How does 'Services Response Logistics' differ from 'Logistics Essay

How does 'Services Response Logistics' differ from 'Logistics - Essay Example Now I will explain the concern of the services response logistics. Main concern of the SRL is management of the service capacity. Service capacity is the number of consumers for each day the company’s service system is intended to hand out (Hertz et al, 2003). When demand goes above to the capacity, company has to turn away consumers or employ personnel all these steps are taken to increase capacity of company.Managing service capacity comprises the capacity utilization.   Capacity utilization used to level demand strategy, because the capacity turns out to be steady in spite of demand. When demand goes above than capacity, line up management strategy arrangement with surplus customers (Rogers et al, 1999).In the situation when demand is higher than capacity, at this time capacity management used for (Bowersox, 2005):   Ã‚  Ã‚   Hiring part-Time Employees  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing consumers- those are hidden employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Making use of innovative technology  Ã‚     Ã‚   Cross-Training & giving out employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing employee setting up strategies  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing demand management actionsIn the situation when available service capacity exceeds demand, Capacity Management is used for exercising demand management practices and discovering other uses for service capacity. Logistics is only concerned to the forward and backward running and storage of supplies, services and associated information (Hertz et al, 2003). But SRL is used for the management of distribution channels engage customary methods and latest channels that slot in fresh internet technologies.

Boston beer case Essay Example for Free

Boston beer case Essay Boston Beer Company’s main growth strategy was focused by differentiation. The sources of its competitive advantage can be classified as a company that provides high quality beer with unique flavors, a market driven approach, and a very efficient contract brewing strategy. Unfortunately, by the 1990’s, their initial public offering of $30 went as low as to $8 per share. Since the easy of entry into the microbrewery business is low, that resulted in about 3000 new microbrewers into the market. When there became too many options available for the consumer, Jim Koch should have approached the situation and avoided the risks of the company’s shares from falling, right when they saw stocks going down. He could have also approached having a more aggressive growth approach when the company went IPO. They could have avoided the company from becoming part of the niche market, which is still the case today. If he would have been a little more aggressive when they went IPO, they could have invested money into a brewery where they can meet their demands, not over exuberate the expansion. Also, they could have invested in finding the right marketing campaign like using celebrities or just advertising the beer to capture consumer’s attention. They really needed to create a type of quote or motto people would remember, just like Dos Equis and Coors light. Boston Beer Company has failed to that and for that reason their growth is still at a steady pace where is still not part of the big dogs yet. Since they focus so much on differentiation as their strategy, why couldn’t they capture consumer’s attention quicker and faster? In the 1990’s, Jim Koch should have changed his company from getting into a niche market into a general market, so that today he still does not need to prove or go bar to bar, to ask them to carry their beer. It should be a first option when someone is opening a bar to have Samuel Adams beer because the consumers love it. He failed to do so by not taking advantage in the 1990s and he will still have to do the same beer pitch to bars, because of his mistake.

Romeo And Juliet - Importance Of Friar Lawrence :: essays research papers

Even though he was not actually on stage for most of the play, he was the most important character in the play. There was basically three major parts that lead to the tragedy; marriage, the plan and the deaths. In all three of these parts Friar Lawrence played a vital role. His attempts to make the marriage of Romeo and Juliet was very admirable but were poorly planned. It these attempts that make his role the most significant one in the play. This is why Friar Lawrence is the most powerful character in the play. The tragedy of their deaths could not have happened if Romeo had received the message in time. This is due to Friar Lawrence not planning how he was going to fake Juliet's death. Due to his dauntless attempts to keep the two lovers together, he still failed. This was shown in Act 4 Scene 1 " I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate execution As that is desperate which we would prevent". One of his faults in the plan is shown in Act 5 Scene 3 when Friar John does not know the importance of the letter and does not give it to Romeo. "I could not send it. Nor get a messenger to bring thee, so fearful were they of infection". Another fault to his plan is in Act 3 Scene 3 when he tells Romeo that he will send a friend of his to inform him the news. Instead of telling him that a fellow friar of his was bringing the message. "I'll find your man, and he shall signify from time to time every good hap to your chances here". The magnitude of his role is showed again when he is involved in another major part of the play; the marriage. He risks his reputation as a Friar so he can unite to star crossed lovers in marriage. The character of Friar Lawrence is extremely important because if he would not have married Romeo and Juliet the play would maybe not ended in tragedy. This gamble is shown in Act 2 Scene 6 "Come, come with me, and we will make short work, For, by you leaves, you shall not stay alone Till Holy Church incorporate two in one". He conceives that because of the marriage between Romeo and Juliet that the families will end their hatred for each other.

History of fashion in 1920s

History Of Fashion In The Twenties How the women and fashion changed? In sass fashion history, the initial break with the traditional styles stemmed from the inspiration drawn from the Aesthetic and Rational Dress Reform Movements of the late 19th century. Exciting theatrical costume designs which broke the rules also paved the way for more relaxed dressing. This was all fast forwarded during the war years and led to the major changes in construction of clothes and undergarments for the remainder of the century. Prohibition, the proliferation of Jazz, and the development of mass media were the hallmarks of the sass.Youth was at a premium because so many young people were killed during the war. As a result, teenagers had a new freedom that they used to usher in the Afro-influenced Jazz age. Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, Rudolf Valentine, and Josephine Baker were popular stars of the time, personifying many of the modern ideals. For women, face, figure, coiffure, posture and grooming becam e important fashion factors in addition to clothing. In particular, cosmetics became a major industry. Glamour was now an important fashion trend, due to the influence of the motion picture industry and the famous female movie stars.The sass saw the emergence of three major women's fashion magazines: Vogue, The Queen, and Harpers Bazaar. Vogue was first published in 1892, but its up-to-date fashion information did not have a marked impact on women's desires for fashionable garments until the ass's. These magazines provided mass exposure for popular styles and fashions. During the early sass, waistlines were at the waist, but were loose and not fitted. Women wore suits with long hemlines and somewhat full skirts, often with belts at the waist of the Jackets.Dress and suit bodices alike were worn loose, even baggy. By 923, waistlines began to drop to a point between the natural waist and hips, while styles continued to be loose and baggy. In 1924 the waistline dropped to the hip. In 1 925, â€Å"shift† type dresses with no waistline emerged. At the end of the decade, dresses were being worn with straight bodices and collars. Tucks at the bottom of the bodices were popular, as well as knife-pleated skirts with a hem approximately one inch below the knee. In 1928, styles changed again! Hemlines rose to the knee and dresses became more fitted.These changes laid the foundation for the elegantly styled fashions of the sass. Many garments of the sass fastened with buttons. The closer-fitting flapper- style dresses fastened with a continuous lap, usually applied to the left side seam of the garment. Hooks and eyes, buttons, or snaps were all utilized to fasten the lap. The zipper, first patented in 1893, was not utilized in garments until the latter part of the decade. It was originally known as a â€Å"locker†, and did not receive its current name until 1926. It was not widely used until the late sass.Cotton and wool were the abundant fabrics of the decad e. Silk was highly desired for its luxurious qualities, but the limited supply made it expensive. In 1891, â€Å"artificial silk† was first made from a solution of cellulose in France. After being patented in the United States, the first American plant began production of this new fabric in 1910. In 1924 this fiber became known as rayon. Rayon stockings became popular in the sass as a substitute for silk stockings. Rayon was also used in undergarments. Women, celebrating such liberties as the right to vote in , were now more daring than ever before.It was considered fun to smoke, visit speakeasies, wear makeup, swear, and otherwise shock conventional thinkers. In 1927 when short skirts were all the age; young women strove to show off their knees with increasing abandon. Many girls even rolled down their stockings and painted rouge on their knees in an effort to emulate a â€Å"naughty schoolgirl† look. The foot also became a focal point of fashion. Shoe styles were inf luenced by crazes like the Charleston, a dance that demented a securely fastened shoe with a low heel and closed toe.A single-bar pump with a pointed toe, high-wasted heel, and one tiny covered button was the most common style. High tongued, cutaway decorated, crossover, and t-straps were other popular elements. The curiosity for exotic arts and culture was fueled by the discovery of Egyptian King Tutankhamen tomb in 1922. Egyptian themes appeared in everything from furniture to clothing. Shoes also reflected this theme. Bright fabrics and brilliantly dyed leather – including metallic – were used to create some of the most exciting shoes ever seen.The heels were often works of art themselves. The late sass saw the adoption of two-toned spectators for men, perfect with the popular knickers. In the ass, men were still in a conservative mood. The wide trousers were still worn, sometimes as wide as 24 inches at the bottom! The knickers and ‘plus fours' were popular w ith sporty types, and were buckled 4†³ below the knee (hence the name ‘plus fours'). Light colors were favored in summer, but darker and animal fur was favored when the weather got cold.By now all the college boys were wearing the popular raccoon coat, and some of the women were too. The following are the events that affected fashion in sass and even today: Channel's pioneering Jersey sweater and pleated skirt. Ensembles are now accepted as easy wear. Debutante Daisy Fellows challenges convention wearing black when presented to the Queen at Bucking Palace instead of the traditional white. Ђ Dress Essentials magazine features scarves among accessories; color coordination becomes a conscious feature of the average woman's wardrobe. Ђ The Prince of Wales now orders all his trousers to be made with cuffs, and (unlike his father) wears suits in town. East European folk embroideries inspire the peasant look in women's Soviet Atelier of Fashion is formed. Wear. Bobbed ha ir becomes the rage. Tunisia takes off with â€Å"Tutankhamen† overzealous, Egyptian colors, scarab and lotus Jewelry, etc. The Textile Color Card Association of the United States is formed, n attempt to establish a standard system of colors identified by numbers. First feature on the â€Å"little black dress†. Ђ â€Å"Oxford bags† are worn by young graduates. The hemline is the shortest in history. US production of rayon viscose reaches 53 million pounds for the year. Vogue's More masculine elements enter female dress. The severely short â€Å"Eaton crop† haircut ousts bobbed hair. Jeanne Lanolin opens first boutique for men. Patent leather shoes are new. Nancy Canard, wearing African bangles to the elbows, is photographed by Man Ray. The press declares â€Å"fever chart† hemlines. Hat brims return to fashion. The first of Schizophrenia's tromped Leila sweaters are a resounding success. Ђ Men's Dress Reform Party is founded in Britain. A n ew femininity: hemlines are now longer for drawer, as well as evening. In Conclusion, Fashion was made available to a broader sector of the public as a result of modern retail policies and the idea that consumerism meant emancipation. Lighter garments of simpler cut and the electrification of the factories also made mass production possible. In many ways, the twenties established the themes and marketing policies that would be developed in the post-World War II period and that are so familiar to us today.

