The Second Coming Analysis

Between the symbolism and allusions, the poem covers the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelations. In the first stanza, â€Å"mere anarchy† refers to the flood in Genesis. The last stanza refers to the anti-christ and the time of the apocalypse. In the final lines Yeats describes the sinners as â€Å"rough beasts† dragging themselves to Bethlehem for the second coming of Christ. The body of the poem describes the decay of society. It refers to the non-believers, or atheists and the real problem, the sinners. However, he does point out that even Christ was tempted in the desert, hell on earth.He uses a metaphor to allude to the Great Sphinx (The body of a lion and the head of a man), which symbolizes the devil’s home. Furthermore, this is also a reference to the Book of Exodus, which describes the morphing of locusts and scorpion’s tails. These layers of meaning make it difficult for high school students to interpret the poem. I suggest that a teacher star t with eight vocabulary words: gyre, vexed, anarchy, revelation, falconer, Spiritus Mundi, reel, indignant. Denote the text. Then discover all the metaphors and symbols. It takes quite a bit of research to connote â€Å"gyre†.The dictionary definition is simple, but Yeats uses gyre in many of his writings. He uses a double-helix to symbolize the spiraling decay of society through â€Å"blood-dimmed tides† or wars. Then he uses the upward spiral to symbolize the times of peace. For Yeats society was a never-ending cycle of war and peace. From there he takes us to medieval times, to a violent, but orderly sport of hunting, until the falcon cannot hear the falconer and it turns into chaotic, unreasonable violence. Is you use the Bible to interpret the rest of the poem, it will be clear: Yeats is a pessimist who saw the underbelly of society.

Learnings in Operations Management from Henry Ford, Sloan and Toyota Essay

The success of Henry Ford till 1925s Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He didn’t even invent the assembly line. But more than any other single individual, he was responsible for transforming the automobile from an invention of unknown utility into an innovation that profoundly shaped the 20th century and continues to affect our lives today. Model T (A car for everyman) In simple terms, the Model T changed the world. It was a powerful car with a possible speed of 45 mph. It could run 25 miles on a gallon of gasoline. It carried a 20-horsepower, side-valve four-cylinder engine and two-speed planetary transmission on a 100-inch wheelbase. It was Henry Ford’s foresight which saw the potential market of automobiles. In his opinion transportation was a basic need of human and if affordable anyone would be willing to buy it. It was with this vision of delivering automobiles to everyman that Ford started to experiment with different production methodologies to lower the cost of production. Influence of Frederick Taylor on Henry Ford Frederick Taylor was a contemporary of Henry Ford. His theory of scientific management had a big impact on Henry Ford. According to Henry Ford, the assembly line was based on three simple principles: â€Å"the planned, orderly, and continuous progression of the commodity through the shop; the delivery of work instead of leaving it to the workman’s initiative to find it; an analysis of operations into their constituent parts.† A scientific approach to these principles, the next logical step in the organization of work, had already been enunciated by Frederick Taylor in what is now called as scientific management. Henry Ford used the techniques specified by Frederick Taylor in increasing the efficiency of his process. Taylor’s scientific management consisted of four principles: 1. Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks. 2. Scientifically select, train, and develop each employee rather than passively leaving them to train themselves. 3. Provide â€Å"Detailed instruction and supervision of each worker in the performance of that worker’s discrete task†. 4. Divide work nearly equally between managers and workers, so that the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the work and the workers actually perform the tasks. Learnings from Henry Ford and Model T Assembly Line/Mass production In 1913 Henry Ford started production of Ford Model T in a sliding assembly line. Though assembly line was used previously used in different industry but it was mostly for products which had small number of parts. Model T on the other hand had many more components. Sliding assembly line of Henry Ford was inspired by overhead trolleys used to dress up beef. Henry Ford thought that the same technique can be used for automobile too. A breakthrough came in April 1913. A production engineer in the flywheel magneto assembly area tried a new way to put this component’s parts together. The operation was divided into 29 separate steps. Workers placed only one part in the assembly before pushing the flywheel down the line to the next employee. Previously, it had taken one employee about 20 minutes to assemble a flywheel magneto. Divided among 29 men, the job took 13 minutes. It was eventually trimmed to five minutes. This approach was applied gradually to the construction of the engine and other parts. According to Henry Ford: The principles of assembly are these: (1) Place the tools and the men in the sequence of the operation so that each component part shall travel the least possible distance while in the process of finishing. (2) Use work slides or some other form of carrier so that when a workman completes his operation, he drops the part always in the same place—which place must always be the most convenient place to his hand—and if possible  have gravity carry the part to the next workman for his own. (3) Use sliding assembling lines by which the parts to be assembled are delivered at convenient distances. Advantages of assembly Line : In his autobiography Henry Ford (1922) mentions several benefits of the assembly line including: Workers do no heavy lifting. No stooping or bending over. No special training required. There are jobs that almost anyone can do. Provided employment to immigrants. The gains in productivity allowed Ford to increase worker pay from $1.50 per day to $5.00 per day once employees reached three years of service on the assembly line. Ford continued on to reduce the hourly work week while continuously lowering the Model T price. Interchangeable/Standard Parts Centre to the concept of assembly line was the concept of interchangeable parts. Interchangeable parts meant that all the cars had same components at same place. This saved time which could have been wasted in sorting and identification of different parts. Henry Ford made sure that all components were standardised in the production of Model T. But it was not only parts which were standardised, Henry Ford also standardised all the processes. Following Frederick Taylor’s â€Å"One right way  to do the task†, Henry Ford devised the best possible way for a process. These were usually devised by detailed study of every task, time measurements and dividing tasks into small, controllable and reproducible steps. Labour policies Ford astonished the world in 1914 by offering a $5 per day wage ($120 today), which more than doubled the rate of most of his workers. The move proved extremely profitable; instead of constant turnover of employees, the best mechanics in Detroit flocked to Ford, bringing their human capital and expertise, raising productivity, and lowering training costs. Ford announced his $5-per-day program on January 5, 1914, raising the minimum daily pay from $2.34 to $5 for qualifying workers. It also set a new, reduced workweek. Ford’s policy proved, however, that paying people more would enable Ford workers to afford the cars they were producing and be good for the economy. Ford explained the policy as profit-sharing rather than wages. Franchising Ford pioneered the franchise system that would be applied to other industries, such as MacDonald’s and many other franchise giants. He put a Ford plant in every country that was on good terms with the U.S. and started the trend toward global corporations. Ford mapped out the whole system, from standardizing the car to franchising dealerships to creating a global network, and he did it all with no precedents to learn from. Just in Time (Henry Ford’s Contribution) Ernest Kanzler worked with Henry Ford in reducing the inventory costs at Fordson tractor plant. Kanzler noticed that during the Great War, excessive supplies were brought into the Fordson Tractor Plant prior to production. He found that these excess supplies tied up valuable plant space and millions of dollars. To remedy this, Kanzler reorganized inventory schedules so that raw materials and pans were bought only when needed and that the freight cars used for  delivery of these pans were used immediately to transport finished Fordson tractors to dealers. The success of General Motors post  1927 (Sloan) Mr. Sloan was elected President of General Motors in 1923, succeeding Pierre S. du Pont, who said of him on that occasion: â€Å"The greater part of the successful development of the Corporation’s operations and the building of a strong manufacturing and sales organization is due to Mr. Sloan. His election to the presidency is a natural and well-merited recognition of his untiring and able efforts and successful achievement.† Mr. Sloan had developed by then his system of disciplined, professional management that provided for decentralized operations with coordinated centralized policy control. Applying it to General Motors, he set the corporation on its course of industrial leadership. The next 23 years, with Mr. Sloan as Chief Executive Officer, were years of enormous expansion for General Motors and of a steady increase in its share of the automobile market. Changing with times While Henry Ford’s success with Model T was based on providing a mean of transport to everyone, Sloan realized that by 1925s just getting a mean of transport was not important. People were now more conscious about the looks and features of car too. He changed the organisation and production system at General Motors to keep up with these changes and provide an advantage over Ford who were still producing only one model at a time. Learnings from Alfred Sloan and General Motors Annual Model Change/Planned obsolescence To maintain unit sales, General Motors head Alfred P. Sloan Jr. suggested annual model-year design changes to convince car owners that they needed to buy a new replacement each year, an idea borrowed from the bicycle industry. In his autobiography, â€Å"My Years with General Motors,† he penned this thought  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The changes in the new model should be so novel and attractive as to create demand . . . and a certain amount of dissatisfaction with past models as compared with the new one.† Decentralisation in Organisational structure Alfred Sloan split General Motors into divisions, and each division was run as a company within a company. Sloan said the company was  Ã¢â‚¬Å"coordinated in policy and decentralised in administration†. He supervised the decentralisation of the organisation into divisional operating units, placing in charge of each an executive with total authority for his own activity. In order to give coherence to the decentralised organisation, Sloan deliberately maintained a degree of central control. Decentralisation he saw as analogous to free enterprise, and centralisation to regimentation. He believed that elements of both were necessary to successful business. At the same time as dividing the company into separate units, he developed a system which enabled the units to support each other, therefore establishing a much stronger organisation as a whole. Price Segmentation Sloan realized that he can’t compete with Ford in price wars. Instead what he did was to have a model in every price segment. This way they can take some chunk of Ford’s low price range with Chevrolet cars while giving multiple options to users at higher ends. His theory was to provide â€Å"A car for every purse and purpose†. This proved very successful in the long run and have become a must do thing for big businesses in all kind of industries. Financing A company was founded in 1919 by General Motors Corporation as the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) to be a provider of financing to automotive customers. This proved very beneficial in the long run as Ford had no such system and it negated the effect of low prices provided by Ford to some extent. Inventory  control and production control Sloan devised a system where inputs from retailers and individual organisation was used to decide the production plans for future. He asked every office to give three estimates- pessimistic, realistic and optimistic. These reviews were used to forecast and plan the future production. Also, it was used to decide how much inventory needed to be kept. Fact Based planning and Decision Planning Sloan always put an emphasis on fact based decision making. Even when working under his predecessors Durant and du Pont, he always went to them with changes in system based on data. Something which du Pont readily accepted and was important in selection of Sloan as next President of General Motors. The success of Toyota in the 70s and 80s The history of Toyota started in 1933 with the company being a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works devoted to the production of  automobiles under the direction of the founder’s son, Kiichiro Toyoda. Kiichiro Toyoda had travelled to Europe and the United States in 1929 to investigate automobile production and had begun researching gasoline-powered engines in 1930. Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was encouraged to develop automobile production by the Japanese  government, which needed domestic vehicle production, due to the war with China. Need for innovation After WWII, Levels of demand in the Post War economy of Japan were low and the focus of mass production on lowest cost per item via economies of scale therefore had little application. Kiichiro Toyoda again visited many automobile companies in US and Europe. He found that production strategies haven’t changed much in last 20 years. He asked Taiichi Ohno to devise a system as cost efficient as Ford for the Japanese economy. Taiichi Ohno took his own tour of different facilities in US. Having visited and seen supermarkets in the USA, Taiichi Ohno recognised the scheduling of work should not be driven by sales or production targets but by actual sales. Given the financial situation during this period, over-production had to be  avoided and thus the notion of Pull (build to order rather than target driven Push) came to underpin production scheduling. The working of Toyota production system has been very well documented in Jeffrey Liker’s book â€Å"The Toyota Way†. Some tools from Toyota production System Jidoka It may be described as â€Å"intelligent automation† or â€Å"automation with a human touch.† This type of automation implements some supervisory functions rather than production functions. At Toyota this usually means that if an abnormal situation arises the machine stops and the worker will stop the production line. It is a quality control process that applies the following four principles: 1. Detect the abnormality. 2. Stop. 3. Fix or correct the immediate condition. 4. Investigate the root cause and install a countermeasure. Kanban (Just In Time) Kanban cards are a key component of kanban and signal the need to move materials within a manufacturing or production facility or move materials from an outside supplier in to the production facility. The kanban card is, in effect, a message that signals that there is a depletion of product, parts, or inventory that, when received, the kanban will trigger the replenishment of that product, part, or inventory. Consumption therefore drives demand for more production, and demand for more product is signaled by the kanban card. Kanban cards therefore help create a demand-driven system. Kaizen Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which goes beyond simple productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work (â€Å"muri†), and teaches  people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business processes. In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity: â€Å"The idea is to nurture the company’s human resources as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen activities.† Successful implementation requires â€Å"the participation of workers in the improvement.† People at all levels of an organization participate in kaizen, from the CEO down to janitorial staff, as well as external stakeholders when applicable. The format for kaizen can be individual, suggestion system, small group, or large group. 5 Whys The 5 Whys is an iterative question-asking technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem.The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem. (The â€Å"5† in the name derives from an empirical observation on the number of iterations typically required to resolve the problem.) 5S There are five primary 5S phases: They can be translated from the Japanese as Sort, Systematize, Shine, Standardize and Self-Discipline. Sort: Remove unnecessary items and dispose of them properly Systematize: Arrange all necessary items in order so they can be easily picked for use Shine: Prevent machinery and equipment deterioration Standardize: Maintain everything in order and according to its standard Self-Discipline: To keep in working order Ohno Circle Taiichi Ohno was well known for walking onto the shop floor and drawing a circle on the ground. He would then go and stand in the circle and observe, think and analyse. Learn what was actually going on. From this study he would then have enough knowledge to improve the process. Three types of waste Muda: any activity in your process that does not add value. MUDA is not creating value for the customer. Mura: Any variation leading to unbalanced situations. In short: UNEVENNESS, inconsistent, irregular. Muri: Any activity asking unreasonable stress or effort from personnel, material or equipment. In short: OVERBURDEN Andon Andon is a manufacturing term referring to a system to notify management, maintenance, and other workers of a quality or process problem. The alert can be activated manually by a worker using a pullcord or button, or may be activated automatically by the production equipment itself. The system may include a means to stop production so the issue can be corrected. Learning from Toyota Production System The Toyota Way A brief summary of points given in Toyota Way: Section I: Long-Term Philosophy Principle 1. Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals. Section II: The Right Process Will Produce the Right Results Principle 2. Create a continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface. Principle 3. Use â€Å"pull† systems to avoid overproduction. Principle 4. Level out the workload (heijunka). (Work like the tortoise, not the hare.) Principle 5. Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time. Principle 6. Standardized tasks and processes are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment. Principle 7. Use visual control so no problems are hidden. Principle 8. Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes. Section III: Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People Principle 9. Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others. Principle 10. Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy. Principle 11. Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve. Section IV: Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning Principle 12. Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (genchi genbutsu). Principle 13. Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly (nemawashi). Principle 14. Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement (kaizen). References http://corporate.ford.com/our-company/heritage/heritage-newsdetail/672-model-t http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_line http://www.sloan.org/about-the-foundation/who-was-alfred-psloan-jr/ http://corporate.ford.com/our-company/heritage/historic-sitesnews-detail/663-highland-park http://www.thehenryford.org/EXHIBITS/HF/ http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/08/henryford.asp http://www.vectorstudy.com/management-gurus/frederick-taylor http://www.shmula.com/fords-contribution-to-just-in-time/371/ http://www.willamette.edu/~fthompso/MgmtCon/Scientific_Manage ment.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence http://inspiredeconomist.com/2012/09/20/the-greatest-inventionplanned-obsolescence/ http://www.mbsportal.bl.uk/taster/subjareas/busmanhist/mgmtthin kers/sloan.aspx http://www.economist.com/node/14298890 http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/anil.kashyap/research/papers/gene ralmotors.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_P._Sloan The Toyota Way – Jeffrey Liker My Years with General Motors – Alfred Sloan

