How does the postmodern picture book set out to capture both the adult Essay

How does the postmodern picture book set out to capture both the adult and the child reader's interest - Essay Example By taking into account children’s literature in a record of storybook history it is likely to discern the postmodern inclination in literature and art as an act of going back to or, possibly, a rereading of the fanaticism of a Romantic perception of the relationship between an adult and reader. Postmodern thinkers, like Lyotard, question the trustworthiness of the major literatures that have governed cultural production from the time of the Enlightenment (Beckett 2001). Even though this standpoint may seem to abandon the essentialist nature of Romantic interpretations of childhood, the understood audience of postmodern picture books remains characterised in Romantic terms (Lundin 2004). The components that characterise the texts that will be discussed in this essay as postmodern may be liberating and revolutionary, but the public reading of children’s literature persists to devalue its artistic, visual and experimental value. The devaluation of writing picture books and other literature for children and its relationship with popular culture situate it in a bond with characteristics of high culture that are always challenged in postmodern theories (Thacker & Webb 2002). Moreover, the inequality of the relationship between the ‘innocent, receptive’ (ibid, p. ... nary playfulness and the inclinations of several children’s books to deconstruct require a comparison with the most revolutionary postmodern critiques of art (Moebius 2009). Questions regarding the trustworthiness of Enlightenment absolutes’ metanarratives reveal an unworkable tie between the Romantic ideas of childhood as basically naive, and the postmodern techniques that define the most stimulating current children’s literature (Whalley 2009). Although the challenges to essentialist and absolutes perspective mark postmodernism’s principles, if something quite changing can be thought to present ideologies, the strategies that define texts for children offer a more liberal reading practice that usually seems to depend on a view of children indicative of the Romantic ideas of the pre-social newborn (Browne 1999). Subversion’s components existent, specifically, in current picture books, for instance, entice children as audience to build a strong conn ection to the text and strengthen the ties between romantic disorder and postmodernism introduced by Brooker (1992). Metafictional techniques, narrative fractures, and parodic symbols which draw interest on the increasing values of literature can all be located in current picture books for children (Moebius 2009). Such elements act as a dispute to prevailing interpretations of childhood and represent an implicit audience. The array of themes which involve children and their reading practices: parents, teachers, journalists, and others, voice out an overpowering fear about the influences of present-day society on concepts of childhood as, one way or another, perfect (Goldstone 2009). The conflict in human relationships, most frequently found in the changes in family structures, and the influence of media and

A Division of Parody Productions Essay Example for Free

A Division of Parody Productions Essay 1. FACTS: Parody Productions, LLC is a company that sale his playing cards over the internet. The product portrays well-known players from a sports teams history. The plaintiff in this suit, Ronald Swoboda, is included in the New York Mets Hero Deck. Swoboda claims that he has never given Parody permission to use his image. He further contends that through his attorney he sent Parody a cease and desist letter. Parody refused to stop selling cards with Swobodas name and images. In response, Swoboda filed the instant lawsuit to enjoin Parody from the continued use of his name and likeness and for damages for violating his right to publicity, and, alternatively, damages for unjust enrichment. The trial court sustained the exception of lack of personal jurisdiction and this appeal followed. See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay 2. ISSUE: The issue is â€Å"Did Court of Appeal of Louisiana approve lack of personal jurisdiction of an internet merchandiser?† 3. DECISION: Affirmed 4. REASONING: Since 1945, technology has advanced to such a degree that it is possible for sellers to reach consumers in their homes worldwide. The onset of the Internet has created a lapse between the method of doing business in 1945 and the legal systems ability to keep up with technology. The purposeful availment requirement for the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant ensures that it will not be haled into a jurisdiction solely as a result of a random, fortuitous, or attenuated contact, or by the unilateral activity of another party or a third person. In Quality Design, the court ruled that Tuff Coats website was a passive one, whereby information about its product was provided, but actual sales were arranged via telephone or mail.

Pettiness of the Wealthy Exposed in The Stolen Party Essay -- Stolen P

Pettiness of the Wealthy Exposed in The Stolen Party  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In Liliana Heker’s short story, "The Stolen Party," Senora Ines invited Rosaura to the party for only one reason, to serve. Rosaura was a very smart girl in school, but she lacked people smarts. Senora Ines told Rosaura that she would be a guest there but tricked Rosaura into being a helper instead of a guest. Senora Ines needed Rosaura to help at the party so she mislead Rosaura by making her tasks seem as if they were privileges. Senora Ines’ deviousness ultimately devastated poor, innocent Rosaura. Rosaura was a smart yet naive girl. Heker tells us that, "she was barely nine, and one of the best in her class" (1133). But as her mother, Herminia, says, "Get away with you believing any nonsense you’re told" (Heker 1133). Rosaura felt like she was equal to Lucinda, but to Senora Ines she is nothing but the maid’s daughter, another pair of hands. Rosaura wanted a better life than her mother’s, and she thought that this might be the first step in that direction. Senora Ines was very secretive in her true intentio...

Robert Louis Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Ess

Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Both Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein tell cautionary tales of scientists abusing their creative powers to exist in another sphere where they cannot be directly blamed for their actions. Though Frankenstein's creation is a "Creature" distinct from his creator while Dr. Jekyll metamorphoses into Mr. Hyde, the "double" of each protagonist progressively grows more violent throughout his story. By doing so he symbolizes his creator's repressed desires in a stifling society. The stories have parallel structures in the three main ways. First, both Dr. Jekyll and Frankenstein are scientists who, though welcomed by society, find it constraining and often alienate themselves. Each creates an alter ego for himself to live out his liberated passions, Hyde for Jekyll and the Creature for Frankenstein. Jekyll creates his with intention for evil and Frankenstein with the idea of building a supreme being. However, it could be argued that Frankenstein unconsciously wishes his creation to commit acts of sin. Hyde's and Frankenstein's first victims are children. They each evolve over time and develop their violent tendencies, culminating in the murder of a well-esteemed man for Hyde and Frankenstein's family and friends. The first mention of Dr. Jekyll comes in a discussion between his longtime friends, Lanyon and Utterson, men whose names imply a traditional, hampered society. "Utterson" combines both "utter," connoting a squelched speech, with "son," defining the society's patriarchal structure, and "Lanyon" casts images of sprawling canyons that are noticeably absent in the gray, foggy London Stevenson depicts. La... ...sire for a new society. Hyde and the Creature's plights follow similar paths, but their motives seem somewhat different. Jekyll invented Hyde for a dive in which he could transport himself and put on display his evil psyche. Frankenstein assembled the Creature as an à ¼ber-man of sorts, a prototype of a better society. Frankenstein was published in 1818, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1886. Perhaps Stevenson's book marks the end of Romanticism as a viable literary style in modern times. Though Frankenstein's evil hides is veiled by guilt and a seemingly upstanding society position, Jekyll's is visibly apparent. Frankenstein is a shaded man with no clear dividing line, whereas Jekyll is a black-and-white character with a subset of colors inside his dichotomies. Stevenson, drawing on Shelley's story, reflected both a new literary movement and a new psychological study.

Lyric interpretation †“Sister Golden Hair” by America Essay

For this lyric assignment, I chose the song Sister Golden Hair (released 1975) by America in their album Hearts . America is an English-American Folk-Rock band, originally composed of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members were barely past their teenage years when they became an overnight musical sensation in 1972. They reached a peak in popularity in the early to mid 1970s and early 1980s. Among the band’s best known songs are â€Å"A Horse with No Name†, â€Å"Sister Golden Hair† (both of which reached Number 1), â€Å"Ventura Highway†, and â€Å"Tin Man†. The song Sister Golden Hair is interpreted by many people in a variety of different ways and meanings. In my opinion and from my research solidifying my interpretation, this song is about a guy that is wrestling with forbidden love. In my interpretation of the lyrics, he is wrestling with forbidden love but not the love for a nun as many have thought. He has fallen in love with his half-sister whom he has been introduced to but didn’t know she existed prior to some broken family interaction along the path of his life, hence the surprise. She also has shown that she felt something more than sibling love for him during family gatherings. He tries to fake being a brother but he is tortured by his lust for her and prefers to stay away from family contact for fear of being taken as a family member by her and lose his chance with her. Not ready for the alter would mean that marriage is not an option due to his blood ties to her, but that he seeks to live his life with her anyways as. This song is about a letter he writes to her after years of painful waiting for her to catch up to him in years and reach adulthood, and to see if they can move on without one-another, metaphorically, Sunday but then Monday means several painful years of questionable, cautious, cat-like commitment to being there right when she’s ready. Originally, the lyrics said Meet me in VA would have meant giving him her virginity but as the lyric changed to air the meaning is that he has sent her a recording of a song he wrote for her and would she embrace his disincarnate company present in the â€Å"air† which is not a stretch of a term for a piece of music. Will you meet me in the middle would mean that they both have buried their forbidden love for years and in his letter he is calling the game because the burden is too  great and he may be considering suicide in his deep depression. Can’t you see it in my eyes means he has also sent her a photo with the letter and the recording (the CD cover?) the photo must show his emptiness but also his affinity for her, that she would fall in love even more so with the photo after not seeing one another for years. This song is a musical masterpiece because like the outro it makes the musical statement that he would win her through his musical prowess: the intro for the song is a solo acoustic guitar bit which I think sounds awesome. While all this may seem to be a stretch, you might think I’m reading my own experience into these most beautiful and mysterious lyrics but just consider this†¦ the author has stated that these lyrics are strictly poetic license and that mean these lyrics came from his in-depth subconscious mind. The first time I heard this song I loved how it sounded and never bothered really listening to the lyrics. However, the more I listened to it and attempted to decipher its meaning, the more I realized how many metaphors it contains, and how much of a deeper meaning this song has. Guitarist Gerry Beckley wrote this song, and when asked if it was written to anyone, Beckley said: â€Å"No, this is all poetic license. With ‘Sister Golden Hair,’ as far as my folks were concerned, I was writing a song about my sister, and I couldn’t quite fathom it; they must not have listened to the lyrics.† (thanks, Brett – Edmonton, Canada) In my opinion, I believe this is a song with a very deep and hidden meaning that has been created like this on purpose because if people did really know its meaning it would never have been one of Americas top hits.