Marketing Warfare in the Zimbabwean Mobile Sector Essay

Introduction The concept that marketing is warfare can be said to be largely true in respect of the Zimbabwean mobile sector where players have drawn lessons from established battlefield concepts of planning, maneuvering and outwitting fellow players in order to stay ahead of the pack. However the marketing is warfare concept does not adequately charectirise the competitive nature of the mobile industry as there are other factors to be taken into consideration such as customer needs. The mobile sector was introduced in Zimbabwe by Strive Masiyiwa through his Econet brand. A protracted battle with authority ensured before he was finally granted the licence to operate a mobile network. In the meantime, Net-one was granted a licence to operate and started offering Mobile phone services in 1996 followed by Net-one which was granted a licence in 1998 with Econet being the last to enter the market after its legal battle in July 1998. The mobile sector has since grown to incorporate other players who offer mobile services such as Africom, Broadacom and most recently Tel one who offer the (086) mobile line range. Going by the concept that marketing is warfare, the increase in players thus equates to an increase in the number of armies in the battlefield. This essay shall analyse how the players in the mobile sector industry have utilized well known battlefield strategies in order to control the giant share in the mobile industry. ‘Marketing is warfare’ defined Al Ries and Jack Trout have drawn a parallel between military warfare and the competitive strategies employed by competitors in the marketplace. Ries and Trout propose that there are four strategies that can be used in fighting a marketing war; defensive, offensive, flanking and guerrilla tactics. In any industry there is a market leader, market challenger, market follower and market niche. The market leader employs the defensive strategy in order to maintain its position as market leader and to expand its market share further. It has to continuously protect its market share from offensive attacks by its competitors. The market challenger is the one which follows behind the market leader and can employ offensive tactics to out rightly attack the market leader and its smaller competitors in order to increase its market share. It can also choose to accept its position as a market challenger and fight to maintain and defend their position as such. The market follower is much smaller and commands a smaller share of the market. It can chose to use the flank attacks which is an indirect approach rather than the offensive which can prove to be a more expensive and less effective method. The market follower recognizes the areas of the market not being covered by the market leader and challenger and focuses its attention on those areas in order to gain competitive advantage. Econet as the Market Leader Econet, commands about 58% of the mobile market in Zimbabwe with about 8million subscribers whilst Telecel has a market share of about 28% with subscribers amounting to 2.5 million.Net-One is last with a market share of around 15% and a subscriber base of 700 000. The above statistics clearly show that Econet is the market leader in the Zimbabwean mobile sector. However this has not always been the position as Net-one, the first to offer mobile services in Zimbabwe was at one time the market leader. This could be attributed to the fact that Net- one was the first to provide mobile services with Telecel and Econet entering the fray two years after net- One had already started providing services to the market. As such it was only normal that Net-One was the market leader at this stage. Due to the economic challenges experienced by the country especially the period before 2008, Net-One failed to maintain its position as market leader resulting in Econet taking over that position Amongst the tactics used by Econet to gain its position as market leader, is the offensive tactic. It quickly came in to increase its market share by increasing its subscriber base. This it did by upgrading their capacity to enable them to sign up as many new customers as possible. Econet took advantage of the fact that initially, mobile services were a scarce commodity and a preserve of the elite, to outwit its competitors by increasing its subscriber base and flooding the market with its mobile lines way before its competitors followed suit. Another factor which might have contributed to the rise of Econet to the position of market leader is the fact that, for it to get its licence to operate, Econet went through a protracted battle with the authorities even though they had come up with the idea to introduce mobile services in Zimbabwe. This protracted battle endeared the public to Econet as it was a general perception that Econet was being victmised. Consequently when it launched its own mobile services it had already won the loyalty of customers way before it started offering the service. Mobile defence. When it gained the position of market leader Econet then adopted the defensive strategy in order to maintain its position as such. It did this by a continued increase in its subscriber base whilst at the same time introducing new products so as to lure more customers. By continuously increasing its capacity in terms of the subscriber base, Econet ensured that it shut out its competitors, who due to a lack of resources were not able to match Econet’s continued rapid growth.by so doing Econet used the mobile defence strategy which entails more than just a leader maintaining a fotress position whilst assuming that its competitors will never catch up. In the mobile defence strategy however, the market leader, ‘concentrates upon market broadening and diversification.’ (Gilligan) Econet also went about the business of expanding its network coverage area. It did this hot in pursuit of Net-One which had gone on a network expansion drive, particularly in the rural areas an area which Econet had not yet penetrated. Econet went on a counter- offensive attack and expanded its network faster and wider than its competitors thus maintaining its position of market leader. This method was used by Cadillac when faced with stiff competition from Mercedes. It went on to produce a newer and better model than that which had been released by Mercedes. This is the method which was applied by Econet, because even though Net-One’s now covered the rural areas which previously had no access to mobile services, Econet’s network coverage was now bigger and even wider than any of its competitors. Since attaining its market leader position, Econet has worked on developing new products and services to maintain its present customers and to lure more customers. For instance, Econet introduced the Ecolife service to provide lie assurance services to its customers. This was a means of Econet diversifying from its main services and also worked to ensure that customers from other networks could migrate to Econet as their networks were not providing a similar service. On the other hand, Econet might have offered this product before doing their homework as regards their capacity to offer the product as they had to withdraw it following disputes with their partner. In order to maintain its market share whilst at the same time making meaningful inroads into hitherto unconquered territory, Econet was also the first one to introduce 3G services which enabled its customers to send and receive multimedia messages. The introduction of this service was long overdue as most of its customers already owned phones which could perform this task. The fact that it did so before any of its competitors did gave Econet a competitive advantage. In further diversifying, Econet ventured into internet services through its division Ecoweb. It further developed this concept by ensuring that it was the first to offer internet services on its mobile platform thus enabling users to access internet services on their mobile phones. Counter-offensive defensive When Net-One and Telecel introduced mobile banking through ‘One wallet’ and ‘Isikhwama’ respectively, Econet launched a counter- offensive defence by launching its own Ecocash. A counter-offensive attack is one in which the market leader responds to an attack by the market challenger. As they say that a bigger army has got an upper hand and is more likely to overpower the smaller armies, Econet could afford to embark on massive advertisement and roll out of their new product so as to outdo its competitors. Econet used all its resources and went into overdrive marketing Ecocash. This had the impact of overshadowing Telecel and Net-One’s own mobile banking services to the point that it is now as good as if they do not exist. Econet used the counter offensive defence in order to ensure that its competitors’ new products had a still birth. Using its enormous resources as the market leader, Econet went on to roll out its programme by recruiting agents all over the country, rural and urban areas alike which also serve as a marketing tool for them. By allowing its competitors to introduce their new products before coming in from behind after realizing that the product was viable, Econet also used a marketing strategy known as ‘constructive following’(Mercer1996). Econet took advantage of the gap in its competitors who, although they had a good idea, did not have as much resources as the market leader to roll out the programme as effectively as Econet did. In this particular instance it can be said that Econet went ahead to counter attack its competitors as it did not spare any resources in ensuring that the product gained attention. Furthermore it has set to flex its muscles by preventing Telecel and its partner Cabs, access to its customers through their ‘Textacash’ product. Position defence The position defence is a strategy used by a market leader to erect barrier around its company and ensure that its brand position is invincible. This can be done through massive advertisements and promotions to ingrain its position as the market leader. Econet has invested a lot of money in entrenching in the mind of the customer that theirs is the best brand to such an extent that even their competitors might also believe that this is a fact. Its vast profit margins ensure that it has the money to dominate the advertising sector and to promote its brand as the leading brand. The ‘Inspired to change your world’ catch phrase is used to imprint in the consumer’s mind that only their company can bring positive change to the consumer’s life and that the purpose of its very existence is to provide the best service to its customers through continued innovation. All throughout the country, Econet has put up billboards asserting its position as the market leader. This has the effect of making their presence felt not only by its competitors but society at large. The net effect of this is that its competitors will end up believing in Econet’s assertion that its position as market leader is unassailable thus preventing/ reducing attacks from competitors. Econet has also endeared itself to its customers through various social corporate responsibility activities such as Capernaum trust, Joshua Nkomo Scholarship fund and the National Health Trust. These activities enhance Econet’s competitive advantage as people begin to perceive it as a caring organization which is not just after their money. Telecel as the Market Challenger From the above statistics, it is can be deduced that Telecel is the market challenger. As a market challenger, Michael Porter suggests that a market challenger has three ways in which to offset the market leader’s advantage: i) By creating a competitive advantage in cost or differentiation. ii) By neutralizing the leader’s strong points. iii) By setting up a defence against counter- attack by the market leader. Telecel has been able to employ one or more of these tactics as the market challenger through various promotions and incentives to give it a competitive edge against the market leader. A market challenger also has to decide whom to challenge between the market leader and the market follower. Frontal attack The frontal attack is a military tactic in which the enemy is attacked head on. As a marketing tool, it involves the market challenger matching the market leader product for product and price for price (C. Gilligan 2010, pg 487). Telecel has kept itself on Econet’s heels by trying to keep abreast of all new products offered by Econet. Even though Econet was the first one to launch 3G services and mobile internet services, Telecel also quickly followed suit offering the same service to its customers and at similar cost. By so doing, it made sure that it did not lose a substantial number of customers to Econet seeking a better service. However a frontal attack is not always the best method as it very expensive and risky considering that the market challenger is dealing with a well resourced competitor. Not to be outdone by Econet, Telecel has also launched its own social corporate responsibility initiative through supporting old people’s homes which also can be seen as a frontal attack on its competitor. Flank attacks Telecel has taken advantage of those areas in which the market leader is weak in order to assert itself as a superior brand. This strategy is called the frontal attack and is less risky and less costly than the frontal attack. Telecel has identified those products that Econet does not provide and its weaknesses to fill the void left by Econet. A good example is the pre activated lines which are being offered by Telecel. Econet does not offer the same service, the result being that it takes longer for a customer’s new line to be activated than for a Telecel customer. This gives Telecel a competitive advantage over Econet. Telecel also provides airtime on credit up to a certain limit, another service which Econet does not provide. Through this product, Telecel customers can use airtime then pay for it later upon topping up their pre-paid lines. Upon purchasing a new mobile line, it is mandatory that one registers their details with their service provider before accessing service. Telecel has provided for this service to be provided via the phone without the need for filling in of forms. On the other hand Econet does not have a similar facility and one actually has to visit their offices to fill the forms with a considerable waiting period. Telecel was also the first one to provide call me back facility. This facility enables a customer without credit to send a message for another subscriber to call them back. Econet then launched a counter- offensive defense by immediately following suit. Nonetheless, Telecel still has the upper hand in terms of customer satisfaction as their subscribers are allowed to send call me backs across all networks. Econet on the other hand, only allows call me backs on its own network. This could give Telecel an advantage resulting in customer migration from Econet to Telecel, for those who require the service to be across the board. Telecel has consistently looked at ways to outwit their market leader by taking advantage of those service gaps left by Econet. Telecel took advantage of the social media platforms by being the first to encourage the market to like them on Facebook before Econet did. Econet has since taken a counter- offensive response by also signing up on the social network platform. Telecel also took the lead on teletunes a service whereby a caller can listen to a tune whilst waiting for their call to be connected. It also initiated a quiz facility where its customers would stand a chance to win prizes if they answered the questions correctly. All this enhanced Telecel’s brand as it would constantly seek to provide a differentiated service from that of its competitors. Telecel offered mobile banking services before Econet did. Econet immediately launched a massive counter-offensive as outlined above. This shows that it is a risky business to attack the market leader, as it has more than enough resources to counter the offensive and even surpasses the market challenger. Guerilla tactics These tactics entails hit and run moves which are designed to keep the competitor off balance. This can be in the form of temporary price reductions as Telecel did with the introduction of ‘mega juice’ airtime where their customers would get massive discounts within the network after topping up their airtime. This also worked to increase product as customers would buy more airtime knowing that they will receive bonuses. Telecel also reduced the price of their sim card starter packs as compared to those of their competitors. It can actually be argued that these two tactics alone helped Telecel to overtake its competitors from behind thus becoming the second largest mobile network in Zimbabwe. Guerilla warfare can also be by way of product comparisons. When Econet changed its platform from ‘091’ to ‘0772’ whilst Telecel was changing its own from ‘023’ to ‘072’, Telecel took advantage of this changeover to put its product in comparison with Econet. Previously Econet was associated with the elite, whilst on the other hand Telecel was associated with the less affluent. However with the changeover of the identifying numbers the difference was no longer notable. Telecel released advertisements encouraging people to ‘†¦.move over to Telecel since they were changing numbers anyway’. On its website in an apparent dig on the market leader Telecel says ‘We might not be the biggest but we are the best’ Telecel also underwent rebranding and increased advertisements and visibility. It also gives a statement that you do not have to be the biggest in order to be the best. Net-one as the market follower. Net-one having is the market follower in terms of the above statistics. It has the option of employing the following tactics: i) Product imitation or the me-too strategy ii) Guerilla tactics through price reduction iii) Use their Research and Development effectively Net- One moved from being the market leader to being the market follower due. This could be attributed to the economic meltdown between 2002 and 2009 and also the introduction of United States Dollar. Net- One lost a lot of revenue as it had established a niche market among the corporate and parastatals that preferred its contract line service. The introduction of the United States Dollar meant that all money owed under the Zimbabwe Dollar era was lost. Net-One has embarked on a number of warfare tactics in order to regain its market leader position. Initially, Net-one sought to regain its position as market leader through an aggressive network expansion drive. Net-One used the flanking attack by ensuring that they expanded to the rural areas whereas all its counterparts were concentrating on the urban areas. Thus Net-One took advantage of the gaps left by its competitors to gain competitive advantage. Econet however countered by expanding its network even wider than Net-One. Nevertheless, Net-One is still perceived to be the network that is easily accessible in the rural areas. Net-one has used the me-too strategy by also introducing airtime promotions and bonuses for topping up airtime. This it has done in imitation of the promotions done by Telecel under the ‘mega-juice’ promotion. It is reported that these promotions have resulted in it growing its subscriber by 500 000 subscribers. Net-One has also engaged in frontal attack in dealing with its competitors. In 2006 when Econet offered to sponsor the national Premier Soccer League (P.S.L), Net-One countered by offering to sponsor a team in the P.S.L. This would result in promotion conflict as Econet wanted players’ uniforms to all bear its brand whereas the Net-One sponsored team would also be required to wear the Net-One logo. In the end Econet pulled out of the sponsorship deal. Shortfalls of warfare marketing strategy. It has been argued that the warfare strategy’s shortfall is that it concentrates mainly on competitors moves whilst forgetting the customer. It has been proposed that there needs to be a strong focus upon the customer and that the organization must be customer-led. The marketing is warfare concept leads to too much aggression and sometimes a company can lose sight of its own objectives and or its own customers’ needs. This can have a negative impact on its performance as the company engages in unnecessary aggression. On the other hand, one cannot be purely customer –oriented as customers very often do not realize what they want and relying on customer opinions can be misguiding. Conclusion Marketing has been likened to a football match where one cannot just concentrate on the game without looking at his opponents’ because they will not win the game. From the above it can be said that indeed if the players in the mobile sector were to totally ignore their competitors they would not gain competitive advantage. However the mobile sector should also concentrate on their customers if they are to give their customers value. Overall it should be pointed out that the competition strategies highlighted above result in value addition for customers as players try to outdo each other. References †¢ http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com †¢ http://www.econet.co.zw †¢ http://www.netone.co.zw †¢ http://www.telecel.co.zw †¢ http://www.techzim.co.zw †¢ Gilligan C. et al [2009] Strategic Marketing Planning , 2nd Edition Butterworth-Heinmann United Kingdom. †¢ Hooley G. et al [2012] Marketing Strategy & Competitive Positioning 5th Edition Prentice Hall International, United Kingdom. †¢ Kotler P. et al†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¢ Mercer D. [1998] Marketing 2nd Edition Blackwell Publishers United Kingdom.