Book Review of A National Party No More

The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat by Zell Miller In A National Party No More Senator Zell Miller writes a non-fiction book that is something of a memoir of his political life as a lifelong Democrat and as well as being a diatribe against the Democratic Party. In 2002 the Democratic Senator Paul Coverdell from Georgia died suddenly and the Georgia Governor Roy Barnes asked Zell Miller to fill in until November of that year and then to run for the position to serve the time remaining in the late senator's term of office. When Miller went to Washington D.C. he claims that he had hoped that he would find Washington to be â€Å"the place where great issues of the day are debated and solved, and great giants walk those hallowed halls.† Instead he discovered what Washington D.C. was not at all like he had hoped and this angered him â€Å"on behalf of Americans† (Miller 8). In his career Miller has served the State of Georgia as an administrator of a number of â€Å"vital agencies, as an assistant to two governors, as head of the State Democratic Party, as Lieutenant Governor, and then as Governor† (Miller introduction no page number). He also served in the Georgia State Senate from 1965-1969. He failed in his attempts to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia. In addition Miller served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has taught at four different colleges. It is worth noting that the majority of these positions are executive positions not legislative positions so serving as Georgia's United States Senator put him into a relatively unknown form of government where he lacked extensive experience and none on the national level. It appears somewhat incongruous that a marine would be a lifelong Democrat since military personnel currently tend to lean toward the Republican Party. Although Miller served only three years in the Corps it is clear that his experiences affected him greatly because he has written a book Corp Values: Everything You Need to Know I Learned in the Marines.† Miller's book was occasioned by his experiences in the U.S. Senate beginning in 2000, in combination with his advanced age. Miller was born in 1932 according the reverse side of the title page. The book was published in 2003 so Miller was 70 or 71 at the time his book was published. This is certainly not an issue of itself, but one wonders if Miller would make the same claims he had entered the same Senate at the age of forty or fifty. Miller alludes to this when he writes that he has â€Å"arrived at a station in life where I hear the whistle of that moral policeman we all have to answer to . . .† (Miller 1). He takes the occasion to advise â€Å"members of my Democratic Party and other politicians who are so far out of touch with regular Americans to ‘shape up'† (Miller 2). This position, that tacitly assumes he is correct while other party members who disagree with him are wrong, is strongly reminiscent of an elderly gentleman on the brink of retirement who climbs on a soapbox to â€Å"straighten out† the next generation. This is not to say Miller does not make some good points, he just does not prove them nor give the reader sufficient information to determine if Mill is correct. The book suffers significantly because it has no notes, no bibliography and no index. Consequently the reader has no opportunity to check either the statements Miller makes as being either true or false. Many of his claims are supported by anecdotal evidence based on his memory of what happened throughout his career. Miller calls himself a Conservative Democrat, an unusual designation, but not an illogical one. Despite this he is known to have been a supporter of President George W. Bush and announced in 2003 that he would support the Presidents re-election. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2004 in support of the President. Such actions hardly indicate a lifelong Democrat. Miller criticizes the Democrat Party because the leaders, he claims, have ignored the opinions of Conservative Democrats in the South, about one-third of the U.S. population, and have told them to â€Å"go to hell† (Miller 9). He appears to assume that all Democrats in the South are Conservative Democrats because he is one and that they all agree with him. He fails to mention the non-conservative Democrats in the South and seems to assume there are none. Miller concludes the Democrat leadership disagrees with Southern Democrats on the critical issues of â€Å"capital punishment, late-term abortion (even with a lot of pro-choice people), trying juveniles as adults, national defense, and the teaching of values in school† (Miller 3). Miller's reasoning process is suspect for a variety of reasons. First, it is not clear that these are the critical issues, at least on a national level. Capital punishment has been left up to the states and should not be regarded as a national issue, as are abortion laws as long as laws do not restrict a woman's right to control of her own body. Trying of juveniles as an adult does not seem to be a national issue either nor should it be. The current system presumes juveniles will not be tried as adults unless there are significant overriding reasons for doing so. The decision of where to try a juvenile is judged on a case-by-case basis which is as it should be. As far as the teaching of values as a national issue, it is clearly an important issue that impacts people throughout the country, but the Federal Government has no basis to determine what values should be taught. Miller seems to have completely forgotten the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution that reserves to the states any powers not delegated to the federal government and not prohibited to the states shall be a state power. It is apparent that many of these critical issues are state issues. National defense clearly is a national issue, but federal taxes, the deficit, Medicare, and Social Security benefits are as well, but Miller doesn't mention these issues. Miller's has a rambling and folksy writing style that slips from story to story and slides from point to point in a chaotic fashion that defies linear analysis. He chooses his anecdotes by cherry picking stories that will reinforce his position even if they are not related to the Democratic Party; on page 145 Miller quotes The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Winston Churchill, and Rodney King on the same page in support of a chapter entitled â€Å"Give to Bigotry No Sanction.† Certainly a case can be made for citing Rodney King, but the other two sources were clearly not written in support of civil rights in the United States. To his credit Miller admits mistakes he has made during his career. He points out that during 1964 he had â€Å"proclaimed that there should be an ‘investigation of Communist infiltration in the civil rights movement.' What an idiot!† (Miller 143). This is remarkably refreshing given the current climate of politicians who consistently hide what they have done and deny they have done it until they are proven to have done it when they will admit and ask for forgiveness. On the other hand this begs the question as to just how much credence one ought to place in the writings of a self-proclaimed idiot. Miller claims that the Democratic Party no longer represents the majority of Americans and has become distinctly too liberal in relation to the United States' population as a whole. This is an interesting position. Miller does not claim the leadership is wrong on issues, just that they disagree with Southern Conservative Democrats such as himself. This leaves the possibility open that the leadership is correct and the membership is wrong, but Miller fails to allow for this possibility. If this proves to be the case, it appears that Miller is advocating that the Democratic Party concern itself, not with the correct solution, but with gaining power again. A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat is largely not successful. His conclusion has merit but his treatment of the issues is inferior. The lack of references is a major weakness that could be easily corrected. Miller's failure to move in a linear, logical fashion in favor of using a disjointed, episodic style greatly reduces the effectiveness of Miller's writing. Rather than being the scathing indictment he hopes to provide that will help the Democratic Party, Miller's book feels more like a farewell by a statesman whose party has evolved while he has not. His gloom and doom predictions for the Democratic Party made in 2004 proved him incorrect since the Democratic once again gained the majority in both houses. Although Miller makes some interesting points that have validity, his book should be read with circumspection. Works Cited Barnes, Fred. â€Å"Zell Miller Endorses Bush.† 29 Nov. 2003. The Daily Standard. 20 April 2007. Miller, Zell. A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat. Atlanta: Stroud and Hall Publishing, 2003. â€Å"Text Of Zell Miller's RNC Speech.†Ã‚   01 September 2004. CBS News. 20 April 2007   ;http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/01/politics/ main640299.shtml;.

