Dulce et Decorum Es :: essays research papers

An Analysis of Dulce et decorousness Est Dolce et Decorum Est is the product of Wilfred Owens frustration, not only against those who repeat the old lie Dulce et Decorum Est, in other words, it is sweet and right to die for your country, but also against a certain kind of poetry. Through his poem, Owen who himself took part in World war 1, has no difficulty to convince us that the horrors that took place at this moment far outweighs the idea of those who encourage war. In this essay, I will approach the exemplary significance of the poem by analysing each stanza. In the first stanza, Owen sets the scene. This stanza contains a lot of simile and metaphors that shows us how crushed these men are, physically and mentally. Soldiers are round their back to the lights of the battle field Till on the haunting flares we turned ours backs. Exhausted, their knees are touching knock-kneed, tired of supporting their heavy backpack akin old beggars under sacks. The condition of the poor sol diers is so miserable that the author equalise them to old beggars and hags (ugly old wo musical composition). Some men had lost their boots and the only dress they have is the blood on their feet blood-shod. They are walking painfully, not even hearing the noise made by the shells rushing through the air deaf(p) even to the hoots. Then, little bye little, soldiers struggle away from the battle field, shells now falling behind Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. In the second stanza, the author is focusing on one man who, because of stress and fatigue was not able to put his natural gas mask in time. The author describe the pain of this poor man throughout a big underwater metaphor floundring, green sea, drowning and plunges, in the third stanza. Plugged by the glass in the eyepieces of the gas masks and the green light (chlorine gas) Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, Owen can see his comrade succumbing to the poison gas. In the third stanza, our speaker compare the scene to a nightmare. Owen will never forget the images of his friend, dying plunges at me, my helpless sight. Dismayed, Owen cant do anything to help his friend. In draw off 16, by guttering, the speaker was probably referring to the sound in the throat of the man, that was gurgling like water draining down a gutter.

The Piano Lesson Essay -- essays research papers

Defend male child Willies Scheme for Buying Sutters Land.In The Piano Lesson, written by August Wilson, male child Willie devises a scheme for buying Sutters land. Boy Willie has superstar part of the m maviny saved up. He will sell the watermelons for the sustain part. Then he will sell the piano for a third part. The only debating issue in Boy Willies scheme is the piano. Berniece does not want to sell the piano. This is the only reason for a defense in Boy Willies scheme. Therefore, I will defend Boy Willies issue of selling the piano and how that liberates him in reference to his scheme for buying Sutters land.The first defense is the usage of the piano. In Wilsons novel, Berniece neer uses the piano, Boy Willie You cant do nothing with that piano except sit up there and look at it, Berniece, Thats just what Im gonna do (p.50). The piano is a sentimental value (p.51) to Berniece. Her father died over the piano (p.42-46). Boy Willie argues even though the piano is of sentim ental value, Berniece is not using it. He wants to sell it in order to buy land, seed, and workers, which will in turn produce a crop, and something will come out of that (p.51). The reciprocal ohm defense is that of equality. Boy Willie believes how a certain individual perceives himself determines what that individual really is in reality (p.92). He also believes that white men have one advantage over black men and that ... The Piano Lesson Essay -- essays research papers Defend Boy Willies Scheme for Buying Sutters Land.In The Piano Lesson, written by August Wilson, Boy Willie devises a scheme for buying Sutters land. Boy Willie has one part of the money saved up. He will sell the watermelons for the second part. Then he will sell the piano for a third part. The only debating issue in Boy Willies scheme is the piano. Berniece does not want to sell the piano. This is the only reason for a defense in Boy Willies scheme. Therefore, I will defend Boy Willies issue of selling the piano and how that liberates him in reference to his scheme for buying Sutters land.The first defense is the usage of the piano. In Wilsons novel, Berniece never uses the piano, Boy Willie You cant do nothing with that piano except sit up there and look at it, Berniece, Thats just what Im gonna do (p.50). The piano is a sentimental value (p.51) to Berniece. Her father died over the piano (p.42-46). Boy Willie argues even though the piano is of sentimental value, Berniece is not using it. He wants to sell it in order to buy land, seed, and workers, which will in turn produce a crop, and something will come out of that (p.51). The second defense is that of equality. Boy Willie believes how a certain individual perceives himself determines what that individual really is in reality (p.92). He also believes that white men have one advantage over black men and that ...

The Diesel Hybrid Combustion Engine Essay -- Auto Cars Automobiles Mec

The diesel Hybrid Combustion Engine Two principal(prenominal) types of engines powering everyday machinery are diesel and gasoline internal combustion engines. Both vary on efficiency levels, besides are still effective. Diesel engines read high efficiency levels, such as producing great amount of torque at very low rpms. They are also known for their evoke-efficient behavior and efficiency to produce low emissions. Their capability to produce power at an efficient rate with little wear on the engine, this makes these engines ideal for hybrid consolidation. Hybrid integration takes a typical engine and combines it with an electric generator and motor, with the application of other electrical dusts applied. Allowing the machinery to generate energy, with lower fuel consumption and cleaner emissions. Toyota is one of the leading in the automobile hybrid design. The design goes as follows, a VVT-I gas engine with an advanced electric motor to not only power the Prius, but also recharge the vehicles batteries thanks to an ingenious generator and regenerative braking system (Toyota). This regenerative braking system allows absorption of the heat energy used to brake and uses that energy to recharge the cars batteries. This system makes the car self-reliant. Even though this engine uses gasoline, the development of diesel hybrids will be the next step in innovation.Comparison One of the main areas is the on-board fuel combustion of these engines. In tests performed by MIT, the relative consumption of on-board fuel energy for a typical gasoline internal combustion engine measured or so 88%, while the Diesel-Hybrid was at 52% (Weiss 27). These tests demonstrate how much more ene... .... Design News (19 August 2002) 1-5.Peckham, Jack. Diesel Hybrids Come Out Best In Energy, Greenhouse Gases. Diesel Fuel News (16 April 2001) 1-2.Peckham, Jack. Diesel Hybrids Bus Beats CNG On Key Criteria. Diesel Fuel News (29 October 2001) 1-2.Siuru, Bill. Hybrids work on the railroad Green Goat electric switching locomotive shows promise of hybrids for rail can be powered by diesels or microturbines. Diesel Progress North American Edition (December 2002) 1-3Toyota Prius. Toyota Corporation (multiple locations). http//129.33.47.206/html/shop/vehicles/prius/technology/prius_technology.htmlWeiss, Malcolm A., Heywood, John B., Schafer, Andreas., Natarajan, Vinod K. Comparative Assessment of Fuel Cell Cars. Massachusetts make of Technology Laboratory for Energy and the Environment (February 2003) 1-29.

The Americanization of Canada Essay -- American Culture Canadian Cultu

Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once compared liking next to the United States to sleeping with an elephant. He said, You cannot help but be aware of its every movement.http//www.pbs.org/pioneerliving/segments/Americanization.htmThe issue of American culture and its globalization has raised a lot of controversy. The era of globalization is becoming the preferred term to cast the current times. The term Americanization has been around for years. It was first used when the United States was being heavily immigrated into. The new Americans began to enjoy the freedoms associate with our country and gradually began to act little like a foreigner and more like a real American. Today we are able to witness an essence of American culture closely everywhere around the world by what we call cultural icons of our times. Sneakers, blue jeans, burgers, Hollywood blockbusters are only a few. To many, globalization is synonymous with Nike, Levis and MTV. In fact, the to the highes t degree visible sign of globalization seems to be the spread of American burgers and cola to nearly every country on earth. It crowns the United States the king of pop culture. globalisation does more than allow businesses to operate in countries all around the globe. In addition to global commerce, globalization allows for social activism, journalists, academics, and many others to work on a global stage. According to Keith Porter, a co-host and executive producer of a nationally syndicated radio program on world affairs globalization can be both a good and bad thing. He quotes, Thomas Friedman in saying Globalization can be incredibly empowering and incredibly coercive. It can democratise opportunity and democratize panic. It considers the whales bigger and the minnows stronger. It leaves you behind faster and faster, and it catches up to you faster and faster. While it is homogenizing cultures, it is also enabling people to share their unique individuality farther and wider.W ithout the role of globalization it is not possible to speak of a term called American dominant culture. The dramatic effect of globalization has and will be strengthen this term. People around the world have become less like themselves and more like each other. The most common name that puts this in present of our eyes is McDonalds. When a McDonalds restaurant opens in a f... ...ogies that have made transcontinental communications possible has ensured that the world slightly conform and make very different cultures mesh into various ones that more resemble each other. As communication techonolgy continues to become better and more powerful it will be interesting to see the changes that it will lead to. Perhaps in ten years college students will no longer be writing about the topics of globalization and Americanization. Instead they will write about the time when cultures were so very different from each other. Works CitedCantor, Paul A. Gilligan Unbound Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization, Rowman and LittlefieldThussu, Daya Kishan. International Communication Continuity and Change Hodder Arnold PublishingSources Citedhttp//www.pbs.org/pioneerliving/segments/Americanization.htmhttp//www.encyclopedia.com/searchpool.asp?target=DOCTITLE%20Americanizationhttp//globalization.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?http//www.usemb.nl/051800.htmhttp//www.infocan.gc.ca/facts/index_e.htmlhttp//www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/border/filmfact.htmlhttp//www.rice.edu/projects/topics/globalization/movies-germany.htm

Wind Power Essay -- Energy Physics Essays

Wind PowerIn the society we live in today, many mint have the misconception that there is a never-ending supply of energy available for our wasteful use. However, people must realize that the fossil fuels that we have come to guess on for our energy are quickly being depleted. There are several renewable energy resources, most of which come from the fair weather, that are available for our use. whiz of these abundant energy resources is the wind. By taking advantage of the wind, and harnessing its power to supply useful energy, people can ensure that they will have energy for as long as the sun continues to heat the earth.The wind is a direct product of the sun. The earth receives 1.74 x 1017 Watts of power (per hour) from the sun (Tour 1). The sun causes differential heating of earths surface and atmosphere, inducing vertical and horizontal air currents that are affected by the rotation of the earth and the contours of the note (Ristinen 133). As the land is heated, the warm air near the surface rises into the cooler atmosphere, causing a pressure gradient between the surface and the upper atmosphere. The lower pressure near the surface causes an inward current of air (wind) from the higher-pressure surroundings. A great example of this is the Land Sea Breeze Cycle, which we feel when we mensuration on the beach (Tour 1). As the warmer air rises into the atmosphere, the cooler air over the ocean rushes onto the shore, and this is the refreshing sea breeze we have come to expect whenever we step on the beach.About one to two percent of the energy that the earth receives from the sun is converted to wind energy (Tour 1). The amount of energy that the wind transfers to the rotors of a wind turbine depends on the dens... ... long as the sun continues to heat the earth. It causes no pollution and has little effect on the environment. Therefore, due to the availability and advantages of wind power, the diminish cost of wind power, and the growi ng interest in renewable energy resources, one can be assured that wind power will presently become a feasible energy source in the United States, as well as throughout the world. Works CitedRistinen, Robert A., Jack J. Kraushaar.. Energy and the Environment. sunrise(prenominal) York JohnWiley and Sons, Inc., 1999.Urone, Paul P.. College Physics Second Edition. California Brooks/Cole, 2001.Guided Tour on Wind Energy. 16 Oct. 2002 .The National Wind Technology amount of money (NWTC). 16 Oct. 2002 .Wind Energy. 16 Oct. 2002 .

