Activity 5.1.2 Article Organizer Essays - Health, Medicine

Activity 5.1.2 Article Organizer News Article Summary of Health Issue Public Health Response Innovative Ideas Local http://www.indystar.com/story/news/ 2015/06/17/indiana-hi v-long-term-public-health-challenge/28890395/ The recent peaking of HIV in Scott County has led to preventative measures in order to stop a recurrence from occurring in the future. There has been some outrage at the fact that the government is dispensing clean needles to aid those who plan to pursue drug use. The State department of health has sent report cards to every county public health department, asking them to detail their rates of HIV, hepatitis C, and drug overdoses. Needle exchange program to protect drug users. National https://newrepublic.com/article/ 117691/aids-hit-united-states-harder-other-developed-countries-why The HIV/AIDS virus is having a far higher impact on the United States when compared to similar countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom. The public isn't reacting much and primary the at risk populations will continue to be at risk. The primary reason for increased effects in the United States is the high clustering of at risk populations. At risk populations are clustered very closely together. This leads to a higher rate of spreading as they are more likely to interact. Global http://www.huffingtonpo st.com/jacquelyn-corley/th e-global-health-care-cr_b_10074262.html A major issue facing the world now is not a virus, but rather the lack of proper access to surgery or medical treatment. 18.6 million people die every year due to a lack of surgical care. The public needs to act on this information and many physicians are by offering pro bono services. More than one third of the world's global burden of disease can be corrected with access to surgical care.

Three Tips to Six-Figure Freelancing Today

Three Tips to Six-Figure Freelancing Today They’re all over the Internet articles with titles blazing YOU CAN MAKE SIX FIGURES FREELANCING, JUST SIT AT HOME IN YOUR PJ’S! Most people, to be frank, hate their jobs. According to a 2012 survey I started freelance writing in 2002, back in the â€Å"good old days,† before the housing bubble bust, the collapse of Goldman Sachs, and the mainstreaming of food stamps. I sit at home in jeans instead of pajamas, but in the last ten years, I’ve managed to earn six figures for at least three of those years. My articles have appeared in everything from Women’s eNews to The Writer, and I occasionally write for businesses and nonprofits (yes, more money!) This article will show you three ways you can start earning six figures today. Tip #1: Set a goal of 30 queries in 30 days This first tip isn’t actually my idea. I gleaned it from my writing colleague, Indian freelance journalist Mridu Khullar Relph. Recently, Relph made a challenge to her fellow freelancers: jot down a list of your â€Å"dream† markets, such as National Geographic and The New Yorker. Go online, find the contact info of the appropriate editors, and write a query for each of the 30 markets you want to be published in. Send out a query every day in the month of May. I would add that, if you want to approach six figures quicker, make sure that each market pays $1 per word and up. If fifteen magazines and newspapers accept your queries, and you write fifteen 500-word articles at $1 per word, you’ll make $7500 in the month of May. How nice is that? Tip #2: Learn how to over-research When I first started to write articles, I interviewed sources, wrote about their experiences or expertise, and got my pieces published without a thought about re-slanting. Now I realize that over-researching, or gathering more information than you need for one article, is at the heart of a successful freelance career. It certainly makes future queries look more professional. When you add quotes or anecdotes from prior research into your pitches, editors know that you’re familiar with your topic, and won’t go AWOL when the article’s at deadline. Over-researching also makes writing articles easier. You have information from other pieces, and you spend less time in the library and interviewing, and more time writing. You get paid for words not for surfing the Web trying to find stats.      Tip #3: Write the article that the editor MUST have Think six months ahead. What’s the holiday that your potential market covers? Pitch an idea about that holiday an unusual idea. Just as specialist physicians, to paraphrase the comic Milton Berle, have small practices and big houses, focusing on a seasonal topic can unlock monetary doors. For example, if you want to pitch Christmas articles to a parenting magazine, first brainstorm ideas refusing to censor yourself. Sometimes, even the most bizarre ideas become published articles. It’s not about what you think is the right idea, it’s about what the editor must have in her particular edition. If you consistently give the editor what she must have, you’re on your way to a hefty income. Even in this era of high unemployment and job dissatisfaction, people continue to enter their home offices, and make six figures doing what they love. I’m one of them. Are you ready to realize your potential? Oftentimes, it’s as simple as logging on in your pj’s.

Business plan for mobile convenience store Coursework

Business plan for mobile convenience store - Coursework Example However, due to its projected expansive nature, the business will cover regions such as Al Falah, Al Shamkha and Yas. The business will be expected to expand outside Abu Dhabi Emirate in future catering to embrace domestic customers. Mobile Baqala is a convenient retail store that provides merchandising business to retailers at convenience location without been required to go for long distances to find physical markets for goods and services that they need. The business is mainly designed to stock a variety of consumable items such as soft drinks eggs and milk amongst other products that are used by customers on a daily basis. It has been pointed out that most families experience difficulties in accessing basic commodities especially in areas such as Al shamka thus the need for such kind of a business. Apparently, majority of societal members have had problems in making their daily purchases of consumable items especially around Al Falah, Al Shamkha and Yas. As such, the population has agreed that such areas are of high suitability for the store and more perfect to stock a variety of both local and imported produce. Mobile Bagala is meant to operate as mobile store within the United Arab Emirates and some parts of Abu Dhabi as a grocery revolutionary storey that moves like a mobile unit in different locations. The business is planned to be unique in nature with effective and efficient design serving both local population and visitors. Having embraced a strategy to serve customers around the clock, the business is projected to achieve its objective as the future leading grocer in the United Arab Emirates serving the Arab population with a consistent supply of daily consumables. Besides, the business is designed with an initiative that would ensure consistency in supply of products to customers while creating job openings around its trading zones. Having engaged the

Friedrich Nietzsche Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Friedrich Nietzsche - Research Paper Example While German Expressionism was expressed in a wide variety of artistic formats, today it is most recognized for its appearance within film. This essay considers the historical background of German Expressionism and also analyzes it for its deeper meaning within German Expressionist films, arguing that German Expression demonstrated a nihilistic concern with industrialization and modernization. Background While Expressionism was an art movement that had become popular in Europe during the early part of the 20th century, in Germany it took on a particularly unique approach. While this is because of a variety of reasons, one of the primary reasons is because the German filmmakers did not have the financial backing Hollywood films had so they began developing their own unique style. In considering German Expressionism, it’s clear there are a number of thematic elements that exist. In these regards, it’s been noted that frequent German Expressionist themes involve insanity, betrayal, and intellectual topics. It is perhaps for this last reason that the art movement remains so prevalent a concern within University environments. While German Expressionism was confined to a set period within German art history, its influence has been extended well beyond this early 20th century period. With Nazi’s taking power in Germany, making German Expressionist filmmakers migrated to the United States and influenced filmmaking. Slowly German Expressionist techniques took hold in American cinema and developed into film noir. Today noir remains a prominent element in Hollywood cinema. In addition, to film, it’s also been argued that German Expressionism emerged in architecture. In these regards, it’s argued that the sharp angles and contrasts of film also articulated into architecture. Indeed, German Expressionism seems to equally represent these concerns. From the opening credits it’s easy to see how American critiques could have confused Th e Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) as cubist. The slanted and oblique patterns with the actors and directors names placed on top of them seem to represent a multitude of perspectives. Analysis While it’s been noted that German Expressionism largely developed as a response to Hollywood films, one must also consider it in relation to the meaning behind the artistic style. In these regards, many researchers argue that parallels between the German Expressionism and deep German nihilistic anxiety with industrialization are evident (Elsasesser, 2004, p. 72). In one of the most famous German Expressionist films, the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari this is highly evident. The film begins with an iris-in of Francis in the asylum. One notes that the concern with insanity is a major theme of German Expressionism. It is also oddly appropriate as with the darkness closing in the iris seems to represent a telescopic view of his troubled soul. In fact, the film makes use of editing to cut to the deep focus set-up that features Jane walking toward the camera and then back to the dark and troubling iris surrounding Francis. We initially find Caligari registering his somnambulist for the carnival. He seems somewhat out-of-place in the well-lit setting and the mise-en-scene. even positions him well-below the registrar, almost as if the registrar represents the established governmental authority that Caligari is attempting to replace. The

An Analysis of Space and Place in Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

An Analysis of Space and Place in Cinema - Essay Example The essay "An Analysis of Space and Place in Cinema" presents an overview of film space and place definitions considering their role in the aesthetic perfection of a film. Space and place in cinema is a topic worth on the go discussion. Film space is not a topic that can be glanced at untailored. Space in cinema is determined by the director, who is the first viewer when the angles which are not relevant for creating the space are screened out by him. Film space is a term that can be interpreted in various perspectives. In a film, space is used in a set design that is both literal and metaphorical. As an extension to this particular point, it can be stated that when conceptions of space are re-orientated it is not simply within a particular scene, but its significance is extended through the entire film. More specifically, an object on the wall shown in the first scene may not be brought into the film again; in spite of this, its significance stays behind. Actor’s body in space is the next level of significance. This idea can be expanded, the actor’s dimensions and negotiations of space and filmmaker’s skill to represent a movement through space. The concept space can be comprehended only by moving through spaces. In such an outlook the acting body is recognized as the site of transference between the viewer and the actual site of the film. Apart from this, the manipulation and creation of the space are by the camera eye. And in cinema, dissimilar pieces are put into place.