Thrones of Ancient Maya essays

Thrones of Ancient Maya essays The article that I studied is entitled Thrones and Throne Structures in the Central Acropolis of Tikal as an Expression of the Royal Court, by Peter D. Harrison. In this article it shows that you may use the varieties of reception thrones as evidence of court function. Some other topics are on the source material for the construction of thrones and decoration (or lack of) and reasons for it. Some of the functions that were used from the throne were reception of tribute goods, reception of prisoners involving presence of military guards, reception of visiting dignitaries displaying royalty, ritual divination, and possibly even accession rituals. This wide use of thrones in Tikal was compared to other cultures royal courts, including the court of Louis XIV in France and the royal Inka court of Cuzco. The examiners found that markers of these courts all included the use of livery (clothing showing especially high rank), use of thrones, and the association of church and state. Tikals thrones are the simplest, plainest, least-decorated thrones in the lowlands of Ancient Maya. Highly decorated thrones are smaller and are thought to be less powerful than those in Tikal. We go on to find that even though this was a large city with great political influence and wealth, they seated their highest officials on the plainest of thrones. The author does remind us that even though there seems to be an apparent absence in decoration, there is a variety of form and context of Tikal thrones. It is noted that masonry-constructed benches were a Late Classic (A.D. 650-900) phenomenon in Tikal because there are no Early Classic (A.D. 292-650) examples existing in the Central Acropolis. We find that this is because the native stone to Tikal did not have high tensile strength so they used the medium of wood, which gave way for their famous intricate lintel carvings. When the benches and thrones in masonry form were finally introd...

Essential Things to Know About Shakespeares Sonnets

Essential Things to Know About Shakespeares Sonnets The collection of 154 Shakespeare sonnets remains some of the most important poems ever written in the English language. Indeed, the collection contains Sonnet 18 – ‘Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?’ – described by many critics as the most romantic poem ever written. It is strange that, considering their literary importance, they were never supposed to be published! For Shakespeare, the sonnet was a private form of expression. Unlike his plays, which were written expressly for public consumption, there is evidence to suggest that Shakespeare never intended for his collection of 154 sonnets to be published. Publishing the Shakespeare Sonnets Although written in the 1590s, it wasn’t until 1609 that the Shakespeare sonnets were published. Around this time in Shakespeares biography, he was finishing his theatrical career in London and moving back to Stratford-upon-Avon to live out his retirement. It is likely that the 1609 publication was unauthorized because the text is riddled with errors and seems to be based on an unfinished draft of the sonnets – possibly obtained by the publisher through illegitimate means. To make things even more complicated, a different publisher released another edition of the sonnets in 1640 in which he edited the gender of the Fair Youth from â€Å"he† to â€Å"she†. A Breakdown of Shakespeare's Sonnets Although each sonnet in the 154-strong collection is a standalone poem, they do interlink to form an overarching narrative. In effect, this is a love story in which the poet pours adoration upon a young man. Later, a woman becomes the object of the poet’s desire. The two lovers are often used to breakdown the Shakespeare sonnets into chunks. The Fair Youth Sonnets:  Sonnets 1 to 126 are addressed to a young man known as the â€Å"fair youth†. Exactly what the relationship is, is unclear. Is it a loving friendship or something more? Is the poet’s love reciprocated? Or is it simply an infatuation? You can read more about this relationship in our introduction to the Fair Youth Sonnets.The Dark Lady Sonnets:  Suddenly, between sonnets 127 and 152, a woman enters the story and becomes the poet’s muse. She is described as a â€Å"dark lady† with unconventional beauty. This relationship is perhaps even more complex than the Faith Youth’s! Despite his infatuation, the poet describes her as â€Å"evil† and like a â€Å"bad angel†. You can read more about this relationship in our introduction to the  Dark Lady Sonnets.The Greek Sonnets:  The final two sonnets in the collection, sonnets 153 and 154, are completely different. The lovers disappear and the poet muses on the Roma n myth of Cupid. These sonnets act as a conclusion or summing up to the themes discussed throughout the sonnets. Literary Importance It is difficult to appreciate today how important Shakespeare’s sonnets were. At the time of writing, the Petrarchan sonnet form was extremely popular †¦ and predictable! They focused on unobtainable love in a very conventional way, but Shakespeare’s sonnets managed to stretch the strictly-obeyed conventions of sonnet writing into new areas. For example, Shakespeare’s depiction of love is far from courtly – it is complex, earthy and sometimes controversial: he plays with gender roles, love and evil are closely entwined and he speaks openly about sex. For example, the sexual reference that opens sonnet 129 is clear: The expense of spirit in a waste of shameIs lust in action: and till action, lust. In Shakespeare’s time, this was a revolutionary way of discussing love! Shakespeare, therefore, paved the way for modern romantic poetry. The sonnets remained relatively unpopular until Romanticism really kicked in during the nineteenth century. It was then that the Shakespeare sonnets were revisited and their literary importance secured.