Legal Brief Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Brief - Case Study Example The verdict in this case, is to determine whether it is illegal to advertise through commercial emails using multiple domain names to avoid spam filter (Supreme Court of California). Internet is global networkings in computers, which enable millions of world populace to communicate and access information. Referring to a case on Reno v. civil liberties union (1997) 521 U.S. 844 for internet to operate, each connected entity must have a unique identity called IPA. However, because it is a bit difficult to recall IP addresses, internet community came up with domain names system to serve the same purpose. The domain names directly identify the individual or the organization (Supreme Court of California). In 2007, Craig E. kleffman filed a suit against Vonage holdings corp. in the District Court under section 17529.5 of Professions Code only to loss to Vonage (Supreme Court of California). Kleffman claimed that Vonage holdings had sent him eleven emails on the same subject from different domain names tracing back to Vonage marketing agent. By doing this, Vonage managed to trick the spam filter and internet service provider that was responsible for monitoring the number of sent emails from individual domain name. He concluded that Vonage deliberately created multiple domain names to reduce the number of emails from each domain name and at the same time tricked the internet service providers that the emails originated from different senders. Vonage use of several domain names is misleading and untrue because it does not identify the right sender. However, the case was dismissed because kleffman did not give any occurrence of misleading or false information in the content of any of the emails. Kleffman however, appealed to the court of apples, which under the California rule of court 8.548 the ninth Circuit, asked them to decide. â€Å"In accordance to section 17529.5(A)

IT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT - Research Paper Example Thus, it is advised by computer experts to keep a backup of the information and resources that are stored on computer systems. This paper will focus upon the various storage devices that can be used by computer users to keep a backup of their information and resources, and the differences between redundant and backup data storage and how systems fail and how can they be protected. Backup Media Various forms of backup media available to users include: optical storage methods such as writeable and re-writable CDs and DVDs, external and internal hard disks that can be mounted on the systems and flash memory systems such as pen drives, USB drives and memory cards. Information stored on optical drives can last for very long period of time if these drives are kept safely, secondly these drives are even available in write once only form. This is an advantage because the data that is stored on these drives cannot be replaced or over-written. These drives even come in re-writable form; this m eans that same drive can be used do over write if old information is no longer needed. These drives are easy to move from one pc to another, these drives can be used in several systems but one system can use it at a time. Another downside of optical drives is that the time taken by these drives to write data and store information on them is considerably high if compared to the time taken by flash drives and other forms of memory drives. Another form of backup media that can come in handy for computer users is installing a second hard drive internally or externally. The advantages of having a second hard disk are enormous. Firstly, the second hard disk can act as a backup for files stored on your system; this will come in handy if the files from the first hard disk are deleted. Another advantage of using an extra hard disk is that the process of backing up files in a second hard disk is faster as compared to backing up these files in an optical drive or a USB flash memory drive. Havi ng a second hard disk is even of advantage as the files and the resources that have been downloaded over time on the computer system can be safe and the users d not have to take the pain of downloading and saving these resources again. All the operations conducted in a computer system take place on the first hard disk or the primary hard disk, due to this continuous usage, the hard disk becomes old and starts wearing out and ultimately the user has to replace it. When two hard disks are involved in the process of running a computer system, the burden of running the computer system is shared and both the hard disks gain higher functional life time. Disadvantages associated with installing a second hard disk are few in number. Firstly, hard disks have to be dealt with extra care, misuse may easily damage or corrupt the hard disk and data loss may occur, secondly, if the drive is installed inside the system, moving the drive to another system might become difficult and during the trans fer, the chances of damage are quite high. One of the best backup media designed to-date is USB flash memory drives/sticks. The advantages of using this media are: they are very small in size and can hold huge amount o information, they are easy to move and do not contain parts that might get corrupted if they are mishandled. These drives are even better than optical drives as they cannot be destroyed due to scratches and dust. Installing them is much easier than installing hard disks as they do not need

Employment and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Employment and Society - Essay Example In such a case, an employees’ place of work ceases to exist resulting in a redundancy. There exists a discrepancy between the first cause and the second, as the first case involves an overall shut down of business while the second involves only the place of work for the worker and not both employer and employee. Redundancies also occur when an employer eliminates the work or duties that an employee carries out entirely. In this case, the role an employee plays in a business ceases to exist leading to their dismissal as there is nothing for the said employee to do. In addition, reductions lead to redundancies in an attempt to cut back on the number of employees on any given business. In this regard, the number of people carrying out a given duty gets reduced but not eliminated altogether. However, redundancies in any given business should be avoided as it affects parties involved, employers and employees. This can be attempted by utilizing a wide range of means that do not affect both parties directly but work gradually. One way to cut redundancies is through the process of natural wastage. This is a case where an employee decides to leave their jobs of their own accord and not because the employer would like them to quit. In such cases, the employee may decide to retire or switch jobs to one that they feel better suited. Furthermore, recruitment freezes work well in avoiding such situations. This is by failing to recruit or enrol new workers into a business, thus cutting the risk of redundancies. In addition, an organization may choose to stop or reduce overtime or offer early retirement to volunteers; however, retirement options may be open to age discrimination issues. Retraining, redeployment and provision of sabbaticals and secondments to existing employees also serve to cut redundancies. Sabbaticals in this case refer to employees taking time off and seeking alternative employment while receiving an allowance from the employer. Other

Mentos and a Full Moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mentos and a Full Moon - Essay Example The contact with the solution happens only when the string is introduced into the top of the bottle. The reaction can be repeated. One must take into account the underlying chemistry and physics. Physics is more dominant. Temperature and pressure must be considered. In addition the surface are and time will have an impact. This means the doubling or halving of the material will be directly proportional to the intensity of the reaction. Any similar cola will produce similar results. If there is or is not has not been established clearly. When we consider humans we must realize that there is more than the physical side. There is the will and the emotion. And then there is the spiritual. These all taken together make up the person of the human. This makes the human a very complex being. This reality gives a uniqueness of humans as a specie. It is possible to deduce that the physical aspect of humans is affected by the moon phase. It is not wise to say that man is helpless in the influence. We must recognize that man has a will. This will of man can overcome many influences. A scientific approach generally fits the grid. The grid has four components. They are observation, hypothesis, prediction and test. The challenge is in the observation test phase. People have to decide what is important and how to measure. This is a particular problem of the social sciences.. Different people will have different emphases. Both articles have a scientific approach. There is a more historical emphasis. This is evidenced by the following statement. That was all the Congress needed to kill the project and suppress the report. (Townley, J. (1997). The other source uses a more scientific approach considering the grid. Tropical astrology is the most popular form and it assigns its readings based on the time of the year (Carroll, R. 2006). This is one of many points that show an attempt consider many different aspects objectively in coming to a

Organizational Leadership and Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Leadership and Motivation - Essay Example The first important aspect of developing the correct leadership is based on the environment which is created, specifically because of the goal of having innovation as the leading factor for those managing different teams. There are three factors which are noted in the environment that develops the correct culture for an organization. This includes the stimulus, capacity and performance results. The stimulus within the environment needs to be created to invite in different levels of innovation and to build a culture that is reflective of finding and developing new ideas. The capacity which follows this continues with the understanding of the different human resources and how they are able to respond and approach the different environmental needs that are occurring. This can be combined with the performance, which becomes significant because of the way in which this reflects the organizational environment. As the culture of the organizational environment is stimulated, the performance should increase and more responses from team members should be available. The atmosphere and environment which is created from the organizational culture then has to show and reflect all aspects of how the organization is managed (Prajogo, 2006: 15). The environment that is reflected and the stimulus, capacity and performance are further reflected with characteristics that are in the organizational culture. This is led by creating ways for opportunities to be further defined while the limitations within the work structure are lifted. The concept of building the right opportunities is one which begins with developing a system through technical and non – technical applications which can be used. The approach is to find different resources and tools which are added into the environment and which build and develop an alternative approach to creating the right development within the environment. This combines with understanding types of innovation within the environment and ways i n which this can be reflected through opportunities. The main approach to take with the environment is to allow resources, ideas and expansion to be continuously available to the employees, teams and leaders. As the systems within the environment are able to create the right approaches there is the ability to develop and understand the relationships that are associated with the organization. The environment will need to create a process and understanding of this through the culture to further reflect what is needed for new innovations to be developed (Walker, 2007: 591). The environment which is created with resources and other systems should further develop with expected procedures that invite innovation. The leadership arena is one which has to create an environment that is stimulating and which offers teamwork and development to be created. Furthering this

COMZ Study Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COMZ Study Group - Essay Example Pederson has developed a listening skills which his staff needs to develop he acts as the role model of the organisation. The Clan culture focus mainly on the participation and involvement of the members of the organisation. More than any other, the clan culture mainly focuses primarily on the needs and requirements of the members or the employees and believes that if the performance is satisfactory, profit would follow the organisation (Draft, et.al, 2010, p.411). In a similar manner Pedersen also believes that by delivering good services to the customers and by motivating the employees to do so, profit will follow them. He believes that it is important to image how the employees feel and in turn develop a relationship building skills. Pedersen is committed towards team approach which according to him is essential for the communication industry where creativity is everything. Just as the clan culture suggest of taking care of the employees and make sure that the employees are surrou nded by everything which are required by them, so does Pedersen for its employees. QUESTION 2 Using the PESTLE framework, identify ONE external factor and explain how it has affected COMZ Group. (150) PESTEL Analysis tends to covers the macro environment. The PESTEL covers the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors of an organisation (Lorat, 2009, p.6). COMZ Group was highly affected by the economic factors as stated in the case study. COMZ Group which began its operation as promotional video production company but latter shifted to event management mainly for the travel industry, the airlines and travel agencies. After the 9/11 attack, the tourism business was affected highly and also had an adverse affect on the COMZ Group. The company had lost about 60% of its business overnight for which the company COMZ had to reposition itself completely. The 9/11 attack had affected the business badly so the company was forced to shift into a new dimensi on. COMZ Group is now a communication agency which offers a range of products and services to both local and large MNCs. Identify ONE other external factor and explain how it could affect COMZ Group in the future Other than the Economic factor, the company is affected by the rivalry among the industry. Since the communication industry is a competitive industry, the company needs to provide effective and better services to gain a competitive edge over its competitors. The COMZ Group continues to face challenges because the communication is often regarded as a luxury by businesses which cannot be afforded during economic downturn. There may be other communication firms which might offer great services at a less amount affecting the business of COMZ Group. Therefore the competition among the established firm within the same industry is usually high and that to in the communication industry (Hills & Jones, 2009, p.43). QUESTION 3 Identify TWO COMZ Group stakeholders (excluding sharehold ers) and describe their likely interests in the performance of the company. Two COMZ Group stakeholders are the customers and the employees who act as core members and are interested in the performance of the company. The customers are the key stakeholders that the organisation needs to satisfy. A customer is someone who is involved in the decision making to acquire a product or implement a