A Biography of Carl Jung

A Biography of Carl Jung Carl Jung: A biography â€Å"We live in an age that is trying to find its soul.† Golden words by the man who lived exactly to do that – Finding The Soul. He lived to find the soul of the individual, to find the collective soul of the community and to spread his knowledge of the same through younger generations. He had arrive on-the-bloc when understanding the mind was a scientific Everest that every known and unknown psychoanalyst was trying conquer, and brought along some theories that revolutionized the way things were perceived. So much so that the reigning king of psychiatry, Sigmund Freud called him his successor! This is a brief history of the life and times of the revered psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung, his bittersweet relationship with his mentor, his torrid extra-marital affairs and his humble, yet disturbed beginnings. It is a story of how his theories transformed the field of psychotherapy and gave us concepts that are applicable and functional even in today’s modern world of psychoanalysis†¦ Of ‘Unstable’ Beginnings†¦ Paul Achilles Jung, a poor pastor from Thurgau, Switzerland, was married to the daughter of his rich Hebrew professor, Emilie Preiswerk. Paul and his wife Emilie had a total of four children, but the first three did not survive. The fourth child, however, was born healthy and passed the test of time and survival. This young boy, born on the 26th of July 1875, was Carl Gustav Jung. Soon after his birth, his father was shifted to a rather plush parish in the area of Laufen, Switzerland where Carl would come to spend most of his early childhood. His father was a rather towering influence on young Carl’s psyche. As his mother was considered to be a highly eccentric woman who remained confined to her bedroom most of the times and claimed to have spiritual presence around her, he ended up spending most of the time in the protective eyes and supervision of his father. His mother would be depressed and under self-imposed lock-up and would talk to these so-called ‘spirits’ during the nights. As a result of her eccentricities, Carl’s parents always had a strenuous and dysfunctional relationship. While his mother was mostly under self-imposed confinement and sometimes at medical facilities for various unknown physical ailments, his father sometimes tried to move to stay closer to her and sometimes gave up on her altogether. One of the earliest memories of himself that he could remember was seeing a luminous figure with a detached head emerging from his mother’s bedroom at night. For a boy of his age, Carl was always very peculiar, in his mannerism and conduct. Even in school, he had developed two distinct personalities within his head. He termed them ‘Personality 1’ – the normal school-going boy who lived in the same era, and ‘Personality 2’ – a menacing dictator belonging to the past. He believed his mother, just like himself, also dealt with multiple personalities in her head, and thus spoke of these spirits that visited her. Another peculiar incident from his childhood was the fact that he carved a mannequin in his wooden measure-scale and used to take secret messages to it, in a language that he had created himself (almost like a form of voodoo/idol worship). An interesting anecdote from his childhood gives us a peek into his analytical and psychological side. In 1887, at the age of 12, Carl got into a school fight, and in doing so, got pushed to the ground with such a force that he fainted on the spot. This incident had a distinct psychological imprint on his mind and he assumed that he would never have to go to school thenceforth, or he would faint. He remained home for the next 6 months under this assumption. But when he was made to go back to school for academic purposes, he started fainting every time he walked onto the campus! Carl Jung showed a psychoanalytical inclination since a very early stage. Coupled with his mother’s personality and his father’s overbearing influence, he got enough to latch on to in his childhood, for him to take it up as a profession as an adult. Too ‘Jung’ For Psychology†¦? After finishing school, Carl was in somewhat of a dilemma as to what to pursue in college. He had a strong spiritual upbringing on account of his pastor father, and he was also equally interested in biology. He went to the University of Basel in 1895 (age 20), and wasn’t so keen on pursuing Psychology or Psychiatry, as they were considered to be very prestigious subjects at the time, that not a lot of students considered. Slowly, with passing time, he came to realize that concepts of the psychoanalytical syllabus beautifully combined the regimes and teachings of biology of the human body with spirituality (inner processes) of the human mind. This interested him no end and proved to be just the answer to his dilemma. He was studying medicine at the university around this time. At the young age of 25 in the year 1900, Jung had successful graduated from the university and acquired a prestigious job at the psychiatric hospital of Burgholzli in Zurich. It was during this time, when he was working with another remarkable psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler (who coined terms like ‘Schizophrenia’ and ‘Autism’), that Jung became familiar with the widely revered Sigmund Freud and his work on the ‘Unconscious’ mind through his book, ‘The Interpretation Of Dreams’. While working at the hospital, Jung published his own doctoral dissertation paper, titled ‘On The Psychology Pathology Of The So-Called Occult Phenomenon’ in the year 1903 (Age 28). He also married Emma Rauschenbach in the same year (1903), and went on to have five children with her – Agatha, Gret, Franz, Marianne and Helene. The marriage lasted until Emma’s death in the year 1955; but throughout the marriage, Carl is believed to have engaged in several extra-marital affairs. In the year 1906 (age 31), Carl published the book called ‘Studies in Word Association’, a copy of which, was sent by him to Sigmund Freud. Freud and Jung: Friendship and Friction By 1906, Freud was stepping down from his Psychoanalytical throne, and was so taken by the concepts introduced by Jung in his book, that he referred to him as his ‘eldest son, successor and crown prince’. After reading Jung’s ‘Studies In Word Association’, Freud arranged for a meeting with him. It was a discussion that would lay the founding stones for a long-lasting friendship. It is believed that Jung and Freud sat together for nearly 13 hours and discussed the concepts of new-age psychology at-length. There was merely any contact between the two of them for the next six months. Freud’s theory of the ‘Unconscious mind’ had been subjected to commendation and condemnation at the same time, and he needed a young and emerging psychoanalyst to back him up. This is when he sent a bunch of his published papers and essays to Carl Jung, who was only too eager to lap it up and support it. His association with Sigmund Freud helped Jung’s career as a psychologist a great deal! By 1908 (age 33) he became the Editor of the newly founded yearbook for psychoanalytical and psychopathological research. Two years later, in 1910 (age 35), he was bestowed with the prestigious Chairmanship of the International Psychoanalytical Association, all in lieu of Freud’s recommendation. After a great friendship of 5-6 years, tensions started brewing between the two, mainly over the concept of ‘unconscious’ and its contribution to a person’s ‘Personality’. While Freud credited the unconscious with the complete responsibility of forming ones personality, Jung wanted to believe that it is indeed vastly responsible but cannot be solely credited. Around the same time, 1911-1912, when Jung was working on his book, ‘Psychology of the Unconscious’, Freud visited his friend and colleague, Ludwig Binswanger in Kreuzlingen (Switzerland), but completely avoided meeting him in the neaby Zurich. He called this incident the ‘Kreuzlingen Gesture’. The equation kept souring over the period of time and the friendship had reached its inevitable end. Jung and Freud met for the last time in September 1913 (age 38), at the International Psychoanalytical Congress, where his lecture about the concepts of distinct personality types – ‘Introverts’ and ‘Extroverts’, would set him apart from Freud’s works for the better part of the next century. The split from Freud left a metaphoric scar on Jung. He was traumatized at having lost a near and dear friend and supporter. He started experiencing a â€Å"horrible confrontation with the unconscious†. He started seeing things and hearing voices, and became so frantic with these new phenomena, that he started recording his hallucinations in a leather-bound red book. Jung was to become a public figure right at the onset of the First World War. Even though he was suffering a great deal after his split from Freud, his contributions to psychoanalysis were to take the world by storm†¦ Jung: Works, Views and Wisdom†¦ Like all masterminds and visionaries of the early 20th century, Carl Jung also faced the World Wars and had his share of battleground experience. Right after his split from Freud, at a mentally vulnerable stage, he joined the Swiss Army in the capacity of a doctor and served in World War I. His differences with the great Sigmund Freud had, in a way, forced him into a shell, and he started keeping a low profile throughout the 1920s (in his 40s), and only made public appearances for one-off lectures in foreign lands. His works were made famous outside of Switzerland through colleague and translator Constance Long, who also motivated him to give lectures in USA, England and other foreign locales. Contrary to his personal life, Jung’s works were keeping anything but a ‘low profile’. They had caused a revolution-of-sorts and proved to be an equal and opposite theory for Freud’s archaic methods of psychoanalysis and psychiatry†¦ His concepts of ‘Introversion’ and ‘Extroversion’ spread like wildfire and gained popularity. These concepts are followed by psychoanalysts till date. The main reason for the differences in opinion between him and Freud was the fact that he believed Freud’s definition of ‘Unconscious’ was inadequate and unnecessarily negative. While Freud believed that the unconscious is only a repository of suppressed memories and wants and needs, Jung argued that unconscious was actually divided in 2 parts – ‘Personal Unconscious’ and ‘Collective Unconscious’. The personal unconscious was responsible for suppressed desires of the individual, whereas the collective unconscious was a far deeper repository dealing with the suppressed emotions of a community. He tried to explain that people, as a group, share a form of unconscious mind, and that it was the explanation for phenomena like Telepathy. He also introduced the concept of ‘Individuation’ in which, personal and collective unconscious were brought into existence through dreams, active imaginations or free associations. He believed that a person who has advanced towards the ‘Individuation’ process is more mature, harmonious and responsible. Jung’s concept of ‘Persona’ was also popular amongst the psychoanalysts of the time. He defined ‘Persona’ to be a mask of sorts; a consciously put-on personality, created out of the collective psyche through socialization, cultural influences and experience. He believed that a psychoanalyst should try to initiate the ‘Individuation’ process by liberating the patient from the deceptive cover of this ‘Persona’. Carl Jung’s political views were caught in crossfire more than once. Throughout the 1930s (when he was in his 50s), and specifically during the second World War, he had famously maintained contact with some of his Jewish colleagues, and, at the same time voiced his sympathies for some German psychoanalyst who were Nazi-supporters. Jung was sorely disappointed when, Zentralblatt Fur Psychotherapie, under his editorship, published some pro-Nazi statements, and he was held personally liable and responsible for these sentiments. He made various attempts to clear his stand on the Anti-Semitism movement, but his teachings and writing were increasingly misconstrued to be pro-Nazi. Finally, to battle these allegations, he issued a statement against Hitler, stating: â€Å"Germany is infested by one man who is obviously possessed.† Carl Jung was of an extremely individualistic opinion when it came to politics. He believed that an individual should be allowed to make his own choices, and that a ‘State’ had taken the place of God, and was suitably run only by the people who knew how to manipulate it. Towards the end of his life, Jung had become an extremely spiritual man, and his beliefs and theories had also begun to be cast in a spiritual mould. He travelled to Kenya to discover the ‘primitive psychology’ of tribes that had been culturally isolated. Later, in the year 1937 (age 62), he delivered the famous Terry lectures in USA and England on the topic, ‘Psychology and Religion’. In the same year, he travelled to India to understand the concepts of religion and spirituality as they were seen in these parts. He admitted that his Indian expedition was far more successful than his tribal trips to Kenya, as language barrier wasn’t a difficulty in India. Although, he admitted that the concepts of ‘Atmaa’ or ‘Self’ and inner insights into these were lost on him. It was during this spiritual phase, that Jung contributed to the formation of the ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’. Even though the contribution wasn’t direct, he is credit with some applaud to have set the ball rolling. He had once advised one of his American patients who was suffering from incurable alcoholism, to seek a spiritual experience to get rid of his problem. The solution worked and the American came back home and told about this to his fellow alcoholics. Word spread and Bill Wilson, the founder of ‘AA’ adopted this theory for his 12-step program†¦ Jung: The Man, The Mind and The Mystery†¦ As he grew into the revered psychoanalyst and psychiatrist that we know of today, Jung started looking back and self-assessing his life and came up with some remarkable explanations for the relationships he had had. He explained that his parents’ relationship had a great effect on his mind, and it was during this time, that he began to see women as ‘unreliable’ and ‘unstable’, given his mother’s condition. He admitted that it was probably around this time in his life that he became a patriarch and that it was the ‘handicap he started out with’†¦ It was probably because of this ‘handicap’ that he never had a smooth relationship with his wife. He was famously involved with Sabina Spielrein and Toni Wolff, two of the earliest female psychoanalysts. He, however, never sought a divorce and saw his marriage through, until his wife expired in 1955 when he was 80. Not much is known about his 5 children either. His wife, his affairs, his children and Sigmund Freud were inseparable parts of his existence, and mostly contributed to the overall shaping of his personality. The leather-bound red book that he recorded his post-Freud hallucinations in was recently published for public consumption. Another source for understanding his relationship with Freud is the critically acclaimed 2011 Hollywood film ‘A Dangerous Method’, which is primarily based on Freud, Jung and Sabina Speilrein. It is believed that towards the end of his life, Jung had a series of visions, or dreams so-to-say, where he envisioned himself advancing towards a tower of light at the end of a lake! Surprisingly, soon after these mysterious premonitions, he suffered a short illness and passed away on Jun 6, 1961, at the age of 86. Jung was a man of science and spirituality, and in his doings throughout his life, he tried to put together an explanation for the true meaning of life. Much to his success and the passing down of his concepts, we now follow a large portion of his teachings, theories and discoveries and he is still revered as the master of modern psychology over Freud†¦