Wind Power Essay -- Energy Physics Essays

Wind PowerIn the society we live in today, many people have the misconception that there is a never-ending supply of push button available for our wasteful use. However, people must realize that the fossil fuels that we have come to depend on for our talent are quickly being depleted. in that respect are several renewable energy resources, most of which come from the sun, that are available for our use. One of these abundant energy resources is the wind. By taking advantage of the wind, and harnessing its actor to supply useful energy, people can ensure that they will have energy for as long as the sun continues to lovingness the earth.The wind is a direct product of the sun. The earth receives 1.74 x 1017 Watts of power (per hour) from the sun (Tour 1). The sun causes differential heating of earths come forward and atmosphere, bring forth vertical and horizontal production line currents that are affected by the rotation of the earth and the contours of the land (Ristin en 133). As the land is heated, the warm melodic line near the surface rises into the cooler atmosphere, causing a pressure gradient between the surface and the upper atmosphere. The lower pressure near the surface causes an inward current of air (wind) from the higher-pressure surroundings. A great example of this is the Land Sea Breeze Cycle, which we feel when we step on the beach (Tour 1). As the warmer air rises into the atmosphere, the cooler air over the ocean rushes onto the shore, and this is the refreshing sea breeze we have come to expect whenever we step on the beach.About one to two percent of the energy that the earth receives from the sun is converted to wind energy (Tour 1). The amount of energy that the wind transfers to the rotors of a wind turbine depends on the dens... ... long as the sun continues to heat the earth. It causes no pollution and has little effect on the environment. Therefore, due to the availability and advantages of wind power, the decre asing cost of wind power, and the growing interest in renewable energy resources, one can be assured that wind power will soon become a feasible energy source in the United States, as well as throughout the world. Works CitedRistinen, Robert A., Jack J. Kraushaar.. Energy and the Environment. New York JohnWiley and Sons, Inc., 1999.Urone, Paul P.. College Physics Second Edition. California stick out/Cole, 2001.Guided Tour on Wind Energy. 16 Oct. 2002 .The National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). 16 Oct. 2002 .Wind Energy. 16 Oct. 2002 .

No Witchcraft for Sale

Gina M. Dees English IV- Honors Mrs. Daly 11/11/12 Culture at its Best Piccanin, shouted teddy, get out of my way And he raced in circles around the colour electric razor until he was frightened, and fled back to the bush. This scene from Doris Lessings No mesmerisecraft for Sale depicts a child being affected by the results of apartheid, a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on case of race, in South Africa. Similar to segregation in America, apartheid separated the nastys and white into two different classes the blacks being of lower class and whites having high rank in society.Gideon, a cook in Doris Lessings short story and the main char makeer, served the Farquar family all of his life. Even though this separation deemed whites as superior, this separation occurred because of cultural differences. As the story begins the audience is introduced to the Farquars family who has just brought their first child, Teddy, into the world. This family, the bosses or th e masters lived on a compound and represent the oppressors. This family has a cook servant named Gideon who represents the op touch.Gideon and the Farquars young child Teddy have a strong splice from the beginning. Gideon acted as a father in many ways to the Farquars child. Their bond was so extraordinary in this story that is set in a time in South Africa when blacks were treated inferior to whites. Though it was evident Gideon and Teddys relationship was real it did not prevent the elements of what racism teaches. Little time was spent by Gideon caring for his family or even being on that point for his son. Gideon played tirelessly with Teddy catching him when he fell as he learned to walk and tossing him up in the air.Gideons son could solely watch from the edge of the bush and gaze in awe of the young white son his same age. Each had a curiosity for the other. Teddy formerly put out his hand in curiosity to touch the face and hair of a black boy. Gideons bond is ironic becau se whites treated the black natives as if they were so much less than they were, yet the very person coaching a white child to lean to walk was a black man who earned the admiration of his superior and increases in his wages oer other workers on the compound.When Gideon says to Mrs. Farquar Ah missus, these are both children, and one will grow up to be a baas, and one will be a servant he accepts the fact that no matter how much pick out he has for the boy that Teddy will conform to the nasty ways of society. Gideon also gave the child his nickname Little Yellow Head. This nickname shows that Gideon had a level of crawl in and adoration for the young white child. Although this relationship with the child was evident, is it possible Gideon showed the child so much affection to avoid punishment?Gideon even realized that the child he had once held and nurtured would grow up to conform to society. This became evident on the day Teddy used his scooter to frighten Gideons son and when r eprimanded intimately the mean act gave the defiant response, He is only a black boy. This showed indifference to Gideons son as a person by regarding his act equal to what had been done to scatter squawking chickens and irritated dogs. One afternoon as Teddy was walking exploring the outdoors, a snake spit poisonous venom into his eye.Everyone in the home knew that he could potentially go blind. The child writhed in agony as his mother tried her best to assist her son tho she knew not of a cure. When she called for Gideon he sprung into action and ran off into the bush for some herbal medicine that was common among the other African natives to handle being poisoned. When he returned he held in his hand a root. Gideon chewed the root, spit its juices into the eyes of the boy without hesitation even with his mother crying out in protest and pressed it into the childs eyes guaranteeing he would be cured.As the reader, I could not help but to feel a certain amount of respect and lov e towards Gideon, as the Farquars did because of his rapid response to help the afflicted child. This quick response was borne out of love for Teddy. Not only were there elements of Gideon and Teddys relationship, but certain cultural differences kept the baas and natives separate. The natives lived off of ways of the land and kept secrets of remedies to each other. I believe they kept the remedies a secret in order to preserve their culture and practices.The text reads No one can live in Africa or at least on the veld, without nurture very soon that there is an ancient wisdom of leaf and soil and season-and, too, perhaps most important of all, of the darker tracts of the human mind-which is the black mans heritage. Up and down the order people were telling anecdotes, reminding each other of things that had happened to them. In contrast the whites believed in medical advances and were skeptical about the accuracy of some of the natives bush medicines.When the scientist states We are invariably checking up on this kind of story, and we draw a blank every time it proves his disbelief of the African remedies and that he does not trust that they will work. as well as the scientist and The Farquars try to persuade Gideon to disclose the root by assuring him that the information will be used for the common good. This is a cultural smash because the whites are trying to advance their modern medicine as Gideon is trying to save his cultural practices. Gideon would not let the sacred root of the African witch doctors benefit humanity for a cost.The friendship between Gideon and The Farquars is affected by his defiance. They begin to look at him with disdain and annoyance and Gideon displayed hostility, stubbornness and make contradictory statements about the location of the root. This cultural clash could also be connected to the power struggles displayed throughout the short story. The scientist and Farquars wanted power over Gideon so he would tell the truth a bout the root, but Gideon maintained control by leading everyone into the bush on a wild twinge chase.The text reads He (Gideon) picked up, without an attempt at looking anything but casual, a handful of blue flowers that had been growing plentifully all down the path they had come. Gideon is vexatious the scientist and Farquars will and intelligence as he had them walk 6 miles in the bush to search for this root when all he did was pick up a measly flower that had been growing down the whole path. He showed them and the readers that he was not afraid to protect his cultural practices.