Understanding the Cash Nexus in History and Today

Understanding the Cash Nexus in History and Today Cash nexus is a phrase that refers to  the depersonalized relationship that exists between employers and employees in a capitalist society. It was coined by Thomas Carlyle, a nineteenth-century Scottish historian, but is often erroneously attributed to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It was, however, Marx and Engels who popularized the concept in their writings and fueled use of the phrase within the fields of political economy and sociology. Overview Cash nexus is a phrase and concept that became associated with the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels because it perfectly encapsulates their thinking about the alienating nature of the relations of production within a capitalist economy. While Marx critiqued the social and political impacts of capitalism at length in all of his works, in particular in  Capital, Volume 1, it is within  The Communist Manifesto  (1848), jointly written by Marx and Engels, that one finds the most referenced passage relating to term. The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his â€Å"natural superiors†, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous â€Å"cash payment†. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious  fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom – Free Trade. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation. A nexus, simply put, is a connection between things. In the passage quoted above, Marx and Engels argue that in the interest of profit, the bourgeoisiethe ruling class during the epoch of classical capitalismhad stripped away any and all connections between people except for cash payment. What they refer to here is the commodification of labor, whereby the labor of workers is effectively sold and bold on the capitalist market. Marx and Engels suggested that the commodification of labor makes workers interchangeable, and leads to workers being viewed as things rather than people. This condition further leads to commodity fetishism, wherein relations between peopleworkers and employersare viewed and understood as between thingsmoney and labor. In other words, the cash nexus has a dehumanizing power. This mindset on the part of the bourgeoisie, or among todays managers, owners, CEOs, and shareholders is a dangerous and destructive one that fosters the extreme exploitation of workers in the pursuit of profit across all industries, locally and around the world. The Cash Nexus Today The effect of the cash nexus on the lives of workers around the world has only intensified in the more than a hundred years since Marx and Engels wrote about this phenomenon. This has happened because controls on the capitalist market, including protections for workers, have been progressively dismantled since the 1960s. The removal of national barriers to relations of production which ushered in global capitalism was and continues to be disastrous for workers. Workers in the U.S. and other Western nations saw production jobs disappear because corporations were freed to pursue cheaper labor overseas. And beyond the Western world, in places like China, Southeast Asia, and India, where most of our goods are made, workers are forced to accept poverty-level wages and dangerous working conditions because, like commodities, those who run the system view them as easily replaceable. The conditions faced by workers throughout Apples supply chain are a case-in-point. Though the company preaches values of progress and togetherness, it is ultimately the cash nexus that determines its impact on workers of the world. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Pro and Con about gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pro and Con about gun control - Essay Example Such a flexibility of the legislative framework of all American states is accounted for the peculiarities of the changing dangerous situation of the U.S. citizens who over and over again suffer from the lack of arms trafficking control on both markets, official and underworld ones. The issue is that numerous pros and cons of weapon possession as well as the interdependent amount of crime have significant differences standing on each specific case of different America’s states, which have a bit or radically varying laws of gun control. So let’s study and consider what for and against arguments can serve for the critical solicitude of the Americans’ status as a shooting nation in relation to its own safety. It is firstly necessary to explain that the issue of gun control manifests its relevancy through the increasing number of murders, rapes, robberies, different incidents on the back of weapon possessing by everyone from adults with mental health through dropouts to children and adolescents with divergent response to possible acts of aggression or other reasons for gun use. This applies especially to the fact that â€Å"†¦as the gun ownership rises, so does the gun homicide rate. More guns mean more gun deaths† (Harmon, 2013). Really, weapon ownership increases the risk of being killed. For that matter America’s case is extremely screaming for its almost hundred-per-cent national possession of any type of arms. â€Å"Overall, 46 percent of gun owners own some kind of gun primarily for protection against crime. The figure is 41 percent for males, and 67 percent for females† (Cook, & Ludwig, 2008). These data can confirm a greater anxiety for their safety among women, whereas in contrast men are those who much more likely to pull the trigger (according to statistics). So the primarily reason of carrying-weapons is self-defense. They say weapon doesn’t

Great Pyramids of Giza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Great Pyramids of Giza - Essay Example ructures have also been a great wonder as no building has been known to maintain such good condition after a long period despite the harsh weather conditions that the desert has subjected them to. None of these pyramids are more spectacular than the Great Pyramids of Giza located in an archeological site based on the outskirts of Cairo. These are made up of three pyramids that are located in close proximity with one another and next to another architectural wonder known as The Great Sphinx. There are a number of cemeteries and they are one of the most admired archeological sites in the world (Lorenzi). The pyramids are located around 5 miles from the town of Giza and thus the origin of its name. It has served as a symbol of ancient Egyptian prowess and is the only remaining ancient world wonders in existence making it the oldest of them all. The great pyramids of Giza can be referred to as a complex due to the close proximity of the three pyramids although it should be noted that there are different pyramids belonging to three different people, each with its own uniqueness (Ask Aladdin). Despite how they may look from afar, the pyramids are actually different in size with Pyramid of Khufu, otherwise known as the Great Pyramid the largest in size followed by the Pyramid of Khafre and lastly the Pyramid of Menkaure, which can be said to be modest in comparison to others in terms of size (Shafer & Dieter 41). The pyramids are located within a few 100 miles from one another, but from afar that distance looks much smaller due to the size of the structures (Hawass). As a matter of fact, one might actually get the impression that they are quite close even up to a few centimeters apart if they are far enough from the archeological discoveries. The great sphinx is believed to belong to the pyramid of Khafres as the monument was supposedly erected in his honor. The pyramid of Khufu which is the largest of the three pyramids is a complex that included a valley temple

Societal Perception Of Foreign Business In Nigeria Dissertation - 1

Societal Perception Of Foreign Business In Nigeria - Dissertation Example Such permission can only be granted by the local communities like the Ogoni. The social perceptions towards the foreign companies operating in Nigeria deteriorated as communities became displaced and their resources forcefully are taken to accommodate the oil fields. The societal perceptions of the oil-led development in many countries have many consequences. Some of these consequences include slow growth, inequality, and unemployment. Countries that depend on oil production are characterized by poor governance, high rates of corruption and high instances of conflict. This has added to the notion that foreign companies are exploitive and unfriendly. Norway has used the benefits of North Sea petroleum to develop its economy. Nigeria and Angola have been suffering from poor management of the same resource. In Nigeria, the disparity between poverty and oil wealth is notable (Parker 2006). The same trend has been observed in Venezuela. Foreign companies like Shell-BP for partnerships with domestic elites with an aim of protecting their interests. The multinational has been blamed for the inequalities created by the oil-led development. In the Niger Delta region, exploration began in 1958. The compensation of the land acquisition in the delta region has aided only a small group of people (Apter 2005). The environment and the local economy remain devastated. Gas flaring has permanently destroyed food crops and the only source of livelihoods for the local communities (Parker 2006). Barren farmlands and destruction of drinking water have created tensions between the local communities and the foreign mining companies. Thousands of villagers have been killed through explosions and raptures.

The importance of scientific research (Quantitative Methods) Essay

The importance of scientific research (Quantitative Methods) - Essay Example Fabrication occurs whÐ µn sciÐ µntific rÐ µsÐ µarch is not Ð µmpirically groundÐ µd, and thÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µarch writÐ µr or sciÐ µntists tampÐ µr with Ð µvidÐ µncÐ µ, procÐ µdurÐ µs, or rÐ µsults in a way that Ð µithÐ µr provÐ µs or disprovÐ µs thÐ µir hypothÐ µsis artificially. FabricatÐ µd rÐ µsults, for Ð µxamplÐ µ, may Ð µxaggÐ µratÐ µ or changÐ µ cÐ µrtain variablÐ µs, just to support thÐ µ Ð µnd rÐ µsult as a form of rÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µr bias which is prÐ µdÐ µtÐ µrminÐ µd ahÐ µad of timÐ µ. Through history, pÐ µoplÐ µ havÐ µ triÐ µd to cut down on fabricatÐ µd rÐ µsÐ µarch. ThÐ µ sciÐ µntific mÐ µthod has bÐ µcomÐ µ morÐ µ and morÐ µ rigorous to cut out on Ð µxtranÐ µous rÐ µsÐ µarch. Original rÐ µsÐ µarch usÐ µs quantitativÐ µ or qualitativÐ µ mÐ µthods. OftÐ µn, thÐ µ population thÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µarch wants to draw conclusions about may bÐ µ a fairly standard population in tÐ µrms of incomÐ µ, Ð µtc., but bas ic dÐ µmographic information will bÐ µ rÐ µquirÐ µd. SincÐ µ sÐ µlf rÐ µport may bÐ µ bÐ µing usÐ µd, Ð µthical problÐ µms sÐ µÃ µm to bÐ µ limitÐ µd. HowÐ µvÐ µr, original rÐ µsÐ µarch oftÐ µn brings inhÐ µrÐ µnt limitations to a mÐ µthodology. ... sciÐ µntific mÐ µrit in quantitativÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µarch?   OvÐ µrall thÐ µrÐ µ arÐ µ many diffÐ µrÐ µnt facÐ µts of mÐ µthodology that can bÐ µ appliÐ µd to an Ð µxpÐ µrimÐ µntal dÐ µsign. This is a gÐ µnÐ µralization that can bÐ µ madÐ µ about thÐ µsÐ µ diffÐ µrÐ µnt typÐ µs of dÐ µsigns, which havÐ µ thÐ µir rÐ µspÐ µctivÐ µ advantagÐ µs and disadvantagÐ µs. SurvÐ µys and Ð µxpÐ µrimÐ µnts arÐ µ Ð µxamplÐ µs of fixÐ µd rÐ µsÐ µarch dÐ µsigns, which arÐ µ morÐ µ quantitativÐ µ than qualitativÐ µ and havÐ µ morÐ µ aspÐ µcts of this typÐ µ of thÐ µory. QuantitativÐ µ studiÐ µs such as thÐ µ onÐ µ outlinÐ µd in thÐ µ currÐ µnt rÐ µport’s mÐ µthodology tÐ µnd to rÐ µly on hard data and statistics that can providÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µralizablÐ µ rÐ µsults about a population, whÐ µrÐ µas qualitativÐ µ studiÐ µs could bÐ µ morÐ µ of a casÐ µ Ð µxamplÐ µ or subjÐ µctivÐ µ viÐ µwpoint. As thÐ µ Ð µxtant litÐ µr aturÐ µ statÐ µs about thÐ µ diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn fixÐ µd and flÐ µxiblÐ µ dÐ µsigns, â€Å"FlÐ µxiblÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µarch dÐ µsigns arÐ µ much morÐ µ difficult to pin down than fixÐ µd dÐ µsigns. This is in part bÐ µcausÐ µ it is only in rÐ µcÐ µnt yÐ µars that rÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µrs havÐ µ givÐ µn considÐ µration to thÐ µ dÐ µsign issuÐ µs which thÐ µy raisÐ µ. PrÐ µviously thÐ µrÐ µ had bÐ µÃ µn a tradition in thÐ µ disciplinÐ µs of social anthropology of an apprÐ µnticÐ µship modÐ µl† (Robson, 2003). If qualitativÐ µ dÐ µsign havÐ µ lÐ µss history bÐ µhind thÐ µm in thÐ µ litÐ µraturÐ µ on thÐ µ subjÐ µct it might bÐ µ an indication that thÐ µy arÐ µ not nÐ µcÐ µssarily as Ð µffÐ µctivÐ µ. ThÐ µn again, this could just bÐ µ thÐ µ rÐ µsult of a dÐ µarth of intÐ µrÐ µst in rÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µrs rÐ µgarding this subjÐ µct, or could bÐ µ a projÐ µction of thÐ µ individual authors. GÐ µnÐ µrally fl Ð µxiblÐ µ dÐ µsigns offÐ µr bÐ µnÐ µfits to rÐ µsÐ µarch that is willing to changÐ µ as nÐ µw variablÐ µs comÐ µ up throughout thÐ µ procÐ µss, whÐ µrÐ µas fixÐ µd or

Health communication theory application paper Essay

Health communication theory application paper - Essay Example As suggested by estimates, billions of dollars are wasted due to the unnecessary medical procedures every year. Nine major groups of physicians have identified 45 medical procedures and tests that are recommended by doctors regularly but they have been proved to have no benefit for the majority of the patients, and at times such medical procedures can also prove to be detrimental for the medical condition of the patients. The article refers to an article by Dr. Howard Brody that sheds light upon the ethical issues in health care. Such articles help bring awareness among the patients which is one of the aspects of the article titled ‘Technology as the Representative Anecdote in Popular Discourse of Health and Medicine’ by Lynn M. Harter and Phyllis M. Japp. Technology, specifically mass media, plays an important role in making the patients aware regarding the medical procedures. According to Dr. Brody, one of the reasons behind the rising health care costs is that medical groups are not actively trying to bring the health care costs down and they are more concerned about keeping the incomes of the doctors too high. The article further suggests that medical groups should develop lists of medical procedures and treatments that have not proven to be beneficial in the process of diagnosis. The elimination of such tests and treatments will help in cutting down the health care costs without causing any deprivation of the medical benefits to the patient. Some of the specialty groups that were included in the list of the groups that used unnecessary medical procedures were; oncology, cardiology, radiology and primary care. Some of the tests and treatments that were proposed to be eliminated were; brain imaging scans after fainting, antibiotics for uncomplicated sinus infections, cardiac stress tests for annual checkups in patients who do not show any symptoms regar ding any cardiac problem, bone scans for early breast and prostate cancer patients who have low