We Must Stop Overpopulation and Pollution of Our Environment Essay

We Must Stop Overpopulation and Pollution of Our Environment Once we humans hit on the idea of agriculture about 10,000 years ago, we had a means for exponentially increasing our population. Even as mere 2-legged, wingless creatures, humans could expand to cover the world, and pull from the earth nutrients to support this massive layer of people. The population increase has continued, and there are disagreements as to if and when the increase will end. The number of people on this earth is the indirect problem; more directly, the problem is that 6.3 billion people need a lot of food to survive, and the earth can only support so much. The industrial character of our societies on this earth means that our existence is give and take: we take minerals from the soil and from the depths of the earth, and trees and water from the surface, and we give back all sorts of wastes. Whether or not our enormous population is actually overpopulation, and thus a problem, is debated. Some theories predict futures of doom, in which our population is finally stabilized by widespread death, while others believe that our population will stabilize before the situation is anywhere near that morbid. (Southwick; Dolan) Whatever the population will do in the future, the fact remains that the amount of people we have on the earth now have a tremendous impact on the environment, in terms of both human actions and the space that humans take up. (Southwick) Furthermore, a large amount of people creates a demand for a large amount of energy and products, and the methods we use to fulfill the demands heavily impact the environment as well. While some of the problems of industrialization have been widely noticed and some have been solved, many remain unrec... ... Back to the earth I screamed and no one listened to me Back to the earth I lived and they all followed Come and see my world -Rusted Root, "Back to the Earth" Sources Dolan, Edwin G., Ch. 5 from "TANSTAAFL: The Economic Strategy for Environmental Crisis" 1974, pp. 55-72. Fahey, D. W., Ravishankara, A. R. "ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE:Enhanced: Summer in the Stratosphere" Science, 1999, vol. 285, pp. 208-210. Hansen, J., Ruedy, R., Sato, M., Lo, K., "Global Warming Continues" Science 2002, vol. 295, p. 275 Kerr, Richard, "A Brighter Look for Good Ozone" Science, 2002, vol. 297, pp. 1623-1624. Southwick, Charles H., Ch. 15 from "Global Ecology in Human Perspective" Oxford Univ. Press, 1996, pp. 159-182. text of Kyoto Protocol found at http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.html; date found at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/kyoto/kyotorpt.html