Environmental Scan Essay

The week three assignment for Strategic Management MGT 498 involves researching the surroundingsal scanning practices of two to three real-world companies inseparable and orthogonal milieus and describe their internal and outer environments. This assignment provides a brief overview on the combative advantages of distributively identify federation and what strategies these companies use. Included in the assignment is information on how each company creates value and sustains their competitive advantage through business strategies and what measurement guidelines each company uses to verify their strategical effectiveness.Last, the assignment provides the effectiveness of these measurement guidelines. This base contains the environmental practices of Domino pizza, Inc. versus Pizza hutch, Inc. Stakeholders, customers, and members of an organizations board of directors expect executive leaders to balance the strategic fit of a company to what the environment wants and what th e corporation has to offer. The expectation necessitates executives to strike a balance between what the corporation needs to what the environment can provide.The organizational balance involves both the internal and the external stakeholder. Environmental scanning allows an organization to identify possible external opportunities and threats, and look within the organizations internal environment for strengths and weaknesses (Wheelan & Hunger, 2010). The fast food close in the United States has grown from a $6 billion-a-year industry in 1970 to a massive corporate franchising empire earning more than $170 billion in annual revenue (Food Empowerment Project, 2010). Leading the way in the fast food culture is the pizzeria industry.The pizza industry is a highly competitive market. Although there are many pizza makers ranging from topical anaesthetic pizzerias to international franchises, Dominos Pizza, Inc. , and Pizza field hut, Inc. are two major restaurants within the industry. In 2009 Pizza shanty, lead the industry with $29 billion and 18% of pizza gross gross revenue, whereas Dominos Pizza took 10% of this market with approximately $290 million in sales revenue (Young, 2009). The two competitors battle for consumer appetites, consumer dollars, and consumer attention.Before launching into a major marketing campaign, using valuable corporate resources each company implements a strategic broadcast with an analysis to identify the weaknesses and threats of their competitor. When Dominos conducted an organizational analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses, the company recognized their biggest strength is in name recognition, pizza speech, and take-out pizza. The company understands the importance of brand image and further understands a quick brand image creates customer loyalty and helps the company when introducing new products into the market.Dominos enjoys a strong business network with franchise owners and boasts a diversified franchise market. Because of the diversification and strong network capabilities with franchisees, Dominos can increase house servant and global market share, and increase sales opportunities. In contrast, Dominos weakness relates to a decline in domestic store sales touch on brand image and companys profits (Henry, 2010). Consequently, Dominos opportunity over competitors is their focus on pizza legal transfer works.Pizza rake for Domino has improved operating effectiveness with minimized spending. Another opportunity for Dominos is the restless device industry. Threats to Dominos include tilt in the pizza words industry, consumer health awareness, and an increase of labor and food prices (Henry, 2010). On the other hand, Pizza Hut, Inc. is the number one pizza manufacturer in the pizza industry enjoying strong brand image and recognition, and their organizational analysis revealed some of the same strengths as with Dominos.In addition to a strong brand name, their organizational strengths i nclude a competitive advantage in developing a large network of full service pizza restaurants with livery service, targeting different segments with a broad range of products, and a strong franchisee network. The organizational analysis shows Pizza Hut maintains high overhead be with their full service restaurants, high cost of pizza products leading, and an internal conflict among franchisee owners.In contrast, the external environmental analysis reveals Pizza Huts opportunities remain in set by creating and offering innovative pizza selections, increased brand loyalty through good customer service, updating customer online ordering system, expanding home delivery services, and entering new markets. Threats, facing Pizza Hut come from Dominos Pizza as the number one competitor in delivery service. Because Pizza Hut boasts claims as the number one pizza manufacturer, the organization faces threats of competitors matching their products and imitating their strategy methods to gai n market share (Scribd. om, 2012).The competitive advantage employ by Dominos Pizza is in their delivery service market and the fact Dominos does not incur the overhead costs associated with sit-in dining restaurants. The competitive advantage Pizza Hut has over Dominos is in name recognition, brand- in-store dining, and a variety of menu selections. The external environmental factors used by each organization to determine environmental scanning and strategic planning are societal, task, and natural environment narratives.Societal environment scanning influences long-term strategic planning and takes into consideration economic forces, technological forces, political-legal forces, and sociocultural forces. Task environmental scanning involves remaining aware of the trends and changes within the single industry, and natural environmental scanning involves those factors affecting the ecological system and how the organizations carbon footprint affects the ecological system (Wheelan & Hunger, 2010). Both Dominos and Pizza Hut value and understand the power of the consumer and are attentive to trends affecting consumers.The business strategy applied by each organization focuses on the customer and reservation each operation more efficient. For instance, Dominos focus is on the fast-food side of the pizza industry and places emphasis on take-out and delivery services. Pizza Hut on the other hand, prefers to offer consumers the option of take-out, delivery, or dining-in. Each has created value with advantages of the Internet. With online ordering and delivery services offered by both, placing value on consumer personal season is a value added.However, Pizza Hut sustains a competitive advantage over Dominos with customer service, upgrading customer online ordering systems, expanding home delivery services (Wheelan & Hunger, 2010). Both restaurants use various advertising strategies as a measurement guideline to verify how their strategic effectiveness brings a r eturn on investment. Both restaurants rely heavily on television advertising campaigns, which account for 92% of Pizza Huts paid media advertising, and 94% of Dominos paid media advertising (Young, 2009).In using social-media as a strategy, Pizza Hut implemented a broad-range of programs across social media outlets. According to reports, nearly 400,000 people view Pizza Hut advertising through social media. Dominos social media efforts, reaches 370,610 potential customers with both Dominos and Pizza Hut tripling their investment in online advertising. Dominos primarily promoted delivery service across a broad range of sites, including Amazon, Ask, Yahoo , MySpace, Facebook, College Humor, Yellow Pages, and local newspaper sites.Pizza Hut used their key product calendar to push online sales, sending users to the companys website to place delivery orders targeting a younger and more female-skewed audience to sites, including ETonline, Cosmo Girl, Elle, Fandango, and Fox News. Each r estaurant uses mobile device apps to reach consumers. Pizza Huts app allows customers to order menu items directly from their mobile devices by using an intuitive touch-screen interface. The Dominos mobile-ordering application is an iPhone optimized web app.By visiting Dominos. om, customers use an ordering system designed specifically for iPhones or an iPod Touch. Dominos Pizza used an outdoor campaign, whereas Pizza Hut did not (Young, 2009). The effectiveness of the guidelines used by each company to measure their cogency to grab the attention of consumers is in the tale of sales receipts. According to Young, Dominos use of TV ads directed toward recession-related advertising, and value-based offers showed good focus and resulted in a positive impact on traffic and sales. Their online and search activity supporting those promotions led to increased uptake with online delivery.A recent market share report ranked Dominos Pizza number one in online sales with an increase of 28% in market share, up from 11%. On the other hand, Pizza Huts use of smart media programs, particularly in social media did not increase sales. In fact, Pizza Huts receipts were down by 8% (Young, 2009). In conclusion, environmental scanning allows companies to dissect the competition to determine opportunities and threats allowing management to create a strategic plan to propel their organization in front of respective competitors.The process allows organizations to look within to understand internal strengths and weaknesses and look at changes needed to support identified opportunities and threats of competitors. In the case of Pizza Hut and Dominos, Pizza Hut has brand and name recognition above Dominos Pizza. However, Dominos environmental scanning identified an opportunity against Pizza Hut with online sales, thus propelling Domino has to gain valuable market share increasing sales by 11% whereas Pizza Huts sales fell by 8%.

Persuasion, Manipulation, and Ethics

There is a thin line that goes between persuasion, manipulation, and being absolute unethical. There is a huge difference between what is persuasive and what is manipulative or unethical. However, there is a certain degree wherein these ideas come into a junction. Perhaps, the divided meaning between these words is influenced and is dependent on the objective and the intention of the speaker.To be clear on the similarities and or differences of these words, the definition of each must be placed into position. Persuasion is an act of influencing or pleading others to understand and recognize certain ideologies, beliefs, viewpoints, etc. Manipulation, on the other hand, is a form of social keep back wherein others are dealt with forcefully, capably, or cleverly, to bring about an end that is beneficial to the manipulator. (Merriam-Webster, 2008) Judging by the definition of the word manipulation makes it unethical.If persuasion were a form of influence, whence it would be accurate to establish the idea that in persuading an sense of hearing, there is a sense of sending out information and enlightening the audience to sway and assist them to believe in or cleave to an idea. Manipulation on the other hand is a more dynamic way of bringing about do and change to the audience. (Sager, 2008) If it is a cleverly way to win over an audience and controlling them to accomplish an objective, it would also be precise to establish the idea that in manipulation, there might be a tendency to go beyond what is ethical, such as covering-up the truth, to make people believe in or adhere to an idea. (Maxfield, 2007)Somehow, persuasion and manipulation are one in the same in the sense that both ideas are common in their objectives and purpose, and that is to cause change behaviorally or ideologically speaking to their audience. The difference between the two lies in their means of carrying out this objective. Persuasion is only a part of the bigger picture and that is manipu lation. However, persuading an audience does not make it manipulation or an unethical act.ReferencesMaxfield, D. (2007). Influence vs. Persuasion and Manipulation. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from InfluencerBook. Website http//www.influencerbook.com/blog/influencer/1191540540000.htmlMerriam-Webster. (2008). Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved February 28, 2008, fromMerriam-Webster Incorporated. Website http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manipulateSager, Lynn Marie. (2008). Persuasion Versus Manipulation Whats the Difference?.Retrieved February 28, 2008, from EzineArticles. Website http//ezinearticles.com/?Persuasion-Versus-ManipulationWhats-the-Difference?&id=980122

Critical Analyis of John Locke, Hegel, and and John Stuart Mill Essay

research 1How does Locke originate that gentlemans gentleman beings have a natural right to private post? Answer (Book II chap V section 27) Humans have the right to private property because they are using their own labor in conjunction to purpose property from the state of nature and thus making it his own. By mixing his labor or his hands, which is an extent of himself, he is relating that property to him and no one else. When either we pour water into a glass, by using labor and our hands, we have the sole entitlement to the water.Question 2How does human nature limit this right to property? Answer (Book II chap V section 31-32) gentleman has the right to use as much property as possible just as long as he finds away that is supports his life. Once he no longer finds ways to use his property for life, he has to give it up. To add to the limitations of property, Man can use as much property unless it is wasted and not good for the use of opposites.By wasting property, that persons is violating other peoples rights because human nature states that everyone has the an equal Question 3How does Hegels abstract right define the relation between freedom, reason, and property? Answer Question 4How does Hegel prove that the abstract right to property necessarily involves relation to other persons? Answer Question 5Using your answer to the proceeding questions, find exactly what distinguishes Lockes position on freedom and property from the way Hegels account of abstract right understands the same issue?Answer Question 6How does Hegels account of abstract right prove that right embodied in property necessarily violates the same right in other persons? Answer Question 7Using your answer to 6, explain why Locke is in no position to draw the same conclusion. Answer Question 8State in your own words Mills utility principle. Identify precisely how this principle introduces a tension between independent individuation and communal solidarity. Explain how this same tension appears in Locke and in Hegels abstract right. Answer

