling down the chimney and eating milk and cookies time of year. The biblical backbone for this holiday has almost come completely nonexistent. Easter, as another example of an Americanized occasion, has been overfilled with Sunday dresses, Easter egg hunts, baskets from the Easter bunny, and egg coloring. Where did the meaning go in all of our holidays? It would not be a surprise to find that more bodies have been lost through war than by diseases and natural causes. Crime victims could even be added to that number and war casualties would still out number that combined number. Zinn mentions that veterans service in the war has been used as a glorification of war instead of a time to look back and count the deaths and say, Enough! If war had really been done away with, renounced, millions, if not more, would have been saved in future (now past) wars. Unfortunately, in some respects, war is the last resort and is taken ONLY to he...

Leadership Preferences in Japan an exploratory study

Leadership Preferences in Japan an exploratory study Introduction Japan is one of the most rapidly growing economies in the larger Asian continent. Many researchers have attempted to explore the various ways of life in this country including their institutional management, culture, and other diverse peculiar preferences. This report paper will offer a summary of the work conducted in finding out the most preferred leadership styles by Japanese followers in relation to the appropriateness of the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Leadership Preferences in Japan: an exploratory study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It will discuss the purpose of the research, the research methodology used, the findings, the problems encountered and their practical implications, and finally the impact of the Bass and Avolio’s and House’s leadership theories. Objective The case study sought to explore the most preferred lea dership styles by the Japanese followers. The appropriateness of the entire Bass and Avolio’s model of leadership was also investigated. The research provides a review of the existing literature concerning the various leadership styles and theories, and culture that can be considered to influence the preference of a given way of leadership, especially by the Japanese followers. The case study provides the nine scales of leadership extracted from Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model which most western researchers over the last two decades have considered it to have a universal influence. On the contrary, this case study explores the suitability of this model to the led people of Japan. Methods In order to come up with reliable findings and conclusion, the study mostly used a qualitative approach in the collection of data. Templates and numerous contents were also analysed. The data was collected in two phases: Phase 1 involved the use of semi-structured intervi ews while questionnaires were used during the second Phase. Three research questions were used: What are the perceptions of Japanese followers regarding contemporary culture? What are the perceptions of Japanese followers towards Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model? Are there aspects of leadership not covered by Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model, which can be defined as culture-specific conceptualisations of Japanese leadership? This study involved 12 Japanese interviewees (five females and seven males), with an average age of 32.5. The respondents were Japanese employees and they identified themselves as followers under the supervision of Japanese leaders, and were drawn from several industries in Japan. The subjects were asked three general questions at random. The first one sought to know the respondent’s recognition of Japanese leadership; the second enquired the kind of leader that the interviewee would like to work with, and lastly, the subject’s perception of Japanese culture. The data collected constituted Phase 1 and were analysed by template.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Phase 2 of the study involved the use of questionnaires and composed of 57 Japanese respondents (38 males and 19 females with an average age of 33.1) who were drawn from a cross-section of Japanese industries. The questions were a further breakdown of the first three used in Phase 1 into 15 of them. Unlike in phase 1, Phase 2 was analysed by the content of the questionnaires. The language used in both phases was Japanese but the authors translated it into English. Results The interview results (Phase 1): According to the study, most of the interviewees, when asked about the trend of the Japanese culture, their responses implied that the Japanese culture and the management systems have been changing as a result of internationalisation, the impact of the bubble economy, and the financial crisis experienced in Asia. Furthermore, they identified a significant change from male chauvinism to gender equality, as reflected in the ever increasing number of female employees in virtually all Japanese places of work. However, two male interviewees suggested that male chauvinism, in their perception, still existed. Two of them suggested that collectivism was still part and parcel of Japanese culture while two interviewees indicated that there had been a significant change from collectivism to individualism. Moreover, two interviewees thought seniority was still part of Japanese work culture. In the contrary, five suggested that meritocracy was on the rise. On the other hand, eleven interviewees provided their responses concerning the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership styles. Firstly, despite the fact that idealized influence attributed is one of the five transformational leadership styles which are expected to be the most effective as far as enhancing performance is concerned, only two interviewees approved its use. Nine of them indicated negative attitude towards this style of leadership.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Leadership Preferences in Japan: an exploratory study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Six interviewees were positive about the use of idealized influence behaviours style of leadership. The collective sense of mission and the keenness towards decision-making exhibited by such leaders was their core reason for liking the style. However, five of the interviewees expressed their dislike, emphasising that in business, what matters most is the â€Å"outcome.