Succubus Revealed Chapter 4

â€Å"But I don't know what it is I'm doing!† I cried. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"I've told you all I can for now,† said Carter, that sadness returning. â€Å"The most I can do now is buy you a drink.† I shook my head. â€Å"I don't think there's enough whiskey in the world.† â€Å"There isn't,† he said bleakly. â€Å"There isn't.† Despite Carter's pessimism, I still tried calling Hugh to see if he knew anything. He didn't, but his incredulity was so similar to mine that I took some comfort in it. â€Å"What? That's ridiculous,† he told me. â€Å"It was a mistake. It has to be.† â€Å"Will you try to get ahold of Jerome for me?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, I'll keep trying too, but maybe if we're both calling, he'll eventually notice the phone.† Even though it was still early for the demon, I also had this strange feeling that he could very well be avoiding my calls if something was afoot. Hugh might sneak in where I couldn't. I was fast approaching the time when I was supposed to meet Seth at the twins' school. I had wanted to run home and try talking to Roman about my potential transfer, but it didn't seem as important now, not until I had the story confirmed or denied by Jerome. So, after a few more errands that seemed hopelessly mundane compared to the greater supernatural workings of the universe, I drove up to Lake Forest Park and arrived at the school just as Seth did. Ian got out of the car too, and Seth flashed me a quick look that said he wasn't thrilled about having brotherly company. Ian was wearing the jacket Seth had mentioned, a brown wool peacoat that fit him well enough to be tailored and had strategically placed patches meant to give it a vintage appearance. Ian completed the look with a carefully knotted striped scarf and fedora. He also had on glasses, which I'd seen no sign of at Seth's. â€Å"I didn't know you wore glasses,† I told him. He sighed. â€Å"They go with the scarf.† Seth was carrying two huge containers of white-frosted cupcakes that were liberally and sloppily dusted with green and red sparkles. I took one batch from him and walked inside with the brothers, where we signed in and were given directions to the classroom. â€Å"Looks like you were productive,† I said with a smile. â€Å"No thanks to Mom,† Seth replied fondly. â€Å"It took her forever to leave. She kept offering to help and double-check my work, make sure the oven was set and all that. It was a boxed mix. There wasn't that much I could mess up.† Ian muttered something about preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. The classroom was pleasant, organized chaos. Other parents and family friends were there to help with the party, distributing food and running games. The twins ran up to the three of us with quick, fierce hugs before scurrying off to play with their friends. I didn't see Morgan and McKenna outside of the family very often, so it was neat to watch them so active and outgoing with their peers. They charmed their friends as much as they charmed me, and it was clear the two girls were leaders of sorts. Tiny, adorable blond leaders. The knot I'd carried inside me since getting the HR memo began to soften as I allowed myself the small joy of observing them. Seth slipped an arm around me, following my gaze as we maintained our post near the food table. He nodded toward where Ian was trying to pitch his own cupcakes – organic, vegan, gluten-free creations from a local bakery – to some of the twins' classmates. To be fair, the cupcakes were beautiful. They were vanilla, topped with elaborately swirled chocolate icing that was in turn adorned with perfect white frosting flowers. They made Seth's cupcakes look like something the girls might have made, but I knew better than to be fooled. When you made cupcakes without most of the ingredients found in traditional baked goods, the truth came out in the taste. Pretty or not, Ian wasn't doing so good a job moving them. â€Å"These are so much better for you than all this other junk food,† Ian was telling a wide-eyed boy named Kayden. Despite the fact we'd been inside the warm classroom for almost an hour, Ian was still completely clad in his scarf and wool coat ensemble. â€Å"They're made with brown rice flour and garbanzo bean flour and sweetened with maple syrup – none of that processed white sugar crap.† Kayden's eyes grew impossibly bigger. â€Å"Those have beans and rice in them?† Ian faltered. â€Å"Well, yes . . . but, no, I mean. It's flour derived from those ingredients in a way that's totally fair trade and nutritious. Plus, I picked a brown and white color scheme, not only to save you from artificial dyes but also to show respect for all holidays and tradition, rather than giving into the mainstream domination of the Judeo-Christian machine.† Without another word, Kayden grabbed a red-frosted snowman cookie from the snack table and wandered off. Ian gave us a long-suffering look. â€Å"I fear for today's youth. At least we can take the leftovers back to Terry's.† â€Å"We'd better,† said Seth. â€Å"Those cost me a small fortune.† â€Å"You mean they cost me a small fortune,† said Ian. â€Å"They're my contribution.† â€Å"I paid for them!† â€Å"It was just a loan,† said Ian imperiously. â€Å"I'll pay you back.† The party didn't last too much longer – seven-year-olds didn't need to slam drinks for hours like my friends did – but I still kept checking my phone whenever Seth wasn't watching. I had it set to vibrate in my pocket but was afraid I would miss Jerome's call. But no matter how many times I looked, the phone's display remained the same. No incoming calls or texts. With things winding down, McKenna made her way back to me and wrapped herself around my leg. â€Å"Georgina, are you going to come to our house tonight? Grammy's cooking. We're going to have lasagna.† â€Å"And cupcakes,† piped in Ian, carefully packing up his goods. By my estimation, he'd given away exactly one cupcake, and that was to a boy who'd taken it on a dare from his friends. I lifted McKenna up, surprised at how big she was getting. The years didn't alter my immortal friends or me, but mortals changed by leaps and bounds in such short time periods. She wrapped her arms around me, and I pressed a kiss into her blond curls. â€Å"I wish I could, baby. But I have to work tonight.† â€Å"Are you still helping Santa?† she asked. â€Å"Yes,† I said solemnly. â€Å"And it's very important work. I can't miss it.† Without me, there was no telling how sober Santa would stay. McKenna sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder. â€Å"Maybe you'll come over when you're done.† â€Å"You'll be in bed,† I said. â€Å"I'll see what I can do for tomorrow.† This earned me a tighter hug, and I felt my heart ache. The girls always had this effect on me, triggering a mix of emotion that was both love for them and regret for the children I myself would never have. Children had been something I'd wanted as a mortal, something denied to me even then. The pain of that reality had been driven home last year when Nyx, a primordial chaos entity, had visited me in my sleep and used tantalizing dreams to distract me while she stole my energy. The one that had recurred the most had shown me with a little girl – my own daughter – stepping outside into a snowy night to greet her father. He'd been shadowy at first, later revealed as Seth. Nyx, in a desperate bid for help later, had sworn the dream was true, a prophecy of things to come. It had been a lie, however. An impossibility that could never be mine. â€Å"Maybe you'll come by my house after you're done with work,† Seth said to me in a low voice, once she'd wriggled away. â€Å"That depends,† I said. â€Å"Who's going to be in your bed?† â€Å"We had a talk. He knows to stay out of my room.† I smiled and caught hold of Seth's hand. â€Å"I would, but I've got some things to do tonight. I've got to hunt down Jerome about . . . business.† â€Å"You're sure that's it?† he asked. â€Å"You're sure my family's not scaring you off?† I'll admit, I didn't relish the thought of seeing Margaret Mortensen's disapproving gaze, but I also couldn't imagine I'd be very good company for Seth if I still didn't know what was going on with my transfer by tonight. The transfer. Looking into his kind, warm eyes, I felt a pit open in my stomach. Maybe I should be jumping at every chance I could get to be with him. Who knew how many more we had? No, I scolded myself. Don't think like that. Tonight you'll find Jerome and clear up this mess. Then you and Seth can be happy. â€Å"Your family has nothing to do with it,† I assured Seth. â€Å"Besides, now that you have extra help, you can use your free time to get some work done.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"I thought self-employment meant not having a boss.† I grinned and kissed him on the cheek. â€Å"I'll come by tomorrow night.† Kayden, passing by for one last cookie, caught sight of my kiss and scowled disapprovingly. â€Å"Ew.† I parted ways with the Mortensens and headed off to the mall. It was often a surprise to mortals to learn immortals like me purposely chose to take day jobs, so to speak. If you were around for a few centuries and semiwise with your money, it wasn't that hard to eventually build up enough to comfortably live off of, making human employment unnecessary. Yet, most immortals I knew still worked. Correction – most lesser immortals I knew did. Greater ones, like Jerome and Carter, rarely did, but maybe they already had too concrete of a job with their employers. Or, maybe, lesser immortals just carried over the urge from when we were human. Regardless, days like today were clear reminders of why I chose gainful employment. If I'd had nothing but free time on my hands, I would've spent the rest of the day ruminating about my fate and the potential transfer. Assisting Walter-as-Santa – as absurd as it was – at least gave me a distraction while I waited to hear from Jerome. Vocation gave purpose too, which I'd found was necessary to mark the long days of immortality. I'd met lesser immortals who had gone insane, and most of them had done nothing but drift aimlessly throughout their long lives. A new elf – one whom Walter had christened Happy – had joined our ranks today, one who was certainly helping pass the time if only because of how much she was grating on my nerves. â€Å"I don't think he should be drinking at all,† she said, for what felt like the hundredth time. â€Å"I don't see why I have to learn this schedule.† Prancer, a veteran elf, exchanged glances with me. â€Å"None of us is saying it's right,† he told Happy. â€Å"We're just saying it's reality. He's going to get a hold of liquor one way or another. If we deny him, he'll sneak it in the bathroom. He's done it before.† â€Å"If we're the ones giving it to him,† I continued, â€Å"then we control the access and amount he gets. This?† I gestured to the schedule we'd drawn up. â€Å"This isn't much. Especially for a guy his size. It's not even enough to get buzzed.† â€Å"But they're children!† Happy cried. Her eyes drifted off toward the long line of families trailing through the mall. â€Å"Sweet, innocent, joyful children.† Another silent message passed between Prancer and me. â€Å"Tell you what,† I finally said. â€Å"Why don't you make them your priority. Forget about the liquor schedule. We'll handle that. You go trade places with Bashful at the head of the line. She doesn't really like working with the public anyway.