Discuss transcultural nursing in relation to case management in the Research Paper

Discuss transcultural nursing in relation to case management in the substance abuse hispanic client - Research Paper Example All the hospital practitioners and nurses ought to recognize that diversity does exist among patients including members of the healthcare team (Powell & Tahan, 2010). This paper discusses the trans-cultural nursing that relates to treatment of substance abuse among the Hispanic population. The discussion will address the substance use problem and its consequences among the Hispanic population Hispanic Population Hispanics involves the largest minority group in the United States with a percentage of 14.2. They comprise young people with 40 percent under the age of 21 years. In addition, they have a proportionately low-income level with 23 percent living under the poverty line. They also have a low level of educational attainments with many of them not finishing high school. The Hispanic growth rate constitutes 3.6 percent per year. Therefore, the Hispanic population is young, rapidly growing ethnic and cultural group in the United States. The growing population is due to the relative youth and the high birth rates including the immigration (Easterby et al., 2012). The phenomenon of drinking might be because of strict cultural sanctions against drinking by women, which is typical in the entire Latin America. Much research shows that there is the preservation of cultural norms of the countries of their origins, and hence, they resist the pressure to engage in the substance use. The patterns of substance abuse amongst the Hispanics might have the influence of acculturation and the countries of origin. In fact, one of the studies based on the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey demonstrates that substance abuse amongst the Hispanics increased with acculturation. On the other hand, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration gives information on the treatment completion, treatment stay and the discharge demographics. Furthermore, the primary substance of abuse varies according to the Hispanic origin, with the Puerto Rican and the Cuban- American women reported being opiate users while the Mexican-American women were more methamphetamine users (O. Doody & C. Doody, 2012). Case Management Case management approaches might be quite useful in having control of substance abuse, for instance, in older women of the Hispanic population. One can observe the alcohol dependency in older women when they are present at an acute care medical setting with such complaints as memory loss and chronic pain among other signs exacerbated by alcohol. The signs should not be for normal consequences of aging. When such occurs, it calls for intervention and discussion of abstinence including the treatment options. The nurse should facilitate treatment, which is respectful, supportive and non-confrontational. The providers should gather the personal information of the client from family members, clergy, and neighbors. The nurse should be direct and honest and should manage to explain that assistance is quite available, and the family member should assist her in communicating when he or she is from a different culture. In managing the case, well-coordinated approaches that deal with the abuse treatment for Hispanic older women should include an interdisciplinary treatment team with the family involved in a plan of individualized support services. The providers sh

Health communication theory application paper Essay

Health communication theory application paper - Essay Example As suggested by estimates, billions of dollars are wasted due to the unnecessary medical procedures every year. Nine major groups of physicians have identified 45 medical procedures and tests that are recommended by doctors regularly but they have been proved to have no benefit for the majority of the patients, and at times such medical procedures can also prove to be detrimental for the medical condition of the patients. The article refers to an article by Dr. Howard Brody that sheds light upon the ethical issues in health care. Such articles help bring awareness among the patients which is one of the aspects of the article titled ‘Technology as the Representative Anecdote in Popular Discourse of Health and Medicine’ by Lynn M. Harter and Phyllis M. Japp. Technology, specifically mass media, plays an important role in making the patients aware regarding the medical procedures. According to Dr. Brody, one of the reasons behind the rising health care costs is that medical groups are not actively trying to bring the health care costs down and they are more concerned about keeping the incomes of the doctors too high. The article further suggests that medical groups should develop lists of medical procedures and treatments that have not proven to be beneficial in the process of diagnosis. The elimination of such tests and treatments will help in cutting down the health care costs without causing any deprivation of the medical benefits to the patient. Some of the specialty groups that were included in the list of the groups that used unnecessary medical procedures were; oncology, cardiology, radiology and primary care. Some of the tests and treatments that were proposed to be eliminated were; brain imaging scans after fainting, antibiotics for uncomplicated sinus infections, cardiac stress tests for annual checkups in patients who do not show any symptoms regar ding any cardiac problem, bone scans for early breast and prostate cancer patients who have low

Human smoke by nicholson baker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human smoke by nicholson baker - Essay Example The book ends in 1941. The aim of this paper is to produce a summary of the book that records a timeline in the world history for about fifty years. Human Smoke talks about almost every country that was involved in wars of the early twentieth century in one way or the other. The book also talked about the stories of people that played active roles in the two world wars. From the likes of Winston Churchill, a well-known figure to the likes of Jeanette Rankin (Montana legislator), whose impact in the US declaration of war against Germany in the First World War seem to have been forgotten. Human Smoke explained that Jeannette Rankin was the only legislator in the United States House of Representative that voted against the participation of the US forces in the First World War and she was also the only legislator that voted against the Second World War. The book also discussed the roles played by people like Theodore Kaufman and Henry Emerson Fosdick during the war. Kaufman was a ticket seller at Brooklyn that wrote a tract on the purification of Germany, while Fosdick was an advocate for war that later turned to be an advocate for peace (pacifist) (Baker). Baker tried to work on the intellect of the readers by presenting readers with data, thus causing them to draw inferences from these data. Baker is not explicit in the presentation of his argument and the implication of this is that readers would have to draw conclusions from some of his implicit statements. Baker actually gave an outstanding account of the events of these world wars in a way that it has not been given before by any historian and this is actually what distinguishes the book from other works. The unique thing about the book is that it is more like a dedication to the British and American pacifists that stood against the war. Baker explains that these pacifists tried to restore peace to the world by resolving the differences between Japan and the United States of America. They also tried to

Reign of God Essay Example for Free

Reign of God Essay I have read chapter three in Reign of God in its entirety. In chapter 3, it described about God’s character and the basis of God’s kingdom. Everyone knows that the father of Jesus Christ is God. And God has relation to Jesus identifies him as God to us. So if we want to know God, we need to go to Jesus first. To summarize what is the most important statement in the Bible is â€Å" God is love. † Love is the first and the last word in the biblical portrait of God. Some people may think that love is the most difficult things to learn in our entire life. But God had already told us what love is though the bible. Love is the essence of God’s nature. Love is what it means to be God. To the english word â€Å"love† ,it covers an enormous range of meaning. We use love to describe our attitude toward everything from our favourite food, people that important to us and also things that we treasure. Nowadays, we use love and we say it with no any condition. But is there anyone can able to be uncondition to love others? Maybe yes, but I can sure about that, there are only a few amount of human in the world. However, God can. He love the world that he gave his one and only son to us. This is how God showed his love amoung us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he oved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins† (1 John 4:9-10). God’s love is very powerful and tenacious. It is powerful enough to let him forgive our sins. People often wonder how the same being can be at once a compassionate, forgiving parent and a stern judge og evildoers. Since God’s love is unconditional, so he can accept our sins and give a second chance to amend ourselves.

Review Of Three Movies: Trainspotting, Ferris Buellers Day Off And Ju :: essays research papers

Review Of Three Movies: Trainspotting, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Jurassic Park Trainspotting Trainspotting is a drop-dead look at a dead-end lifestyle. Set among the junkies and thugs of Edinburgh's slums and made by (director Danny Boyle, writer John Hodge, producer Andrew Macdonald) that created "Shallow Grave," "Trainspotting" caused a sensation in Britain, where it took in more money than any U.K. film except "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and ignited strong controversy over its attitude toward heroin. Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), the film's narrator, unleashes an overpowering verbal torrent that gets things off to an aggressive start. "Choose life," Renton insists in voice-over as store detectives chase after him for shoplifting. "Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a [beep] big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-income mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. . . . "But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life: I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?" It is very difficult to resist the film's great energy. "Trainspotting's" subject matter is raw and raunchy, including AIDS, overdoses and violence as well as obscene situations described in unprintable language. This is a film that makes you laugh of things that can in no way be described as funny. How is this possible? In the film's signature scene, where Renton, in search of some lost opium suppositories, dives head-first into "the filthiest toilet in Scotland" and emerges in a sublime and spacious undersea world. And despite Renton's celebrated saying on the pleasures of heroin, boasting, "Take the best orgasm you ever had, multiply it by a thousand and you're still nowhere near it," "Trainspotting" is only interested in drugs because its characters are. Most feeble of the characters is the glasses-wearing Spud (Ewen Bremner). Most devious is Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), who knows all there is to know about Sean Connery. Most innocent is Tommy (Kevin McKidd), whose insistence on telling the truth no matter what is viewed as a fatal weakness. And most dangerous is the beer-drinking, heroin-hating psychopath Begbie (Robert Carlyle).. Some of the funniest parts include Renton's sudden passion for the mysterious Diane (Kelly Macdonald) and Tommy's attempt to get the boys interested in the outdoors, which leads to Renton's "I hate being Scottish" tirade, which ends: "Some people hate the English, but I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers.

Pneumatic Tyre Characteristics :: essays research papers

Introduction The purpose of this technical report is to communicate the results of the Pneumatic Tyre Characteristics laboratory by investigating the effect of cornering force on slip angle. The technical report is presented to the academic staff of the Engineering Systems Department at the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham. It is assumed that the reader is fully familiar with the experiment and with the equipment on which it is preformed. Experimental Conditions †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For this particular experiment the gain of the output for the strain gauges are set to 1 as 0 to 8 degrees slip angle is been measured. If smaller angles are measured a larger gain may be required. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The total displacement of the trolley that runs along the track is approximately 2.17 meters. However, this may slightly vary in the results, especially with higher slip angles due to the reaction force acting on the reversible hydraulic motor that drives the track. For consistency the corresponding point for each distance is taken in the results. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The current details and condition of the tested tyre are given. - Manufacture: Avon. - Dimension: 710 / 22.0 – 13. - Condition: Generally worn all around with patches of the tyre (approximately 60mm in diameter) in worse condition on the inside of the wheel. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tyre was tested at 14, 16 and 18 psi pressure. For each test at each angle increment the air valve is pointing downwards purely for consistency as the tyres circumference may vary. The increments for each test are as follows. - 0 – 5 degrees in 0.25 degree increments. - 5 – 8 degrees in 0.5 degree increments. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The experimental equipment is set to output 1000 points of displacement and side force. The computer capture rate is set to 50Hz and a total run time of 20sec †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Final experimental conditions that should be mentioned include: - Before the conduction of the experiment the camber of the wheel should be checked and adjusted to zero degrees. - The track is manufactured to have a sand paper surface. This is important to exert a sufficient side force on the tyre and is in good condition. - For each experiment, initially slip pads are used under the wheel as the mechanical mechanism used to apply the vertical force is applied at a radius and therefore would give an unwanted offset. - A constant vertical load of 1.5kN is applied to the tyre. This load is kept consistent by a mechanism which includes a beam and counter balance weights.