A critical analysis of the Haringey Serious Case Review in the case of Baby Peter Conolly 2009. The WritePass Journal

A critical analysis of the Haringey Serious Case Review in the case of Baby Peter Conolly 2009. Introduction A critical analysis of the Haringey Serious Case Review in the case of Baby Peter Conolly 2009. ) has shown statistics relating to the profession that should be regarded as rather alarming given the responsibility that is placed on these professionals for the welfare of the nations vulnerable children. These statistics show that many professionals are highly concerned about the security and financial circumstances relating to their jobs, excessive overburden in workload and dissatisfaction in the roles as a result of the former two factors. There is little doubt that the professional error that formed the basis of dismissal of the social workers in the case of Peter Conolly was a knock-on effect of these resource constraints. Although, as noted in this case, it led to a fatal result it is debatable whether these failures to protect children by the state should be attributed to the professionals or rather whether they should be seen as a larger failure of the institutions and organizations tasked with the protection of children. Every Child Matters is a government driven initiative which, amongst other things, promotes the integration of various stakeholders in the field of social welfare in order to present a united front line of support staff. This encourages cross organization communication and early intervention. The emphasis on a network of social welfare professionals working together to prevent cases such as Peter Conolly reinforces the debate of whether it is just and fair to attribute the death of a child to one professional individually, as arguably there are many different workers involved in one case. The SCR report on the death of Peter Conolly mentions a wide variety of persons involved in the welfare of the child. There is some suggestion that other factors should be considered when attempting to attribute accountability to any professional or organization that perhaps was not given enough weight in the case of Peter Conolly. It was noted in the SCR that the mother of baby P. was a well-versed in the social welfare system having grown up in an abusive home and therefore knowing the protocols and factors that were considered in nominating baby P. as a high risk case. The SCR further shows that this mother was often elusive and difficult to get hold of for whatever reason and it can be argued that taking extreme measures in the case of Peter Conolly would have jeopardized other cases that the social worker may have been working on at the time. Although it was classified as a high risk case, the reports from the various parties were that the child was comfortable and happy during home visits and evaluations. It is arguable therefore that the social worker was reasonable in not spending more time and resources on trying to force more home visits on the mother of baby P. Without the value of hindsight, it is arguable that all social workers would like to give parents the benefit of the doubt, as is an occupational hazard. The tragedy of the events should not be judged with this hindsight as it risks being an armchair critic, wise after the events. Methodology The methodology used will be to examine various secondary sources of information relating to the outcomes of SCR for the professionals involved. This will determine whether measures taken against the professionals were extreme in the circumstances, but also whether there is an impact of these SCR on the organizations themselves. The current plans for restructuring of this public sector will also be considered in light of the criticisms raised by the various reports published on the protection of children and the progress made towards those goals. The suggestions forwarded by the Munro report (2011) and the BASW report (2012) will be considered in order to determine whether these suggestions will have a positive impact on the flailing morale and current problems with the social welfare profession. Conclusion and Recommendations The purpose of this research is not to suggest that these failures by any part or member of the organization are in any way acceptable. The death of a child due to abuse and neglect is never acceptable in any situation and in all cases there is a need for SCR to determine if there has been professional negligence in failing to intervene timeously leading to the fatal outcome. In the case of Peter Conolly, where an error in professional judgment was held to be the cause, appropriate action must be taken against unqualified and negligent professionals in the industry. However, if these errors and mistakes are as a result of a resource constraint that could be described as unrelated to the competency of the social worker themselves, the organization should shoulder the responsibility for this failure to take appropriate preventative measures rather than chastising the social worker involved for the purposes of public accountability. The morale in this profession is at an all time low as it is and one cannot risk the further demotivation of staff in these organizations as it will lead for further slipping of standards. Expecting social workers to perform competently and adequately in an environment where their workload is far higher than normal, as well as burdening them with extra responsibilities and duties, not to mention the demotivating effect of fiscal change, is unreasonable in the circumstances and will have a negative effect in the long term on the profession of social welfare. The recommendation therefore will be to revise the disciplinary procedures in SCR in order to firstly determine if there has been a failure of the organization or organizations involved in the case to determine the cause of failure of duty. Such an inquiry should lead to a discovery of professional negligence if such negligence existed in the case. Invariably an examination of the entire procedure and events should yield a fairly conclusive result as to the cause of the failure. Thereafter, any professional failures on the part of a specific social worker or other involved professional should be dealt with in the appropriate manner. A further recommendation is to reallocate certain resources to these organizations so that certain pressures may be relieved. This may include the assignment of additional administrative staff, inclusion of training in work schedules, the immediate filling of departmental vacancies so as not to overburden the social workers and certain tenure for these professionals as there is a clear concern for job security in these circumstances. References Christou Ward v London Borough of Haringey [2012] UKEAT 0298_11_2505 Haringey Local Safeguarding Childrens Board, 2009 (Serious Case Review ‘Child A’) (ref: March 2009) London: Department for Education The British Association of Social Workers, 2012 (The State of Social Work 2012) (Ref: 15/05/2012) London: sn The Department for Education, 2004 (Every Child Matters: Change for Children) (DfES/1081/2004) London: Department for Education The Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010 (Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children) (DCSF-00305-2010) London: Department for Education The Department for Education, 2011 (The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report, A child centred system) (ref: May 2011) London: Department of Education The House of Commons: The Lord Laming, 2009 (The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report) (ref: 15 March 2009) London: The Stationary Office

Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome

Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome As sure as summer turns to fall, every August thousands of women across the country experience a unique form of heartbreak. It’s not unrequited love – it’s the bittersweet act of sending a child off to college. Empty nest syndrome creates anxiety for even the most independent of women. Next to childbirth, it’s one of the biggest transitions of motherhood. Departure - Not Abandonment For many, it’s a personal struggle to come to terms with one’s own feelings of loss and change. Mindy Holgate, 45, an office manager from New York, was surprised at how deeply she was affected by her daughter Emily’s departure for a large state university three hours away. â€Å"It was huge. We had a friendship as well as a mother/daughter relationship. When that was taken away, I felt so lonely.† Holgate says she cried for two weeks after saying goodbye last August. She also admits that she resented Emily and felt abandoned. But now, looking back with a year’s perspective under her belt, she acknowledges, â€Å"That was all about me, not her. Having that bond and then letting go was my own issue.† Transplantating Your Child Like Holgate, many mothers who sing the empty nest blues cant see beyond the hole created by a child’s absence. And maybe it’s the phrase ‘empty nest’ that’s partly to blame. The following analogy expresses this transition in a more positive light: Imagine transplanting a flower or bush to a new location so it can grow healthier and stronger. For this to successfully occur, you have to dig up the plant and sever its roots. There’s an initial shock to the system, but planted in its new surroundings, it extends new roots and eventually establishes itself more firmly than before. And the hole that’s left behind can be filled in with fertile soil ready to nurture new opportunities. Mother - Not Friend Letting go seems especially challenging for baby boomer mothers. Many pride themselves on being a friend first and a parent second. This may be why a term used by college administrators – helicopter parenting – has entered the mainstream to describe a mother and/or father who hovers to the detriment of their child’s personal growth and development. Anyone familiar with the cell phone habits of teenagers knows that constant contact with friends, whether texting or calling, is commonplace. But a responsible mother who wants what’s best for her college freshman has to behave like a parent – not a friend. She needs to refrain from picking up the phone and calling or sending text messages daily, or even weekly. School of Hard Knocks Let your child reach out to you and establish his or her own terms for staying in touch. They’re the ones who have to learn the ins and outs of college classes, dorm life, relationships, newfound freedom, and financial responsibility. Over-involvment - or trying to smooth over the rough spots that arise in college life - takes away opportunities for your child to envision solutions or develop coping strategies. Holgate found this out herself when her daughter casually mentioned in a phone conversation that she’d lost her student dining card and couldn’t access her meal plan. Though Holgate was frustrated that her daughter hadn’t thought to contact student services with her problem, she knew it was all a part of growing up. â€Å"Out of Your Hands† And the benefit of letting go? A life that blooms independently on its own. Holgate sees the process as similar to paying out rope: â€Å"First you ease it little by little, then suddenly it just slips out of your hands and you’ve let go.† She realized she’d let go when her daughter Emily decided to go to Canada this summer for a week with friends. â€Å"I didn’t ask her where she was staying, where I could reach her, or what she’d be doing. And I almost felt guilty about it. Last summer I wouldn’t have imagined I’d feel this way. Over the past year, the process of letting go almost happened right under my nose without my noticing it.† Holgate’s advice to mothers currently facing this situation: â€Å"Let the kid go. And don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s a transition for both of you.†

Stoichiometry Lab Essays

Stoichiometry Lab Essays Stoichiometry Lab Essay Stoichiometry Lab Essay Stoichiometry February 28th, 2013 Abstract: The reactions of the Sodium Hydroxide and two acids, Hydrochloric Acid and Sulfuric Acid were performed. The heat given off by these two reactions was used to determine the stoichiometric ratio and the limiting reactants in each experiment. Introduction: Coefficients in a balanced equations show how many moles of each reactant is needed to react with each other and how many moles of each product that will be formed. Stoichiometry allows us to calculate the amount of reactants needed and also the amount of product. The major basis of stoichiometry is formed by the law of definite proportions, which states that a chemical compound always contains the exact proportion of elements by mass. This is also the heart of balancing chemical equations. The coefficients of a balanced equation can also be thought of as the ratios in which the reactants combine. In the chemical equation A+ B> AB the coefficients tell us that for every one mole of reactant â€Å"A† one moles of reactant â€Å"B† are needed and used to produce the product â€Å"AB†. If two moles of â€Å"A† was present and only one mole of â€Å"B† the excess mole of â€Å"A† would have nothing to react with. In this reaction â€Å"B† would be the limiting reactant. The reaction is limited due to â€Å"B† because once â€Å"B† is all used up, the reaction will stop, and there would be an excess of unused â€Å"A†. The progress of a reaction can be measured by the heat energy that is given off. Exothermic reactions give off heat and therefore an increase in temperature also occurs. The reaction between an acid and a base is also known as neutralization, and is usually an exothermic reaction. When reactants are combined at stoichiometric ratios the reaction is able to be completed and would exert the most heat energy. The purpose of this lab was to carry out the reaction between a basic solution of Sodium Hydroxide with Hydrochloric acid, and also the reaction of Sodium Hydroxide with Sulfuric Acid to determine the limiting reactant and the stoichiometric ratio of each experiment. Procedure: Reaction Between HCL and NaOH Diluted Solutions of HCL and NaOH were prepared. 120 ml of 3M stock of HCl and NaOH were measured with a graduated cylinder and placed into two 250 ml beakers. Two 400ml beakers were filled with 240 ml of water measured by graduated cylinder. The 120ml of HCl was added to one of the beakers containing water and the 120 NaOH to the other, both being added slowly while stirring the solution vigourously. Label the beakers HCl and NaOH. Keep the beakers covered with a watch glass when not in use. Measure and record the temperature of the NaOH solution using the PASCO Explorer temperature probe. Make sure to rinse off and dry the probe after every use. Obtain a coffee cup calorimeter and lid to house the reactions. Measure the appropriate amount HCl (see chart A) pour it in the calorimeter and determine its temperature using the temperature probe. Record the temperature. Measure the corresponding amount of NaOH (see chart A) and add it to the calorimeter all at once. Put the lid back on the calorimeter and stir it carefully with the probe. Record the highest temperature reached as the reaction occurs. Rinse the cup with deionized water and dry. Repeat experiment for each of the amounts of chart A. chart A) Amount of each reactant l 1. 0 M Acid| 55. 0| 50. 0| 45. 0| 40. 0| 35. 0| 30. 0| 25. 0| 20. 0| 15. 0| 10. 0| 5. 0| ml 1. 0 M NaOH| 5. 0| 10. 0| 15. 0| 20. 0| 25. 0| 30. 0| 35. 0| 40. 0| 45. 0| 50. 0| 55. 0| *Use 100 ml graduated cylinder for measuring volumes 30 to 55 ml, 25 ml graduated cylinder for volumes 15ml through 25 ml, and 10 ml graduated cylinder for volumes 5ml and 10 ml Reaction Between H? SO? and NaOH Use the procedure from the Reaction Between HCL and NaOH only substitute the HC l with H? SO? , and the same amounts listed in chart A.