Pharmaceutical industry report in the UK and individual reflection Assignment

Pharmaceutical industry report in the UK and individual reflection - Assignment Example During the process of that transition, a new industry sector prolonged with global scope and opportunity. To support the growth of pharmaceutical sector, there was a big jump in the medicinal chemistry section as well in terms of innovation and development. Due to continuous development and innovation in medical chemistry and other associated parts of the medicine industry; with the invention of more advanced technology to ensure proper detection and treatment of various serious diseases the pharmaceutical industry has rose to its present stature, and continuous support from the governments of various nations with the adaptation of dual roles namely:providing support and encouragement towards medical research and implementing more prominent and strict drug safety and efficacy laws helps the pharmaceutical industry to reach the level in present times. In modern world for the patients across the globe of various ages- the word medicine has taken on new medical roles and value. Earlier people used to take medicine when they used to fall ill or faced any kind of physical hazards. But at present, in the world of modernization people use to depend on medicine/drug to increase their longevity in the world with a more fit and healthy body. Now a day’s people prefer to take medicine not only to cure them but also to remain fit and healthy. With this change in the mindset, the demands for verities of medicine with different objectives have increased many a times. As Daemmrich and Bowden (2005) in their analysis mentioned that â€Å"taking drugs for life has intensified a long-standing hybrid of scientific, emotional, and policy issues around side effects and widespread resentment of companies that profit from drug invention and marketing.† (Daemmrich and Bowden, 2005, p.1) In every part of the world, pharmaceutical industries play a key role in the growth of any

RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS - Essay Example Restrictive covenants in land law prohibit use of land in a particular manner. They are agreements between landowners in which one party agrees to refrain from use of land as prescribed by the agreement. This paper seeks to discuss concepts of restrictive covenants with the aim of advising parties to a land case. The paper will explore the nature and extent of liability as imposed by restrictive covenants. Facts of the case The case involves a landowner, Connor, who sells part of his land in order to meet his financial obligations. In January, Connor sold off a portion of his property to Jane. Part of the terms of the covenant was that the sold piece was supposed to be strictly meant for residential purposes and by only one family. A month later, Connor sold another part of his land to Bullhorn Company subject to a number of terms. Under the agreement, the immediate and any subsequent purchaser of the property was supposed to develop and maintain a fence around the subject property. The terms also provided that the property would only be used for at most twelve residential units and that the developed houses could only be used for residential purposes. Upon development of twelve independent houses by Bullhorn, the property was sold to separate buyers on terms that the new owners would use the property solely for residential purposes and that fees shall be paid by the owners for maintenance of roadway. Alex, one of the buyers from Bullhorn, has however been using his house as a bail hostel. The other new owners have been aggrieved and as a result refused to repair the boundaries and to pay the maintenance fees. Jane has also sold her property to Oscar who has used it for commercial purpose. Legal issues Covenants A covenant creates legal obligations on the parties to which it imputes liability. Defined as a legal promise, it exposes the promisor to liability as described by the covenant’s terms. Though covenants are considerably similar to contractual agr eements, they do not have to be necessarily supported by consideration. As a result, covenants are regulated by common law and doctrines of equity from different perspectives. In cases where consideration supports the promisors’ intentions, covenants are enforceable under both common law and equity.1 However, law lacks authority over covenants made without consideration. The general principle of covenants is to restrict the use of a piece of land in a given way and once a covenant is made, a landowner looses rights over the land as prescribed by the covenant. Similarly, covenants that have been made over a piece of land bind subsequent owners of the land even though they were not part of the covenant. This general rule can however be exempted by express provisions of individual covenants.2 In determining liability of parties to covenants, the courts applies either or both common law and the doctrines of equity as discussed bellow Covenants under equity Benefits Running covena nts under equity is based on the principles of benefits and burden on rights over pieces of land. Benefits with respect to restrictive covenants can be derived from either, annexation, assignment of the benefits or through building scheme approach. Under the doctrine of annexation, that either can be expressed by the original parties to a covenant or can be implied by statutes, the terms of the restrictive covenants are deemed to bind successive owners of land. This means that a landowner at a particular time is liable for breach of terms of a covenant over the land irrespective of the fact that the timely owner was not part of the covenant. Express annexation was observed in the case of Newton Abbot Co-operative Society v Williamson & Treadgold [1952] Ch 2863

Pricing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Pricing Strategy Essay To set a pricing strategy, there are number of steps taken into consideration as follows: Step 1: Our pricing objectives are to maximize market share and increase sales volume. This strategy will be used when TrackR is being launched into the market. We charge a reasonable price in order for TrackR to be accessible in the market as quickly as possible and also to encourage the interest and excitement of a product. Because of the low price, we are able to raise the sales volume easily, maximize the market share and reach the economic of scale as soon as possible. In order to boost the sales even more, we will offer promotion followed by the product launch, which will later be discussed in the later section. Eventually, we can penetrate the market and create brand awareness. Step 2: Being a monopoly of TrackR, we have a sole power of controlling price and quantity, but before we set a final price, we must observe the demand. TrackRcan be classified as normal goods for specific groups of people. While the price remains unchanged, people tend to buy more normal goods when their income increases and they less likely to buy normal goods when their income falls. TrackR is price elastic meaning consumers are responsive/ sensitive to a change in price. If we decide to elevate the price of TrackR, the quantity demand will be declined. Step 3: We also need to estimate the costs associated with TrackR. All costs can be broken down into 2 categories; fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs include salary, rent, PR and promotion and sales promotion, which come down to 3 million baht per month while the variable costs comprise of unit cost, shipping fee and exchange rate which are 375 baht per unit. Step 4: Analyzing competitors’ costs, prices, and offerings. Our competitors can potentially be online retailers, for example, eBay or Find my iPhone. TrackR eBay Find my iPhone Price ? $25 ~ 800 baht Free Cost No additional cost Shipping fee + duty Offering Warranty, Service No after sales service Apple products only Step 5: We divide our consumers into 2 segments; B2B and B2C so we will use different strategies to different potential buyers. For B2B buyers, we will sign a contract and sell them over a large volume at a reasonable price range regarding the numbers of unit purchased. By having cost advantages over competitors as you can see on the previous slide, we are able to build up a barrier protecting us from new entrants entering the market. On the other hand, as we aim to achieve our objective of increasing the sales volume, we set an affordable price making it accessible to B2C consumers so we can increase the sales volume and eventually achieve economic of scale. We begin using value based pricing approach for both buyers, which sets prices primarily upon the value perceived/estimated by the consumers rather than the costs of the product. In other words, value based pricing is a valuation of good or service according to how much consumers are willing to pay. We have done a market survey to see at what price consumers would like to spend. It could be somewhat arbitrary but it greatly assistances in an effective marketing of product in understanding impact of good or service has on consumers. We then use break-even analysis, which represents a point at which total cost and total revenue are equal: there is no loss or gain at this point. It purposely uses to determine the minimum output that must be reached in order to make a profit. It is a rough indicator of a marketing activity and also provides a dynamic view of relationships between costs, sales and profits. We also use quantity discount for B2B purchaser, which is an incentive offered to our potential purchasers resulting in a reduced cost per unit of goods when acquired in a greater volume. A quantity discount will be proposed to tempt our buyers to purchase in larger quantities. Step 6: Now, we have come down to a conclusion of TrackR’s final price. Here are the base prices for both B2B and B2C buyers.