Positive Organizational Scholarship Essay

Positive organisational scholarship is an emerging discipline in organisational behavior and is about advantageousness in organization. The need for it emerged to distich the gap between moral and rational objectives. It is not a bran-new recognition, it is the new way of looking at things, its like you have fitting changed your glasses. In todays world, society is facing extremely tough challenges in the form of global warming, natural disasters, economic recession, unprecedented homelessness, terrorism and the drain continuation of war.So at this moment of extreme electronegative happenings and uncertainty, what is needed to be emphasized and brought up is cocksure. With all this sadness and horror, where in the world does a science based on testing happiness, soundlybeing, personal growth and the good manners ? t into the modern-day agenda? So, Positive psychology is the study of topics much(prenominal) as happiness, optimism, personal growth and subjective well being. It promotes the factors that allow the groups and communities to thrive or flourish.At the current stage in this world of negativity, positive psychology focuses on positive experiences at three time points a) past centering contentment b) present foc using current happiness c) future including optimism and hope. We should know that what a good vitality is ? Aristotle and Plato used to believe that when people carried out a virtuous purport they would become authentically happy. The happiness are of two types in positive psychology according to Seligman, one is hedonic happiness which is mellowed level of positive affect and low levels of negative effect, in addition to high subjective life satisfaction.See more how to start a scholarship essayOther is eudemonic wellbeing which focuses more on creation of heart and purpose in life. (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011) A science of positive subjective experience, positive singular traits, and positive institutions promises to improve qua lity of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and purposeless. The deterrent example of Seligman of Positive psychology is divided into three parts The pleasurable life, the good life, and the meaningful life. The pleasurable life is about things like shopping, eating, drugging, meaningless sex, etc.The interrogation is determination that having more pleasures does not increase life satisfaction. The good life as defined by Seligman is about perceptiveness and using ones core strengths/virtues in work and love and play. He, in conjunction with Chris Peterson, developed a VIA Signature Strengths Survey found that Having a life of high absorption does correlate to life satisfaction measures according to Seligman. Lastly, the meaningful life is when a person uses his/her strengths for the purpose of something larger than him/herself.Choosing to live a life of faith, purpose, meaning, correlates to life satisfaction measures. Marty also sees this aspect of his model directly related to Positive Institutionsthose organizations that promote positive character development and/or meaning. Hes aroundly focused on non-profits and religious organizations but others are applying it to for-profit organizations. (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) An approach that is positive to selection, development, and management of human resources in organizations has been emphasized by both scholars and professionals oer the years.A wide variety of positively oriented high-performance work practices in billet, compensation, and motivation and their underlying strategies, structures, and cultures have also been extensively studied and support for their contributions to organizational performance and competitiveness. Research and consulting by the Gallup Organization also supports the importance of positive, strength-based organizational cultures and human resource practices . (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001).For example, factors such as effective selection and placement practices that capitalize on employees talents, clear and aligned goals and expectations, social support and recognition, and opportunities for growth, development, and self actualization have been found to significantly contribute to employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and ultimately organizational profitability and growth(Harter, Schmidt, & Keynes, 2003) On the academic side, the positive organizational scholarship or POS movement has been instrumental in providing macro-level scholars with a conceptual framework for organizing and integrating their research on positive organizations (Cameron et al. , 2003).Positive refers to the elevating processes and outcomes in organizations. Organizational refers to the interpersonal and structural dynamics activated in and through organizations, specifically taking into account the scene in which positive phenomena occur. Scholarship refers to the scientific, theoretically derived, and rigorous investigation of that wh ich is positive in organizational setting. (KIM S. CAMERON & CAZA, 2004). Positive organizational scholarship (POS) is considered an alternative approach to study organizations it is argued that POS plays a critical theory role in contemporary organizational scholarship.By using essays on critical theory in organizational science to consider POS research, and drawing from the principles of Gestalt psychology, it is argued that the important distinctions between POS and traditional organizational scholarship lie in POSs emphasis on positive processes, on survey transparency, and on extending the range of what constitutes a positive organizational outcome. In doing so, it is concluded that the primary contribution of POS is that it offers an alternative to the deficit model that shapes the design and conduct of organizational research. (Caza. & Caza. , 2008) There are several moderatenesss that exist for the neglect of positive phenomena in organizational science.They include a) La ck of valid and reliable measuring devices b) the association of positivity with uncritical science c) the fact that negative events have greater impact on people than positive events(Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001) The first reason for the neglect towards POS concerning measurement and instrumentation, most positively focused at work up to now has been at the psychological level. For example only surveys had been used up till now for finding out anything related to it. Most scholarly work in POS has been conceptual and definitional rather than empirical. Little empirical work has been published. (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003). The article by Losada and Heaphy uses a model to estimate team effectiveness. Communication patterns in 60 top management teams were observed and coded in day long strategic planning sessions. The ratio of positive to negative communication was ranging among high, medium and low performing teams.Positive teams performed significantly bett er Similarly Cameron, Bright and Cazas study in which they surveyed organizations across a number of industry types, and eventually they found out that the organizations scoring higher on virtuousness had a better performance than the other ones. The second reason to the neglect towards POS is that the topics related to it have sometimes been associated with non scholarly prescriptions. Hope and optimism for example have been interpreted as wishful thinking. POS uses the word scholarship to identify its scientific and theoretical foundations. It is committed to documenting, measuring, and explaining usually positive human experiences in organizations.The third reason for the dearth of POS illustrated by Baumeisteret et als concluded that the events that are negative for example losing money or receiving criticism will always have a greater impact on the individual than the positive events such as winning money or receiving praise. Many good events can overcome the psychological effe cts of a single bad one. In case the poetry of good and bad events are equal then the psychological effects of bad ones always outweigh the good ones. This tells us that the neglect of problems and challenges might jeopardize the survival of individual. And the neglect of positive might only result into regret or disappointment. (KIM S.CAMERON & CAZA, 2004)Identifying the factors that lead to joy and happiness, hope and faith, and what makes life worth living introduces a shift from reparative psychology to a psychology of positive experience. Similarly, Positive organizational scholarship examines the positive side of organizational performance. It investigates positive deviance, or the ways in which organizations and their members flourish and prosper in especially humane and extraordinary ways. It investigates virtuous elements in organizations such as compassion, forgiveness, dignity, respectful encounters, optimism and positive effect, integrity, and wisdom. This emphasis pa rallels a new movement in psychology that is shifting from the traditional focus on illness and pathology (e. g., deviancy, abnormality, and therapy) toward a positive psychology that focuses on human strengths and virtues. (Dinnah Pladott, 2003)Pos is concerned with understanding the integration of positive and negative conditions. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) and Positive Psychology are focused on understanding the conditions and processes that explain flourishing. What differentiates POS is an explicit interest in understanding and explaining flourishing in organizational contexts (including individuals, groups, units and whole organizations). Flourishing refers to being in an optimal range of human functioning and is indicated at the individual level by goodness, generatively, growth and resilience.Atthe collective level of groups and organizations, flourishing may be indicated by creativity, innovation, growth, resilience, thriving virtuousness or other markers th at a collective is healthy and is performing in an above normal or positively deviant range. POS also focuses on the development of individual, group and collective strengths that represent forms of individual and collective excellence. POS unites existing domains of organizational inquiry focused on flourishing. This includes work on flourishing indicators such as creativity, engagement, flow, growth, health and well-being, as well as contributors to flourishing that consider features of the organization, group and job contexts.

Case Study: Dell Computer †Organization of a Global Production Network; Using E-Commerce to Support Its Virtual Company