Political science Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Political science - Assignment Example Normally, the cycle is considered complete when feedback is given from decision maker. National security assistant behavior should involve strong team ethics, excellent people skills, reasonable level of fitness and sound judgment in all situations. Since matters of security are crucial a national security assistant should always be non partisan. Bureaucratic politic model deals with advocates for proper accountability; it strengthens participation and also ensures reasoned decision making by giving guidelines to be taken .This model promotes growth in the government as it enhances participation in policy formulations (Waterman,2004). The war resolution power of 1973 is a federal law which was formed for the intention of checking the president’s power to commit United States to an armed conflict without congress consent. The resolution was passed by two-thirds of the congress, further it requires president to notify the congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military actions. However, it forbids armed forces from staying there for more than 60 days with a further 30 days withdrawal period. In the past it has been alleged that the War powers resolution has been violated for instance President Clinton in 1999, on the bombing campaign n Kosovo. Isolationism is the coherent and complete grand strategy, it involves economic isolation, military and diplomatic non-intervention and cultural seclusion. In the past, isolation ideas have greatly influenced American foreign policy, most notably in the late 1930s and with disastrous consequences. According to George Herring, isolationism did not become fixed in the American political lexicon way until twentieth century. Realism just like other social sciences has analysis and prescription. It involves n efforts to explain both behavior of individual states and the characteristic of international system as whole. Realism ontological

Summarize chapter 23 and 24 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summarize chapter 23 and 24 - Essay Example Finally, the chapter also delved into a discussion of safety procedures required during aircraft taxiing, parking and towing, among others. The aim of the chapter was to enhance awareness on ground operations to prevent accidents and ensure safety through effective flight line operations. Chapter 24 delved into a discussion of airports and heliports by first indicating three diverse scenarios: being a tenant, owning one, or using diverse airports or heliports, for that matter. The aim is to provide a comprehensive presentation of safety precautions and guidelines for safety managers, regardless of the kind of ownership. Learning begins with the airport certification manual and emergency plan. Differentiating criteria for airports and heliports were likewise presented. A great deal of spaces were accorded to contain relevant information detailing airport and heliport safety inspection subjects which make safety managers equipped in identifying safety programs, contents of manuals, required reporting, emergency plans, equipment, and fuel handling. It indicated that more information could be sourced from the Federal Aviation Administration, as required. The article written by Andrew Smolenski published in Examiner.com indicated the Federal Aviation Administration’ s (FAA) new ruling on improving relevant policies to prevent the increased helicopter accidents. The full press release from the FAA revealed that: â€Å"the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today proposed broad new rules for helicopter operators, including air ambulances, which, if finalized, would require stricter flight rules and procedures, improved communications and training, and additional on-board safety equipment† (Smolenski, 1). It can be deduced that the relevance of insuring compliance to safety requirements as stipulated in manuals and emergency plans must be adhered to, as indicated in the course modules on ground operations

Analysis of types of claims Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of types of claims - Assignment Example ative American values that are being projected all over the world, the author also emphasizes on the positive values that according to him, represent the true America more accurately. In Fewer Call Themselves Multiracial, the author Nasser conveys credibility and ethos by means of using the strong support of statistics, quotation from authority, and inductive reasoning, and concludes that the decline in multiracial self-identity is because â€Å"there is a lot of pressure from society to choose one race† (Wood, 2008, p.184). Pathos or emotional persuasion of the reader is through quotations from authorities who state that identifying more than one race, opposes racial identity. For this, the solution is to accept being 100% of one race, as well as 100% of the other race as well, rather than being half of each race. Logos or logical reasoning is used by the author. In the 2000 census, people were allowed to check more than one race, as a result of lobbying undertaken by mixed-race Americans urging the government to permit identification with more than one race. Moreover, the movement for grew stronger with multi-racial proclamations from famous celebrities such as golfer Tiger Woods, actress Halle Berry, and several others. However, the census bureau’s survey showed a drop from 2.4% in 2000 to 1.9% in 2005, a small but significant decline in mixed race self-identification (Wood, 2008). In What Sets Us Apart, the author Zuckerman establishes ethos or ethical appeal through giving both the positive and negative cultural impacts that America has over the rest of the world. The author uses pathos to support his argument, through persuading by means of appealing to the emotions of the reader (Durhamtech, 2009). This is evident in Zuckerman’s statement â€Å"So America’s narrative which has waxed for so long is now waning in its universal appeal† (Wood, 2008, p.192) as is obvious from the decline of America’s image in other countries. Grievances have

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 41

Essay Example However, as one might expect, these alternative views do not appropriately reflect the views of the author herself. Rather, notwithstanding the well-articulated counter arguments and the issue of freedom and legality that they necessarily entail, the author constructs an argument for the complete prohibition at worst and discouragement at best of the burqa within society. As a means of quickly seeking to jar the reader’s attention from the rhetorical strength of those individuals who have come out against legislation banning the veil, Berlinski shifts to the isolated cases of sexual violence that take place in the lawless suburbs of Paris. As a means of distraction this is an effective tactic due to the fact that it instantly congeals the reader’s impression of Islam as naturally given to sexual violence, rape specifically, and depicts the male adherents as little more than sexually deviant thugs who are more than willing to cast aside all decency that a host culture, such as France, may have gifted them as a means of punishing those who dare to show a bit of self expression and freedom of strict Islamic tradition. As a function of shifting the debate from the broad to the specific, the author is able to convince the reader that her specific point of view is the most rational. This rhetorical approach is not unique; however Berlinski ap plies it masterfully. Right after eviscerating Islamic European culture for being broken, immoral, and unrestrained, Berlinski states, â€Å"Yet the burqa must be banned. All forms of veiling must be, if not banned, strongly discouraged and stigmatized† (Berlinski 2). The argument deviates further from the subject matter when Berlinski brings in the topic of gynecological examinations of girls within many of the recent immigrant communities within Europe. Although it is not the function of this author to make a moral judgment with regards to whether or not such a fascination

Outline the important features of utilitarianism and explain and asses Essay

Outline the important features of utilitarianism and explain and asses one criticism of the theory. Do you think utilitarianism - Essay Example In addition, I will justify that in essence communism is utilitarianism. Finding therefore at least one problematic issue with communism, as a socio-economic means of organizing society will then lead us to discover at least a significant drawback against utilitarianism. I will build up my case by introducing important features of utilitarianism, the association between communism and utilitarianism and the actual state of communism in Cuba. Important features of utilitarianism Based on the readings, I was able to sort some important attractive features of utilitarianism. The following are some of its considerable characteristics. One promising mark of utilitarianism is its emphasis placed on the welfare of each person. It strongly adheres to a moral act of doing the right thing that could substantially address individual welfare. It places no other significant value to anything other than this by trying to recognize individuals could feel pain and pleasure. Maximizing this pleasure i s the good thing to do, and alleviating or eliminating pain is of the same paramount importance. This substantially fits into the general point of utilitarian theory to maximize happiness. The utilitarian principle also emphasizes the idea that it is a good thing to do if individuals could maximize their ability for making the best they can for the world. This means everyone has the opportunity to use maximum ability to make the world a better place to live in. This is pretty attractive as humans certainly do want to live in a world where there is no conflict, but everything around is for the best of sustaining their interests and preserving their lives. Thus, this would promote maximum happiness for everyone. By trying to maximize happiness for the greatest number of people, utilitarianism tries to promote the idea that impartiality is the right thing to do. Utilitarianism seeks not to focus on minimum needs, but rather the common good of the greatest number of people for maximum p leasures. It always looks forward to the welfare of the majority so it tries to promote impartiality in all circumstances or situations so as to be consistent with its goal to maximize happiness. For instance, advancing the lower classes as integral components of the majority in the case of communism is for the common good and it seeks to essentially maximize happiness. Thus, this makes communism as the philosophy of utilitarianism in a way that its existence can be viewed as a socio-economic means of organizing society, for the common good, and would therefore maximize happiness. Finally, another important feature of utilitarianism is its ability to address moral dilemmas. Some would try to emphasize that what is right could be subjective at some point. Everybody could claim their basic rights. It is here were conflicts and even moral dilemmas would arise. Utilitarian theory tries not to make this as a problem by being consistent with the idea that if the majority is happy then a c ertain action is good, but if a certain move does not create maximum pleasure for most of the people then it is not the right thing. So there is no moral dilemma considered in the utilitarian principle making it less problematic in understanding morality. It does not further ask what right does the majority has over the minority for as long as the majority is h

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 41

Essay Example However, as one might expect, these alternative views do not appropriately reflect the views of the author herself. Rather, notwithstanding the well-articulated counter arguments and the issue of freedom and legality that they necessarily entail, the author constructs an argument for the complete prohibition at worst and discouragement at best of the burqa within society. As a means of quickly seeking to jar the reader’s attention from the rhetorical strength of those individuals who have come out against legislation banning the veil, Berlinski shifts to the isolated cases of sexual violence that take place in the lawless suburbs of Paris. As a means of distraction this is an effective tactic due to the fact that it instantly congeals the reader’s impression of Islam as naturally given to sexual violence, rape specifically, and depicts the male adherents as little more than sexually deviant thugs who are more than willing to cast aside all decency that a host culture, such as France, may have gifted them as a means of punishing those who dare to show a bit of self expression and freedom of strict Islamic tradition. As a function of shifting the debate from the broad to the specific, the author is able to convince the reader that her specific point of view is the most rational. This rhetorical approach is not unique; however Berlinski ap plies it masterfully. Right after eviscerating Islamic European culture for being broken, immoral, and unrestrained, Berlinski states, â€Å"Yet the burqa must be banned. All forms of veiling must be, if not banned, strongly discouraged and stigmatized† (Berlinski 2). The argument deviates further from the subject matter when Berlinski brings in the topic of gynecological examinations of girls within many of the recent immigrant communities within Europe. Although it is not the function of this author to make a moral judgment with regards to whether or not such a fascination