Competition and Performance in Supermarket Industry

Competition and Performance in Supermarket Industry Analyse the management aspects of competition and performance in the supermarket industry, based on the case study given in the attachment. What role have the competitive strategies of supermarkets had in their success? In evaluating the sources of sustainable competitive advantage, which seem most important: market positioning, high levels of market power, or high levels of internal efficiency? Taking into consideration the four current dominant supermarket chains in the UK; Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisions, whilst acknowledging the slightly smaller popular grocery retailers such as Waitrose and Marks and Spencer an analysis of their comparative individual strategic framework is not dissimilar in many ways. Certainly in terms of the top four providers they have increased their market share through relentless buy up of smaller local convenience stores and chains, in addition to undercutting local suppliers, making them more cost effective. This has resulted in the retail food industry becoming an Oligopoly market, where only a few firms dominate the market by way of high levels of branding, brand loyalty, stable prices and a strong interdependence between the leading stores in relation to their own strategic movements. The emphasis is on advertising campaigns and tough barriers for any new competitors to overcome. They are all benefitting considerably by their economies of sale.[1] Tesco controls over 30% of the overall British grocery market. A market position which provides it with the strength and confidence to succeed against its rival competitors. Not only is positioning integral to the strategic success of the supermarket giants. It was Wal-Marts massive buying power which ultimately enabled Asda to become the second highest retailer in the market, usurping Sainsbury’s in 2003 from its number two spot. Another key area of its successes however grew out of its ability to offer a range of non-food items, such as clothing and kitchen ware. By expanding and diversifying its products in this way it was able to increase its overall market power. In 2002 Asda’s Chief Executive Tony DeNuzio confirmed, â€Å"two thousand lines have been sourced jointly with Wal-Mart and these delivered prices unheard of in the UK market.[2] Similarly Sainsbury’s business success came under threat several years ago when its market position was threatened and eventually commandeered by Asda. It needed to increase its competitive advantage quickly and one of the main ways it achieved this was by expanding and improving its own internal communications systems. Following the decline in sales and competitive defeat to Asda it responded by initiating the Making Sainsbury’s Great Again strategy. A significant four year recovery plan which included terminating the outsourced contracting of its IT infrastructure to the company Accenture. It shifted instead to the development of its own in-house IT systems saving the company millions of pounds.[3] This internal efficiency was further enhanced in 2006 when Sainsbury’s introduced new schemes such as Try Something New Today’ which became their motto for both customers and employees with a new emphasis on training and development and colleague communication . The supermarket chain also introduced a comprehensive monthly employee survey, called Talkback providing them with an indication of the level of staff satisfaction and quality of overall service being provided to the customers. During the same year Sainsbury’s launched an apprenticeship scheme for qualifying its in-house bakers, together with a leadership scheme for its branch and regional managers, designed to improve the level of quality of its management team, in addition to empowering its own staff. A combination of new stores, new lines and internal enhancement enabled Sainsbury’s to increase their profits significantly over the last few years. In 2008 these have been confirmed as  £488 million, before tax. A rise of  £108 million compared to 2007. And an overwhelming profit increase of  £380 million for Sainsbury’s since 2006.[4] All of the factors relating to market position, market power and internal efficiency can determine the strategic effectiveness of a successful supermarket giant in terms of how they inter-relate and require shifting or reviewing depending on the situation and motivation for change. What have been the marketing strategies of supermarkets? Evaluate these strategies. Marketing Strategies appear to be progressing away from the traditional 4Ps of Product, Place, Price and Promotion as Marketing is beginning to become more about the relationship of the public to the organization itself. Markets are now so competitive that more innovative ways of attracting customers is becoming key to remaining successful. Perhaps one of the best examples of a successful marketing strategy in order to maintain its existing customer focus, in addition to gaining more direct information about them as individuals, is through Tesco’s Clubcard scheme. This scheme has enabled Tesco to create a retail strategy, to determine their customers and which market these customers fit into as well as what they are looking for from a supermarket.[5] Similarly its computers for school voucher scheme turned shopping into a means of providing equipment for schools, maintained loyalty amongst families with children, raising their profile as a community conscious organization. Asda’s marketing strategy has always focused heavily on value. In 2006 it developed a new  £45 million marketing strategy which killed off their â€Å"always low prices slogan. A whole new approach to marketing its products now fell under the umbrella of more for you for less, This was a result of Asda’s market share decreasing to 16.7% and a recognition of Sainsbury’s recovery success. Asda also wanted to accentuate the quality and freshness of its food and drink, as the low price concept had begun to have less and less impact on its customers. It invested an enormous  £45 million advertising campaign using celebrities and even abandoned the familiar reassuring ‘Asda Price’ jingle. [6] In 2007, still reeling from the repercussions of its multi-million takeover bid of Safeway Superstores Morrison’s decided to revamp its image and market itself in a completely new way. It changed its logo and introduced the new strapline â€Å"The food sp ecialist for everyone.† In a similar way to Asda, Morrison’s made the decision to move away from the budget concept and value of lower costing food towards an angle that emphasized the quality of its products; where they came from and how they were packaged and presented. [7] This immediately followed a particularly controversial period for Morrison’s who were the first stock exchange company to post their results after the charity Christian Aid announced it would actively expose and campaign against industries that were seen to be abusing the environment.[8] It therefore becomes fairly apparent from these few recent examples that many of the major supermarkets are focusing their marketing strategies around the current political climate of the country, alongside the ever fluctuating expectations of its consumers. Comparatively the supermarket chain Waitrose has consistently delivered a reputation for stocking quality products, that are fair trade and organic. With the contentious strapline ‘honestly priced’ Waitrose focuses specifically on food and drink and has not diversified its products in line with the other major supermarkets. It has a very different socio-economic demographic for its market and their approach differs from other supermarkets in that they are all about brand loyalty. It has an account card like many other stores but chooses not to promote it. Rewards include concert tickets or selected food items, again emphasizing its overall different audience. The same audience who utilisie the John Lewis brand, the controlling arm of the supermarket. And most importantly of all the Waitrose profits are ploughed directly back into the pockets of its employees, maintaining a holistic enterprise with a fair, honest and high profile image. To what extent should supermarkets take into account ethics and corporate social responsibility when designing their competitive strategies and their relationship with suppliers? Do these responsibilities extend to protecting local communities and convenience stores? How should environmental questions be accounted for? By way of suppliers it is fair to assume from the media attention received that UK farmers are often seen to be suffering the effects of the considerable pressures put upon them to deliver high quality for lower prices, in addition to smaller grocers who find it continuously difficult to compete against the costs implemented by the supermarkets. The long-term impacts of battles between grocers and now non-food retail companies in the wake of the growth in expansion of supermarkets in new product areas, indicates that local based shopping facilities could decline further in future years. In response to the seemingly unending expansion and development of supermarkets across the UK, with smaller convenience stores moving into small towns and villages the Office of Fair Trading, (OFT) published the findings of an investigation into Britain’s four largest supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. Primarily based on how they treated suppliers. The report discovered no issues with the relationship overall and the conclusion was positive. However, since these outcomes were made public there remains an ongoing observation of practices by supermarkets nationally and an increasing profile with regard to the social and environmental responsibilities these hugely powerful, profit hungry enterprises have become in recent years. Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR has become of significant importance to supermarkets, with some responding at higher levels than others. Marks and Spencer have introduced a five year eco strategy aiming to proactively tackle issues including climate change, waste reduction and ethical trading. And Sainsbury’s Active Kids initiative, allowing the 80% of all UK registered schools to redeem vouchers for sports equipment. Donating a generous  £7 million of their own profits towards the campaign. [9] However this does not take into account the lack of co-operation by the larger supermarkets to help prevent cheap alcohol binge drinking. Frank Soodeen the Communications Director for Alcohol Concern stated earlier this year that ‘Supermarkets have a responsibility to price alcohol realistically†¦This is not an ordinary product and continuing to cynically market it below cost in order to increase footfall increases the risk to the public health†¦In the current climate of social and environmental awareness, a tough policy for corporate social responsibility (CSR) is worth its weight in gold.’ [10] Asda has since become the first supermarket to remove all of its super strength canned beers and lagers. In addition it has taken forward a new proof of age scheme titled Challenge 25. Customers who purchase alcohol must now produce some form of identification if they appear to look younger than twenty five. Furthermore the Federation of Small Businesses claims around 2,000 independent retailers go out of business each year. Supermarkets selling items with no mark-up are subsequently pushing all other smaller independent traders out of business as they simply cannot compete. Fair trade is an ongoing concern, with cheap labour in foreign countries enabling the retail trade to adopt low cost prices through exploitation. Earlier this year Martin Hearson from the campaigns organization Labour Behind The Label was quoted as reiterating ‘In theory, all the main supermarkets are committed to this but in practice, we have seen very little ethics to live up to the promise to pay workers a living wage’[11] It is abundantly apparent that supermarkets play a significant role in CSR issues and have a responsibility to maintain a level of standards across a number of areas that impact on both local communities and larger global matters. Tesco recently published their own Corporate Social Responsibility policy, which can be found on their website accompanied by the following statement ‘Our Corporate Social Responsibility policy objective is to earn the trust of our customers by acting responsibly in the communities we serve. We recognise our impact on society at all levels and work to maximise the benefits we bring. Customers are at the heart of everything we do. CSR is good for our business and good for the communities where we operate. By building goodwill and trust with our customers, we can earn their lifetime loyalty, which is our core purpose.’[12] To what extent is it inevitable that local convenience stores will decline? Are there feasible strategic or marketing responses available to them? The University of Southampton having been carrying out research around the reaction of consumers to the take over and demise of the local convenience store. The impact on communities who had recently been party to the addition of a Tesco Express in their local town or village within four different geographical areas of Hampshire were analysed over a period of one year providing the following conclusions Many citizens moved away from travelling to the distant out of town supermarkets, preferring to use not only the local Tesco Express, but other local shops as well. The return of out of town shoppers brought about by the inclusion of a smaller Tesco actually encouraged the concentration of increased local shopping trends, rather than having a detrimental effect on the community. In response to the findings the research team leader Professor Wrigley commented â€Å"It is clear that the introduction of the Tesco Express format to these communities helped bring about a major re-localisation of top-up shopping – away from distant superstores towards local shops. If consumers can access the same quality of fresh food and product ranges locally as they do in larger supermarkets, then increasingly it seems they will divert their top-up shopping back into their local neighborhood. This may have potential benefits for other traders, but more interestingly has considerable significance in changing the way we shop – with more people walking and cycling to stores.’[13] This conclusive positive influence of supermarket chain presence in local environments is reflected less positively in a topical piece of correspondence from The Executive Chairman for the Association of Convenience Stores to the Inquiry Secretary of the Groceries Market Investigation Competition Commission in 2007. The letter documents an investigative outcome of Costcutter stores nationwide. Whereas the commission had found there to be no decline in the general consumer use of Costcutters. The outcomes of the evidence provided by the Association of Convenience stores details a very different picture altogether, noting ‘The case: IGD I William Reed reports a decline of 5000 stores between the years of 2000 to 2006, and the decline of independents added to symbol group independents has declined by 4,611 stores in the same time period.’ The correspondence goes on to claim that a significant number of independent retailers are closing regularly across the country. And those that have remained successful have been subjected to takeover bids by Tesco or Sainsbury’s. An example of one Tesco store opening in a market town in Yorkshire, demonstrated that the existing Costcutter nearby received a turnover of a 50% decrease.[14] Although it is clear that supermarkets are not able to meet all grocery shopping needs as more local convenience stores fall into decline, less choice will be available to the consumer. In addition minority groups and those unable to access large super stores out of town, who would ordinarily have completed their shopping locally are now being forced into taking the cheaper option the presence of a smaller convenience Tesco Metro or Sainsbury’s central provides, making the audience for independent and convenience retailers even narrower. How might suppliers respond to the pressure they face? Suppliers are consistently left with fewer choices in terms of providing produce at an economic level consistent with continued growth resulting from the lack of profit made impossible from value Supermarket trading. Not only are they reduced to having to cut their costs, but they are under pressure in other areas like having to accept longer payment plans and cut prices sometimes even further by having to contribute to special supermarket promotional activity. [15] One of the options remaining is for suppliers to consider moving their industries abroad or carrying out more overseas trading. Alternatively by changing their products to meet the demanding needs of consumers to be greener, more organic and free range and finding new ways in which production costs can be consequently reduced in the process to impart better profits would be advantageous. Adapting to new methods of meeting the demands of the supermarkets are a continued necessity for suppliers to survive in the current market. Some suppliers may end up trading overseas, with the supermarkets forced to then buy the same product abroad at a higher cost, but with the profits going back into the pockets of the supplier. This will have a consequent knock-on effect to how all global supply and demand is met in the future. Alternatively the creation of Stockless centres through an enhanced supermarket internet home delivery service would enable goods to transfer directly from the supplier to the consumer door-to-door with no over-head costs. This would help reduce any transportation or logistic costs or financial implications incurred by the suppliers. Some supermarkets are now co-operating at a much more intensive level with their suppliers by recruiting specialists employed to work directly as a point of liaison to collaborate with the supplier in specific matters relating to the quality of the product they are providing, as well as financial advice and support with storage, refrigeration and logistical problems. [16]There is perhaps potential then to increase this level of support and develop a closer working relationship between retailer and supplier in order that both are satisfied. Bibliography Ebrahimi, H, 14 May 2006, Financial Daily Mail article ‘Britain’s top competition watchdog has said it is ready to see small suppliers squeezed out of business by powerful supermarkets so long as savings are passed on to consumers’ Gummesson, E (1999) Total Relationship Marketing: From the 4Ps Product, Price, Promotion, Place of Traditional Marketing Management to the 30Rs the Thirty Relationships of the New Marketing Paradigm: Butterworth-Heinemann Juniper.T, April 24, 2006 ‘A not so super market’, Guardian Newspaper Knights, D, and Wilmott, H (2000) The Reengineering Revolution? : Critical Studies of Corporate Change: Sage Knights, M (2005) ‘Sainsburys calls time on IT outsourcing contract’, Computing magazine University of Southamption press release, 03 November 2005, ‘Consumers Respond to transformation in UK Convenience Store Sector’, ref 05/191 Letter from Colin Graves to Tim Oyler, 23 November 2007 http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2006/grocery/pdf/responses_prov_findings_main_party_costcutter.pdf, Date accessed 12/09/08 (2002) ‘Asda fuelled by Wal-Mart power Food Retailing’, Eurofood article 7 March, 2006, ‘Asda plans marketing revamp’, Yorkshire Regional Development Agency article www.retail-vision.co.uk http://www.j-sainsbury.com/ar06/overview/groupperformance.shtml/ Chairman’s statement (2008) http://www.j-sainsbury.com/ar08/chairman/index.shtml, Date accessed 10/09/08 1 Footnotes [1] Juniper.T, April 24, 2006 ‘A not so super market’, Guardian Newspaper [2] (2002) ‘Asda fuelled by Wal-Mart power Food Retailing’, Eurofood article [3] Knights,M (2005) ‘Sainsburys calls time on IT outsourcing contract’, Computing magazine [4] http://www.j-sainsbury.com/ar06/overview/groupperformance.shtml/ Chairman’s statement (2008) http://www.j-sainsbury.com/ar08/chairman/index.shtml, Date accessed 10/09/08 [5] www.retail-vision.co.uk [6] 7 March, 2006, ‘Asda plans marketing revamp’, Yorkshire Regional Development Agency article [7] Johnson, B (2007) ‘Morrisons has sterling strategy’, Advertising Marketing article [8] Johnson, B (2007) ‘Morrisons has sterling strategy’, Advertising Marketing article [9] http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/files/reports/cr2005/index.asp?pageid=90 [10] Gough,V, 04 July 2008, Article from mycustomer.com, http://www.mycustomer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=133794u=pndm=phnd, Date accessed13/09/08 [11] Gough,V, 04 July 2008, Article from mycustomer.com, http://www.mycustomer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=133794u=pndm=phnd, Date accessed13/09/08 [12] http://www.tesco.ie/csr/index.html, Date accessed 13/09/08 [13] University of Southamption press release, 03 November 2005, ‘Consumers Respond to transformation in UK Convinience Store Sector’, ref 05/191 [14] Letter from Colin Graves to Tim Oyler, 23 November 2007 http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2006/grocery/pdf/responses_prov_findings_main_party_costcutter.pdf, Date accessed 12/09/08 [15] Ebrahimi,H, 14 May 2006, Financial Daily Mail article ‘Britain’s top competition watchdog has said it is ready to see small suppliers squeezed out of business by powerful supermarkets so long as savings are passed on to consumers’ [16] Knights, D, and Wilmott, H (2000) The Reengineering Revolution?: Critical Studies of Corporate Change : Sage