Best Buy Essay

Best Buy is one of the world’s largest multinational consumer electronics retailers with stores in Canada, China, United States and Mexico. Richard M. Schulze and Gary Smoliak founded Best Buy in 1966, but it was established as a company in 1983. The company’s stores offer video products, audio products, musical instruments, mobile electronics, home & office products, and networking equipment as well; it also provides service contracts, warranties and repair services; therefore, it operates as a retail store, online retail and call center. Best buy has been facing the increase in competition from online retailers and discount stores however the company has been reorganizing its e-commerce offerings and making other site upgrades. An effective communication is important for managers in the organization so that they can perform their jobs and responsibilities. A manager would need the basic functions of management that are planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Customers turn to Best Buy for purchases and answers to their technology questions; this company gives their clients the opportunity to communicate, learn with all different benefits that Best Buy has to offer. Today, we have become more dependent on technology. We live in a society that is called â€Å"technologically civilized†, meaning that every small work we do, is technology dependent. Every person is carrying a device or gadget that is technically advanced. Ultimately we can say that in this technical world of today, we are much dependent on technology. Gadgets make it easier for communication to take place when someone needs to reach out to other people in different countries. We also use technology to work, purchase things online and basically do almost everything. As a company, Best Buy strives to reach out to their local community to provide new and creative programs to serve the community. Best Buy will train their employees to educate shoppers on hand held devices and walk them through purchase and activation. In the customer support section, shoppers can ask Best Buy employees what they can do when something goes wrong with a hand held device, as when the screen breaks. Marketing strategic plans Best Buy is one of the largest specialty retailers in the United States. It is the 10th largest online retailer in the U.S and Canada and it is also number one in customer service. All employees are committed to helping deliver the technology solutions that provide knowledge, values, and ideas whether online, via mobile device or in stores. It also provides variety of services which makes them one of the leading retail and consumer merchandise companies. With each visit, Best Buy offers the customers an inviting and inspiring experience. Best Buy sets high-quality standards of communication and uses different marketing strategies to reach the public. It appeals to a diverse public and makes sure whoever enters their stores, feels comfortable enough to approach one of our employees when they need help. Best Buy’s communication aims to build a reputation with best quality brand and service. Best Buy sells a wide variety of products that appeal to all ages and gender types. They are an electronic store that sells DVDs, CDs, video games, iPod and mp3 music, phones and TVs. There is a music section that appeals to musicians, where you can get music albums and musical instruments. You can find phone sections for those who need or would like to have the latest phones. You can also pick up a computer or laptop for personal use or work. Television lovers have a big section as well. Best Buy has a lot more to offer for the younger audience, there are toys and video games. For the older audience there are appliances, suc h as TVs, home theater systems, car accessories, office supplies and more. Overall Best Buy target audience is not specific due to their variety of products. Best Buy’s  target market is the general consumer; the one that continuously visits their stores and that are satisfied with their product quality. In order to get a hold of their customers, Best Buy mostly advertises the latest phones, such as the Apple iPhone, and Samsung’s Galaxy. Phones are an everyday necessity and Best Buy has made it their main product to advertise. There are seasonal promotions where Best Buy has summer sales for back to school and Christmas sales for the winter. Best Buy takes a hold of their customers by doing this. Customer loyalty is not a problem due to their variety of product. Customer loyalty programs/Customer Service Best Buy has different strategies to keep customers coming back and buying their products. When school is back in session, usually around August 1st they commence their back to school deals on electronics such as laptops, tablets, cameras, phones, TVs and any other sort of devices students need or like to buy, which is their way of getting people’s attention by lowering the prices of their favorite electronics. Best Buy’s slogan on the back to school deal is â€Å"Deal today. Gone tomorrow. Limited quantities.† They have free in-store pick up, which will allow the customers to pick it up at the store, avoiding shipping and delivery charges. Aside from having back to school deals, Best Buy works on developing customer loyalty by having the lower price guarantee, which is finding a lower price and matching it. The way it works is if the customer finds an item at local competitor retail store or Mayor Company online with a lower price than Best Buy, they will do their best to match that price, both in stores and online. It is their way of keeping the customers committed to their stores and to keep them from buying an item at another store. â€Å"Deal of the day† is also a method used to keep customers engaged and to improve customer-driven service quality. Best Buy puts popular items up for sale. They have weekly offers, texts alerts and emails to alert you when there’s a sale going on and customers will have the chance to buy quality items at a more reasonable price. When you order online, they have free standard shipping on sale items and no minimum purchase required. These deals improve customer loyalty an d customer satisfaction. Product Quality and prices When you want to buy an electronic, the first place you think of is Best Buy. You look for Best Buy because is a familiar place and you trust that you can get a quality product along with great prices. They have owned up to their image by building up to customer loyalty along with customer satisfaction and customer engagement. With the merging of different operating systems all in one place, Best Buy promises the latest devices and services, knowledgeable employees, impartial advice, competitive prices, ability to shop online as well as in stores and support for the life of the products. In order to keep those promises, Best Buy offers a variety of exclusive services to make the most of the mobile technology. They have upgrade checker, where buyers are able to know whether or not they are eligible for a new phone. They also have a program called â€Å"trade-in† where customers trade in their mobile phone and in return they get a $200 Best Buy gift card. The â€Å"Geek Squad protection† is a service that Best Buy provides from within the store. They have a section with letters written on top spelling out â€Å"Geek Squad† in orange, black and white. Their slogan is, â€Å"Go ahead. Use us.† It covers accidental damage from handling battery replacement to repairing electronics. They also have an app that customers can access the Geek Squad and get protection benefits. Best Buy also offers phone activation and transfer all of your contacts to your new phone. They call it the â€Å"walk out working† program. They can set up your phone as soon as you buy it and will throw in a Bluetooth set up. And to ensure that you get the best service, they offer a Best Buy rewards card. You pay no interest and you are able to earn rewards as long as you use it. As for product prices, best buy has the most popular operating system, all in one store. They sell the Windows Phone, Blackberry products, iPhone products, Android products, Bose electronics, Beats products, and many more. Prices range from $49.00 to $ 399.99 for phones. And that’s including new phones. They put newer phones at a lower price when the customer signs a service contract. The lower prices help lure the customers in the store, resulting in greater revenue. SWOT Best Buy specializes in consumer electronics, home office products, entertainment software and household appliances, therefore is one of the largest specialty retailers, providing a diverse customer service. Best Buy gives a major importance to the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) that the company may face. Some of the strengths are that it operates more than 1,150 stores in the United States and abroad. Its revenues are $16.26 billion and profit of $651 million. It also leads U.S retailer offering a wide market mix of services in computers, televisions, tablets and cameras. The weaknesses of the company are primary reducing prices to match competitors, it established image as a lower quality retailer and some impacts from the past of class action lawsuit. The opportunities for Best Buy are primarily to grow in sales of mobile phones and tablets, extended store hours, hiring highly trained sales consultants so that they can assist with technical issues, improving inventory management through long term relation with supplier, as well as outsourcing items to China which will lower production costs. The threats that Best Buy encounter are the online and retail competitors. Its current competitors are Staples, Office Depot, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam’s club and Amazon. Another threat would be the pressure to reduce prices because of the competitors and rising labor wages. Competitors around 5th Ave Store Its competitors around 5th Ave store (between 43rd St and 44th St) are H and B Digital (located on 46th St between 5th Ave and 6th Ave), RadioShack (located on 42nd St between Madison Ave and Park Ave), and Barnetts Computer Warehouse (located on 5th Ave between 38th St and 39th St). Other than these, there are many electronics retailers on 5th Ave within 10 blocks from 36th St to 46th St all of which have its own competitive advantages to survive in this area. For example, RadioShack retails a wide range of products, from cables to cameras. They offer technology products, accessories, mobile devices, and power supplies. Therefore, competition in this area is also intensive, as many competitors that have their own competitive advantages and strengths surround the store. Competitors in general Major competitors for Best Buy CO., Inc. are Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Dell Inc., RadioShack Corp., Target Corp., etc. The leader of this market is Wal-Mart Stores, which has 252.14 billion market capitalizations. Wal-Mart’s strengths are that large scale of operation and word-wide, which is 3,615 stores in all over the world, and low cost performance. RadioShack Corp. also has 4,453 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, according to its official web site. Therefore, the electronic retailing market has very intensive competition. How Best Buy survives in this competition is that they have their original loyalty program, which is called â€Å"Reward Zone†. With this program, customers get 1 point for every $1 spending on purchase at Best Buy stores and 250 points is going to be $5 reward certificate. They also e-mail customers when the reward certificates are available. The customers print their reward certificates online or access it with Reward Zone mobile app. Overall Appearance Upon walking into a Best Buy, one can notice the effort they go into keeping their store looking presentable at all times. Not much seems out of place when considering the overall appearance and sanitation of the store, with the few exceptions of items out of place because of customers themselves placing merchandise on the wrong shelf when the item is not needed. This is definitely a place where one can feel comfortable shopping because of its clean and organized environment. When it comes to talking about controversies, Best Buy is no stranger to the issue. Connecticut State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating Best Buy after it was discovered that some locations throughout the country were using a secret website identical to the public website that everyone can access through www.bestbuy.com, to deny customers of the advertised prices when shopping at the locations. Essentially customers would search for deals on their website and decide what they wanted to buy howe ver; when they arrived at the store to buy the item they were denied the price when a store associate would show them a different price on their secret website. The website looked the same as the public one, but only store associates had access to it, with which they could manipulate customers into paying the higher price. It was also found that locations in New Jersey and Ohio were selling used merchandise as new when they would repackage it, as well as not fulfilling customer  rebates. Controversies such as this show an unprecedented market unfairness not often seen with a major U.S. retailer such as Best Buy. One would think a company as big and with so few competitors such as Best Buy would stray away from bad business practices, but the reality is different. Reflections It is interesting how much we, as a collective team, have learned about Best Buy over the course of our many visits, interviews and research. We have come to the conclusion that Best Buy truly is a force to be reckoned with when talking about electronics. From the customer service, their loyalty programs, variety of products, and down to their reasonable prices. As a group we understand the value of these great qualities, and despite the controversies, we stand as loyal customers to this great brand. Best Buy is a great place to shop for electronics. They have several quality brands customers can chose from. Their products are not an issue in this organization, something they should focus is on is their service. New customers walk in and do not immediately know where everything is. In order fix this issue Best Buy should have a staff member that greets the customers and ask if they need any assistance such as help with looking for a certain brand and product, information on current sales and who to speak with in case of any questions on a product. Cleanliness is not a major issue with the stores, but customers sometimes look through the store items and don’t replace them where they belong so staff should improve on their cleanliness and organization of the items. Recently one of our teammates bought a computer to Best Buy, and being an existing customer she expected to receive good service; however she notices that most of the employees did not help each other and there was a long line at the cashier. No one wanted to help until one employee came up to her and asked her if she needed help. He had confessed to her that no one wanted to do anything because the employees found out that they were not receiving commission anymore. There was a lack of communication with employees and with customers. There were a few employees giving the service, the rest were walking around watching the game. Overall, as far as we have come to know Best Buy, we learned that it is a store with a variety of high quality products. Of course it has its flaws, but which business doesn’t? Best Buy does its best to keep their  reputation as the number one retail store, and provides the consumers with their needs and wants. Best Buy is recognized as the number one store for electronics. When you think of buying an electronic, the first store you think of is Best Buy.