The Perfect Husband Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Perfect Husband - Essay Example As I mature, I realized that perfection can be seen on how a husband is someone who understands and provides a woman's needs and how he keeps his marital commitment, how displays sacrificial leadership. A woman and a man have different needs which should be met by their lifetime partners. A perfect husband should be able to differentiate from his needs and his wife's needs and respond to them. For example, it is stressed that while a man's primary motivation for marriage is sexual fulfillment, a woman constantly longs for his husband's affection and love. Thus, a husband should always show his love to the wife by doing small things like sending her love notes, cooking for her, hugging her a lot, and telling her how much she means to him. A perfect husband is someone who will never think twice of giving up his machismo and show his soft side in order to satisfy his wife. He will also go the extra mile in order to show his constant love and affection. Secondly, a husband should have a strong marital commitment. It is irrefutable that most men detest commitment and dedication but a perfect husband is someone who reaches the maturity of being accountable and responsible for his actions. Since he allowed himself to be bound by a lifetime commitment, he will make sure that he stays faithful to his wife. When the going gets tough, he stays with the wife and remains devoted to her. The husband is often regarded as a head of the family even in this more

Intergration and reflection Essay Example for Free

Intergration and reflection Essay This is a reflection paper in partial fulfillment of the course math 101 module 6. It is my evaluation for the entire course in terms of strengths, ability, knowledge and how I can implement or relate to them on a day to day life. The challenges I met along the way and what I would have done to overcome them and if the course objectives were fully integrated. I was able to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding of the course and ready to advance to a higher level. I have learnt to solve problems by paying attention to detail and making a decision. I’ve also learnt big problems are made up of small problems so first know how to solve the small ones so as to manage the big ones. I believe I did exceptionally well in terms of performance but there is always room for improvement. Participating more in class, focusing on my week areas, reading more course books are just some ways I would have improved more. The topics that were a challenge were graphing inequalities and factors of numbers. In order to implement these topics more participating during class time and doing tests after every topic to gauge the understanding of the topics would help in a great way. The aptitude you acquire in class will help in your daily life. For example calculating change, taxes, discounts, commission, distance between two points for example from school to home, or even planting trees or flowers in a particular area. The course objective were fully achieved as am now able to solve application problems, calculate according to order of operations and also comparing quantities using ratios.