The Dream of Oenghus :: essays research papers

The Dream of Oenghus The Celtic myth, "The Dream of Oenghus," relates the tale of Oenghus the Celtic god of love and his long search for true love. Oenghus is the son of Boann and Daghdhae. Boann the white cow goddess, and Daghdhae the father of all gods, the "good god." In a dream Oenghus sees "the loveliest figure in Ireland†¦" His memory of this vision makes him ill with loneliness and he begins to waste away. With the help of his mother, and another of his fathers' sons, Bodhbh, he begins his search for the girl he dreamt of. When, after years, he successfully completes his search the lovers' travels to Bruigh Mac, his home. Chronologically and geographically distant, Apuleius second century record of the original Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche also relates a story of amorous pursuit. In Apuleius account Psyche is the most beautiful of all mortals. "The fame of her surpassing beauty spread over the earth†¦Ã…’and men? would even say that Venus herself could not equal this mortal." Out of jealousy, Venus commands Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with "the vilest and most despicable creature in the whole world." However, dispatched on his errand Cupid is astonished by her beauty and "as if he had shot one of his arrows into his own heart" falls completely in love with her. Cupid dumbfounded by the love he suddenly feels carries Psyche off. Although Psyche is never able to gaze on Cupid she is confident of the love her unseen paramour expresses in the dark each night. Eventually, prompted by her unbelieving and somewhat envious sisters she lights a lamp and discovers that her lover is Cupid. Unfortunately, Cupid hurt by both the oil sputtering from the lamp and her faithlessness fees. Psyche deeply grieved by her lack of faith and subsequent loss of love pledges to search for Cupid forever. "I can spend the rest of my life searching for him. If he has no more love left for me, at least I can show him how much I love him." Eventually after many trials and tribulations, largely at the inspiration of the still jealous Venus, she is reunited with Cupid and comes to live the live of the immortals. These myths share a common fundamental theme. In both instances, the myths document a love between a mortal and a god. Moreover, both of the courtship's involve long periods of separation, difficult and desperate journeys in pursuit of the beloved, and deep ongoing uncertainty as to the ultimate outcome of the fat of the lovers. Clearly, it is not unreasonable to contend

The Discovery of Paralititan Stomeri - A Giant Sauropod Essay -- Anthr

The Discovery of Paralititan Stomeri - A Giant Sauropod In the scientific article â€Å"A giant sauropod dinosaur from an upper Cretaceous mangrove deposit in Egypt,† by Joshua Smith, Matthew Lamanna, Kenneth Lacovara, and Peter Dodson it is indicated that a giant sauropod named Paralititan Stomeri was discovered in a desert area in western Egypt in 2001. The skeleton was dated back to ninety to one hundred million years ago, which is the late Cretaceous period. Paralititan is a sauropod, which is thought to be the second largest that has ever lived. A partial skeleton of this enormous sauropod was found. What was found is seen when the authors write, â€Å"The specimen consists largely of vertebrae, pectoral girdle, and forelimb elements† (Dodson, Lacovara, Lamanna, and Smith). The largest bone found was a 1.69 meter long humerus, which is an upper arm bone. This was the first find in the area since 1935. The area where the bones were found is called Egypt’s Bahariya Oasis. The last time this site was explored was when a German, named Ernst Stromer, found four smaller dinosaur species. Stromer believed that the fossils he found came from a period in the Upper Cretaceous around ninety three to ninety nine million years ago. Included in stromer’s findings were fish, turtles, plesiosaurs, squamates, crocodyliforms, and four dinosaurs: the theropods Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and Bahariasaurus, and the sauropod Aegyptosaurus (Dodson, Lacovara, Lamanna, and Smith). Unfortunately most of these fossils were destroyed in 1944 when the Allied forces bombed Munich during World War II. The period around ninety to one hundred million years ago is characterized by a very small variation in temperature between the north and south ... ... in that area. The discovery of the Paralititan supports the theory that the two continents were attached through the late Cretaceous, because it is closely related to the Argentinosaurus. This discovery is exciting because it is another very large sauropod and, because it helps support the theory that Africa and South America were still connected through the late Cretaceous period. Bibliography Dodson, Peter, Kenneth Lacovara, Matthew Lamanna, and Joshua Smith. â€Å"A giant sauropod dinosaur from an Upper Creataceous mangrove deposit in Egypt†. Science. Washington: June1, 2001. Vo. 292, Iss. 5522. Roach, John. â€Å"’Tidal Giant’ Roamed Coastal Swamps of Ancient Africa†. National Geographic News. 2001. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0 531-tidaldinosaur.html

Seven Solitudes of Lorsa Lopez and The Spirits Essay -- Comparative, S

The assumed power of men has been an issue of gender politics throughout Seven Solitudes of Lorsa Lopez by Sony Labou Tansi and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. The African and Latin American cultures have become societies vulnerable to traditional biases of women being the weaker race, liable for blame of men’s problems. Through their attitudes, physical strengths and abusive behaviors physically, verbally and emotionally, men continue to oppress the women of their societies. Male power has been institutionalized by society, while women continuously combat their socially-accepted roles by using the only weapons to their disposal: their voices and sexuality. Estina Benta and Clara try to conform to their own standards of life by attempting to defy their male spouses. Using the power to voice their opinions and withhold strong self-confidence, both are able to control the emotions of their male authorities. (Provide context for this quote) â€Å"Clara walked around like a silent†¦shadow. She didn’t even look at [him]. She walked right past [him] as if [he] were a piece of furniture. [They] hadn’t resumed sleeping in the same bed† (Allende 113). Abstaining from communication and sex, Clara is able to expose Esteban’s vulnerability and gain her own power and independence. This particular vulnerability that is revealed through Esteban Trueba is the very essence of his eventual downfall. He â€Å"felt defeated for the first time in his life† (104) (put citation at the end of the sentence) which led to his abusive, possessive behavior towards Clara. â€Å"He wanted far more than her body; he wanted control over that undefined and luminous material that lay within her† (96). The necessity of obsessive control over women is the backbone o... ...m as he needed to be loved, even if it meant he had to resort to extreme measures. [But] he realized that Clara did not belong to him and that†¦she probably never would† (96). â€Å"Taking charge using his physical advantage Esteban â€Å"pulled her from the bed, dragged her down the hall, pushed her down the stairs, and thrust her into the library† (132). Words such as â€Å"pulled,† â€Å"dragged†, â€Å"pushed† and â€Å"thrust† correlate to sexual violence, which is a man’s only dominating feature that can keep him in a position of power. However being a strong individual does not mean having physical strength, rather it means strong-minded, emotionally stable and the power to speak out; all weapons of the women of African and Latin American cultures. Through their words and actions such as sex strikes, their power is illuminated and true equality is found because â€Å"women are also men† (23).