† Moreover, although it is one of the core transformational styles of leadership, the study had only five interviewees approving the use of inspirational motivation. Some of them suggested that any leader in Japan who talked optimistically about the future was no longer effective following the burst of Japan’s economy. Most of them explained that followers needed a leader who has a proper understanding of managing risk and contingency plans instead of a ‘hopeful’ leader. All the 11 interviewees approved a leader who exhibits the intellectual stimulation style. This was due to their belief that such a leader has the potential of solving the day to day problems and proposing strategies of handling future issues. Individualised consideration, on the other hand, was supported by seven interviewees. The interviewees who approved of such a style considered its effectiveness especially as companies increasingly focused on individual performance and competences. This follows the perceived growth of meritocracy in Japan. Those interviewees who were negative on this style of leadership suggested that group targets might not be achieved if the leader focuses on individual needs. Contingent rewa rd, which is a transactional style of leadership, and supposed to be less effective compared to the five transformational styles of leadership in motivating the workers to optimum out put, was supported by 8 interviewees. They suggested that the use of rewards depending on performance to motivate employees was very effective in enhancing motivation. For the case of management-by-exception active, one interviewee claimed that it was not dispensable while the rest did not endorse it, either. They argued that such leaders cause tension in the work place and hence less motivation of followers. Similarly, management-by exception passive was not approved by any of the interviewees and they expressed their unilateral dislike of the laissez-faire leadership approach.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third part of the study evaluated the Japanese leadership styles. The opinions of the interviewees on the actual styles of leadership in Japan included directive leadership, participative leadership, social activities outside work, and overtime-work. Two interviewees explained that their leaders embraced directive style of leadership where they give specific orders to be strictly followed, whereas three interviewees mentioned participative leadership. Two of them saw this type of leader as very accommodative and one claimed that the participative style can be problematic if the leader cannot make own decisions. Eight interviewees approved the need for social activities outside work. Seven explained that such activities provide the platform for followers to interact with their leaders and share openly. Furthermore, six interviewees mentioned overtime-work. Most of them thought that there was still overtime-work in most Japanese companies and that the length of the overtime-work d epends, to some degree, on the type of leader in charge. During the study, Protective, network, and gender equality leadership was mentioned by the interviewees. Four interviewees approved the protective leader who can stand up for them and defend them from the onslaught of senior mangers. On the other hand, three interviewees supported the network leadership and expected their leader to help them advance in their career-path by being influential. Furthermore, gender equality was mentioned by three subjects. Two of the interviewees saw it as appropriate for the then current state of affairs in Japan. Only one interviewee considered this idea as being superficial and a western ideology without any relevant Japanese adjustment. The questionnaire results (Phase 2) From the study, 30 respondents, representing 52.6 % felt that the Japanese culture had some convergence with the Western culture as a result of globalisation. 24 (42.1%) thought that internationalisation had not caused any co nvergence between Japanese and western culture, and a low 5.3% were not sure whether there was any convergence. In relation to Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model, 51 respondents provided useful information concerning the type of leader(s) whom they would prefer to work with or under. The responses were initially compared with the nine â€Å"assumed categories† from Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model. The content analysis method was used in the comparison. From the analyses, 51 % approved the individualised consideration while intellectual stimulation received seven positive comments. Contingent reward, on the other hand, had five respondents supporting it while management-by-exception active had two. Inspirational motivation, idealised influence behaviour, and idealised influence attributed each received one positive comment. Moreover, management-by-exception passive and laissez-faire were approved by none of the respondents. When asked to comment about their individual preferences towards Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership style, according to the study, most of the respondents did not endorse many of the transformational styles of leadership. In fact, 34 respondents, representing 59.6 % of the respondents, were positive about contingent reward, which is a transactional style of leadership. As for the Japanese leadership styles, the study investigated both the actual and the preferred styles of leadership. 49 responses were considered useful for the research analysis. The participative leadership was the most mentioned followed by directive leadership. Authoritarian and protective leadership follow respectively. Next, there were the bargaining and laissez-faire, followed by supportive style. The ones that were least mentioned are punctual and egocentric leadership. Further findings reveal that Japanese followers believe that their leaders base their judgments more upon their own abilities, competences, and performances instead of gender differences or age. 68.4 % of the respondents approved the worth of overtime-work. Practical implications From the analysis of the findings of both the interviews and questionnaires, leaders who work in Japan would find this case study very useful. It helps them know the preferred styles of leadership within the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model. The leaders will then adjust accordingly for better results. Implications for future research This case study concludes that it is important for researchers to carry out investigations which are culture-specific, for instance in Japan. The case study further notes that western theories should not be generalised under all contexts. The findings provide the link between traditional and modern leadership approaches. The challenge encountered in the study was the small representation of the Japanese people in the research. Future researches should involve more subjects to enhance the credibilit y of the findings. Conclusion This report has attempted to provide a summary of the research into the suitability of Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model to the Japanese context. It has highlighted major findings both from the interviews and questionnaires. The highly endorsed style of leadership was the contingent reward. Notably, this was found to contradict the earlier assumption by the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model which is not comprehensive when it comes to leadership preferences by Japanese followers.