Strategic Management Process At Sainsburys

Strategic Management Process At Sainsburys 1.0 Introduction The aim of this report is about the Strategic Management Process and how it related to the retail industry. The retail industry that was chose to support this report is J Sainsbury Plc, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. In Strategy Management Process, it consists of three major sections which are, first, the Strategy Analysis, then follow by Strategy Formulation and lastly is the Strategy Implementation. In Strategy Management, there are various types of Strategy Analytical tools to apply to find out the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats of an organisation as all the organisations will face its glory time and difficulties. Generally in the retail industry, Strategy Management is the most common plan to use to seek the problems or opportunities available to overcome the crisis and driving high performance in the long term (Accenture.com, 2009). Few chosen tools such as Porters PEST Analysis, Five forces, Value Chain Analysis, Portfolio Analysis , Generic Strategy, Control System and Strategy Process were further explained and supported in this report. 2.0 Strategy Analysis According to Ron Meyer (2004, pg44), analysis is the first step to develop a strategy decision. In Analysis stage, an organization has to identify the opportunities and threats in the environment, as well as the strengths and weaknesses first before proceeding into strategy formulation. These are commonly known as the four factors of S.W.O.T. analysis. SWOT analysis will help to identify the issues that are must critical to the future of the organisation. As for the first part of the analysis, factors which are external to the organization are the opportunity and threats. While for the internal factors are the strength and weaknesses. There are strategy analytical tools to identify the external and internal factors. PEST is one of the tools that can trace the opportunity and Five Forces can use to identify the threats of the organization. On the other hand, value chains analysis can apply to identify the strength and weaknesses. 2.1 Opportunities and Threats An organizations Opportunity and Threats are affected by external environment. Opportunities are external conditions that are helpful to achieving the objective of an organization while threats are external conditions that are harmful to achieving the organisations objective. 2.2 Strengths and Weaknesses Internal Environment affects an organisations Strengths and Weaknesses. Strength are the capabilities of the organization that are helpful to achieving the objective whereas, Weakness attributes of the organization that are harmful to achieving the objective. 2.3 Strategy Analytical Tools for External Environment (Macro-Environment) Strategy analytical tools such as PEST and Five Forces can identify the external environment factors to an organization. 2.3.1 PEST Analysis is an External Environment Tool that Identify the Opportunity of an Organization Thomas L. Wheelen (2010) points out that the general environment consists of all conditions in the external environment that forms a background context for managerial decision making. In other words, general environment is the outer layer that is widely dispersed and affects organizations indirectly. General environment can be affected by Political factors, Environmental factors, Social factors and Technological factors or in acronym, PEST. Political Factor-Political factors refer to the government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. In United Kingdom, government decreases the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which can save or help big companies like Sainsburys significant sums of money. (HM Treasury 2008). Economic Factor-Interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates are factors of economy. As the global food crisis rapidly increase has increased the food prices all over the world which caused the rising purchasing costs for Sainsburys (economist.com 2008 [online]). This will have an impact on the margins of the organisation and might lead to passing over the cost to consumers by increasing prices of most things in the supermarket. In addition, fuel price increases will have implications right throughout the supply chain of Sainsburys leading to an overall situation to price hike. Social Factor-Richard Lynch stated that (2006) the demand of a firms products and the availability and willingness of a person to work can be affected by the changes of the social trends. Nowadays there seems to be more emphasis on fresh, easy style cooking. This serves an opportunity for Sainsburys to encourage new recipes and unfussy eating. Moreover, people are more emphasis on healthy eating style mostly due to the increasing level of obesity which leads to many consumers to shift towards healthier food. This new trend has presents a beneficial opportunity to Sainsburys to stock up with more healthy food or create healthier foods at a cheaper price than other manufacturers. Technological Factor-New technologies can create new products and new processes that can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. Sainsbury invested new technology of Smart Grid to cuts energy costs and reduces UK carbon emissions rate. The system monitors the grid and activates the stores biofuel generator when there is an increased demand for electricity. As a result, reserve power stations will not have to be used as much and the UKs carbon footprint will be reduced. The generator is the first of its kind and will be powered by waste oil and fat from Sainsburys stores to act as an auxiliary power source. Additional technology in the store will reduce strain on the grid further by deactivating or reducing the stores heating, ventilation and lighting systems at peak times. This is an opportunity to Sainsbury as they use the waste to produce electricity rather than using other source, hence, they can save up the electricity costs. (Sainsbury.co.uk,2010) 2.4 Fives Forces Model to Analysis the External Environment Five forces model is an analytical approach use to analyze a firms industry environment. Factors that are considered in five forces analysis are the risk of entry by potential competitors, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products and rivalry among established firms. (John A. Pearce, 2011) The Bargaining Power of Suppliers-Suppliers can affect an industry through their ability to raise prices or reduce the quality of purchased good and services. It should be noted that the suppliers are inclined towards major food and grocery retailers and dread losing their business contracts with large supermarkets. Hence, the position of the retailers like Tesco, Asda, and Sainsburys is further strengthened and negotiations are positive in order to get the lowest possible price from the suppliers (Ivorysearch.com). In November 2006, Sainsbury has announced that they are the first to launch new payment management system to make it easier and quicker for suppliers to access account information and gain early payments which has built a strong relationship with the supplier. Suppliers can view their trading account through internet, this giving the supplier better visibility of their expected cash flow. This is also an opportunity to Sainsbury as they have a good relationship with the supplier (PrimeRevenue.com, 2009). The Intensity of Competitive Rivalry-In most industries, corporations are mutually dependant. A competitive move by one firm can be expected to have a noticeable effect on its competitors and thus may cause retaliation. The intensity of competitive rivalry in the food and grocery retail industry is extremely high. Sainsbury faces intense competition from its direct competitors, including Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose, which are competing with each other over price, products and promotions intermittently. It should therefore be highlighted that Asda is one of the key competitors in this segment with an increase of market share from 16.6% to 16.8% during the fiscal year 2010/ 09, while Morrisons to 11.6% from 11.3% through the same period (Euromonitor, 2010). Sainsbury has to come out new ideas to cope with the high competitive pressure in order to overcome the threats from other big competitors. The Bargaining Power of Buyers-Buyers is one of the keys that affect an industry because of their ability to force down prices, bargain for higher quality or move services, and play competitors against each other. In cases where products have a slight differentiation and are more standardised, the switching cost is very low and the buyers can easily switch from one brand to another. Customers are easily attracted towards low prices of a product. Besides, with the availability of online retail shopping, the prices of products are easily compared and thus selected. Hence, the bargaining power of customer is a threat to an industry or Sainsbury (John Thompson, 2010). The Threat of the Entry of New Competitors-New entrants to an industry typically bring to it new capacity, a desire to gain market share, and substantial resources which are threats to an established corporation. The threat of entry depends on the presence of entry barriers and the reaction that can be expected from existing competitors. An entry barrier is an obstruction that makes it difficult for a company to enter an industry. The threat of entry of new competitors into the food retail industry is low as it requires huge capital investments in order to be competitive and to establish a brand name. Major brands that have already captured the food retail market are Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons and they account for 80% of all shopping in the UK (Mintel, 2010). Therefore, new entrants have to produce something at an exceptionally low price and/or high quality to establish their market value. The Threat of Substitute Products or Services-A substitute product is a product that appears to be different but can satisfy the same need as another product. 2.5 Strategy Analytical Methods for Internal Environment (Micro-Environment) Value Chain Analysis defines as the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the business. Michael Porter suggested that the activities of a business could be grouped under two headings which are Primary and Supported Activities. Primary activities are activities that directly create and deliver a product whereas support activities are not directly involved in production and it may increase effectiveness or efficiency of the production. On the primary activities are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service. On the other hand, supported activities include procurement, human resource management, technology development and Firm Infrastructure. (Anthony Henry, 2008). Value Chain Analysis is one way of identifying which activities are the strengths or weaknesses of the organization. 2.5.1 Operations of Primary Activities These are the activities related to the production of products and services. This section can be split into departments in certain companies. For instances, the operations in case of a Sainsbury would include information counter, services counter and cashier. After operating without a third-party inventory auditor for ten years, Sainsburys retailers lacked a sound process for ensuring that accurate counts of product were recorded. The absence of a reliable system prevented Sainsburys from accurately measuring its inventory, thereby limiting their ability to control product shrinkage. This, in turn, led to lower earnings. Also present was the reluctance by store personnel to change store procedures and accept responsibility for accurate store reporting. This ends up becoming weaknesses to Sainsburys operation. (RGIS, 2010) 2.5.2 Outbound Logistics of Primary Activities Outbound logistics are activities that distributing the final product or services to the customers. (David Cambell) Product availability is now the best it has been for years. The depot network has been successfully reorganised to continue to improve service to stores. With the increase in sales, the depots now handle over a million more cases and improved efficiencies have also reduced the cost per case. A new distribution centre in Northampton ensures there is enough capacity to match growth expectations and creating 750 new jobs. This strength of the organization has not only improved efficiency to the consumer and also provided jobs for the people (J-Sainsbury.co.uk, 2007) 2.6 Human Resource Management of Supported Activities Human resource management involves with recruiting, training, motivating and rewarding the workforce of the company. Human resources management is important to a companys operation nowadays as it is a way of attaining sustainable competitive advantage. In the case of Sainsbury, colleagues are the key to the companys success and over the past year leadership training to 9000 managers throughout the business was completed. Sainsbury learned how to engage with its colleagues with its goals and values through their talkback survey and last year had marked improvements in both colleague engagement and its leadership skills. As for that, Sainsbury has a good profile for treating its staff professionally so that this strength of it can recruit staff even easily. After analysed the Strength and Weaknesses and Opportunity and Threats by using Strategic Analytical tools, the next step is Strategy Formulation. With the analysis result are collected, to formulate changes has to base on the analysed results in order to change accordingly. 3.0 Strategy Formulation Ron Meyer (2004) describes strategy formulation as the development of long range plans for the effective management of environmental opportunities and threats in light of corporate strengths and weaknesses. It includes defining the corporate mission, specifying achievable objectives, developing strategies and setting policy guidelines. 3.1 Strategies M. Thenmozhi (2001) concludes that a strategy of a corporation forms a comprehensive master plan stating how the corporation will achieve its mission and objectives. There are different types of strategy and the typical business firm will considers three types of strategy which are corporate, business and functional strategies. 3.2 Corporate Strategy It describes a companys overall direction in terms of its general attitude towards growth and management of its various business and product lines. Corporate strategy deals with three key issues facing the corporation as a whole. 3.2.1 Directional strategy It is the firms overall orientation towards growth, stability and retrenchment. Growth Strategies-Expanding a companys activities to increase sales or to take advantage to reduce the per-unit cost of products sold which increase profits. There are two basic growth strategies which are concentration and diversification. Concentration-Concentrate or work closely on the product line that contribute growth or profitable to the organization. The two basic concentration strategies are vertical growth and horizontal growth. Diversification-A company chooses to diversify to seek to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. The three basic diversification strategies are concentric, horizontal and conglomerate. In the case of Sainsbury, Sainsbury has diversified into new market of Sainsburys Bank in 1997. This is a joint venture with Bank of Scotland into a new segment of market. (Encyclopedia.com, 2001) Stability- Anthony Henry (2008) notes that an organization can continue its current activities without any significant change in direction. Some of the more popular of these strategies are the pause/proceed-with-caution, no-change and profit strategies. Pause/Proceed-With-Caution-This is an opportunity to rest before continuing a growth or retrenchment strategy. It is a very deliberate attempt to make only incremental improvements until a particular environmental situation changes. No-Change Strategy-No change strategy is a decision to do nothing new, it is a choice to continue current operations and policies for the foreseeable future. Profit Strategy-A profit strategy is a decision to do nothing new in a worsening situation but instead to act as though the companys problems are only temporary. The profit strategy is an attempt to artificially support profits when a companys sales are declining by reducing investment and short-term discretionary expenditures. Retrenchment Strategies-Thomas L. Wheelen (2006) suggests that companies that are facing declining sales or making losses can imply retrenchment strategy to eliminate the weaknesses that are dragging the company down. Management may follow one of the several retrenchment strategies such as turnaround, becoming a captive company to selling out, bankruptcy or liquidation. Turnaround Strategy-Emphasizes the improvement of operational efficiency and is probably most appropriate when a corporations problems are pervasive but not yet critical. A poorly performing firm is able to improve its performance by cutting costs and expenses and by selling assets. There are two types of turnaround strategy which are contraction and consolidation. Sainsbury lost its position as Britains second largest supermarket retailer to Wal-Marts Asda as the sales volume had dropped. Sainsburys Cheif Exceutive planned to cut out  £900m of costs to improve its performance. (Richard Fletcher, 2003) Captive Company Strategy-Captive company strategy involves giving up independence in exchange for security. A company with a weak competitive position may not be able to engage in a full-blown turnaround strategy. The industry may not be sufficiently attractive to justify such an effort from either the current management or investors. Sell Out-If a corporation with a weak competitive position in an industry is unable either to pull itself up by its bootstraps or to find a customer to which it can become a captive company, it may have no choice but to sell out. Bankruptcy and Liquidation Strategy-When a company is in a poor competitive situation, there are no one is interested to buy a weak company in an unattractive industry. Hence, the firm must pursue a bankruptcy or liquidation strategy. Bankruptcy involves giving up management of the firm to the courts in return for some settlement of the corporations obligations. In contrast to bankruptcy, which seeks to perpetuate a corporation, liquidation is the termination of a firm. 3.2.2 Portfolio Analysis Top management views its product lines and business units as a series of portfolio investment and constantly keep analyzing for a profitable return. Two of the most popular strategies are the BCG Growth Share Matrix and GE Matrix. BCG or Boston Consulting Group Growth-Share Matrix ( Picture refers to Appendix A) BCG-Share Matrix is a management tool that serves four distinct purposes, it can be used to classify product portfolio in four business types based on four graphic labels including Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks and Dogs. Besides, it can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a company. Thirdly, it can classify an organisations product portfolio according to their cash usage and generation. Lastly, it offers management available strategies to tackle various product lines. (Tripod.com) Cash Cows-Are units with high market share in a slow-growing industry. These units typically generate cash in excess of the amount of cash needed to maintain the business. Dogs-Are units with low market share in a mature, slow-growing industry. These units typically break even, generating barely enough cash to maintain the businesss market share. Question Marks-This section are growing rapidly and consume large amount of cash, but because of the low market shares they do not generate much cash this results large net cash consumption. Stars-Are units with a high market share in a fast-growing industry. 3.2.3 Parenting Strategy It views a corporation in terms of resources and capabilities that can be used to build business unit value as well as generate synergies across business units. Corporate parenting generates corporate strategy by focusing on the core competencies of the parent corporation and on the value created from the relationship between the parent and its business. 3.3 Business Strategy Christina Crowe (2010) describes that Business strategy is to strengthen a particular business so that its performance increases and the business are more profitable. It improves the competitive position of the corporations products or services in the specific industry or marketing segment. Michael Porter developed Generic strategies which consist of cost leadership, differentiation and focus. 3.3.1 Generic Strategy (Picture refer to Appendix B) Cost Leadership-It is emphasizing efficiency, cost reduction is necessary in all aspects of the business. It has to produce high volume of standardized products to take the advantage of economies of scales and experience curve effects. The product is often a basic no-frills product which is low cost and made available to a very large customer base. It will be profitable as the product is much cheaper to produce. China domestic retail industry faced fierce competition from foreign-funded retail enterprises, hence, China used to the Cost Leadership Strategy to gained back the competition.(EngHi138, 2006) Differentiation-Differentiated goods and services satisfy the needs of customers through a sustainable competitive advantage. This allows companies to desensitize prices and focus on value that generates a comparatively higher price and a better margin. Focus or Niche Strategy-Organization focuses effort and resources on a narrow, defined segment of a market. Competitive advantage is generated specifically for the niche. A niche strategy is often used by smaller firms. A company could use either a cost focus or a differentiation focus. With a cost focus a firm aims at being the lowest cost producer in that niche or segment. With a differentiation focus a firm creates competitive advantage through differentiation within the niche or segment. (MarketingTeacher.com, 2000) 3.4 Functional Strategy It is the approach taken by a functional area to achieve corporate and business unit objectives and strategies by maximizing resource productivity. It is concerned with developing nurturing a distinctive competence to provide a company or business unit with a competitive advantage. A hierarchy of strategy is the grouping of strategy types by levels in the organization. This hierarchy of strategy is a nesting of one strategy within another so that they complement and support one another. Functional strategies support business strategies that in turn support the corporate strategy (John A. Pearce, 2011,p288) 3.5 Strategy Evaluation Anthony Henry (2008) mentions that Suitability, feasibility and acceptability can help managers to be explicit about any assumptions that may underpin their strategies. 3.5.1 Suitability-the plan or the changes are suitable or not to the organisation which help the organisation to overcome difficulties or help the organisation to improve. An organisation will be concerned to evaluate how well the strategy matches the needs identified within its strategic analysis. There should be some consistency between the strategy, the opportunities within the external environment, the resources and capabilities of the organisation, and the organisational objectives (Juha Kettunen) 3.5.2 Feasibility-Concerns whether a strategy will work in practice. An organisation must ensure that it possesses the necessary resources and capabilities, such as finance, technological expertise, marketing, and other factors necessary to implement the strategy. 3.5.3 Acceptability- This criterion of acceptability addresses the response of stakeholders to the proposed strategy. Clearly, if a strategic change is to be implemented, it must have the support of those who will be most affected by it. In a nutshell, after completed the strategy formulation, the next is to sets the stage of strategy implementation. Implementation is usually considered after strategy has been formulated, implementation is a key part of strategic management. 4.0 Strategy Implementation The last section of strategy management is often called the action phase as Kyra Bartolomei (2010) defines Strategy Implementation as the process of allocating resources to support the chosen strategies to generate positive outcomes which can achieve the organizational goals. Pierce and Robinson say that to effectively direct and control the use of the firms resources, mechanisms such as organizational structure, information systems, leadership styles, assignment of key managers, budgeting, rewards and control systems are essential strategy implementation ingredients 4.1 Organisational Structure Shane Thornton (2011) points out that organizational structure are formal systems of relationships that exist within a business. Organizational structures allow management to monitor and control the business process while facilitating working relationships among employees from top to bottom. Different types of organizational structures include functional structure, divisional structure, matrix structure, hierarchical or tall structure, and horizontal or flat structure. However, functional and divisional structures are commonly used by retail industry as Tesco organisation structure is functional structure as it has different department to serve different tasks which allows its employees to see easily who is in charge of each department or who their department manager is (123HelpMe.com). On the other hand, Asda used both divisional and functional structures. The functional structure of Asda consist of few departments and the main department is the customer service department as Asda is more concerns about customer service which they think it is extremely important that a business gives 100% at all times to the customer because there are only one chance with a customer and if the customer is not impressed with the service they received, they will not return and also will spread bad comments about Asda. As for the Divisional Structure of Asda, it has the Executive Committee, Editorial Board, Council Chairs, ASDA Board of Trustees and ASDA House of Delegates (Asda.net.org). Functional Structure-Donna G. Morton (2011) explained that functional structure is differs from a divisional or product structure, which typically distinguishes its units by product type or geographical region and allows leaders within each unit more control. This means that dividing the tasks into functional specialties to enables the personnel of the firms to concentrate on only one aspect of the necessary work. The functional structure was designed on the concept that high specialization and high control yields high efficiency. The organisation structure used by Sainsbury is the Functional Structure as Sainsbury has different department such as IT department and purchasing department. The IT department is more focus on efficiency system to customer and the purchasing department is to deliver in time and efficient. The purchasing department was previously complex and was then control by Lawrence Christensen who joined in September and restructuring including the recruitment of new members to the management team. (J-sainsbury.co.uk) Divisional Structure-Audra Bianca (2009) defines divisional organizational structure as breaks the public, private or non-profit firm into a series of semi-autonomous units. Each division has its own chief officer who is responsible for the performance of the division. Organizations must decide how to organize parts of the firm according to characteristics like function, geographic location or products. 4.2 Strategy Leadership Organisational leadership is to guiding and shepherding towards a vision over time and developing growth and success to an organisation (John A. Pearce, 2011, p326 ). Leaders galvanize commitment to embrace change through three interrelated activities which are clarifying strategic intent, building and organisation and shaping organisational culture. 4.2.1 Clarifying Strategy Intent Clarifying Strategy Intent is a clear sense of where they want to lead the company and what results they expect to achieve. To clarify Strategic Intent, organisation has to simultaneously concentrate and focus on the vision and performance (John A. Pearce, 2011, p328). Vision-A leader has to communicate clearly and directly a fundamental vision of what the business needs to become. Performance-Clarifying strategic intent must also ensure the survival of the enterprise as it pursues a well articulated vision, and after it reaches the vision. So a key element of good organisational leadership is to make clear the performance expectations a leader has for the organisation, and mangers in it, as they seek to move toward that vision. Alex Blyth (2007) reported that the arrival of Justin King as the new CEO of Sainsbury which created a new approach, Sainsburys began its leadership programme in October 2004. Straight away, the HR team undertook a major communications exercise to spread these values throughout the business. Sainsburys last audited set of financial results, which it reported in November 2006, are testament to the success of the leadership programme. The company enjoyed half-year sales growth of 8.3%, and a 60% leap in profits to  £189m. Internal measures have also shown the programme was well received. The companys monthly staff opinion survey has shown a 10% rise in the indices that measure employee engagement and leadership capability over the past 12 months. The leadership programme has been a significant factor in this recent improvement in the companys fortunes. 4.2.2 Building an Organisation Thomas L. Wheelen (2008) mentions that leaders spend considerable time shaping and refining their organisational structure and making it function effectively to accomplish strategic intent. Leaders have to rebuilding, remaking or create new strategy for the organisation to align with the ever-changing environment. However, there are overcoming resistance while making any changes which leaders find themselves facing problems while attempt to rebuild the organisation. Leaders can overcome with the problems with the help of education, perseverance and principle. Education and Leadership Development-The effort to familiarize future leaders with the skills important to the company and to develop exceptional leaders among the managers employed. Perseverance-Perseverance of a leader is the capacity to see a commitment through to completion long after most people would have stopped trying. Principle-A leaders fundamental personal standards that guide her sense of honesty, integrity, and ethical behaviour. 4.2.3 Shaping Organisational Culture Leaders u