pic Case Study dingle Computer Organization of a spherical Production Network using E-Commerce to actualise its Virtual Company 1. 0 Executive Summary dells Direct Modelof selling PCs now to the consumers, bypassing the distri howeverors and retailers (resellers) demarcation, has been pioneered and provides distinct advantages over the in guide on sales model. Customers have the ability to contact dingle right away and order technologically advanced systems at free-enterprise(a) prices.This pack contact with consumers gives Dell the unique opportunity to know exactly what its consumers want and offer carrefours that would satisfy their specific needs. To fulfill the orders quickly and in supporting the Build-To-Order outline, Dell has developed an excellent manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by instruction systems that enable it to substitute knowledge for scrutinize. Dell coordinates a global production network that spans the Americas, Europe and As ia, cartel in-house final assembly with heavy reliance on outside suppliers and contract manufacturers.The use of Internet and E-commerce has further giving Dell a means for extending the give-up the ghost and scope of its direct sales telephone circuit model at a relatively low marginal terms. It has done so in part by automating its functions such as product configuration, order entry, and technical support, enabling the community to grow revenues without a corresponding increase in client swear out cost. Also, it has utilise the Internet to coordinate a network of suppliers and business partners who carry out many of the functiones involved in building, distributing and supporting personal computers.In short, Dells communicate image consists of only three stages the suppliers, the manufacturer (Dell), and end users. Dells direct contact with nodes and its use of e-commerce allows it to offered competitive prices, high levels of support properly identify mart segmen ts, analyze the requirements and profitability of each segment, and develop more accurate demand forecasts. cut on the standpointard supply twine cycle and deliver goods directly from the manufacturer to the client. turn its scrutinise over 60 times a year introduced raw products without having to pop off out old inventory in the channel minimize the rapid depreciation costs that mark the PC industry operated on a negative cash conversion cycle by receiving stipend from its customers before it paid its suppliers for components build strong, stable relationships with the immense corporations and other organizations who atomic number 18 its core customers Table of Contents TopicPage 1. Executive Summary2 2. Key Success Factors4 3. SWOT compend of Dell Computer6 4. What SCM strategies Dell had implemented? 8 5.What are the prises of the Dells strategies? 10 6. Conclusion11 2. 0 Key Success Factors Supply Chain Know-How A key component of Dells supply mountain range steering was having materials in close proximity to Dell factories therefore suppliers are required to have inventory hubs tightlipped the manufacturing plants. A huge pull in of this supply chain solution is communicating with these hubs in real time to deliver the required materials. Dell had reduced its inventory to an all-time low of a 5 day supply, which comparatively was 20 to 70 days for its major competitors, thereby creating a competitive advantage.By direct on a just-in-time basis, (a result of an 87% reduction in primary suppliers) Dell was able to provide better swear out with a faster contrary time. Also by reducing the total vendor pool and choosing suppliers physically close to Dells factories, supplier loyalty was increased, leading to further economies of scale. bullocky supplier relationships Dell seeks long-term single source relationships in situations where alternative sources are unavailable or the relationship is advantageous with respect to performan ce, quality, support, delivery or price.Securing long-term relationships with vendors allows Dell to more fully integrate major vendor into Dells supply chain management programs. This helps Dell reduce inventories of components, which learn into lower unit costs. Dell also seeks to lock-up supply at the lowest possible cost. Recently Dell signed a long-term supply cartel with Philips for the supply of CRT and flat panel observes. Strong commitment to IT Practices ? Pre-installing software for Eastman Chemical, maintaining a corporate asset database for innovational support ?Integrating supply chain vendors with more precise demand forecast for business process support. ? Premier Pages customize, buy and track systems, resolve tech issues for operations support. Customer Efficiency Dell has made a serious investment in understanding its customers activity in real time and then uses this information to constructively build its business and its winning culture. Dell forever mo nitored the customers shifting preferences, which helped in pricing, inventory management, and cost accounting. Also, Dells factory assembly process was super organized (i. e. bar codes), efficient (i. e. ystems were burned in) and extremely fast (i. e. 36 hour turnaround) and its customer service was exemplary for the industry. (a) Start with customer look upon Historically, customers were segmented by verticals (e. g. , consumer, corporate, government and small business) as well as regions and size. Dell had to look across an aggregated view of these existing groupings to identify overlap values relating to product features and supply chain capabilities. A global view was critical to this process. As Mr. Noakes stated, Our growth securities industrys are non in traditional regions. We need to adjust our model to the new requirements. (b) A unified, end-to-end business strategy The Dell team stated this effort was truly a corporate full(a) transformation. Key to this was t he ability to clearly articulate the need for change, the vision and the role of antithetic organizations. To support this communication, several attracters started an internal blog to keep deal up to date. Culture Dells winning ways begin and end with its culture. Dell has acquired a disciplined culture that relentlessly focuses on optimizing its operational model, responding to its customers needs and sustaining a self-motivated and experienced workforce Market Sensing Dell consistently sensed market changes before they happened and was able to anticipate and identify product areas to maximize sustainable profits using its Direct Model. As a result of this ability, Dell could pick and choose which market they memorialiseed, making sure it was a market leader quickly upon entering. Strong Information Management practices is a powerful strategic weapon in Dell. It is widely distributed, analyzed and acted upon. People know where they and their business units stand at any t ime. They re-act accordingly.According to Dell If the folks in its consumer business nonice its 10am and theyre not getting enough phone calls, they know they have to do something run a promotion on the web starting at 1015, or change their pricing or run more ads. They cant detention 30 days after the end of the quarter to figure it out. Openness and sharing are part of success at Dell. Lower Unit cost Removing the third party retailer from the sales equation eliminates additional product mark-ups. The savings can be either recognized as higher margins or passes along to consumers.In both situations Dell is experiences better pricing flexibility than its competitors. When economic conditions are slow Dell is able to offer product at lower prices and still operate profitably. Dells success in the most recent economic downturn serves as clear signal that the company can weather less than favorable economic conditions. In 2001, Dells domestic market plow actually climbed from 19 % to 24. 2%. fast reaction to customer wants and needs As mentioned above Dell focuses on streamlining their production operations. Finished products are quickly assembled in direct response to a customers order.Low finished good inventories put Dell in a better position to continually offer the newest and most requested technologies. Changes in customer demands hurt the competition more as they struggle with product obsolescence and high inventories. Competitors may be forces absorb write-offs associated with inventory obsolescence or markdown products below cost to clear inventory. 3. 0 SWOT analysis of Dell Computer Strengths Biggest PC (personal computer) maker in the world. Dells brand is one of the best known in the world. They are the shape one PC provider for medium and small businesses across the US for 10 straight years. Direct to customer business model. They deal directly with the customers with no use of a middle man, i. e. retailer channel. They offer their cust omers the ability to track their delivery by contacting customer services, establish in India. They design the computer to the customers specifications. It uses information technology, and excellent customer relationship management (CRM) approaches to capture data on its loyal consumers. This allows it to produce the personal computer based on the customers own specification. court advantage over rivals Their assembly is done at a fairly inexpensive cost By offering superior telephone customer and/or internet services such as Premier Access, and outsourcing their shipping, Dell had the lowest operating cost in the industry at 11. 5%. Dell is not a manufacturer Components are made by suppliers and Dell assembles the computers using relatively cheap labor. The finished goods are then dropped off with the customer by courier. Dell has total command of the supply chain. No inventory buildup. Dell built its computers to order none were produced for inventory. Wide geographic cover age and strong global distribution capabilities Good supply chain management capabilities. Good customer service capabilities Weakness Dealing with a large amount of supplies from many different countries can cause a large issue when products are recalled. Example in 2004 Dell had to recall 4. 4 million laptop adapters because of a forethought that they could overheat, causing electric shocks or fires. High dependence on suppliers. They build computers, not develop them. It buys from a group of concentrated hi-tech component manufacturers.Whilst this is a tremendous advantage in terms of business operations, allowing Dell to focus on marketing and logistics, the company is reliant on a few large suppliers, and to an extent is locked in for periods of time (i. e. unable to switch supply dues to the lack of large suppliers in the World). Their supply orders are so large that they become hold to dealing with a small few supplies that can handle the volume. Dell lacked solid dea ler/retailer relationships. They have weak business relationships with many computer retailers. No propriety technology. They do not have unique technologies to offer the market. Because outsourced all components, it is very difficult to manage the quality. Dell is the lack of multi-channel distribution capabilities. It volition be very difficult to expend the selling channels because there are no other retailers in markets. Dells products promotion and origin of new products fall behind othercompetitors Weak dealer network Opportunity New products and new market still has room for development. Continuing to market on the internet to gain larger market base. Broadening their scopes in Europe, India and China. Expand into government and education markets. Utilizing existing company skills or technological know-how to enter new product lines or new businesses. Entering into alliances or joint ventures to expand the firms market coverage orboost its competitive capability P C industrys growth prospects remain attractive Dell can further capitalize on the remaining build-out of the Internet radical and increase market share in the external storage market Threat The single biggest problem for Dell is the competitive rivalry that exists in the PC market globally. As with all profitable brands, retaliation from competitors and new entrants to the market poses potential threats.Dell sources from Far Eastern nations where labour costs remain low, but there is nothing stopping competitors doing the same even sourcing the same or similar components from the same or similar suppliers. Remember, Dell is a PC maker, not a PC manufacturer. Increasingly popular brand names in the competition. Likely entry of potent new competitors. Competition can basically create the same computers since Dell builds computers, not designs them. Fluctuations in the currency markets can make global business operations more open to losses in indisputable areas of the supply chain. Dell, being global in its marketing and operations, is xposed to fluctuations in the World currency markets. Although it is a very lean organization, orders do have to be move some time ahead due to their size or value. Changes in exchange rates could leave the company exposed to potential loses in move of its supply chain. Tariff trade barriers affecting their positions in multiple countries. The global economic downturn. Loss of sales to substitute products, like Ipad, Tablet PC. Growing talk terms power of customers or suppliers. Price difference between brands is getting smaller all the time. 4. 0 What are the SCM strategies that Dell had implemented?Dell revolutionized supply chain management with its direct model, build-to-order (BTO) manufacturing, just-in-time inventory model and impressive cash-to-cash conversion cycle. Dell designed its supply chains based on a mix of cost optimization, delivery speed and product choices that customers value. Its strategy w as built around a number of core elements build-to-order manufacturing, mass customization, partnerships with suppliers, just-in-time components inventories, direct sales to customers, market segmentation, awarded-winning customer service and technical support, and pioneering use of the Internet and e-commerce technology.Through this strategy, the company has somehow achieve what Michael Dell called Virtual Company / Integration stitching together of Dells business with its supply partners and customers in real time such that all three appeared to be part of the same organizational team sharing extensive data and information pic Process Streamlining In particular, Dell foc utilise on enabling just-in-time delivery of move and componentsa process whereby Dells suppliers delivered goods to Dell very close to the time Dell actually needed the parts for use in computers that consumers had already ordered.This shortened the time during which Dell needed to maintain an inventory of parts and reduced the costs associated with storing that inventory. The reduction in costs associated with the innovative manufacturing processes allowed Dell to offer its products at low prices that were attractive to consumers and that were difficult for competitors to match. Moreover, the low-price approach allowed Dell to gain market share without investing heavily in research and development in the early stages of its growth.Build-to-order( Postponed) Dell built its computers to order none were produced for inventory. Dell customers could order custom-built computers based on the needs of their applications. Desktop and laptop customers ordered whatever configuration of microprocessor speed, random access memory (RAM), hard disk capacity, CD-ROM drive, fax/modem, monitor size, speakers, and other accessories they preferred. The orders were directed to the nearest factory.In 2000, Dell had PC assembly plants in Austin, Texas Nashville/Lebanon, Tennessee Limerick, Ireland Xiamen, Chi na Penang, Malaysia and El Dorado do Sul, Brazil. All six plants manufacture the companys entire line of products. Partnerships with suppliers Michael Dell believed it made much better sense for Dell Computer to partner with reputable suppliers of PC parts and components rather than to integrate backward and get into parts and components manufacturing on its own.Just-in-time components inventories Dells just-in-time inventory emphasis yielded major cost advantages and shortened the time it took for Dell to get new generations of its computer models into the marketplace. New advances were coming so fast in certain computer parts and components ( peculiarly microprocessors, disk drives, and modems) that any given item in inventory was obsolete in a matter of months, sometimes quicker Direct Selling Selling direct to customers gave Dell firsthand intelligence bout customer preferences and needs, as well as immediate feedback on design problems and quality glitches. Market segmentati on To make sure that each type of computer users are well served, Dell had made a special effort to segment the buyers of its computers into relevant groups and to place managers in charge of developing sales and service programs abstract to the needs and expectations of each market segment. Their market segment comprises from large customers, both corporate and governmental buyers, to small customers, both small businesses and individuals.Customer service and practiced Support Dell contracted with local service providers to handle customer requests for repairs on-site service was provided on a next-day basis. Dell also provided its customers with technical support via a toll-free number, fax, and e-mail. Virtual Integration and Information Sharing On-line communications technology made it easy for Dell to communicate inventory levels and substitute needs to vendors daily or even hourly. 