Interoffice Memorandum Essay

The Tarasoff case involved a murder victim, Tatiana Tarasoff, who was killed by an alleged acquaintance Prosejit Poddar. Poddar was a client of a psychologist employed by the University of California, and during a therapy session he revealed his intent to murder Tatiana Tarasoff. The psychologist assessed Poddar as a danger and informed the campus police, and was held briefly and released. Shortly after Poddar was released he indeed murdered Tatiana. The parents of Tatiana Tarasoff, plaintiffs, sued the school, campus police, therapists and anyone else who had contact. The argument was over whether the third party had the right to be warned and had the right to be protected. The defendants maintained they owed no duty of care to the victim, and were immune from suit. The court stated that when a client presents a serious danger of violence to another there is an obligation, both legal and ethical, to use reasonable care to protect the intended victim against such danger. The therapist must take steps to determine or within their standard of profession determines the danger. This may call for the therapist to warn the intended victim or others likely to apprise the victim of the danger, to notify the police, or to take whatever other steps reasonably necessary under the circumstances. This ruling imposes a liability on all human service professionals to protect a victim from violent acts. There is a duty to protect and a duty to warn the potential third party victims to violence. This may cause implications with the confidentiality of the client-helper relationship and may also cause violent clients to avoid treatment. This indeed will change the environment for human services and confidentiality; as now helpers may need to divulge confidential information to third parties in certain circumstances. The professional necessity of keeping a client’s information private is rooted in the ethical codes as well as in statutory law. As professionals in the human services realm we also have a right to withhold confidential information in a court of law. To stay within the law and the code of ethics that govern us it is necessary to consider the situation from all points of view, develop a list of issues that represent multiple viewpoints, generate the possible decisions on whether to break client confidentiality, and what would the consequences of each decision. Each case in which the outcome of this case may implicate the duty to protect and warn, we must make sure we are addressing every avenue within a small amount of time in case of imminent danger that exists. This will be an adjustment with our client-helper relationships, and must be shared not only with each other but also shared with our clients.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 20