From India with Love for Internal Medicine :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

From India with Love for Internal Medicine My early years were spent in a small farm in India. My parents had never been to school but were a source of inspiration to me and inculcated a sense of hard work and discipline. I studied in one of the most prestigious schools in the country and spent most of my life in boarding school. On the basis of my academic performance, the government of India sent me to USSR for medical studies .The respect in society; sacrifice of a doctor and making a contribution to the world has inspired me to become a doctor. Medical school was an exciting, challenging and enjoyable with exchange of cultural experiences while studying with students of 25 different countries. I stood first in the university and was awarded M.D. degree with Honors. I was selected as "The best graduating student" for 1996. With hard work I was able to get distinctions in all the subjects. During Internship I was awarded a certificate of appreciation by Minster of health for services rendered during a community project on prevention of cardio-vascular disease. Break up of USSR was a difficult time for all but in this period of adversity I developed remarkable resilience and maturity. Spending 9 months in U.K. and observing the British medical system and having traveled all over Europe and Scandinavia has enhanced my communication skills. Sports and being a captain of volleyball team and the president in school has taught me mind and body control, the need for careful planning and how to both rely on team members and to get the best of myself. In medical school I found that hard work was not a burden but a pleasure. I felt at home in the hospital. After school hours I would go to district hospital, Odessa and work in accident and emergency department. I keenly participated in medical conferences throughout medical school to know more about the ever-changing medicine. I believe I can weather both the mental and physical challenges and that my avocations of weight lifting and long distance running will give me the stamina for the common night shifts in residency.

A Farewell to Arms Essay: Changing Perspective of Religion

Changing Perspective of Religion in A Farewell to Arms In Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, the main character, Lieutenant Fredric Henry, undergoes a dramatic change in perspective over the course of the novel. It is most interesting to see how the Lieutenant's views on religion change as he becomes more involved in the war. Â   Early in the novel, we are introduced to the Abruzzi. The Abruzzi is a town in Switzerland, of which Henry's friend, the priest, is very fond. His father lives there and it is, for the priest, a place of quiet solitude, religious freedom, and respect. He longs for the day when he can go and do God's work in his hometown: "in my country, it is understood that a man may love God. It is not a dirty joke"(Hemingway 71). Â  The priest offers Henry a chance to go to the Abruzzi and rest with his father. Henry declines, and instead decides to go to a whorehouse. At their next meeting though, Henry feels remorse about this decision. "I myself felt as badly as he did and could not understand why I had not gone. It was what I had wanted to do...and I ex...