5. 0 What are the values of the Dells strategies? The direct business model had a valuable benefit that Michael Dell didnt anticipate.It enables the company to have an actual relationship with customers. This provides essential information that is used to leverage relationships with the suppliers as well as customers. It also provides 2 distinct advantages reducing marketing and sales cost by eliminating markups of distributors and retailers building to order reduced inventory costs and risks of retaining inventories. Knowing the customer is the foundation for creating value It is no longer good enough to simply meet customer expectations. It is not ven good enough to delight the customer. These goals are often one-time goals. Continued success, particularly at a fast pace means it is getting increasingly important to KNOW the customer. Knowing the customer means having knowledge that lets Dell constantly add value. Knowing the customer means Dell can design new products, new services, and new pricing schemes that constantly meet and exceed customer expectations. Dell achieves this through creative use of their information systems as well as through their people.Their information systems attract, store, manipulate, and report information on customers. Their people used this information to respond immediately to changes in market conditions, changes from competitors, and changes in customer preferences. Price for Performance Dell boasts a very efficient procurement, manufacturing and distribution process allowing it to offer customers powerful systems at competitive prices, especially for the price conscious customers. Continuous reinvention is critical for continued velocityAt some point, every strategy and every goal is outdated. Dell has the keen sense to identify possible new strategies and goals early, and to reinvent itself in order to move in the new direction. This was square when Dell made their entry onto online service over the Internet. The Dell Direct Model was extended to allow customers access to systems which let them tap direct ly into Dells service and support databases. Dell has already reinvented itself again by viewing their business as one of integration and distribution, rather than simply as a computer hardware manufacturer.Complexity reduction Product options had become too complex. In response, Dell reduced configuration complexity in line with customer requirements. Product offerings had exceeded customer requirements and were adding unnecessary cost and responsiveness waste in the supply chain. Improved internal collaboration Identifying and managing functional interdependencies have driven collaboration across product design, supply chain, marketing, sales and finance. Dell also simplified interactions by centralizing global operations, while aligning to customer verticals. . 0 Conclusion Dell is simply a success story it shows how one can gain market advantage by simply understanding what brings value to customers. Dells direct selling and build-to-order has given it a unique position in the industry. Dell has successfully built its competitive advantage as low cost producer, achieved through adapting lean manufacturing approaches. Also today, the Internet has created many new opportunities to interact with customers, people and to provide products more closely customized to individual customer preferences.Certainly Dells competitors see the advantage of the companys direct model, and to a varying degree use similar tactics. But, the other vendors have legacy ties to supply chains supply chains with distributors and resellers that still freeze these non-direct channels less efficient. So Dell had the ability to cut margin without cutting profit Dells e-commerce service is a valuable management tool for online business, whereby, increased efficiency, cost effectiveness and improve customer satisfaction. Selling online allows the whole process to be automated and more efficient.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The murk came choke and transformed that Sunday nights dusk into a thing of indulgent beauty. The sun turned red as it slid down toward the hills and the haze picked up the glow, turning the double-uern incline into a nosebleed. I sit down let out on the lard and watched it, trying to do a crossword puzzle and not getting genuinely utmost. When the ph cardinal rang, I dropped Tough Stuff on conk of my manuscript as I went to answer it. I was tired of expression at the title of my platter every period I passed. how-do-you-do?Whats going on up in that location? John Storrow demanded. He didnt even so bother to say hi. He didnt sound angry, though he sounded tot wholey pumped. Im missing the squargon goddam soap operaI invited myself to lunch on Tuesday, I verbalise. Hope you dont drumhead.No, thats good, the more(prenominal) the merrier. He sounded as if he absolutely meant it. What a summer, huh? What a summer Anything come to pass dependable lately? Earthquakes? Volcanoes? pack suicides?No mass suicides, neertheless the old guy died, I express.Shit, the whole world knows Max Devore kicked it, he verbalise. Surprise me, Mike Stun me Make me holler boy-howdyNo, the other old guy. Royce Merrill.I dont know who you oh, wait. The unity with the gold cane who looked desire an exhi point from Jurassic Park?Thats him.Bummer. Otherwise . . . ?Otherwise everythings below chasteness, I said, and so popular opinion of the popped-out eyes of the cat-clock and close to laughed. What halt me was a kind of surety that Mr. Good wittiness Man was just an act John had really wauled to ask what, if anything, was going on between me and Mattie. And what was I going to say? nonhing yet? One kiss, one and only(a) instant blue-steel hard-on, the merrimentdamental things apply as time goes by?But John had other things on his mind. Listen, Michael, I called because Ive got something to tell you. I call in youll be both divert and amazed.A state we all crave, I said. Lay it on me.Rogette Whitmore called, and . . . you didnt proceed to give her my pargonnts number, did you? Im nates in New York now, simply she called me in Philly.I didnt abide your parents number. You didnt leave it on either of your machines.Oh, proper(a). No apology he seemed also excited to guess of such mundanities. I began to belief excited myself, and I didnt even know what the hell was going on. I gave it to Mattie. Do you think the Whitmore char called Mattie to get it? Would Mattie give it to her?Im not sure that if Mattie came upon Rogette flaming in a thoroughfare, shed piss on her to raise her out.Vulgar, Michael, trs vulgarino. But he was laughing. Maybe Whitmore got it the comparable way Devore got yours.Probably so, I said. I dont know whatll happen in the months ahead, provided right now Im sure shes lock got access to Max Devores personal control panel. And if anyone knows how to push the yettons on it, its believably her. D id she call from Palm Springs?Uh-huh. She said shed just finished a feeler meeting with Devores attorneys concerning the old mans will. According to her, Grampa left Mattie Devore lxxx million dollars.I was struck silent. I wasnt amused yet, merely I was certainly amazed.Gets ya, dont it? John said gleefully.You mean he left it to Kyra, I said at last. Left it in trust to Kyra.No, thats just what he did not do. I asked Whitmore triplet times, alone by the third I was starting to understand. There was method in his thin-skinnedness. Not much, but a itsy-bitsy. You see, on that points a condition. If he left the money to the minor child instead of to the mother, the condition would acquit no weight. Its funny when you consider that Mattie isnt persistent past minor status herself.Funny, I agreed, and thought of her dress skid between my hands and her smooth bare waist. I also thought of Bill Dean adage that men who went with girls that age always looked the same, had their t ongues run out even if their mouths were shut.What string did he put on the money?That Mattie remain on the TR for one year following Devores death until July 17, 1999. She can leave on day-trips, but she has to be tucked up in her TR-90 bed every night by golf-club oclock, or else the bequest is forfeit. Did you ever hear such a bullshit thing in your life-time? exposeside of some old George Sanders movie, that is?No, I said, and recalled my visit to the Fryeburg join with Kyra. Even in death hes desire custody, I had thought, and of course this was the same thing. He precious them here. Even in death he indigenceed them on the TR.It wont fly? I asked.Of course it wont fly. Fucking crackpot efficiency as well afford written hed give her eighty million dollars if she used blue tampons for a year. But shell get the eighty mil, all right. My heart is set on it. Ive already talked to three of our land guys, and . . . you dont think I should supply one of them up with me on Tuesday, do you? Will Stevensonll be the point man in the estate phase, if Mattie agrees. He was all but babbling. He hadnt had a thing to drink, Idve bet the farm on it, but he was sky-high on all the possibilities. Wed gotten to the happily-ever-after social function of the fairy tale, as far as he was concerned Cinderella comes home from the ball finished a cash cloudburst. . . . course Wills a little bit old, John was saying, about three hundred or so, which means hes not exactly a fun guy at a party, but . . . Leave him home, why dont you? I said. Therell be plenty of time to carve up Devores will later on. And in the immediate future, I dont think Matties going to demand any problem observing the bullshit condition. She just got her logical argument back, remember?Yeah, the exsanguinous buffalo drops baseless and the whole herd scatters John exulted. Look at em go And the new multimillionaire goes back to register books and mailing out overdue notices Okay, Tuesday we ll just party.Good.Party til we puke.Well . . . maybe us older folk will just party until were mildly nauseated, would that be all right?Sure. Ive already called Romeo Bissonette, and hes going to bring George Kennedy, the private detective who got all that hilarious shit on Durgin. Bissonette says Kennedys a scream when he gets a drink or two in him. I thought Id bring some steaks from Peter Lugers, did I tell you that?I dont reckon you did.Best steaks in the world. Michael, do you realize whats happened to that new-fashioned cleaning woman? cardinal million dollarsShell be able to replace Scoutie.Huh?Nothing. Will you come in tomorrow night or on Tuesday?Tuesday sunup virtually ten, into Castle County Airport. New England Air. Mike, are you all right? You sound odd.Im all right. Im where Im supposed to be. I think.Whats that supposed to mean? I had wandered out onto the decorate. In the distance thunder blabingd. It was spicyter than hell, not a schnorkel of breeze stir ring. The sunset was fading to a baleful afterglow. The sky in the west looked standardised the white of a bloods savoury eye.I dont know, I said, but I have an view the situation will clarify itself. Ill meet you at the airport.Okay, he said, and then, in a hushed, almost venerating voice Eighty million motherfucking the Statesn dollars.Its a whole lotta lettuce, I agreed, and wished him a good night.I drank black c tallyee and ate toast in the kitchen the next morning, watching the TV weatherman. standardised so many of them these days, he had a s dejectly mad look, as if all those Doppler radar images had driven him to the sceptre of something. I think of it as the Millennial Video Game look.Weve got another thirty-six hours of this soup to take shape with and then theres going to be a big change, he was saying, and pointed to some dark colour scum lurking in the Midwest. Tiny animated lightning-bolts danced in it like defective sparkplugs. Beyond the scum and the lightning -bolts, America looked calorie-free all the way out to the desert country, and the posted temperatures were fifteen degrees cooler. Well see temps in the nineties today and cant look for much relief tonight or tomorrow morning. But tomorrow afternoon these frontal storms will reach western Maine, and I think most of you are going to want to keep updated on weather conditions. Before we get back to cooler air and bright clear skies on Wednesday, were probably going to see violent thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail in some locations. Tornados are rare in Maine, but some towns in western and central Maine could see them tomorrow. Back to you, Earl.Earl, the morning news guy, had the innocent beefy look of a recent retiree from the Chippendales and read mutilate the Teleprompter like one. Wow, he said. Thats quite a forecast, Vince. Tornados a possibility.Wow, I said. Say wow again, Earl. Do it til Im satisfied.Holy cow, Earl said just to spitefulness me, and the telephone rang. I we nt to answer it, giving the waggy clock a look as I went by. The night had been quiet no sobbing, no screaming, no nocturnal adventures but the clock was disquieting, just the same. It hung there On the wall eyeless and dead, like a message full of bad news.Hello?Mr. Noonan?I knew the voice, but for a sec couldnt place it. It was because she had called me Mr. Noonan. To Brenda Meserve Id been Mike for almost fifteen years.Mrs M.? Brenda? What I cant sprain for you anymore, she said, all in a rush. Im sorry I cant give you proper notice I never halt work for anyone without giving notice, not even that old drunk Mr Croyden but I have to. Please understand.Did Bill find out I called you? I swear to God, Brenda, I never said a word No. I havent spoken to him, nor he to me. I just cant come back to Sara Laughs. I had a bad dream last night. A terrible dream. I dreamed that . . . somethings mad at me. If I come back, I could have an accident. It would look like an accident, at le ast, but . . . it wouldnt be.Thats silly, Mrs M., I wanted to say. Youre surely past the age where you believe in campfire stories about ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties.But of course I could say no such thing. What was going on in my contribute was no campfire story. I knew it, and she knew I did.Brenda, if Ive caused you any trouble, Im truly sorry.Go away, Mr. Noonan . . . Mike. Go back to Derry and stay for a bandage. Its the best thing you could do.I perceive the earn sliding on the fridge and turned. This time I actually saw the circle of fruits and vegetables form. It stayed spread out at the top long enough for four letters to slide inside. consequently a little plastic lemon plugged the hole and completed the circle.yats,the letters said, then swapped themselves around, makingstay accordingly both the circle and the letters broke up.Mike, please. Mrs. M. was crying. Royces funeral is tomorrow. Everyone in the TR who matters the old-timers will be there . Yes, of course they would. The old ones, the bags of swot up who knew what they knew and kept it to themselves. Except some of them had talked to my wife. Royce himself had talked to her. Now he was dead. So was she.It would be best if you were gone. You could take that young woman with you, maybe. Her and her little girl.But could I? I somehow didnt think so. I thought the three of us were on the TR until this was over . . . and I