Integrative Problems and Virtual Organization

Integrative Problems and Virtual Organization LaShell Johnson Lynnette O’Neil Thomas Hernandez University of Phoenix Finance for Business FIN 370 Bruce Fox December 14, 2011 Integrative Problems and Virtual Organization Lafleur Trading Company is a private company that has supplied the world with the finest food and wines over 3 dozen trading partners across the planet. Recently, they have decided to expand their operations. Looking at their options, they may expand by acquiring another organization in the same industry, go public through an IPO, or merge with another organization.Below are the pros and cons that may come with each approach. One advantage of being a privately held company is the ability to move quickly without having to obtain approval of shareholders or a board of directors. The owners of a privately held company have a greater interest in the success of the business because of the greater risk the owners face. It would be easier and faster to acquire a compa ny in the same industry. The company would obtain a new customer base and potentially be obtaining new technology that would improve overall operational effectiveness.When an organization decides to expand their business by acquiring another organization in the same industry, there are a few things that need to be considered. An acquisition can be defined as the purchase of one business or company by another company or business entity. One of the strengths of acquiring another company is the fact that they have so many trading partners across a wide range. Lafleur Trading Company only deals with reputable producers and exporters which shows that they are more than capable of handling more responsibility. Their extensive list of products includes seafood, wine, fruit, vegetables, cheese and maple products.If a friendly acquisition occurs, both companies would work together and negotiate the arrangements. Learning more efficient ways for production can also be discovered during the pr ocess of an acquisition. There are weaknesses during this process such as transferring of technologies and capabilities can prove difficult because of acquisition implementation. There is always a risk of losing implicit knowledge during a fast paced acquisition. A lack of adequate record keeping can prove costly and time consuming for the acquiring company. There are always opportunities when a company acquires another.For one, the company can increase supply-chain pricing power by buying out one of its suppliers. This allows a company to eliminate a level of costs. Another opportunity to be had is eliminating competition in order to gain a larger market share in its product’s market. An example of a threat would be a hostile takeover. This is when one company buys another against its will. Employees of the acquired company may feel threatened thus resulting in a lack of communication which may be beneficial to the acquiring firm. Expanding through acquisition also has hidde n risks; there may be potential law suits that are unknown at the time of purchase.If the acquisition is not structured properly, the acquiring company would have to absorb all the potential liabilities. Another way to expand a privately owned company is to undertake an Initial Public Offering, or a sale of stock by a private company to the public. Companies undertaking IPO may request assistance of an Investment Banking firm to help assess the values of their shares. When the company list their shares to the public exchange, the money paid by investors for those shares goes directly to the company.IPO enables a company access to money, provided by investors, which they can use as capital for future growth. Of course there are variables that may or may not benefit the expanding company. One of the benefits of an IPO is the media coverage the business receives. When favorable, the company’s reputation of its products and services attract more investors. The company’s ac tivities will also be reflected in the reports of professional financial analysts. Positive public profile not only support liquidity of the shares, but also becomes a desirable and reliable partner.Banks also become keen on extending loans with lower interest rates (Trust Capital Group, 2003-2011) Going public also provides its challenges. One of the most important challenges is the need for added disclosure for investors. Public companies are also regulated by the Securities Exchange Act in regards to periodic financial reporting’s. These requirements increase legal, accounting and marketing costs. If La Fleur Trading Company would rather not deal with these additional regulations, they may also decide to merge with another organization.The strengths of merging with another organization, for La Fleur Trading Company can be very beneficial for the company, as its definition says merging is the acquisition of another firm, or merging is the result when two firms unite into on e, some of the benefits of emerging with another firm can be economies of scale and a more improved organizational efficiency, it also reduces the staff costs, and general expenses, all this factors have convinced more and more firms to merge with another firm over an IPO.However there might be some weaknesses when merging with another firm, like in every firm there might be some risks to take when making a business, some of the disadvantages of merging with another firm might be, legal expenses, short term opportunity costs, costs and expenses related with the takeover or the merger, potential devaluation of equity and some possible intangible costs that may affect the firms, as a result merging with another firm can be very beneficial or very risky, it may benefit the firms by creating and saving more money for both, or it can be very devastating for both by the much more greater losses that the companies are going to lose with the merging of both firms. In conclusion, we have det ermined that Lafleur Trading Company should choose the route of merging with another organization because of the type of business it is. It would be more feasible to merge with another firm and gain additional trading partners through that process.By going through an acquisition, the company may lose the existing relationships with the trading partners which would be more costly to start over. As a privately held company, there are no concerns with having to obtain approval of shareholders or a board of directors. It would be easier and faster to merge with a company in the same industry. The company would obtain a new customer base and potentially be obtaining new technology that would improve overall operational effectiveness. Reference Trust Capital Group. (2003-2011). IPO Benefits. Retrieved from http://www. trust-capital. com/page. php? id=73&&PHPSESSID=798a964978326d6fb0a20625b21ecca6 Keown, A. J. , Martin, J. D. , Petty, J. W. , & Scott, D. F. (2005). Financial Management: Pr inciples and applications (10th ed. ).

Comparing Pride and Prejudice to Macbeth

In the first few chapters of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Jane Austen portrays Fitzwilliam Darcy as: â€Å"so high and conceited†, â€Å"a most disagreeable man† and possessed of â€Å"shocking madness†. This is conveyed to the audience through Elizabeth Bennet’s eavesdropping and the Bennet family’s first impression of Darcy. At the start of ‘Macbeth’ however, the central character, Macbeth, is portrayed by William Shakespeare as a hero. In Scotland he is loved, trusted and admired: â€Å"Oh valiant cousin, worthy gentleman†, â€Å"brave Macbeth†.Nevertheless by the end of both works, the audience’s own opinion of each character has changed to the complete opposite. Their opinion has been altered by the authors who try to confute the audience’s initial understanding of both characters. Many characters throughout ‘Pride and Prejudice’ change in one way or another. They especially change ot her people’s impressions of them. A good example of this is Mr Wickham. When Wickham is first introduced into the novel, he is portrayed as a good, kind man who was unfortunate enough to have lived with Darcy: â€Å"Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned†¦ As the novel progresses Elizabeth begins to find out about his true characteristics. The way in which Jane Austen changes our opinion of Wickham is initially through the letter that Darcy sends to Elizabeth after she has declined his first offer of marriage. The letter she receives explains why Darcy dislikes Wickham. It tells her of the ungentleman like things that Wickham has done in the past. It explains how he became a â€Å"wild one† as one of Darcy’s housemaids told Elizabeth when she made a visit to Pemberley.On the other hand in ‘Macbeth’, the character who undergoes the most change throughout the play is in fact Macbeth himself. At first, he was a very honourable and noble man, both on and off the battlefields of Scotland. This is shown we he is appointed to becoming Thane of Cawdor: â€Å"He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor†. Macbeth however, was a very ambitious man as well, and this was part of the reason for his change of character and downfall: â€Å"I have no spur†¦but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself†.It was Shakespeare’s portrayal of Macbeth’s ambition that allowed him to have the ability to change the audience’s opinion of Macbeth completely. Pushed by the idea that he could become king, his growing ambition and misplace confidence in the prophecies and Lady Macbeth, Macbeth begins to become an evil, murderous tyrant lacking any sense of mind. Another way in which Jane Austen changes ideas and characters in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is through the actions and words of Mr Bennet. Mr Bennet undergoes one of the most significant changes thr oughout the course of the novel.When he is first introduced he is one of the primary characters offering comic relief and as the beginning of the story progresses, we see that his primary characteristics revolve around poking fun at his wife; â€Å"I have the utmost respect for your nerves. They've been my constant companion these twenty years. † He also stays aloof from his daughters, and does not care about serious matters of love. As the novel progresses, most especially after Lydia's elopement and arranged marriage, we see Mr. Bennet's character begin to change.The weight of his careless attitude finally sits heavy enough on his shoulders that he can no longer ignore it. While he still pokes fun at his wife, he understands that his daughters need a firm father if they are to curb their wild natures. With Lydia, it was too late, but he wasted no time in turning on Kitty and immediately laying down the law of his house: â€Å" This shows the audience that he realises that he hasn’t brought up his daughters how he wanted to and her wants to change that with kitty.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 3