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 15

A dozen snappy comebacks rose to my lips, but the intense looks on both their faces made me think better of it. Instead, I opted for the obvious next question. â€Å"What do you mean?† The edge of Carter's lips turned into a half-grin. â€Å"My goodness. I thought you'd be up on your lore. Greek mythology especially.† â€Å"Well, ambrosia†¦is called the Food of the Gods,† I offered slowly. I had grown up in a Greco-Roman society, but that didn't mean I was an expert on all the stories. I'd only been exposed to some in my youth. It wasn't until later scholars started compiling tales from all over the Greek world that I learned just how vast the mythology was. â€Å"Yes,† said Carter, nodding at me as one would a child reciting a lesson. Jerome remained tight-lipped, a stormy expression on his face. â€Å"What else do you know?† â€Å"Ambrosia was what gave the gods their immortality,† I continued. â€Å"Although I always thought it was some kind of drink†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped myself. The crystals weren't liquid at the moment, but they were meant to be consumed that way. A further alarming thought hit me. â€Å"Are you saying this Greek stuff will make Doug and the others immortal?† I'm downright unstoppable now. A god, babe. â€Å"Not exactly,† said Carter. â€Å"And I suppose I should point out that ambrosia isn't just found in the Greek stories. It appears in almost every culture's legends in one form or another. In King Arthur's world, it was said to have filled the Holy Grail. It gave new perceptions and enlightenment to its drinkers, and promised to heal the land. Some have also suggested the flames that appeared over the apostles' heads at the feast of Pentecost were not flames at all, but rather visions they saw after drinking ambrosia. It made the apostles vivid and charismatic and let them communicate with people of all cultures and languages.† â€Å"I know a number of devout Christians – my good friend Dana included – who would find that offensive.† Jerome couldn't stay silent anymore, despite how disgruntled this topic appeared to make him. â€Å"Imagine her reaction if she knew that some people have speculated the Eucharist has little to do with the blood of Christ and more to do with a lost ambrosia ceremony. Said people argue those who participate today are only mimicking the ancient experience, equating the Holy Spirit with the high from ambrosia.† â€Å"That would upset a lot of people,† I agreed. All three of us knew that many of the rites and beliefs that had been passed down to today were bastardizations of the originals. Some, not all. Carter continued on pleasantly, like he was in an auditorium giving a lecture. â€Å"Ancient Hindu culture called ambrosia soma and even personified it as a god of the same name. His presence was as intoxicating as the drink itself and muddled the senses of those around him. â€Å" â€Å"Soma was also the feel-good drug in Brave New World,† I recalled. â€Å"I didn't realize how widespread this was.† He nodded. â€Å"And these stories are only the tip of the iceberg. A lot more where they came from.† I enjoyed the information. Getting any sort of meaningful explanation from these two was usually like driving through downtown Seattle in rush hour: slow, painful, and fraught with collisions. And yet, forthcoming or not, they weren't exactly giving me what I needed. â€Å"Yeah, but you guys are real careful to say things like ‘some people believe' or ‘they say.' Which is it? What's really going on? Are any of those stories true?† Carter's gray eyes twinkled. â€Å"Ah, I can't spoil the mysteries. Humans spend their lives trying to discern the truth of divinity. Even a succubus can't be in on all the secrets.† I gave him an exasperated look. This was more like their typical behavior. â€Å"Okay, forget the myths. Can you tell me what's up with this stuff, then? Does it make people immortal?† Angel and demon looked at each other. â€Å"No,† they both said in unison. â€Å"But it makes you feel like you are,† said Carter. I thought about Doug's reckless behavior, his overwhelming confidence about everything from performing his music to stage-diving. He had no fear, no concern that anything might be less than perfect. â€Å"So it's like a stimulant or any other mood-altering drug, then,† I said. â€Å"It makes you feel good.† The angel shook his head. â€Å"No. It's a lot more than that. Ambrosia works by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grasped for the words. â€Å"I guess the best way to put it is that it amplifies your best abilities. It draws out what you're good at, what shines in you. And then it cranks up the volume on that to, well, godly levels, I guess.† â€Å"Yes, of course,† I breathed. That was why the band had suddenly shot off so successfully and rapidly. They were talented already. The ambrosia hadn't given them anything new; they'd just had their natural abilities increased tenfold. A hundredfold. And Casey†¦mathematically talented Casey had been able to do calculations in seconds that would have required a pen and paper for most people. Even Doug's Tetriss kills showed signs of ambrosia enhancement. Ican't wait to see how you react to them, Alec had said. Indeed, how would I react? What good abilities in me would get amplified? What abilities did I have? The obvious joke was that I'd be able to really rock some guy's world in bed. I didn't like that answer, however, partially because I believed I already could rock a guy's world pretty hard-core without the help of creepy crystals, thank you very much. Plus, I hated to think that's all I was. There had to be more to me than just sexual prowess. â€Å"Everyone who was on it crashed,† I reminded Carter. â€Å"Doug, Casey. And when they crashed†¦they really crashed.† â€Å"It does that,† he agreed. â€Å"One might argue that the withdrawal brings out your worst traits†¦or possibly turns your good ones bad. More often than not, it just makes a person depressed†¦and lacking. It's hard to go back to being ordinary. â€Å" That would explain Doug's bleak outlook the other day. I realized too he'd been having a withdrawal reaction on the day I kicked him out of the store. The lack of ambrosia had turned his normally sarcastic tongue and playful behavior into something dark and twisted. And yet†¦ â€Å"It must be nice to feel like a god. I guess I can understand wanting that. â€Å" â€Å"Well,† said Jerome, speaking up at last, â€Å"as we all know, you can't get something for nothing.† Carter nodded. â€Å"At a basic level, it's an addictive substance, and everything addictive has a cost – mainly that it enslaves you and makes you feel horrible when you don't have it. But, the other truth is that humans are not meant to be perfect. That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul can sustain such a state. Eventually it consumes a person.† I pointed at the crystals. â€Å"What would have happened if I'd taken them?† â€Å"Isn't it obvious?† asked Jerome, his tone suggesting the same sexual possibilities I'd wondered about earlier. Carter gave me a straight answer. â€Å"Similar superficial effects. Enhance your good qualities. Immortals wouldn't fall prey to the addictiveness so quickly; they can sustain it for quite a while since in some ways, they already feel like gods. But in the long run, the consequences are still the same. You can't function at such high levels. Now, the ambrosia couldn't destroy your body, of course, but it'd still cause other serious problems if you took it for a long time.† â€Å"It'd probably just make you go insane,† explained Jerome helpfully. â€Å"Until the end of time.† â€Å"That's horrible,† I said. â€Å"Don't worry, Georgie. If it happens to you, we'll put you down first.† Ignoring him, I looked over at the crystals, suddenly feeling more repulsed by them than I had before. This time, my reaction had nothing to do with the creepy aura. â€Å"The real question, of course,† said the archdemon more seriously, â€Å"is where the hell did you get these?† â€Å"I told you. From Alec.† The two higher immortals exchanged glances once more. â€Å"Tell us about this guy again,† ordered Jerome. â€Å"Everything you know.† I did. When I finished, they looked at each other once more, having a mental conversation I was not privy to. God, they were annoying. â€Å"Alec's not the one,† said Carter finally. â€Å"The one who†¦?† â€Å"The one who this is coming from,† explained Jerome. â€Å"Well, I got it from him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Doesn't matter, Georgie. Some twenty-year-old blue-haired punk is not the source here. He's getting it from someone else. He's a peon in the chain. Besides, you never felt anything off him, did you? Something like the crystals but not quite like them?† â€Å"No, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But I had felt something from another person. Someone who spent time with Alec. The last card in my head flipped over. â€Å"I know who it is. It's him. That guy.† â€Å"Of course,† said Carter dryly. â€Å"I knew it was that guy. It's always that guy.† â€Å"Hold on, and I'll explain.† I turned to Jerome. â€Å"Remember that funny immortal I told you about? The really romantically dressed good-looking one? He's got to be the one. Alec's supplier. I've seen them talking together and even saw Alec sort of having a breakdown with him. † I added a little more background for Carter's benefit, explaining how GQ Poet Guy and I had sensed each other. Jerome and Carter considered this in silence. At last, the demon said, â€Å"Yes, that sounds like him.† Nobody said anything for a while after that. I was dying to ask who â€Å"he† was exactly, but recognized that angel and demon would take their own time on this. â€Å"So what are we going to do?† Carter asked a few minutes later. Jerome cut him a narrow-eyed glance. â€Å"Why do we have to do anything?† â€Å"Because it's the right thing to do.† â€Å"I don't know where you've been since the beginning of the universe, but the ‘right thing' isn't really on my list of priorities.† â€Å"He's poisoning mortals.† Jerome crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"He's doing it in your territory. Right under your nose.† â€Å"Stop trying to bait me. He's not involved with us. He can do whatever the fuck he wants to mortals.† Once again, I was dying to jump in but restrained myself. Listening to Carter and Jerome argue always unsettled me. Mostly, it just didn't happen that much. Usually they stood together in an exasperating wall of solidarity, good and evil notwithstanding. And, of course, watching them argue always made you wonder if something terrible might happen if tempers got out of control. Tables tipping over. Glasses exploding. The Four Horsemen showing up. Nonetheless, I felt confident Carter wouldn't let this matter go unattended. He would win. As I had noted earlier, I didn't know if I could trust him, but I did respect him – and his powers of persuasion. â€Å"It's a power play,† warned Carter. â€Å"He shouldn't even be trying it. His time is past; we're the ones who control the game now. Doing this insults us – especially you, since you guys are the ones who actually draw territorial lines. It's an unannounced challenge.† This, I saw, had an effect on the demon. He recognized Carter's attempts to draw him in, but it was working nonetheless. Pride wasn't one of the Seven Deadly Sins for nothing. Jerome, as a faithful servant of hell, couldn't help but be susceptible. I'd seen his pride come into play before; he didn't like others messing with his reputation. And while the demon naturally had many weaknesses, I'd say it was this more than anything else that would make him take action. â€Å"We can't intervene,† he said flatly. â€Å"You know that. Even if we are in control, we'd start an outright war. I for one don't want to deal with the repercussions of that.† â€Å"Agreed,† murmured the angel, lapsing into silence again. I looked back and forth between their faces, waiting for one of them to offer a brilliant plan. A brilliant plan which involved the angel and demon fighting in awesome, smiting glory to destroy Alec and his bastardly supplier friend. â€Å"Georgina could do it,† said Carter suddenly. â€Å"What?† I squeaked. That wasn't how the fantasy went. They turned their eyes on me. Dark outrage flashed in Jerome's eyes, then it faded as quickly as it had arrived. â€Å"Hmm. Perhaps.† â€Å"What are you guys talking about? I'm not doing any smiting.† â€Å"It wouldn't exactly be smiting,† said Carter, face promptly sobering. â€Å"But it could be dangerous if not done the right way. â€Å" â€Å"Why do I have to do it?† â€Å"Because you, Georgie, are a lesser power than we are. You are less subject to scrutiny and ramifications than us. It's the difference between a country declaring war and a small rebel faction striking out.† â€Å"Great,† I said, sinking back in my chair. â€Å"I'm a faction.† Carter was smiling again. â€Å"Don't you want to help Doug?† A moment passed. â€Å"You know I do.† â€Å"I meant it when I said it'd be dangerous, but if we're careful, you'll come out okay.† I thought about Doug's black despair and reckless behavior. The thought of this ambrosia â€Å"destroying† him clinched it for me. â€Å"Yeah, okay. I'll do it. Whatever it is. Dangerous or not.† I paused. â€Å"Um, what is it?† Neither answered. â€Å"Oh come on! You can't expect me to do this and not know what it is.† â€Å"It'll take some prep work,† Carter told me, apparently enjoying my consternation. But there was another expression on his face too†¦pride, I thought. The good kind of pride, like when you thought someone was doing the right thing. Not the bad kind of pride that made you do rash things. â€Å"As soon as it's in place, we'll let you know. I'll come find you.† I made a face. â€Å"You'll understand if I don't really find that a satisfying answer. † â€Å"And you'll understand,† retorted Jerome, â€Å"that it's the best one you're going to get.† Carter was a bit nicer. â€Å"What you can do in the meantime, however, is try to get access to the supplier. He's the one you'll ultimately have to deal with. Keep schmoozing with Alec. Do what you've got to do.