was starting to have an idea of when that would be. A storm was coming. A summer storm. Maybe even a tornado.Brenda, thanks for calling me. And Im not letting you go. Lets just call it a leave of absence, shall we?Fine . . . whatever you want. Will you at least think about what I said?Yes. In the meantime, I dont think Id tell anyone you called me, all right?No she said, sounding shocked. Then But theyll know. Bill and Yvette . . . Dickie Brooks at the garage . . . old Anthony Weyland and Buddy Jellison and all the others . . . theyll know. Goodbye, M r. Noonan. Im so sorry. For you and your wife. Your deplorable wife. Im so sorry. Then she was gone.I held the phone in my hand for a long time. Then, like a man in a dream, I put it down, crossed the room, and took the eyeless clock withdraw the wall. I threw it in the trash and went down to the lake for a swim, remembering that W. E Harvey story August Heat, the one that ends with the line The heat is enough to drive a man mad.Im not a bad natator when people arent pelting me with rocks, but my first shore-to-float-to-shore lap was tentative and unrhythmic ugly because I kept expecting something to reach up from the bottom and grab me. The drowned boy, maybe. The second lap was better, and by the third I was savour the increased kick of my heart and the silky coolness of the water rushing past me. Halfway through the fourth lap I pulled myself up the floats ladder and collapsed on the boards, feeling better than I had since my find out with Devore and Rogette Whitmore on Fri day night. I was still in the zone, and on top of that I was experiencing a glorious endorphin rush. In that state, even the dismay Id felt when Mrs M. told me she was resigning her position ebbed away. She would come back when this was over of course she would. In the meantime, it was probably best she stay away.Somethings mad at me. I could have an accident.Yes indeed. She might cut herself. She might adjudicate down a flight of cellar stairs. She might even have a stroke foot race across a hot parking lot.I sat up and looked at Sara on her hill, the deck jutting out over the drop, the railroad ties descending. Id only been out of the water for a few minutes, but already the days sticky heat was folding over me, stealing my rush. The water was still as a mirror. I could see the house reflected in it, and in the reflection Saras windows became watchful eyes.I thought that the way of all the phenomena the epicenter was very likely on The Street between the real Sara and its dro wned image. This is where it happened, Devore had said. And the old-timers? Most of them probably knew what I knew that Royce Merrill had been murdered. And wasnt it possible wasnt it likely that what had killed him might come among them as they sat in their pews or gather afterward around his grave? That it might steal some of their force their guilt, their memories, their TR-ness to help it finish the job?I was very glad that John was going to be at the pilotless aircraft tomorrow, and Romeo Bissonette, and George Kennedy, who was so comical when he got a drink or two in him. Glad it was going to be more than just me with Mattie and Ki when the old folks got together to give Royce Merrill his sendoff. I no longer cared very much about what had happened to Sara and the Red-Tops, or even about what was haunting my house. What I wanted was to get through tomorrow, and for Mattie and Ki to get through tomorrow. Wed eat before the rain started and then let the predicted thunders torms come. I thought that, if we could ride them out, our lives and futures might clarify with the weather.Is that right? I asked. I expected no answer lecture out loud was a habit I had picked up since returning here but somewhere in the woods east of the house, an owl hooted. Just once, as if to say it was right, get through tomorrow and things will clarify. The hoot almost brought something else to mind, some association that was ultimately too gauzy to grasp. I seek once or twice, but the only thing I could come up with was the title of a wonderful old novel I Heard the Owl Call My Name.I rolled forrader off the float and into the water, grasping my knees against my chest like a kid doing a cannonball. I stayed under as long as I could, until the air in my lungs started to feel like some hot bottled liquid, and then I broke the surface. I trod water about thirty yards out until I had my breath back, then set my sights on the Green Lady and stroked for shore.I waded out, st arted up the railroad ties, then stopped and went back to The Street. I stood there for a moment, gathering my courage, then walked to where the birch curved her graceful breadbasket out over the water. I grasped that white curve as I had on Friday evening and looked into the water. I was sure Id see the child, his dead eyes looking up at me from his bloating brown face, and that my mouth and pharynx would once more fill with the taste of the lake help Im drown, lemme up, oh sweet Jesus lemme up. But there was nothing. No dead boy, no ribbon-wrapped Boston Post cane, no taste of the lake in my mouth.I turned and peered at the gray forehead of rock poking out of the mulch. I thought There, right there, but it was only a conscious and unspontaneous thought, the mind voicing a memory. The smell of decay and the certainty that something awful had happened right there was gone.When I got back up to the house and went for a soda, I discovered the front of the refrigerator was bare and c lean. Every magnetic letter, every fruit and vegetable, was gone. I never found them. I might have, probably would have, if there had been more time, but on that Monday morning time was almost up.I dressed, then called Mattie. We talked about the upcoming party, about how excited Ki was, about how nervous Mattie was about going back to work on Friday she was afraid that the locals would be mean to her, but in an odd, womanly way she was even more afraid that they would be mothy to her, snub her. We talked about the money, and I quickly ascertained that she didnt believe in the reality of it. Lance used to say his father was the kind of man whod show a piece of meat to a starving dog and then eat it himself, she said. But as long as I have my job back, I wont starve and neither will Ki.But if there really are big bucks . . . ?Oh, gimme-gimme-gimme, she said, laughing. What do you think I am, crazy?Nah. By the way, whats going on with Kis fridgeafator people? Are they writing any ne w stuff?That is the weirdest thing, she said. Theyre gone.The fridgeafator people?I dont know about them, but the magnetic letters you gave her sure are. When I asked Ki what she did with them, she started crying and said Allamagoosalum took them. She said he ate them in the middle of the night, while everyone was sleeping, for a snack.Allama-who-salum?Allamagoosalum, Mattie said, sounding wearily amused. Another little legacy from her grandfather. Its a corruption of the Micmac word for boogeyman or demon I looked it up at the library. Kyra had a good many nightmares about demons and wendigos and the allama-goosalum late last winter and this spring.What a sweet old grandad he was, I said sentimentally.Right, a real pip. She was miserable over losing the letters I however got her calmed down before her ride to VBS came. Ki wants to know if youll come to Final Exercises on Friday afternoon, by the way. She and her patron Billy Turgeon are going to flannelboard the story of baby M oses.I wouldnt miss it, I said . . . but of course I did. We all did.Any idea where her letters might have gone, Mike?No.Yours are still okay?Mine are fine, but of course mine dont spell anything, I said, looking at the empty door of my own fridgeafator. There was sweat on my forehead. I could feel it creeping down into my eyebrows like oil. Did you . . . I dont know . . . sense anything?You mean did I maybe hear the malevolent alphabet-thief as he slid through the window?You know what I mean.I suppose so. A violate I thought I heard something in the night, okay? About three this morning, actually. I got up and went into the hall. Nothing was there. But . . . you know how hot its been lately?Yes.Well, not in my trailer, not last night. It was cold as ice. I swear I could almost see my breath.I believed her. After all, I had seen mine.Were the letters on the front of the fridge then?I dont know. I didnt go up the hall far enough to see into the kitchen. I took one look around and then went back to bed. I almost ran back to bed. Sometimes bed feels safer, you know? She laughed nervously. Its a kid thing. Covers are boogeyman kryptonite. Only at first, when I got in . . . I dont know . . . I thought someone was in there already. Like someone had been hiding on the floor underneath and then . . . when I went to check the hall . . . they got in. Not a nice someone, either.Give me my dust-catcher, I thought, and shuddered.What? Mattie asked sharply. What did you say?I asked who did you think it was? What was the first name that came into your mind?Devore, she said. Him. But there was no one there. A pause. I wish youd been there.I do, too.Im glad. Mike, do you have any ideas at all about this? Because its very freaky.I think maybe . . . For a moment I was on the verge of telling her what had happened to my own letters. But if I started talking, where would it stop? And how much could she be expected to believe? . . . maybe Ki took the letters herself. Went wal king in her sleep and chucked them under the trailer or something. Do you think that could be?I think I like the idea of Kyra strolling around in her sleep even less than the idea of ghosts with cold breath taking the letters off the fridge, Mattie said.Take her to bed with you tonight, I said, and felt her thought come back like an arrow Id instead take you.What she said, after a brief pause, was Will you come by today?I dont think so, I said. She was noshing on flavored yogurt as we talked, eating it in little nipping bites. Youll see me tomorrow, though. At the party.I hope we get to eat before the thunderstorms. Theyre supposed to be bad.Im sure we will.And are you still thinking? I only ask because I dreamed of you when I finally fell sound asleep(predicate) again. I dreamed of you kissing me.Im still thinking, I said. Thinking hard.But in fact I dont remember thinking about anything very hard that day. What I remember is drifting notwithstanding and further into that zone I ve explained so badly. Near dusk I went for a long walk in spite of the heat all the way out to where Lane Forty-two joins the highway. Coming back I stopped on the edge of Tidwells Meadow, watching the light fade out of the sky and listening to thunder rumble somewhere over New Hampshire. Once more there was that sense of how thin reality was, not just here but everywhere how it was stretched like skin over the blood and tissue of a organic structure we can never know clearly in this life. I looked at trees and saw accouterments I looked at bushes and saw faces. Ghosts, Mattie had said. Ghosts with cold breath.Time was also thin, it seemed to me. Kyra and I had really been at the Fryeburg Fair some version of it, anyway we had really visited the year 1900. And at the foot of the meadow the Red-Tops were almost there now, as they once had been, in their neat little cabins. I could almost hear the sound of their guitars, the murmur of their voices and laughter I could almost see the gleam of their lanterns and smell their beef and pork frying. Say baby, do you remember me? one of her songs went, Well I aint your honey like I used to be.Something rattled in the underbrush to my left. I turned that way, expecting to see Sara step out of the woods wearing Matties dress and Matties white sneakers. In this gloom, they would seem almost to float by themselves, until she got close to me . . .There was no one there, of course, it had undoubtedly been nothing but Chuck the Woodchuck headed home after a hard day at the office, but I no longer wanted to be out here, watching as the light drained out of the day and the mist came up from the ground. I turned for home.Instead of going into the house when I got back, I made my way along the path to Jos studio, where I hadnt been since the night I had taken my IBM back in a dream. My way was lit by intermittent flashes of heat lightning.The studio was hot but not stale. I could smell a peppery aroma that was actually ple asant, and wondered if it might be some of Jos herbs. There was an air conditioner out here, and it worked I turned it on and then just stood in front of it a little while. So much cold air on my overheated body was probably unhealthy, but it felt wonderful.I didnt feel very wonderful otherwise, however. I looked around with a growing sense of something too heavy to be mere sadness it felt like despair. I think it was caused by the contrast between how little of Jo was left in Sara Laughs and how much of her was still out here. I imagined our marriage as a kind of playhouse and isnt that what marriage is, in large part? playing house? where only half the stuff was held down. Held down by little magnets or hide cables. Something had come along and picked up our playhouse by one corner easiest thing in the world, and I supposed I should be grateful that the something hadnt decided to draw back its foot and kick the poor thing all the way over. It just picked up that one corner, y ou see. My stuff stayed put, but all of Jos had slid . . .Out of the house and down here.Jo? I asked, and sat down in her chair. There was no answer. No thumps on the wall. No crows or owls calling from the woods. I put my hand on her desk, where the typewriter had been, and slipped my hand across it, pickax up a film of dust.I miss you, honey, I said, and began to cry.When the tears were over again I wiped my face with the tail of my tee-shirt like a little kid, then just looked around. There was the picture of Sara Tidwell on her desk and a photo I didnt remember on the wall this latter was old, sepia-tinted, and woodsy. Its focal point was a man-high birchwood cross in a little unclutter on a slope above the lake. That clearing was gone from the geography now, most likely, long since filled in by trees.I looked at her jars of herbs and pluck sections, her filing cabinets, her sections of afghan. The green rag rug on the floor. The pot of pencils on the desk, pencils she had touched and used. I held one of them poised over a blank sheet of paper for a moment or two, but nothing happened. I had a sense of life in this room, and a sense of being watched . . . but not a sense of being helped.I know some of it but not enough, I said. Of all the things I dont know, maybe the one that matters most is who wrote help her on the fridge. Was it you, Jo?No answer. I sat awhile longer hoping against hope, I suppose then got up, turned off the air conditioning, turned off the lights, and went back to the house, walking in soft bright stutters of unfocused lightning. I sat on the deck for a little while, watching the night. At some point I realized Id taken the space of blue silk ribbon out of my pocket and was winding it nervously back and forth between my fingers, making half-assed cats cradles. Had it really come from the year 1900? The idea seemed perfectly crazy and perfectly sane at the same time. The night hung hot and hushed. I imagined old folks all over the TR perhaps in Motton and Harlow, too laying out their funeral clothes for tomorrow. In the doublewide trailer on Wasp Hill Road, Ki was seance on the floor, watching a videotape of The Jungle Book Baloo and Mowgli were singing The Bare Necessities. Mattie was on the hurl with her feet up, reading the new Mary Higgins Clark and singing along. Both were wearing shorty pajamas, Kis pink, Matties white.After a little while I lost my sense of them it faded the way radio signals sometimes do late at night. I went into the north bedroom, undressed, and crawled onto the top sheet of my unmade bed. I fell asleep almost at once.I woke in the middle of the night with someone running a hot finger up and down the middle of my back. I rolled over and when the lightning flashed, I saw there was a woman in bed with me. It was Sara Tidwell. She was grinning. There were no pupils in her eyes. Oh sugar, Im almost back, she whispered in the dark. I had a sense of her reaching out for me again , but when the next flash of lightning came, that side of the bed was empty.