Of course, I should clarify at this point that Jerome doesn't look like a demon, at least not in the traditional red skin and horns sense. Maybe he does on another plane of existence, but like Hugh, me, and all the other immortals walking the earth, Jerome wore a human guise now. One that looked like John Cusack. Seriously. No joke. The archdemon always claimed he didn't even know who the actor was, but none of us bought that. † Ow,† I said irritably. â€Å"Let me go.† Jerome released his grasp, but his dark eyes still glinted dangerously. â€Å"You look good,† he said after a moment, seeming surprised by the admission. I tugged at my sweater, straightening it from where his hand had crumpled it. â€Å"You have a funny way of showing your admiration.† â€Å"Really good,† he continued thoughtfully. â€Å"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you – â€Å" † – shine,† murmured a voice behind the demon. â€Å"You shine, Daughter of Lilith, like a star in the night sky, like a diamond glittering on the bleakness of eternity.† I started in surprise. Jerome cut a sharp glance to the speaker, not liking his monologue interrupted. I also glared, not liking an uninvited angel in my apartment. Carter only smiled at both of us. â€Å"As I was saying,† snapped Jerome, â€Å"you look like you've been with a good mortal.† â€Å"I did a favor for Hugh.† â€Å"So this isn't the start of a new and improved habit?† â€Å"Not on the salary you pay me.† Jerome grunted, but it was all part of a routine between us. He would berate me for not taking my job seriously, I'd give a few witty quips in return, and the status quo would resume. Like I said, I was something of a teacher's pet. Looking at him now, however, I could see no more jokes would follow. The charm that had so enthralled my customers today had no effect on these two. Jerome's face was drawn and serious, as was Carter's, despite the angel's usual sardonic half-smile. Jerome and Carter hung out together regularly, especially when alcohol was involved. This baffled me since they were supposedly locked in some sort of great, cosmic struggle. I'd once asked Jerome if Carter was a fallen angel, which had elicited a good laugh from the demon. When he'd recovered from the hilarity, he'd told me no, Carter hadn't fallen. If he had, he wouldn't technically be an angel anymore. I hadn't really found that answer satisfying and finally decided the two must stay together because there was no one else in this area who could relate to an existence stretching back to the beginning of time and creation. All the rest of us lesser immortals had been human at some point before; greater immortals like Jerome and Carter had not. My centuries were a mere blip on their timeline. Whatever the reasons for his presence now, I didn't like Carter. He wasn't obnoxious like Duane, but he always seemed so smug and supercilious. Maybe it was an angel thing. Carter also had the most bizarre sense of humor I'd ever seen. I could never tell if he was making fun of me or not. â€Å"So what can I do for you boys?† I asked, tossing my purse on the counter. â€Å"I've got places to be tonight.† Jerome fixed me with a narrow-eyed look. â€Å"I want you to tell me about Duane.† â€Å"What? I already did. He's an asshole.† â€Å"Is that why you had him killed?† â€Å"I – what?† I froze where I'd been sifting through cupboard contents and slowly turned around to look back at the duo, half expecting some joke. Both faces were in earnest, watching me. â€Å"Killed? How†¦ how does that work?† â€Å"You tell me, Georgie.† I blinked, suddenly realizing where this was going. â€Å"Are you accusing me of killing Duane? And wait†¦ this is stupid. Duane isn't dead. He can't be.† Jerome began pacing, his voice exaggeratedly civil. â€Å"Oh, I assure you, he is quite dead. We found him this morning, just before sunrise.† â€Å"So what? He died of sun exposure?† That was the only way I'd ever heard a vampire could die. â€Å"No. He died because of the stake wedged into his heart.† † Ew.† â€Å"So are you ready to tell me who you got to do it, Georgie?† â€Å"I didn't get anyone to do it! I can't even – I don't even understand what this is about. Duane can't be dead.† â€Å"You admitted to me last night you two got in a fight.† â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And you threatened him.† â€Å"Yeah, but I was joking†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I think he told me you said something about him never coming near you again?† â€Å"I was angry and upset! He was scaring me. This is crazy. Besides, Duane can't be dead.† That was the only piece of sanity I could cling to in all of this, so I kept repeating it to them and to myself. Immortals were, by definition, immortal. End of story. â€Å"Don't you know anything about vampires?† the arch-demon asked curiously. â€Å"Like that they can't die?† Amusement flickered in Carter's gray eyes; Jerome found me less funny. â€Å"I'm asking you one last time, Georgina. Did you or did you not have Duane killed? Just answer the question. Yes or no.† â€Å"No,† I said firmly. Jerome glanced at Carter. The angel studied me, his lank blond hair falling forward to partially cover his face. I realized then why Carter was along for the ride tonight. Angels can always discern truth from lies. At last, he nodded sharply to Jerome. â€Å"Glad I passed the test,† I muttered. But they weren't paying attention to me anymore. â€Å"Well,† observed Jerome grimly, â€Å"I guess we know what this means.† â€Å"Well, we don't know for sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  † I do.† Carter gave him a meaningful look, and several seconds of silence passed. I'd always suspected the two were communicating mentally in such moments, something we lesser immortals could not do unassisted. â€Å"So Duane's really dead?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† said Jerome, remembering I was there. â€Å"Very much so.† â€Å"Who killed him then? Now that we've determined it wasn't me?† The two glanced at each other and shrugged, neither answering. Negligent parents, both of them. Carter pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. Lord, I hated it when they got this way. Finally Jerome said, â€Å"A vampire hunter.† I stared. â€Å"Really? Like that girl on TV?† â€Å"Not exactly.† â€Å"So where are you going tonight?† asked Carter pleasantly. â€Å"To Seth Mortensen's signing. And don't change the subject. I want to know about this vampire hunter.† â€Å"Are you going to sleep with him?† â€Å"I – what?† For half a moment, I thought the angel was asking me about the vampire hunter. â€Å"You mean Seth Mortensen?† Carter exhaled smoke. â€Å"Sure. I mean, if I were a succubus obsessed with a mortal author, that's what I'd do. Besides, doesn't your side always want more celebrities?† â€Å"We've already got plenty of celebrities,† Jerome said in an undertone. Sleep with Seth Mortensen? Good grief. It was the most preposterous thing I'd ever heard. It was appalling. If I absorbed his life force, there was no telling how long it'd be until his next book came out. â€Å"No! Of course not.† â€Å"Then what are you going to do to get noticed?† â€Å"Noticed?† â€Å"Sure. I mean, the guy probably sees tons of fans on a regular basis. Don't you want to stand out in some way?† Surprise washed over me. I hadn't even considered that. Should I have? My jaded nature made it difficult to find pleasure in many things nowadays. Seth Mortensen books were one of my few escapes. Should I acknowledge that and attempt to connect with the novels' creator? Earlier today, I'd mocked run-of-the-mill fans. Was I about to become one of them? â€Å"Well†¦ I mean, Paige will probably introduce the staff privately to him. I'll sort of stand out then.† â€Å"Yes, of course.† Carter put out the cigarette in my kitchen sink. â€Å"I'm sure he never gets the opportunity to meet bookstore management.† I opened my mouth to protest, but Jerome cut me off. â€Å"Enough.† He gave Carter another of those meaningful looks. â€Å"We need to go.† â€Å"I – wait a minute!† Carter had succeeded in derailing me off the topic after all. I couldn't believe it. â€Å"I want to know more about this vampire hunter.† â€Å"All you need to know is that you should be careful, Georgie. Extremely careful. I am not joking about this.† I swallowed, hearing the iron in the demon's voice. â€Å"But I'm not a vampire.† â€Å"I don't care. These hunter types sometimes follow vampires around, hoping to find others. You could be implicated by association. Lay low. Avoid being alone. Stay with others – mortal or immortal, it doesn't matter. Maybe you can follow up on your favor for Hugh and score some more souls for our side while you're at it.† I rolled my eyes at that as the two walked to the door. â€Å"I mean it. Be careful. Keep a low profile. Don't get involved with this.† â€Å"And,† added Carter with a wink, â€Å"say hi to Seth Mortensen for me.† With that, the two left, closing the door gently behind them. A formality really, since either of them could have just teleported out. Or blown my door apart. I turned to Aubrey. She had watched the proceedings cautiously from the back of my sofa, tail twitching. â€Å"Well,† I told her, reeling. â€Å"What am I supposed to make of that?† Duane was actually dead? I mean, yeah, he was a bastard, and I had been pretty pissed when I threatened him last night, but I'd never actually wanted him to be really dead. And what about this vampire hunter business? Why was I supposed to be careful when – â€Å"Shit!† I had just glanced at my microwave clock. It coolly informed me I needed to return to the bookstore ASAP. Pushing Duane out of my brain, I dashed to my bedroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Aubrey followed more sluggishly. What to wear? I could just keep my current outfit. The sweater and khakis combination looked both respectable and subdued, though the color scheme blended a bit too well with my light brown hair. It was a librarian sort of outfit. Did I want to look subdued? Maybe. Like I had told Carter, I really didn't want to do anything that might solicit the romantic interest of my favorite author in the whole world. Still†¦ Still, I remembered what the angel had said about getting noticed. I didn't want to be just another face in Seth Mortensen's crowd. This was the final stop on his latest tour. No doubt he'd seen thousands of fans in the last month, fans who blurred together into a sea of bland faces, making their inane comments. I had advised the guy at the counter to be innovative with his questions, and I intended to behave the same way with my appearance. Five minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror once more, this time clad in a silk tank top, deep violet and low-cut, paired with a floral chiffon skirt. The skirt almost covered my thighs and swirled when I spun. It would have made a great dancing outfit. Stepping into strappy brown heels, I glanced over at Aubrey for confirmation. â€Å"What do you think? Too sexy?† She began cleaning her tail. â€Å"It is sexy,† I conceded, â€Å"but it's classy sexy. The hair helps, I think.† I had pulled my long hair up into a romantic sort of bun, leaving wavy locks to frame my face and enhance my eyes. Momentary shape-shifting made them turn greener than usual. Changing my mind, I let them go back to their normal gold-and-green-flecked hazel. When Aubrey still refused to acknowledge how awesome I looked, I grabbed my snakeskin coat and glared at her. â€Å"I don't care what you think. This outfit was a good call.† I left the apartment with my copy of The Glasgow Pact and walked back to work, impervious to the drizzle. Another perk of shape-shifting. Fans milled inside the main retail area, eager to see the man whose latest book still dominated the bestseller lists, even after five weeks. I squeezed past the group, making my way toward the stairs that led to the second floor. â€Å"Young adult books are over there by the wall.† Doug's friendly voice drifted nearby. â€Å"Let me know if you need anything else.† He turned away from the customer he'd been helping, caught sight of me, and promptly dropped the stack of books he'd been holding. Customers stepped back, politely watching him kneel down to retrieve the books. I recognized the covers immediately. They were paperbacks of Seth Mortensen's older titles. â€Å"Sacrilege,† I commented. â€Å"Letting those touch the ground. You'll have to burn them now, like a flag.† Ignoring me, Doug gathered up the books and then ushered me off out of earshot. â€Å"Nice of you to go home and change into something more comfortable. Christ, can you even bend over in that?† â€Å"What, do you think I'll have to tonight?† â€Å"Well, that depends. I mean, Warren's here after all.† â€Å"Harsh, Doug. Very harsh.† â€Å"You bring it on yourself, Kincaid.† He gave me a reluctant, appreciative glance just before we started climbing the stairs. â€Å"You do look pretty good, though.† â€Å"Thanks. I wanted Seth Mortensen to notice me.† â€Å"Believe me, unless he's gay, he'll notice you. Probably even then too.† â€Å"I don't look too slutty, do I?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Or cheap?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I was going for classy sexy. What do you think?† â€Å"I think I'm done feeding your ego. You already know how you look.† We crested the top of the stairs. A mass of chairs had been set up, covering most of the cafe's normal seating area and spreading out into part of the gardening and maps section of books. Paige, the store manager and our superior, busily attempted some sort of wiring acrobatics with the microphone and sound system. I didn't know what this building had been used for before Emerald City Books moved in, but it was not an ideal venue for acoustics and large groups. â€Å"I'm going to help her,† Doug told me, kindly chivalrous. Paige was three months pregnant. â€Å"I'd advise you do something that doesn't involve leaning more than twenty degrees in any one direction. Oh, and if somebody tries to get you to touch your elbows together behind your back, don't fall for it.† I gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, nearly making him lose the books again. Bruce, still manning the espresso counter, made me my fourth white chocolate mocha of the day, and I wandered over to the geography books to drink it while I waited for things to pick up. Glancing beside me, I recognized the guy I'd discussed Seth Mortensen with earlier. He still held his copy of The Glasgow Pact. â€Å"Hey,† I said. He jumped at the sound of my voice, having been absorbed in a travel book about Texas. â€Å"Sorry,† I told him. â€Å"Didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"I – no, you d-didn't,† he stammered. His eyes assessed me from head to toe in one quick glance, lingering ever so briefly on my hips and breasts but longest on my face. â€Å"You changed clothes.† Apparently realizing the myriad implications behind such an admission, he added hastily, â€Å"Not that that's bad. I mean that's good. Er, well, that is – â€Å" His embarrassment growing, he turned from me and tried to awkwardly replace the Texas book back on the shelf, upside down. I hid my smile. This guy was too adorable. I didn't run into many shy guys anymore. Modern-day dating seemed to demand men make as great a spectacle of themselves as possible, and unfortunately, women seemed to really go for it. Okay, even I went for it sometimes. But shy guys deserved a break too, and I decided a little harmless flirting with him would be good for his ego while I waited for the signing to start. He probably had terrible luck with women. â€Å"Let me do that,† I offered, leaning across him. My hands touched his as I took the book from him, replacing it carefully on the shelf, front cover out. â€Å"There.† I stepped back as though to admire my handiwork, making sure I stood very close to him, our shoulders nearly touching. â€Å"It's important to keep up appearances with books,† I explained. â€Å"Image goes a long way in this business.† He dared a look over at me, still nervous but steadily recovering his composure. â€Å"I go more for content.† â€Å"Really?† I repositioned slightly so that we were touching again, the soft flannel of his shirt brushing my bare skin. â€Å"Because I could have sworn a moment ago you were pretty caught up in outside appearance.† His eyes shifted down again, but I could see a smile curving his lips. â€Å"Well. Some things are so striking, they can't help but draw attention to themselves.† â€Å"And doesn't that make you curious about what's inside?† â€Å"Mostly it makes me want to get you some advanced copies.† Advanced copies? What did he – ? â€Å"Seth? Seth, where – ah, there you are.† Paige turned down our aisle, Doug following behind. She brightened when she saw me, and I felt my stomach sink out of me and hit the floor with a thud as I put two and two together. No. No. It couldn't be – â€Å"Ah, Georgina. I see you've already met Seth Mortensen.†