† When Happy was out of earshot, I remarked, â€Å"One of these days, someone's going to report us all to the mall's HR office.† â€Å"Oh, they have plenty of times,† said Prancer, smoothing out his green spandex pants. â€Å"I've worked with Walter for three years now, and Happy's not the first elf to have moral qualms about Santa getting lit. He's been reported lots.† That was news to me. â€Å"And they haven't fired him?† â€Å"Nah. It's harder to fill these jobs than you might think. As long as Walter doesn't touch or say something inappropriate, the mall doesn't seem to care.† â€Å"Huh,† I said. â€Å"Good to know.† â€Å"Georgina!† Beyond the gates leading to Santa's pavilion, I saw someone waving at the edge of the crowd. Hugh. My heart rate sped up. This mall was actually right around the corner from his office, so he'd come by before for lunch. In light of recent events – and the look on his face – something told me he wasn't here for a casual meal today. â€Å"Hey,† I said to Prancer. â€Å"Can I take my break now?† â€Å"Sure, go for it.† I cut through the crowd and met up with Hugh, trying not to feel self-conscious about wearing the foil dress. Hugh had come from the office and was dressed impeccably, playing up the role of successful plastic surgeon. I felt cheap beside him, especially as he and I walked farther from the holiday mayhem toward some of the mall's more upscale shops. â€Å"I was on my way home from work and thought I'd stop by,† he said. â€Å"I figured you weren't taking many calls while on the job.† â€Å"Not so much,† I agreed, gesturing to the tight dress and its lack of pockets. I caught hold of his arm. â€Å"Please tell me you heard something. The transfer's a mistake, right?† â€Å"Well, I still think it is, but no, I haven't heard anything back yet – not from HR or Jerome.† He frowned slightly, clearly not liking the lack of communication. Underneath that, I also sensed another emotion in him – nervousness. â€Å"I've got something else for you. Can we talk somewhere . . . kind of private? Is there a Sbarro or Orange Julius around here?† I scoffed. â€Å"Not in this mall. There's a sandwich place we can go to.† â€Å"Sandwich place† wasn't entirely accurate. They also sold gourmet soups and salads, all of which were made fresh and packed with enough prissy ingredients to make Ian happy. Hugh and I snagged a table, my appearance gaining the attention of some children there with their parents. I ignored them as I leaned toward Hugh. â€Å"What's up, then, if not the phantom transfer?† He eyed the watchers uneasily and took several moments to begin speaking. â€Å"I was calling around today, trying to work connections and see if I could find out anything about you. Like I said, I couldn't. But I got caught up on all sorts of other gossip.† I was kind of surprised Hellish gossip was what he wanted to discuss, more surprised still that it had apparently warranted him coming in person. If he'd heard a rumor about a mutual friend, it seemed like a phone call would've sufficed to pass the news. Even e-mail or text. â€Å"Do you remember Milton?† he asked. â€Å"Milton?† I stared blankly. The name meant nothing to me. â€Å"Nosferatu,† he prompted. Still nothing, and then – â€Å"Oh. Yeah. Him. The vampire.† A month or so ago, Milton had visited on vacation, much to Cody and Peter's dismay. Vampires were territorial and didn't like outsiders, although Cody had been able to use Milton's presence to impress his macabre loving girlfriend, Gabrielle. Or so I'd heard. â€Å"I never actually saw him. I just knew he was in town.† â€Å"Yup, and it turns out last week, he was in Boulder.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, first of all, it's weird that he'd have two ‘vacations' in that short time. I mean, you know how it is for vampires. You know how it is for all of us.† It was true. Hell didn't like to give us vacations very often. When your employers owned your soul, they really didn't feel any need to make your life pleasant. That wasn't to say we didn't occasionally get time off, but it certainly wasn't a priority for Hell. The business of souls never rested. For vampires, this was doubly true because they didn't like to leave their territory. They also had various complications with traveling, say, like with sunlight. â€Å"Okay, so, it's weird. How does that affect us?† Hugh dropped his voice low. â€Å"When he was in Boulder, a local dark shaman died under mysterious circumstances.† I felt my eyebrows rise. â€Å"And you think Milton was involved ?† â€Å"Well, like I said, I had time to make some calls and do some research today. And it turns out that even though he's based in Raleigh, Milton travels an awful lot for a vampire – and every place he goes, some mortal in the supernatural community ends up dead.† â€Å"You're saying he's an assassin,† I said, intrigued but still not seeing the point. As part of â€Å"the great game† we all played, angels and demons weren't supposed to directly influence mortal lives. That's where lesser immortals came in, with our offers of sin and temptation. Now, we weren't really supposed to kill either, as far as the game went, and we certainly weren't supposed to do it on behalf of a greater immortal's instructions. We all knew it happened, however, and Milton wasn't the first assassin I'd heard of taking out inconvenient mortals. â€Å"Exactly,† said Hugh. He frowned. â€Å"He goes to places, and people disappear.† â€Å"How does that affect us?† Hugh sighed. â€Å"Georgina, he was here.† â€Å"Yeah, but nobody – † I gasped, freezing a moment in shock. â€Å"Erik . . .† The world reeled around me for a moment. I was no longer in an elite mall's food court but instead was looking down on the broken, bleeding body of one of the kindest men I knew. Erik had been a longtime friend in Seattle, using his many years of occult and supernatural knowledge to advise me on my problems. He'd been investigating my contract with Hell when a freak robbery at his store had resulted in his death by gunshot. â€Å"Are you saying . . .† My voice was barely a whisper. â€Å"Are you saying Milton killed Erik?† Hugh shook his head sadly. â€Å"I'm not. I'm just laying out the evidence for you, which is compelling – but not enough to form a hard link to Milton.† â€Å"Then why tell me at all?† I asked. â€Å"You don't like to get involved with anything that questions the status quo.† It was true, and it had been a constant point of contention with Hugh and me. â€Å"I don't,† he said. I understood now why he was so uneasy. â€Å"Not at all. But I care about you, sweetheart. And I know you cared about Erik and wanted answers.† â€Å"Key word: wanted. I thought I had them.† My heart still mourned Erik, but I had begun to heal from his loss, moving on with life the way we all must after losing a loved one. Knowing – or, well, thinking – he'd been killed in a robbery didn't exactly give me peace, but it did provide an explanation. If there was any shred of truth to Hugh's dangerous theory, that Milton – a potential assassin – might have been responsible, then my whole world was suddenly knocked offkilter. And in that scenario, the big issue wasn't that Milton had done it. What became important was why he had done it. Because if he was one of those Hellish assassins lurking in the shadows, then someone higher up had given him his orders, meaning Hell had a reason to want Erik dead. â€Å"You okay?† Hugh's hand on mine made me jump. â€Å"Jesus, Georgina. You're like ice.† â€Å"I'm kind of in shock,† I said. â€Å"This is big, Hugh. Huge.† â€Å"I know,† he said, not sounding happy at all. â€Å"Promise me you won't do anything foolish. I'm still not sure I should have told you.† â€Å"You should have,† I said, squeezing his hand and making no such promises about the foolish part. â€Å"Thank you.† I had to leave shortly thereafter, returning to assist Happy. A little of her zeal about the pure, magical nature of children had faded in that time. I think it was the six-year-old who asked for a nose job that might have cracked her. As for me, I was in a daze, stunned over what Hugh had told me. Erik murdered. His dying words to me had implied something more was going on, but there'd been no evidence to prove it. Or wait . . . was there? I vaguely remembered the glass pattern of his broken window, the suspicion from the police that it had been broken from within. But what did I do with this theory? How did I get the answers I needed? Equally amazing to me was the concession Hugh had made in telling me this. He valued his job and his comfortable position. He really wasn't the type to try to upset Hell or ask questions about things that didn't concern him. Yet he'd pursued his hunch about Milton and passed on the news to me, his friend. Hell made desperate, soulless creatures out of its employees – and most certainly liked it that way – but I doubted any of the higher-ups had imagined the levels of friendship we were still capable of managing. Naturally, only one other thing could have distracted me from this new development, and that was Jerome's presence in my condo later that night. I was returning home after work and sensed his aura coming from within as soon as I put my key to the door. My fears and theorizing about Erik and Milton moved to one part of my brain, replaced by all the old speculation about the mystery transfer. When I entered, I found Jerome sitting in the living room with Roman, both at their ease and barely acknowledging my presence. â€Å"And so,† Jerome was saying, â€Å"that's why you need to do this. As soon as possible. Nanette's people have been at it for a long time, so you've got a lot of ground to cover. Set up a schedule – I don't care how rigorous it is – and make those slackers start putting in their time at the alley.† I stared incredulously. â€Å"You're here about the bowling competition?† Both men looked at me, Jerome seeming irritated at the interruption. â€Å"Of course. The sooner you start practicing, the better.† â€Å"You know what else might be better the sooner it happens ?† I produced the well-worn HR memo with a flourish. â€Å"You telling me if I'm being transferred or not. My money's on it being a mistake because surely, surely you wouldn't put off telling me. Right?† Several heartbeats of silence hung in the room. Jerome held me in his dark, dark gaze, and I refused to look away. At last, he said, â€Å"No. It's real. You're being transferred.† My jaw wanted to drop to the ground. â€Å"Then why . . . why am I only just now hearing about it?† He sighed and made an impatient gesture. â€Å"Because I just found out about it. Someone jumped the gun and delivered the memo to you before telling me.† His eyes glinted. â€Å"Don't worry, I wasn't too thrilled about that myself. I made sure they know my feelings on the matter.† â€Å"But I . . .† I swallowed. â€Å"I was so sure there was a mistake. . . â€Å" â€Å"There was,† he agreed. â€Å"Just not the kind you were thinking of.† I wanted to sink to the floor and melt away but forced myself to stay strong. I had to ask the next most important question, the question that would shape the next phase of my life. â€Å"Where . . . where am I going?† Jerome studied me once again, this time I think just to drag out the suspense and agony. Bastard. At last, he spoke. â€Å"You're going to Las Vegas, Georgie.†