† I nodded. Schmoozing I could do in my sleep. I felt relieved to be back in familiar waters. After leaving them, I put the ambrosia assignment on hold and went over to Seth's to play Scrabble, in keeping with a prearranged date. I'd vowed I wouldn't cheat this time, but I supposed that would depend on how desperate the game became. When I arrived, however, I found Seth in no condition to play. He sat at the desk in his bedroom, brow adorably furrowed as he stared at his computer screen, apparently willing it do something for him through mental determination alone. His condo had an office, I knew, but unpacked boxes currently filled it, making this room the combination office-bedroom. All his essentials in one place. If it had had an attached bathroom, he would have probably never emerged. â€Å"Can you give me†¦like†¦another hour?† he asked absently when he realized I had walked in, not looking at me. â€Å"I've just got to finish this chapter.† It was a moot request. Even if I hadn't been willing to give him another hour, he still would have kept writing. Mountains moved more easily than Seth in the middle of a story line. Happily accommodating, I kissed his cheek and wandered off to the office to find something to read. Sifting through those boxes made it difficult, however. By the time I had several of them emptied, I decided I might as well just go the whole way and do the job right. I unpacked all of the boxes – even the ones in his living room. I didn't know how many books that left me with, but it was a lot. My bookstore instincts made me sort them into categories, and that alone was time-consuming. Looking up at one point, I realized almost three hours had passed. I stood up, stretched, and returned to the bedroom. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"We're way past your hour.† He kept typing. I slipped my foot out of its sandal, shape-shifted the toenail color to burgundy and ran it up his leg. He jumped. â€Å"Hey!† â€Å"Hey yourself. Sorry to interrupt, but you need food, or you're going to pass out on your keyboard.† â€Å"Wouldn't be the first time,† he said. His eyes strayed, threatening to return to the computer, so I poked him again with my foot. He arched an eyebrow, then grabbed my foot, nearly making me fall over as he pulled me onto his lap. â€Å"You know, your toes aren't that compelling. It's not like I want to have sex with them or anything weird like that. I just think they're pretty. So don't think you can have your way on everything now. â€Å" I wiggled out of his grasp. â€Å"Say whatever you want. I've got new leverage with you. So, look, can you tear yourself away long enough to go get food?† It turned out he couldn't, toes or not. Disappointed, I ended up ordering pizza. We ate together and talked, but both of us were in our own worlds. He was with his characters in places I couldn't follow, and I was thinking about the ambrosia. Suddenly, I started laughing. â€Å"What?† he asked, startled. I told him about the ambrosia and what it did. The news obviously astonished him, but Seth had had some time now to accept the many unseen, supernatural things occurring in the world. I ended my story by saying Carter and Jerome were going to do something about it. I did not mention I would be taking on a large and possibly dangerous role too. There I was, holding back again, but it seemed pointless to get him worried when I had no concrete details yet. â€Å"So, anyway, I was laughing because I was trying to imagine what you'd be like on ambrosia,† I told him. â€Å"Why is that funny? Maybe I could churn out a book a week.† â€Å"Yeah, but I'd never see you again. You'd never bathe or cut your hair. It'd grow down to your waist – so would your beard – and you'd be sitting here in the dark, hunched over, wasting away in your Punky Brewster T-shirt. â€Å" â€Å"That's not funny. That's how I plan to spend my retirement. Besides, if I were going to wear the same shirt for the next fifty years, it'd be my Flash Gordon one.† His features shifted to a frown as he chewed. â€Å"The entire concept of Doug's problem being ‘magically' induced†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"It's crazy. And scary. Will they really be able to help him?† â€Å"They will if they can. Carter especially.† â€Å"You always put a lot of faith in him. Seems ironic, given the circumstances.† I supposed it was, and again, it was kind of new for me. I guess I was just starting to realize that although I might be on Jerome's side, it was Carter who was on my side lately. I smiled for Seth. â€Å"Well. If you can't put faith in an angel, who can you put faith in?† The muse called to him after dinner, and I let him go, unable to stand against her. I wondered if it would be possible for Seth to date someone who didn't love his books. Few women would be able to handle the competition. And yeah, sometimes it was hard for me to handle the competition too. It was hard enough that Seth wasn't into the livelier things I liked to do, like dancing. But also being denied the low-key things poked at me on occasion. Knowing his neglect was for the greater good, I returned to my book sorting, which allowed half of my brain to churn over the Alec problem and how I was going to get to GQ Poet Guy. Getting a hold of Doug in the evening was never easy, but I'd see him at work tomorrow. He'd offered Alec's number to me once; hopefully he'd be as obliging this time. I finished my cataloging and shelving job around two in the morning. All the books had homes on either the office or living room shelves, and all the books were indexed by genre and author in a way Emerald City might have lauded. The office now had room for the desk. In the bedroom, Seth still typed in the dark, lit by the glow of his monitor. I kissed his cheek once more and fell asleep in his bed, exhausted. I awoke hours later to someone kissing my cheek. â€Å"Hey,† I murmured drowsily, trying to pull Seth into bed with me. â€Å"You're giving me funny ideas.† He leaned over me and planted a kiss on my nose. Morning sunlight lit up the coppery highlights in his messy hair and perpetual five o'clock shadow. He regarded me fondly, those luscious lips smiling. â€Å"You put my books away. All of them.† â€Å"I had to. Good grief. If anyone at Emerald City found out I was letting that slide, they'd fire me.† He curled up beside me and put an arm over me. â€Å"You're pretty good to me, Thetis, considering what an idiot I am sometimes.† â€Å"Stop making fun of my favorite author, or I'll have to deck you.† â€Å"I mean it. I've lost girlfriends for less than what I did last night.† â€Å"You weren't that bad. I've seen you worse.† I sat up a little. â€Å"Hey, how many girlfriends have you had anyway?† Laugh lines appeared around his eyes, making him even cuter. â€Å"It was all research for the books, I swear.† It was ironic, I realized, that I kept ending up with artistic types. A very long time ago, I'd been married to a man I swore loved his music more than me sometimes. I had loved him for that musical passion and hated it at the same time. Similar scenarios with other mortals had repeated over the centuries. Remembering my thoughts from last night, I worried that Seth might bring out the old green-eyed monster again. â€Å"How'd the chapter turn out?† I asked, mussing his hair further. â€Å"Good. Great even.† He gave me a sweet, bemused look. â€Å"I don't suppose†¦I don't suppose you'd ever want to read the manuscripts as I work on them, would you? See how the process works?† I froze, realizing just what a precious gift he was offering me. Seth had told me once he never let anyone read the early drafts. He didn't want feedback that might influence his own creative flow. It wasn't until he had a complete manuscript and he felt the books were nigh-perfect that he finally allowed his publishing posse to take a look. That he would offer this to me both thrilled and touched me. â€Å"No,† I said softly, smiling. â€Å"But thank you. I don't want to interrupt your normal cycle. But maybe†¦maybe when you've got a fairly polished draft ready to send off, I'll take a look then.† He nodded, returning my smile. Something passed between us then that had nothing to do with manuscripts or book sorting but was fired by both of them nonetheless. â€Å"Here,† he said, standing up. Turning to a nearby chair, he picked up a tray I hadn't even noticed. â€Å"Since you fed me last night.† I looked down as he set the tray across my lap. Pancakes – with smiley faces – drowning in maple syrup. Good strong coffee. Even a little vase with two stems of purple irises. Seth had a thing for purple flowers. I touched one of the velvety soft petals. â€Å"You didn't get these from your kitchen. You must have gotten up pretty early to go out.† He shook his head, looking sheepish. â€Å"I never went to bed.† I therefore wasn't surprised when Seth lay down beside me while I ate and promptly fell asleep. I finished the exquisite breakfast, did the dishes, and left for work, leaving him a note that promised I'd call later. At the bookstore, I was getting so used to Paige and Warren's absence, it was like they didn't even work there anymore. I found Doug when he arrived, and as hoped, he did indeed give me Alec's number – though not without a few jokes at my expense. I called Alec on my lunch, unsure if he'd be home. He was there and sounded overjoyed to hear from me. Yes, yes, of course he could get more. He was so glad I'd liked it. Giving me the address of a coffee shop he'd be at, he told me to stop by right after work. I showed up there five minutes after my shift ended. The coffee shop was perfectly ordinary, nothing dark or sinister. Hardly the stereotypical rendezvous for a drug transaction. I spotted Alec sitting at a table in the back, but someone was with him. Not wanting to interrupt, I stood in line to order a mocha. Alec's companion was a young man, younger than him even. Eighteen, if I had to guess. And he was beautiful. He had swept his thick, dark-blond hair into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his face was all clean, strong lines. When he smiled at some comment of Alec's, perfect white teeth showed against the tanned skin. I expected to see this guy in an Abercrombie & Fitch ad soon. Or maybe not, since he too was apparently wasting his life away. Alec reached into his pocket and gave the guy one of the telltale bags. Happiness and relief shone on the golden boy's face, making him look – if possible – even more attractive. He left. Angrily gripping my drink, I took his chair and forced a cheerful attitude. â€Å"Hey,† said Alec in greeting, clearly in a good mood. â€Å"You have no idea how glad I am to see you. You look hot, as always. â€Å" â€Å"Thanks. How's it going?† â€Å"Awesome, now.† He grinned broadly. â€Å"Fabulous day.† He leaned toward me. â€Å"So? What did you think?† I set my cup down heavily and acquired some little-girl wonder. â€Å"You were right†¦it was amazing. It was like I was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I decided a lack of words was better than trying to describe something I hadn't experienced. He was only too happy to help fill in the blanks. â€Å"Better than ever? Who you were meant to be?† â€Å"Yes,† I said breathlessly. â€Å"You – you've got to give me more.† â€Å"Can do.† His hand reached into the magic pocket. One of the lethal bags appeared, and that ugly feeling snaked down my spine. He held the crystals teasingly out of my reach. â€Å"You know, they get better the more you do it. You up for that?† I stared at the bag longingly, then up at him. â€Å"Don't you have more than this? I mean, I want that one†¦but it's not going to be enough. I need a lot of this.† â€Å"Slow down. You don't want to take more than one bag.† â€Å"I know that, but this is good for what, a day or two?† His eyes glinted. â€Å"Big plans already, huh? Most people don't get quite so fired up this fast.† I chewed on my lower lip, not wanting to raise any alarms. Assessing my self-inventory, I tried to think of something nonsexual the ambrosia would have affected. Alec's earlier visitor gave me the answer. â€Å"It's weird. I know this guy at a modeling agency, and he always gives me the runaround. But I saw him yesterday when I took this†¦and it was like, I don't know. He couldn't get enough of me. He wants me to come back for some major shoots.† I gripped Alec's arm. â€Å"I don't get how this could be doing it†¦maybe it's coincidence. I don't know. But I want more. I think I need it to make this gig work out. You've got to help me. Or take me to wherever you get this. I'll pay. I'll do anything.† His face told me I had said exactly the right thing. â€Å"It's not coincidence,† he told me smugly. â€Å"And I'll get you more.† I exhaled with palpable relief. â€Å"Promise? Like a big supply?† â€Å"I promise. Here, take this one.† â€Å"What do I owe you?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Come on! They can't all be free.† My hold on his hand changed to something softer and more suggestive. â€Å"I told you before†¦I'm happy to pay†¦however you want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, regarding me wistfully as he briefly ran his fingers over my hand and then pulled away. â€Å"I know. You want a big batch of it? That you'll have to pay for. I'll take you to the guy who gets it for me, and you can pay him.† â€Å"What'll it cost? How much am I going to need?† Something unreadable flashed in his eyes. â€Å"You've already got exactly what you need. Can you meet me tomorrow night?† I hesitated. Carter had said we needed some prep time before I faced the supplier, time in which I had been told to arrange the meeting with him. This was too soon. â€Å"I'm busy,† I told him, trying to put heavy regret into my words. â€Å"What about the next night?† He didn't seem happy about that, just as he hadn't liked the delay in me drinking my first batch. But where his urgency had been underscored with an eager curiosity last time, he now displayed an almost panicked anxiety. I wondered just how demanding his master was. â€Å"Sooner would be better. You aren't going to be able to go that long anyway, not if you want it this bad already. â€Å" I stayed firm. â€Å"I don't have a choice.† He agreed after a little more wheedling, and we set a time and place to meet in two days. As I stood up, he warned me, â€Å"Call me sooner if you can't hold out, okay? Here's my cell.† â€Å"Okay, thanks.† â€Å"Hey,† he called as I started to walk away. â€Å"Good luck with the shoot.† For a minute, I didn't remember what he was talking about. Then I recalled my alleged modeling gig. I smiled and thanked him, chuckling to myself as I left. In all of the lies I'd just told him, there had been a kernel of truth. I did have a photo shoot. Tonight was the night Bastien and I were going to take the pictures for Seth.