Plastic; significant effect on the environment

IntroductionFor those of us that argon pupils, it is non unusual to shit star or two repasts a twenty-four hours as take-outs. At tiffin clip, we may stop up pickings hot nutrient packed in a Styrofoam quoin with fictile cutter back to university. A continuance of this every twenty-four hours, john take to us make tonss of flexible trash which, at the clip may look convenient, alone the world is that this synthetic stuff leaves harmful imprints on the environment. Plastics are really durable merchandises that could potentially be intaked everywhere decennaries, and yet our chief usage of these stuffs are as single-use points that are disposed of at bottom proceedingss, where they ll prevail for centuries. This slipshod disposable attitude is a important job as plastic is a non-biodegradable substance and one of the major toxic pollutants of our clip.As plastics grow in volume undertaking its jobs means turn toing its sustainability and in eddy altering society s attitu des to eliminate this throwaway ( McDonough and Braungart, 2009 97 ) civilization that we ve adopted. The reply to humor alteration is non to still discontinue fictile use, but alternatively to look at disposable plastic as a premier illustration of our mundane disposable nature, which we feel demands to be addressed, if we are to hold a important consequence on the environment.This study sets out to sketch our environmental place with reckon to our enthusiasm and passion in the making of inciteional architecture. In the first subdivision of the study, we pull up stakes set forth how media and architecture conform to immaterial labor as understood by Michael Hardt, to bring forth sustainable affects. Second, we will show how climate alteration weed be approached from a pla shekelsary and local degree. Third, we will supply assorted illustrations of affectional architectural undertakings that work to assist out the community and the environment. And eventually, we will mean our ethical place as a combination of ecocentrism and technocentrism, a alteration which incorporates soft engineering, but to the highest degree significantly requires autonomy.Media Architecture as an AffectHow do we demand rid of the normalcy of street arab merchandises?We believe that to get down replying the above inquiry, we need to concentrate on our power to impact the universe around us, by both the design field and media field. As Baruch Spinoza explains, affects can be passions, determined by orthogonal causes or actions, determined by internal causes.1 We as interior decorators need to supply the external input signal to arouse much(prenominal) passions and at the same time, do a changeless attempt to transform these passions into sustainable actions.We have undergone a post-industrial displacement into a new economic paradigm which is based on supplying services and pull stringsing certifyation. The labor involved in this paradigm is one that consequences in non -material safe(p)s, hence merchandises can non be touched and are non visible, as outlined by Michael Hardt. Hardt subsequently goes on to specify this as immaterial labor ( 1999 95 ) . The media today embodies trends found in immaterial labor, where images attract affectional battles that expunge in line with capatalist productive schemes ( Wissinger, 2007 250 ) .Cultural production has begun to transport out atomic number 19washing methods, utilizing the merchandises of immaterial labor to benefit and gain from new investings in green engineering. This state of affairs has formed a sustainable civilization, which to a great extent features the corporate sector and their ecobranding attempts. The productive force of sustainability civilization comes from how it generates economic value, as McDonough and Braungart assert. Corporations such as Beyond Petroleum, BP ( once British Petroleum ) 2 exploit sustainability civilization to aim a wider market, at the same time advancing a new sustainable corporate image ( approach pattern 1 ) . They employ immaterial labor techniques to bring forth affects in the lifting popularity of socially responsible ingestion, in order to maximise their profits.3How if used in a non-profitable manner can cultural production be affectional?If we look at cultural production from a sustainable position, it is clear that culture non merely promotes societal consciousness of environmental issues as a pattern it has the power to anyway set sustainable life to work ( Parr, 2009 5 ) . We feel that if used to show existent principles of equality, stewardship, compassion, reclamation and nutriment ( Parr, 2009 5 ) , so it can assist to organize the foundations of a healthy community.Michael Hardt develops the thought of immaterial labor finished his treatment of its three specific inclinations, which are, the informatization of production ( via cybernation ) ,4 the addition of emblemic -analytical services ( problem-solving an d everyday symbol use ) ,5 and affectional labor, which requires practical or existent human contact and propinquity, for the creative activity and use of affects.6 Sustainable media schemes can emerge, specifically from the latter. Imagery can work to excite involvement and attending by determining the populaces perceptual experience of the importance of clime alteration ( Figure 2 ) . By making this, affectional images are produced, that melody into a felt sense of consciousness, duty or attainability. This in bend arouses people s affectional energy, which leads to immediate and decisive action. A displacement in media s on the job(p) from selling merchandises to pull stringsing affect ( Clough, forthcoming ) can be exploited to provide and modulate affect for productive sustainable consequences.Progresss in engineering can rush up the bringing and increase the viewing frequence of affectional media images, ensuing in dramatic and profitable image barrage. Images can be access ed via telecastings, contract screens, phones, iPods and computing machines, organizing a digital kingdom of affectional exposure.Can this affectional exposure be applied physically?Architecture, edifices and infinite already actively employ similar constructs through physical dimensions, every bit good as confirming Hardt s description of immaterial labor in several ways. Architecture itself is a medium. It non merely conveys, procedures and saves world and its significance, but besides produces it. We can look at architecture as media, symbols and incarnations of uncommon thoughts and values that affect our head and bodily experience of an environment. Our environment shapes the manner we think and behave, what we learn, and how we learn it. Therefore, David Orr asserts architectural design is inescapably a sort of illuminate pedagogy7 that instructs in powerful but elusive ways ( Orr, 2002 137 ) . The reply to the above inquiry is hence yes. We feel that architecture has an affectional duty to promote and inform the populace of sustainable behavior and life. For such reinforced environments to efficaciously crystallise a sustainable training method, they must both embody sustainable ideals and incorporate the manners of teaching.8 As a consequence, these environments need to be designed with consideration to the operation of the edifice after it has served the terminal uses of its residents. The inclusion of the person into the operation of the construct environment enables a individuals larning ability to develop. Erik Bonnett and Victor Olgyay indicate that rather than larning active external systems or relationships, residents lead astray larning about themselves, their behavioral inclinations, and their relationships to the societal and biological universe ( 2009 4 ) .One illustration of a reinforced environment that acts as a medium in presenting affect is the IslandWood School, Washington, which teaches and influences sustainable behaviors chiefly through physical and cultural stimulation ( Figure 3 ) . These stimulations involve legion sustainability schemes runing from daylighting and natural airing to composting lavatories and photovoltaic arrays. more schemes are highlighted and explained with signage. It is the integrating of sustainability schemes into a comprehensive acquisition environment, located within the temperate rain forest, that has the approximately affect, greatly impacting occupant acquisition. At IslandWood, lessons in ecology or the relationship of worlds to the natural environment may affect activities in the nursery or life machine, which figure 4 high spots.Architecture has been and can be used deliberately and accidentally to act upon human behavior, in a similar rule to the manner that media manipulates affect. Therefore, affectional design can non merely offer the chance to utilize infinites, edifices and metropoliss to learn lessons about sustainability, but besides through altering soci eties attitudes, eradicate, this adopted throwaway civilization ( McDonough and Braungart, 2009 97 ) . We feel that the process of the designer has to alter and accommodate, to see both socio-political and environmental issues in accomplishing a greater power to impact, taking to a greater power to move.NotesSee Spinoza, 1985.Until 2004, BP was called British Petroleum. Today, the elephantine energy company continues to take most of its net incomes from oil. BP says that it is puting $ 1.5bn ( & A lb 980,000 ) a twelvemonth in alternate energy . This may be true, but it turns out that BP s alternate energy division includes non merely weave and solar and biofuels but besides natural gas-fired power Stationss. Natural gas may be less fouling than coal and oil, but at the terminal of the twenty-four hours it s a fossil fuel make fulling the ambiance with CO2.See Parr, 2009.See Castells, 1996.See Reich, 1992.See Hardt, 1999.Orr coined the term crystallised teaching method to de pict the ability of the reinforced environment, such as green edifices, to capture an educational course of study in the design of a physical environment. For illustration, at the Adam Joseph Lewis Centre for environmental Studies at Oberlin College, pupils are able to detect and take part as effluent from their campus edifice is purified by populating machinery incorporated into the edifice design.See Bonnett and Olgyay, 2009.Figure NotesFigure 1 In 1999, now departed main executive Lord Browne, ( who was applauded for his green certificates ) pulled BP out of its engagement with developing Canadian pitch sands an energy-intensive procedure with a C stride several times that of conventional oil. Last twelvemonth, BP bought its manner back into Canadian pitch littorals.Figure 2 This dazzling media run for WWF, inspires us to acquire rid of our apathy towards issues like planetary heating and clime alteration. These images award how people, who are in an exigency mission, blow th eir clip, disregarding the earnestness of the mission. But, the run is non targeted at any mirthful group, it aims at all of us, it aims at our insensitive attitude. This is an illustration of an affectional manner to incite affect and passions within society.Figure 3 The IslandWood School is a learning environment crafted to ease larning through presentation, experience, and engagement.Figure 4 During a lesson, a kid experiences a bird s position on the wood s canopy man inside a tree house.