Operation Gomorrah in World War II

Operation Gomorrah in World War II Operation Gomorrah - Conflict: Operation Gomorrah was an aerial bombing campaign that occurred in the European Theater of Operations during World War II (1939-1945). Operation Gomorrah - Dates: The orders for Operation Gomorrah were signed on May 27, 1943. Commencing on the night of July 24, 1943, the bombing continued until August 3. Operation Gomorrah - Commanders Forces: Allies Air Chief Marshal Arthur Bomber Harris, Royal Air ForceMajor General Ira C. Eaker, US Army Air ForceBritish: approx. 700 bombers per raidAmericans: approx. 50-70 bombers per raid Operation Gomorrah - Results: Operation Gomorrah destroyed a significant percentage of the city of Hamburg, leaving over 1 million residents homeless and killing 40,000-50,000 civilians. In the immediate wake of the raids, over two-thirds of Hamburgs population fled the city. The raids severely shook the Nazi leadership, leading Hitler to be concerned that similar raids on other cities could force Germany out of the war. Operation Gomorrah - Overview: Conceived by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Air Chief Marshal Arthur Bomber Harris, Operation Gomorrah called for a coordinated, sustained bombing campaign against the German port city of Hamburg. The campaign was the first operation to feature coordinated bombing between the Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Force, with the British bombing by night and the Americans conducting precision strikes by day. On May 27, 1943, Harris signed Bomber Command Order No. 173 authorizing the operation to move forward. The night of July 24 was selected for the first strike. To aid in the operations success, RAF Bomber Command decided to debut two new additions to its arsenal as part of Gomorrah. The first of these was the H2S radar scanning system which provided bomber crews with a TV-like image of the ground below. The other was a system known as Window. The forerunner of modern chaff, Window was bundles of aluminum foil strips carried by each bomber, which, when released, would disrupt German radar. On the night of July 24, 740 RAF bombers descended on Hamburg. Led by H2S equipped Pathfinders, the planes struck their targets and returned home with a loss of only 12 aircraft. This raid was followed up the next day when 68 American B-17s struck Hamburgs U-boat pens and shipyards. The next day, another American attack destroyed the citys power plant. The high point of the operation came on the night of July 27, when 700 RAF bombers ignited a firestorm causing 150 mph winds and 1,800Â ° temperatures, leading even the asphalt to burst into flames. Strung out from the previous days bombing, and with the citys infrastructure demolished, German fire crews were unable to effectively combat the raging inferno. The majority of German casualties occurred as the result of the firestorm. While the night raids continued for another week until the operations conclusion on August 3, the American daytime bombings ceased after the first two days due to smoke from the previous nights bombings obscuring their targets. In addition to the civilian casualties, Operation Gomorrah destroyed over 16,000 apartment buildings and reduced ten square miles of the city to rubble. This tremendous damage, coupled with the relatively small loss of aircraft, led Allied commanders to consider Operation Gomorrah a success.

Core Competencies of Wal Mart and Honda Instruments for Their Growth Essay Example