Dante was waiting for me when I got home. I normally liked having the company, but after being with Seth, Dante's presence now made me feel uncomfortable and confused. He didn't seem to notice right away, though, and instead was immediately caught up by Maddie's condo packet. â€Å"What's this?† he asked, leafing through some pages. â€Å"Maddie's been playing real estate agent for me.† â€Å"Wow. I didn't think you were serious about that.† I leaned back on the couch, weary from dancing, sex, and the emotional miasma I seemed to be swimming through lately. Bringing up Maddie didn't make me feel so great. â€Å"I didn't think I was either. I mentioned it offhand, and she kind of went crazy.† â€Å"Alki Beach, huh? Some of these are pretty nice.† He held up one print-out. â€Å"Brand-new condo, still being built. You can weigh in on the colors and trim.† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. I don't have time to go shopping right now.† â€Å"One of the power spots on your list is near Alki. You could swing by.† I gave him a puzzled look. â€Å"Since when are you interested in me moving?† He sat down opposite me, still looking through the listings. â€Å"Well, if you buy locally, I can rest easy that you're sticking around. Besides, get a bigger place, and we could try some cohabitation.† That caught me off-guard. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"You gave me a key. I might as well live here anyway.† â€Å"You're going to freeload off me for some more space, huh?† I teased. He sighed, looking pained. â€Å"Man, you really do think the worst. I'd pay you rent.† â€Å"With what?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Business has been good. I think things are on the upswing.† â€Å"No offense, baby, but your business doesn't seem like the type that can maintain that kind of momentum. I think this has been a fluke.† I spoke too soon and felt bad when I realized I'd hurt him. â€Å"But we can play it by ear if you want to move in. Maybe your reputation's spreading, and business will keep booming.† He seemed a little mollified after that, yet as I spoke the words, I found I wasn't overly thrilled at the prospect of us living together. I still had Seth on the brain. Obsessing on him was foolish, I knew. This fling of ours could only last a few more days at most. I shouldn't be mooning over him when I'd just be going back to Dante anyway. Dante wanted to know how my beach investigation had gone, and I welcomed the change in subject. I gave him a brief rundown of my non-progress. â€Å"You want me to look with you?† he asked. â€Å"I've finally got some time tomorrow.† I hesitated. The truth was, just before we'd parted, Seth had said he'd look with me and that he'd bring Kayla. The afterglow could be very persuasive. Still, I'd had to do a lot of convincing that she'd be safe, and honestly, I hoped I was right. â€Å"I roped some other people into it,† I said. â€Å"We should be fine.† I feared he'd question me further, particularly about whether I had a psychic to go with me or not. Mercifully, he let it go. I honestly didn't think he wanted to wander beaches and was grateful for the reprieve. When we went to bed later, there was no way I could put his arduous advances off any longer, not without raising suspicion. I'd made a good recovery and no longer had my back excuse. Yet†¦something was nagging at me. Dante himself had been the one to first joke about whether I could get pregnant in my pseudo-human state. I still didn't know if that was possible, and even if it was, would it matter if I returned to my immortal state in a few days? I had no clue how any of this would work, but Seth and I hadn't used protection. And suddenly, I realized that if there were any chance in the world that I could get pregnant-if Nyx's vision might really come true-I didn't want to chance a paternity dispute. So, I turned on the charm for Dante and went down on him again, something he didn't really seem to mind. He tried to get me off in return, but it was to no avail. After being with Seth, I had zero desire of my own and found I couldn't come. And so, for the first time with Dante, I faked it. I was a pretty good faker. He never suspected. He slept late the next morning, so I slipped out early without waking him. Seth and I were meeting over at a restaurant in Bellevue, hopefully far enough away from anyone we knew to see us. While walking to my car, I felt someone fall into step beside me. â€Å"So, I hear you're spreading stories about me,† Cedric said amiably. Startled, I glanced over at him, unease spreading through me. Cedric was my suspect du jour, and I'd already seen one demon's reaction to my theories. Of course, he didn't look particularly destructive at the moment, and there was also the fact that I had yet to tell anyone my latest theories about him implicating Nanette. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Kristin said you said that I told Nanette how you thought she might have summoned Jerome.† He paused as though trying to make sense of that. â€Å"For the record, I didn't.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"Then who did?† â€Å"Hell if I know. Just figured you should know I wasn't responsible for what happened to you.† He offered no more, no condolences or queries to my health. I honestly couldn't expect that from a demon. The fact that he'd bothered to come talk to me was a rarity enough-and naturally, he could be lying. â€Å"Well, I don't know who else could have told her, then. Or why. I only told a handful of people.† The more I thought about it, the more I realized he had to be lying. I'd only told my friends. He maintained his perfectly bland face. â€Å"Like I said, I don't know.† We reached my car, and I paused, leaning against it. â€Å"You came all the way here to tell me this?† Not that it would have been an arduous journey for him. â€Å"Don't flatter yourself,† he said with a smile. â€Å"I'm here to chat with your demonesses. Hell's pretty much ruled out Jerome coming back. There'll be someone official here in days to settle the matter.† I tried to ignore the chill that sent down my spine and parse the rest of his words. Cedric was cozying up to Grace and Mei. Not a surprise. Whoever came here to assign a new archdemon would question those two the most. â€Å"Well, thank you,† I said. I didn't really know what else to say in that matter, so I switched to something else that had been on my mind. â€Å"Hey, I haven't heard much about your cult lately.† â€Å"Yeah, they've been pretty quiet. Maybe you helped after all.† â€Å"Well, I don't think I did much.† I was also starting to suspect the cult had nothing left to do. Now that their â€Å"Angel† had used them as an effective distraction during Jerome's summoning, they were no longer needed. I clicked my door open, and another curious thought struck me. â€Å"How's it going with Tawny?† Cedric grimaced. â€Å"Well†¦we went out a couple of times.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"My private life is no concern of yours.† â€Å"Fair enough.† I started to get in. â€Å"But if you must know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused and arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Her conversation is†¦lacking a little,† he admitted. I couldn't help it. I laughed. â€Å"Are you seriously surprised by that?† â€Å"Beauty's skin deep, I know†¦I guess I'd just hoped for a little more depth.† I chose not to comment on what he considered beautiful. â€Å"Don't take this the wrong way, but I figured you wouldn't really want more than cheap sex.† He cut me a look. â€Å"Because I'm a demon?† â€Å"Don't look at me like that. Being romantic isn't really in your job description.† â€Å"True, true. But at the very least, I'd like to have a little understanding with my cheap sex. Someone who had some vague inkling of what I endure on a daily basis.† He was still being gruff and demonlike, but there was a faint whisper of something surprisingly human under there. I started to tell him that I didn't think that was very likely. Then, I thought of Kristin, Kristin who watched him with doe eyes and fretted over his well-being. â€Å"Someone who sort of gets your job and has an appreciation for its absurdity? Someone who's interested in helping you when you're stressed, in connecting with you and understanding things to an extent where you don't even have to say them anymore? Is that what you're looking for?† He snorted. â€Å"Yeah, like that'll happen.† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe there's someone out there like that.† â€Å"You may not have been human for a long time, but you still cling to their delusions. That's fairy-tale stuff. You can't have that. I can't have that. See you later.† He vanished, uncaring of any mortals who might see him. I stared vacantly at where he'd been, wondering if what he said was true. Was he missing a good match right in front of him? Or was Kristin deluding herself with her crush on him? And was I deluding myself with my feelings for Seth? Was I really feeling connected to him or was it all just lust? There was no use fretting about any of it now. Cedric didn't seem to want to kill me at the moment, so that was the best I could get. I drove over to Bellevue, just in time for the morning commute out of the city to be winding down. Bellevue was a suburb, a city in its own right, and the restaurant we'd chosen was in Bellevue's old downtown, one that had eventually been supplanted when a mall rearranged the city's trendy areas. The place was a quiet little bistro, tucked between a jewelry store and a bakery. Seth and Kayla were already there. She sat in a booster seat beside him, examining a stuffed unicorn while he leafed through a menu. Seeing both of them sent ripples of warmth and happiness through me. â€Å"Hey guys,† I said, sliding in across from them. Kayla gave me a shy smile, and Seth positively lit up. His hair was as messy as usual, and his T-shirt today advertised Trix, a cereal I'd forgotten even existed. â€Å"Thanks for doing this,† I said. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† Seth's smile grew, though I saw the tiniest bit of apprehension in his eyes. â€Å"Just so long as you're sure it's†¦you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced over at Kayla, who was groping for her glass. Seth hastily intervened to help her before she could knock it over. â€Å"It'll be easy,† I said. â€Å"Maybe even boring. We'll just walk around and look for something resembling white stone or rock.† â€Å"And Kayla can help?† I turned toward the little girl. She glanced between both of us, her blue eyes wide and eerily knowing. â€Å"I think so. Again, at this point, she just senses stuff without really understanding why. If we get anywhere near Jerome, I think she'll show some sort of reaction, even if she doesn't know what it is.† At least I hoped so. After that, we didn't mention our mission for the rest of the meal. We made small talk instead and fawned over Kayla, but it was almost something we did on autopilot, something we weren't even paying attention to. Really, Seth and I were consumed by each other. It was more than just lust too, though I certainly hoped he'd noticed my low-cut top today. I found myself just aglow from his presence. I loved being close to him, feeling the joy that spread within me. It was like falling in love again. It was that connection and understanding that Cedric had said was a fairy tale. And even when we finished up and went and scoped out our first beach, that electricity and warmth continued flowing between us. Kayla walked between us for a while, with each of us holding one of her hands. She struggled a little with the sand but seemed infinitely fascinated by the sights around her: the waves, the seagulls, other children. The rain had faded away today, and we had sunshine taunting us with the hope that spring had truly arrived. We found no white rocks, however, and Kayla had no out-of-the-ordinary reactions like she'd had with me in the past, or even with Dante. When we got to our second beach, she began slowing down, and I realized this wasn't going to be the aggressive day of hunting I'd hoped for. After a while, Seth picked her up and carried her. She managed to stay awake until we finished our search but promptly fell asleep in the car. I knew we'd have to call it a day, but we stopped off at a little caf? ¦ on the way home that served great desserts. We settled into a corner booth, Seth and me sitting side by side while I held Kayla on my lap. We decided to simply split a piece of cheesecake, and naturally, I required coffee. Kayla still leaned drowsily against me, but she'd valiantly woken up as though sensing the approach of sugar. I brushed her hair back from her face. â€Å"Hey,† I said gently. â€Å"Did you see anything magic today?† That was how she'd referred to me in the past. She shook her head and reached up to touch my cheek in a mirror of my own gesture. â€Å"When will you be magic again?† she asked. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Soon.† Seth's leg against mine was starting to stir up some illicit feelings, something I felt a little ashamed of with Kayla there. I was further startled when I glanced up at him and saw not lust in his eyes, but rather, something soft and tender. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Why are you looking at me like that?† â€Å"Because of you,† he said. â€Å"Just the way you interact with her†¦it's remarkable.† â€Å"Because I can get her to talk?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nah. More than that. I've seen it with the other girls. You have a knack with kids. You'd make a great mother.† Maddie had made the same offhand comment. I don't think Seth had ever really and truly grasped how much I'd pined for children. His words filled me with both elation and sorrow. For an instant, I considered telling him about Nyx's dream and the bizarre pregnancy theory. Those things were too fragile and too precious to me, however, and the cheesecake's serendipitous arrival saved me from further deliberation. The cheesecake was lemon raspberry, a bit adventurous for Kayla, perhaps, but she ate it without hesitation. Seth gave up on his share before us, and she and I finished it down to the last bite. â€Å"Perfect,† he mused. â€Å"I'll return her to Terry and Andrea, just in time for her the sugar rush to kick in. They'll never let her go out again.† He frowned. â€Å"Will you need her again? I think she has some kind of play-date thing tomorrow.† I sighed, and reality dimmed my golden moment. â€Å"I don't know. I'm running out of close places. I'll have to head up north next, up around Edmonds, though Dante pointed out that Jerome could be farther out-out on the Olympic Peninsula or something. The summoners would want to keep him close, but ‘close' could mean ten miles or a hundred.† â€Å"You're not going to be able to go out to the coast in an easy day trip,† observed Seth. Under the table, his hand rested on mine out of sympathy. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I squeezed his hand in return. â€Å"It'll be as it'll be, I guess.† â€Å"I still want to help if I can.† I offered him a rueful smile. â€Å"You want to help me get back to being a succubus?† His return smile was equally bittersweet. â€Å"There's no way any of this can end well, Georgina. Sometimes†¦sometimes we have to choose the lesser of evils and simply enjoy our sweet moments while we can.† Like this one. And through some shared instinct, we both fell silent, savoring this brief interlude, this dream we'd gotten ourselves ensnared in. For now, it was enough to just sit together like this. His hand moved idly on my leg, offering comfort and love†¦at least for a little while. Before long, the sweet affection turned into something with a bit more desire. I met his eyes, and while it wasn't the same animal intensity that had thrown me against the wall last night, there was still a longing in his eyes that told me how much he wanted me, to be closer to me. My body responded to it, and then we both glanced over at Kayla, who had fallen asleep again. We laughed, realizing the absurdity of our current situation. â€Å"I should get her back,† said Seth. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, sad at the thought of parting but certainly not aroused enough to make out while his niece was around. He drove me back to my car in Bellevue. Our parting kiss was gentle and light, almost hesitant. It seemed typical of this entire affair, like it was hardly real and would blow away at any moment. â€Å"Anything you need, Thetis,† he breathed into my ear. â€Å"Anything you need, I'll do it. You know I will.† A flower of agony and euphoria burst open in my chest. He hadn't called me Thetis, his old pet name for me, since the day we broke up. â€Å"I know,† I murmured into his shirt. â€Å"I know.† I returned to Queen Anne not long after that, getting a nice spot right in front of my building. My head was swimming with Seth and Kayla and Jerome and a hundred other things. I was so distracted that when I stepped into my apartment, I nearly walked right past Grace sitting on my couch. Of course, considering she was the first demon all week who hadn't attacked me the instant I cleared the door, my reaction to her subtlety was understandable. â€Å"Grace?† I asked curiously, as though maybe it wasn't her. She was leafing through a copy of Seattle Metropolitan magazine, their issue on Seattle's best brunches. When she glanced up at me, there was a tiredness in her eyes that even demonic perfection couldn't hide. Seeing her alone was almost as strange as her being here at all. I'd grown so used to her and Mei being a unit that their forced separation lately seemed almost as tragic as Jerome's summoning. â€Å"There you are,† she said. â€Å"I almost left.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I meant it. I seemed to be on her and Mei's good side lately and wanted to keep it that way. Demons didn't like waiting, and without that innate connection of an archdemon, she couldn't instantly find me across time and space. Grace gave a half-hearted shrug. â€Å"I don't mind. It's rather pleasant having a few moments' respite from all the politics and bickering.† â€Å"I can imagine.† I frowned. â€Å"No, wait. I don't think I can.† I swear, I thought for a second she might laugh, but she kept that same stone face she excelled at. â€Å"It'll all be over soon, which is why I came to see you. Mei and I have been talking to all of the other lesser immortals today. The day after tomorrow, a corporate demon named Ephraim will be making his final decision on who will replace Jerome.† A cold lump settled into my stomach. â€Å"So soon?† â€Å"Hell doesn't like to waste time and resources.† â€Å"I guess not.† â€Å"Ephraim's already in the area and may come speak to you as he attempts to assess the situation. He'll want to know about your job, how things ran under Jerome, etc.† With each word, my spirits sank further and further. My window to find Jerome was shriveling up. We were going to get a new archdemon anytime now. â€Å"Don't be afraid to speak the truth,† she advised. â€Å"I know that's often a concern among lesser immortals, for fear of causing offense.† â€Å"Something like that,† I muttered, thinking of Nanette. â€Å"Clearly, you don't want to actively anger Ephraim, but he has no affiliations with anyone currently involved in the dispute here. He won't punish you for stating your opinion.† â€Å"I'm guessing he might not listen to it either.† There it was. A tiny quirky of her lips, gone so quickly that I wasn't even sure I saw it. She rose from the sofa and absentmindedly tugged on her blazer. It was deep, deep red, paired with sleek black trousers and patent leather heels. Underneath the collar of her coat, I caught a glimpse of that same chunky necklace she'd worn at the meeting. I recalled Mei's sleeker one and couldn't resist my next words. â€Å"This may sound weird†¦but I can't help but notice you and Mei are dressing differently lately.† As soon as I said that, I hoped she wouldn't get mad at me essentially calling her and Mei copycats. Fortunately, she remained as blas? ¦ as usual. â€Å"In these times, it's wise to distinguish yourself. None of our jobs are secure right now.† I did a double-take. In all of this madness, it had never occurred to me that Grace and Mei might have something to fear. But of course they did. When Hell did re-orgs, they tended to tweak the larger structure. They could very well decide to transfer Grace and Mei and institute a whole new set of demonic leaders here. I didn't like that idea any better than losing Jerome. I wanted things to stay the same. And studying that fatigue I'd seen on Grace's face, I realized I wasn't the only one with a lot to worry about. â€Å"Well†¦for what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job. You've had to do so much clean-up and damage control, and then with all these demons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know. They'd be stupid not to recognize that.† The strangest look came over Grace's face. I would have almost called it surprise, but her careful, icy composure made it hard to say for sure. â€Å"Thank you, Georgina.† Her voice was stiff, like dealing with compliments made her uncomfortable. â€Å"I hope you'll share your feelings with Ephraim, should he speak with you.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"No problem.† After a quick glance at my kitchen clock, she turned back to me and gave a smart nod. â€Å"I have to meet with the others. I'll speak with you again soon.† She vanished, but I could offer no farewell in return. I had just seen something. Something that changed everything. I stood frozen. This whole time, for the last week, something had been percolating in my head. I'd noted Grace and Mei's dedication to their job, how they were always there to help when chaos broke out. I'd noted also how they'd been forced to split up a lot lately with the new workload, and as Grace had said, they would now probably be scrutinized individually. And why wouldn't they be? If someone was going to scout for a new demon to run Seattle, why not look at the ones who were already running it? â€Å"Oh my God,† I breathed. But there was more to it than that. It wasn't just that Grace or Mei had the perfect motive to get Jerome summoned. I had more than motive before me. I had proof. Sprinting to my bedroom, I searched frantically for the photo of Mary's medallion, certain it would be gone. Nope. It was still there, knocked off my nightstand to the floor. I picked it up. â€Å"Oh my God .† There it was. When Grace had turned her head, I'd caught a fuller glimpse of the chunky necklace and its network of brown and black stones. The answer had been right in front of me. At the Cellar meeting, I'd noticed a piece of the necklace's stonework shaped like a crescent moon. I hadn't recognized it as anything more than ornamentation, but now, comparing the photo to what I'd just seen on Grace, the truth was obvious. Grace had part of the seal. It was the left side of the medallion, separated in an irregular way to give it that fanciful crescent shape. But I'd seen the fine etchings of the symbols when she tilted her head. They were the same. It was the seal. The picture fell from my hands, and I ran back to the living room, grappling for my cell phone. My hands shook, and I could barely dial. Of course, for a second, I wasn't sure who I was dialing. Hugh, I decided. I had to tell him and the rest of my friends that- â€Å"Drop it.† A strong hand covered my mouth and jerked me backward. My back hit somebody, a tall man with a rock-solid chest. His other hand reached out and wrapped around my wrist, making the links of my watch dig in painfully. â€Å"Drop it,† he said. â€Å"I know what you saw. I saw it too. But you can't tell anyone. Not yet.† I could barely hear through the pounding of my heart in my ears, but it didn't matter. I knew this voice, knew it intimately. It had haunted my dreams-or rather, my nightmares-for the last six months. It was a sign of how truly out of it I'd been after Nanette attacked me that I hadn't recognized his voice that day. I dropped the phone. He released his grip on my wrist, and a moment later, the hand on my mouth moved away as well. Miraculously, I didn't start screaming. Slowly, slowly, I turned around, knowing exactly what I'd find. Blue-green eyes, just like the sea I'd grown up around. â€Å"Roman.†