Writting a letter to the president Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writting a letter to the president - Essay Example While I was watching the movie, I kept thinking of my own country, Korea. It reminded me a lot about my own people’s similar experience under the Japanese, who still denies the allegation even until now. In addition, it did not help that the Korean government was not trying their best to prove it. Nevertheless, I believe people ought to be aware that instances like these happened, and is probably still happening albeit subtly, in countries like Canada, Korea and even in the United States. I am writing to the President of Korea, hoping to accomplish 2 things: first is to ask him to watch the same movie and get the picture of how the First Nations people in Canada have been treated; and second is to make him see the bigger picture of it all – the similar (but under different circumstances) situation that Korea has experienced. When, hopefully, he does see this things, he will also realize that cases like these have to be stopped and prevented, even and most especially in this present generation. Hello. My name is Seungeun Lee and I a Korean who loves my country so much. It would be such an honor to talk and propose my thought with you. Please listen to this young student as everyone knows you are a wise leader. I have been a student in Canada for four years now. While I am studying here, I found the story about the First Nation in Canada. It is interesting because they had been through the struggle time as the Koreans. And while people are learning about what happened to them through books, there is this one movie that I think will also let us see a glimpse of the experiences of the First Nation in Canada. The movie is entitled Where the Spirit Lives, and if you watch this you will see what I am talking about. Basically, the First Nation in Canada was forced to lose their identity by Canadian government during 1930’s. The government thought that they were uncivilized and doing a favor for them, when all the while was that they were destroying them. In

Iphone 5 Holographic laser Key Board & Wide Screen Projector Term Paper

Iphone 5 Holographic laser Key Board & Wide Screen Projector - Term Paper Example In the computer market, where this company has traditionally been very strong, Apple has continued to strengthen its products by increasing their quality especially in desktops and laptops (Rouse, 1999). The latter has led to a great increase in the sales of the company, the sales in the Mac units alone brought in more than 10 billion dollars in revenue to the company, and this was a forty percent increase in sales from the previous year. Its continued innovative style and its ingenious marketing strategy, especially when unveiling new products, have continued to make Apple one of the leading companies in the IT sector. II. SITUATION ANALYSIS a) INDUSTRY There seems to be always a shift in the priorities of the IT sector every few years and this is most likely because this sector is currently thick with new product developments from the different companies involved in it. These products have become a part of everyday life and very few people all over the world can do without them. It is therefore certain that the demand for IT products, especially those developed by Apple, is going to continue rising significantly unless another company comes up with better and more advanced products than the ones it currently has on the market. There have been dramatic improvements in the functionality of Apple products and this can be exemplified by the recently introduced iPhone 5. This has been facilitated through the development of faster chips as well as the simplification of wireless technology as well as network servers to ensure that there is faster access to information through the internet (Yao, 2012). The IT industry is heavily influenced by the popular culture more than anything else is and it is because of this that many of the companies involved in it have remained successful through the years. b) COMPETITION In recent years, it can be said that most of the companies that manufactured computers such as Dell and Alien ware have been major competitors of Apple in t he market. Furthermore, Apple has come to face fierce competition from other companies in the online media sector and the greatest of these rivals has been Samsung, which has tended to produce products similar to those of Apple only selling them at cheaper prices (Burt, 2005). c) COMPANY The greatest strength of Apple as an IT company has been its ability to gauge and make the products which the public like and would like to acquire. Moreover, because of the high quality of its products, this company has come to be well known all over the world. Innovation is one of the things, which keep Apple going, and in fact, it is the main reason for its success globally. However, this company also has some core weaknesses and one of these is the competition, which it has with other companies that try very hard to outdo it by attempting to make better products. Furthermore, Apple products tend to be quite expensive and this discourages people from buying them even though they would have liked to (May Wong, 2005). Apple is one of the leading IT companies in the world and its progress in the market has risen over the years. This means that that the rate of its growth in the market has increased hence opened new doors for more ideas hence increased growth opportunities more and more. Many other IT