Core Competencies of Wal Mart and Honda Instruments for Their Growth Essay Example Core Competencies of Wal Mart and Honda Instruments for Their Growth Paper Core Competencies of Wal Mart and Honda Instruments for Their Growth Paper Strategic Management Term Paper Core competencies of Wal mart and Honda Instruments for their Growth By: Hari Kiran Babu. G (0711) Naga Mounica. G (0723) Sai Krishna Chaitanya (0736) Surabhi Rajan (0749) Sobhan Pavan Tej . K (0641) Core Competencies Core competencies lead to the development of core products. Core products are not directly sold to end users; rather, they are used to build a larger number of end-user products. For example, motors are a core product that can be used in wide array of end products. The business units of the corporation each tap into the relatively few core products to develop a larger number of end user products based on the core product technology. The intersection of market opportunities with core competencies forms the basis for launching new businesses. By combining a set of core competencies in different ways and matching them to market opportunities, a corporation can launch a vast array of businesses. Without core competencies, a large corporation is just a collection of discrete businesses. Core competencies serve as the glue that bonds the business units together into a coherent portfolio. Core competencies arise from the integration of multiple technologies and the coordination of diverse production skills. Some examples include Wal Mart’s Logistics and Honda’s engines. There are three tests useful for identifying a core competence. A core competence should: Provide access to a wide variety of markets, and Contribute significantly to the ends of firms and some of their core products include: 3M substrates, coatings, and adhesives Canon laser printer subsystems Honda gasoline powered engines Wal Mart Core Competencies Core competencies play a major role in the success of the company. As far as Wal Mart is considered the following are the core competencies. They are as follows: Operational Ability Low Prices Quality Proximity Supply Chain The above core competencies can be explained as follows: Operational Ability: Wal-Marts core competencies are its operational ability to streamline the supply chain through cross-docking inventory systems and efficient means of communication through technology. Low Prices: This is the one of the important core competency of Wal Mart. It has its stores all around the globe. In all the stores the prices of the products are low when compared to the market prices. Quality: Though the prices are low also it maintains the quality of the products it sells to the customers. This is one of the key core competencies that the Wal Mart is having. Proximity: In US Wal Mart store is located at every 5 miles. This shows how it is deeply rooted in the US market. Not only in US but in the other countries also it is more over same. Supply Chain: Wal Mart is not having any warehouses. The stock in the stores is maintained in Just in Time (JIT). If the racks are empty in the stores means the goods will replace the empty racks with time. Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats of Wal Mart Strengths: Customer oriented SAM’S Club customers able to buy in bulk Super centers offer one stop shopping Satisfaction guaranteed programs promoting customer goodwill Buy from local merchants when possible Stock ownership and profit-sharing with employees Leads industry in information technology Ongoing development of its employees Strong community involvement Weaknesses: No formal mission statement Membership only for SAM’S Club Keep poor performing employees o n hand Old fashioned store policies Few women and minorities in top management The company is global, but has a presence in relatively few countries worldwide. Opportunities: Consumers want ease of shopping Internet shopping growing Dollar value increasing Similar shopping patterns worldwide Retail sales expected to increase Environment conscious consumers Elderly population growing Asian market virtually untapped by retail European Market untapped by retail Wal Mart can continue with its current strategy of large, super centres. Threats: Regulation of Wal-Mart pharmacies Small towns do not want entry of Wal-Mart Variety of competition nationally, regionally and locally Substitute products more easily because of intense competition Being global retailer means that you are exposed to political problems in the countries that you operate in. The cost of producing many consumer products tends to have fallen because of lower manufacturing costs. Manufacturing cost have fallen due to outs ourcing to low costs regions of the world. This has lead to price competition, resulting in price deflation in some ranges. Intense price competition is a threat. Growth Strategies: In the next five years, Retail Forward expects Wal-Mart to focus on five key growth strategies: 1. Food. Wal-Marts growth in the past decade was largely the result of its enormous foray into the food market. Although Wal-Mart is now the market leader, it still has a long way to go. Retail Forward predicts that, by 2006, there will be over 2,000 Wal-Mart Supercenters in the US and food sales at Wal-Mart Supercenters will account for approximately one-third of the national increase in spending on food. 2. Foreign. While further foreign acquisitions are expected, Wal-Mart will not be successful as a global retailer if its only advantage is price, Kalish comments. It must also provide a superior shopping experience, strong localized merchandising, and a clear differentiation from competitors, he adds. However, it is unlikely that Wal-Marts overseas expansion will move swiftly enough to fuel the companys growth engine. The companys most probable courses of action will be 1) to grow its existing businesses in the US, extending customer reach, and 2) to move into other businesses in the US with the same velocity it moved into food. 3. Fashion and Family. To get more out of existing stores, and to attract a more affluent consumer, Wal-Mart must ramp up efforts in apparel and home goods. Wal-Mart is already a major apparel force in certain categories, Retail Forwards annual shopper survey indicates. If Wal-Mart succeeds in convincing shoppers to view the retailer as a destination for fashion needs, it will have a huge impact on the market. Wal-Mart will need to focus on expanding its range of merchandise, improving the quality and variety of its non-food assortment, and developing strong private and exclusive labels, Kalish states. 4. Format. To reach more markets and more consumers, Wal-Mart will drive growth through multi-channel delivery of its core businesses. By opening smaller food stores, develo ping formats for urban shoppers, and potentially leveraging its strengths by developing drug, dollar, and convenience stores, Wal-Mart could overcome the limitations created by its Supercenter focus. 5. Fringe. Wal-Mart will seek to test the outer boundaries of what consumers are willing to allow Wal-Mart to be, Kalish comments. The company will seek to expand at the fringe of its core business by developing sales in highly new and unusual categories. Wal-Marts aggressive rollout of fueling stations could be followed closely with the company selling used cars, financial services, home improvement, and foodservice. IFE for Wal Mart: EFE For Wal Mart: TOWS for Wal Mart Strengths 1. Customer oriented 2. SAM’s Club consumers able to buy in bulk 3. Supercenters offer one stop shopping 4. Satisfaction guaranteed programs promoting customer goodwill 5. Buy from local merchants when possible 6. Stock ownership and profit-sharing with employees 7. Leads industry in information technology 8. Ongoing development of its employees 9. Strong community involvementWeaknesses 1. No formal mission statement 2. Membership only for SAM’S Club 3. Keep poor performing employees on hand 4. Old fashioned store policies 5. Few women and minorities in top management Opportunities 1. Consumers wan ease of shopping 2. Internet shopping growing 3. Dollar value increasing 4. Similar shopping patterns worldwide 5. Retail sales expected to increase 6. Environment conscious consumers 7. Elderly population growing . Asian Market virtually untapped by retail 9. European Market untapped by retailS-O Strategies 1. Advertise more for shopping on-line (S8, O2) 2. Expand internationally because of similar shopping patterns (S3, O4, O8) W-O Strategies 1. Improve employment techniques to hire and keep the best performing employees (W3, W5, O6) Threats 1. Regu lation of Wal-Mart pharmacies 2. Small towns do not want entry of Wal-Mart 3. Variety of competition nationally, regionally and locally 4. Substitute products more easily because of intense competitionS-T Strategies 1. Buy from local merchants to promote unity in the community (S5, T4) . Build more Supercenters for the increased demand for one stop shopping (S3, T4) W-T Strategies 1. Allow consumers to buy in smaller bulk without having membership to SAM’S Club (W2, T5) Honda Core Competencies: Honda’s core competencies are as follows: Expertise in Engines Manufacturing Capabilities Culture of innovation. Growth strategies of Honda 1) Integration of Honda channels to maximize customer joy and satisfaction. Honda established the current three-channel structure by creating Verno in 1978, Clio in 1984, and Primo in 1985, offering Honda products for customers with different lifestyles. Supported by growing automobile demand at that time, Honda continued to enhance its product line-up and increased sales and the number of dealers. At the same time, Honda began conducting the CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) survey in 1984, and strengthened initiatives which always put customer satisfaction at the core. Through these efforts, Honda steadily increased the number of Honda customers and made significant progress in achieving the autonomy of its dealers. The Japanese automobile market has now entered a stage of increasing maturity, and the surrounding society and marketplace are in a transition stage as well. In this increasingly competitive environment, the most important factor is to always continue improving the lifetime satisfaction level for the customers who have already chosen the Honda brand. Based on this concept, Honda decided to integrate its existing channels into one Honda channel where customers will be able to purchase and service any Honda brand automobile and to continue receiving high quality sales and service from the same dealer for future needs whether that be replacing their current vehicle or adding another one. Honda also aims to build a dealer network that places the Honda brand at the forefront by maximizing use of existing facilities and manpower and by optimizing the location of sales facilities. 2) Introducing Acura to create new value for the customer and to continue to achieve further growth and to take a big step forward in Japan. Introducing Acura to create new value for the customer and to continue to achieve further growth and to take a big step forward in Japan Recently, the values desired by the customer have become even more diverse and customer needs are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the automobile market. Honda will proactively respond to these changes by creating new value for the customer with the introduction of Acura, a luxury brand that will offer a distinctive driving experience and other unique characteristics. The Acura brand will start in fall 2008, with approximately 100 dealers in Japan. This also will enable Honda to achieve further growth and take a big step forward in its home market of Japan. With this new sales channel strategy, Honda will accelerate its effort to maximize customer joy and satisfaction, and by challenging in this new area Honda will pursue the goal of consistently achieving annual sales of more than 800,000 units. 3) American Manufacturing Capacity Expansion Honda announces plans to build a automobile plant in Decatur County, Indiana, southeast of Indianapolis. The plant will begin production of fuel efficient 4-cylinder vehicles by the fall of 2008 and will leverage its flexible manufacturing system. .In 2005, American Honda achieved record U. S. ales of 1,462,472 new Honda and Acura cars and light trucks, the ninth straight year of record annual sales. In order to meet growing demand, Honda plans to build the new Indiana plant in approximately 24 months, with construction expected to begin in fall 2006. Honda will announce additional details of its vehicle production plans at a later date. The new plant will have the same type of flexible New Manufact uring System that is found in Hondas other auto plants in the U. S. and Canada, with advanced technologies that provide the flexibility to produce different models more quickly and efficiently. Major processes performed at the Indiana plant will include stamping, welding, painting, plastic injection molding and assembly operations. Internal factor matrix Strengthsweightratingweighted score strong brand and reputation for producing high quality products from cars to motorcycle 0. 1540. 6 Automobiles are reliable and generally fuel effecient0. 0530. 15 wide range of products0. 1240. 48 good distribution network0. 1340. 52 Advertizing was given the key role in the invasion0. 0530. 15 Penetration pricing0. 130. 3 Weakness Honda products are fairly mild and inoffensive in terms of styling0. 310. 13 The sales of motor cycles are very low at the beginning0. 0510. 05 Their prices are high for non luxury vehicles than comparable modes by other manufacturers0. 120. 2 it is still just a niche market0. 1210. 12 Total12. 4 Interpretation: Company is trying to overcome its weaknesses and maintain its strengths. External factor matrix opportunities The image of motor cyclist is changed0. 0520. 1 To continue progressive low emission vehicles and alternative power sources0. 230. 6 An offering in a pick up type truck would be profitable0. 1530. 5 They can develop in india and china 0. 230. 6 Threats Highly competitive market0. 1520. 3 A non american product-Americans prefer the american products to foreign ones0. 0510. 05 Banks were reluctant to finance purchases for draft age buyers0. 220. 4 Total12. 5 Interpretation: Company is capable to respond to its external opportunities and threats. TOWS for Honda Strengths 1. Strong brand and reputation for producing high quality products from cars to motorcycle. 2. Automobiles are reliable and generally fuel efficient 3. Good distribution network 4. Advertising was given the key role in the invasionWeakness 1. Honda products are fairly mild and inoffensive in terms of styling. 2. The sales of motor cycles are very low at the beginning 3. Their prices are high for non luxury vehicles than comparable modes by other manufacturers 4. It is still just a niche market Opportunities 1. The image of motor cyclist is changed 2. To continue progressive low emission vehicles and alternative power sources 3. An offering in a pick up type truck would be profitable 4. They can develop in India and chinaSO Strategies . The company can enter into new variety of product i. e. trucks to make it profitable(s3,03) 2. Due to its good distribution network it can go to different nations like India and china where labour was cheap and transportation cost is low(s4,04) 3. As Honda vehicles are fuel efficient it can also go for low emission vehicles (s2,02)WO Strategies 1. It is just a niche market but when it enters into truck it can go for profitability (w4,o3) 2. In order to go for low emission vehicles it can go for solar vehicles and stylish vehicles also. (w1,02) Threats 1. Highly competitive market 2. A non American product-Americans prefer the American products to foreign ones ST Strategies 1. It can go for other countries rather than America or go for innovative products(s1,t2) WT strategies 1. It can enter into new markets(w4,t1) Conclusion: Wal Mart is expanding into many countries. India is one of them. It has succeeded in many countries, but it also failed in some countries like Germany with the same core competencies and strengths. It is mostly concentrated in North America only. Now it is entering in to new markets. The company’s core competencies and the growth strategies will play a key role in the success of the company in the new markets. As Honda is into automobile industry the threats form the competitors will be high. The innovations of Honda in respect to two wheelers and four wheelers can be duplicated by the other companies easily. But one of its core competencies is with the power generators and gasoline engines. As the competitors are investing more in the R, even Honda also have to invest more in its R to get an edge over the competitors. â€Å"Asimo† is the best example for its innovations.