Macroeconomics - Industrial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macroeconomics - Industrial Economics - Essay Example Concentration ratios are calculated depending on the largest firms’ market shares. If 90 percent of industry is produced by four largest firms, then hat indicates an oligopoly and the four firms have a good market share (Curry and George, 1983). At the low end concentration, a zero percent concentration means that there is perfect competition meaning the number of firms is too large that the largest firms have no percentage of the market. On the other hand, 100 percent concentration ratio implies that there is a concentrated oligopoly. It therefore, means, there is monopoly. 0 to 50 percent concentration ratio can be interpreted as a low concentrated industry. In this, oligopoly is at the top while monopolistic competition falls at the bottom. Medium concentration takes a 50 to 80 percent concentration and is considered to be very much oligopolistic. High concentration ranges from 80 to 100 percent concentration (Curry and George, 1983). ... Concentration ratios of eight firms range from 88.5 to 97.4. Concentrations are on the upper end indicating high oligopoly almost coming to a monopolistic market structure. From the data above, considering the concentration ratios, it shows that in the first two years, there is less oligopoly. It then increases in the year 2002 where it is at highest. Then due to high turnover, there are more firms joining the industry which causes the concentration ratios to lower reducing oligopoly. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is another measure of market concentration. In calculating it, the market split of each company that is competing in the market is squared, then summing the results. It can range from zero to 10,000. The higher the market’s concentration, the closer it is to being a monopoly and the less competitive it is (Curry and George, 1983). Considering the investigations conducted, it showed that the market concentration is highest in the year 2002 which is 1577, and it is lowest in year 2000. This indicates that the market was less competitive in the year 2002 than in 2000 which were more competitive. The competition then increases from 2003, goes down in the following year then starts to decline again. Since the market’s results ranges from 1,000 to 1,800, it can be termed as a moderately concentrated market. We can therefore, conclude that it has some oligopoly. To what extent do the major studios - those named in the CR4, CR6 and CR8 indices - outperform the market? In the economic model, competition among firms that are rivals reduces profits to zero. But competition is imperfect and firms are not price takers. Industry concentration is used to measure rivalry. A high concentration ratio shows most of the

Epic Story Essay Example for Free

Epic Story Essay Epic Story I’d like to call upon the fiction gods to empower this story to be extravagant. The cold storm carried on with its overwhelming booms from the thunder shaking the house from the outside. Terrified, the blond haired Juliet sat in the corner of her darkened closet attempting to go unnoticed by the intruder stalking around her house. She sat there hugging her legs, praying that he wouldn’t hear her soft whimpers of fear. She listened quietly to the footsteps walking around her once safe home. They began to come closer, she could feel her heartbeat pick up, and he began to slowly approach her inadequate closet hiding spot. Her heart began to beat ferociously. Staring up at the door handle, she knew all of her efforts to escape this ordeal unharmed had been abandoned. The handle twisted, she looked for something, anything to protect herself with, and she came up empty handed. Sheepishly, she attempted to cover herself further with her father’s overcoat. The door began to open, she huddled as close to the corner as she could, wishing she could just sink through the walls to safety. She was in tears now, trying her hardest to muffle them, she thrust the jacket into her quivering mouth. Then, with just enough of an opening to see the intruder’s cold murderous eye; it stopped with a loud crash coming from the kitchen. Juliet froze, in anticipation of what was to come next. The intruder left her closet to investigate. Juliet knew this would be her one and only chance to escape; she quietly snuck out of the closet and began to run towards the backdoor. Halfway there she heard the deafening sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of the intruder’s gun. Looking around she caught a glimpse of her mother’s frail body crumple to the ground through the reflection of a mirror. In agony, she pushed herself to go on towards the freedom of the door. She grasped the handle and swung it open. Running out into the rabid storm, she scanned the yard for somewhere safe, glancing behind her, she saw the intruder catch sight of her, she ran as fast as her legs could take her towards the gate, away from this nightmare. Halfway there dividing her from escape, she felt a large mean hand catch her arm and swing her around. Fighting his grip she flailed her arms and punched him, but doing no harm, he dragged her back into the house. With one large blow to the right side of her head, she blacked out. She woke up to throbbing on the right side of her head. Attempting to grasp it, she found her hands were tied together against a pole, along with her feet, and tape over her mouth. She looked around and saw her sister tied up across from across the room, her head hung over. She also saw a large table in the middle of the dirty basement. On the right was a staircase, and coming down it was the intruder. He carried a large tool bag that clanged whenever he took a step. He walked over to her sister, untied her and laid her on the table. While he prepared to harm her sister, Juliet began to fidget out of the chords that held her hostage. She got one hand free, then the other, going unnoticed, she untied her feet. Waiting for the opportune moment, she charged towards the intruder, jumping on his back and strangling his neck with all her might. He was staggering about, he got close to a wall and crashed her into it; she crumpled to the ground in pain. He punched her again, and again, and again, until she was bloody and bruised. At the verge of consciousness, he stopped. Opening her eyes, she saw her sister hitting him with an axe. ~~~ They opened the door and the brightness from outside filled their heart with hope. They walked hand in hand towards freedom. (I figured out this was supposed to be a true story after I finished†¦.. whoops! )