Operation Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operation Plan - Essay Example Operations plan should also put into consideration economic constraints. Poor financial governance in a new operation plan may be hindrance to its success. Strategy Before expanding its business to serving breakfast, the organization should completely stabilize its former operations. This is because the initial operations form the identity of the business. In an argument by Grant (2005) the identity of a business venture is the most important thing in a business even in the consideration of increasing its operations venture. In case of any incidence of risk, the former operations will be used as a mitigations tool. According to Schermerhorn (2009) once an organization is identified with a particular business operation, it is more likely to prosper in it than when venturing in other operations. However, in this case the operations are similar and involve similar operations. The staff in the restaurant should be tuned so that they accommodate breakfast schedules their activities. Diffe rent from serving other meals, breakfast served to walk in consumers requires appropriate time management. Time barrier may hinder the restaurant from offering reliable breakfast services. The restaurant transition from serving breakfast to serving other meals should also be well structured (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). Considering it as a new activity the restaurant should adapt indulging into two shifts of serving meal. In making the new operations the organizations efficient, the management should consider training of the staff. Training of the staff will increase their efficiency in serving a new set of meal. In this serving also includes packaging of contents in breakfast. As new venture the restaurant needs new staff training procedures which would incorporate new activities in the venture. For instance, the restaurant will have to add trained chefs who are experienced in the preparation of breakfast meals. Apart from employment of new cooking staff the restaurant should conside r training the already existing staff. These will the cut the cost on the implementation of the new operation plan. The restaurant should also consider implementation of a good marketing plan. In the consumer population the restaurant is famous only for other meals rather than breakfast meals. To increase their significance in the market, the restaurant should employ very informative marketing strategies. The marketing strategy should be in consideration of other competitors SWOT analysis (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2008). Processes The process of a business transformation is generally referred to as a project. In this case, the restaurant should view this operational change as a project. To make the project successful the restaurant need to separate the operations of serving breakfast from the rest of the restaurant setting. In this way the breakfast operations will be handled as lone projects. According to Strategic Direction (2007) in this way the project will have enough at tention and attention to launch to full operation. Launching a new line of operation in an existing business should be free from influence from an already existing company. If the two lines of operations are different it becomes more than impossible to launch a successive new line of operations. For instance, a breakfast line in a fast food setting requires a well structured new management an operational strategy. The designing of the project should not

The Market Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Market Education - Assignment Example This essay stresses that the market plays a major role in ensuring that the force of demand is equivalent to that of supply. In the case of museums, museum visits represent demand, while the number of available museums and museum services represent the supply. In a market, there is the aspect of price mechanism, which involves an interaction between the buyers and sellers, in order to determine the market price. Nonetheless, the market price is determined by the supply and demand in the market. Therefore, when prices rise, the demand falls, and when the prices fall, the demand rises. On the other hand, the market equilibrium price is achieved when there is a balance between the force of supply and that of demand. In this case, there results a balance in production and consumption of goods and services. Prices in a market economy can act as an incentive to entice buyers to purchase more goods. This report makes a conclusion that a demographic demand pattern for museum visits mainly depends on various aspects. First, the type of museum determines the type of visitors visiting it. The season also influences the nature of visits and types of visitors. For instance, Art museums might have many visitors, who are older, while science centers might receive visits from younger visitors. Furthermore, like art museums, historic sites and history museums might have older visitors. On the other hand, children museums are known to have the youngest visitors, as compared to art museums, history museums, and science centers.... Nonetheless, the entry fee to museums might be determined, depending on the level of demand. Therefore, at peak periods, when there are many tourists and domestic visitors, museums will increase their entry fees. 3. Museum Visits and Demographic Demand Pattern A demographic demand pattern for museum visits mainly depends on various aspects. First, the type of museum determines the type of visitors visiting it. Additionally, the season also influences the nature of visits and types of visitors. For instance, Art museums might have many visitors, who are older, while science centers might receive visits from younger visitors. Furthermore, like art museums, historic sites and history museums might have older visitors. On the other hand, children museums are known to have the youngest visitors, as compared to art museums, history museums, and science centers (Museum Audience Insight Web). 4. Shifts in Demand and Supply in Museum Visits Demand and supply with regard to museums is influenc ed by different factors. First, the national economy influences both the demand and supply of museum visits. During periods of recession, the amount of museum visits will decrease considerably (American Alliance of Museums Web). This is because, the purchasing power of consumers decrease, thus their spending on leisure and culture also decreases. The second aspect is that of entry or admission fee to museums. When the entry fee is increased, the demand will go down, but when the entry fee is lowered, the demand will increase, thus more museum visits. It can also be argued that the interest of people in their culture influences the demand in this market. The more interested people