Hispanic/Latino Culture Essay

Hispanics or Latinos are defined as a people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish speaking culture. This term â€Å"Hispanics† was created by the U. S. federal government in the early 1970’s to refer to Americans born in a Spanish speaking nation or with ancestry to Spanish territories. Hispanics people are vibrant, socializing, and fun loving people. Among various facts associated to this culture is that they have a deep sense of involvement in their family traditions and cultures. Hispanics / Latinos have strong non-verbal and verbal ways of communication. To better understand one another they overly rely the use of non-verbal communication. This includes facial expressions, hand and body movements, physical touch, voice pitch, voice sounds, and physical appearances. A Hispanic mother screaming as her child takes their first steps is a type of sound and facial expressions use to show emotion without words. A firm handshake is a common practice between people as greeting and as they leave. A hug and a light kiss on a cheek are also common greetings practices between woman, and men and woman who are close friends or family. Children are also though to practice this ways of greetings to their elders in a way to show respect. Men also hug each other in sign of affection. Making eye contact when being spoken to is also a sign of respect, especially if the person is elder. I remember if my mother was talking to me as a child and I looked away, I was in so much trouble! Non-verbal communication is very important in face-to-face communication also because it shows feelings, intentions, and reactions. In the Hispanic culture respect is highly valued and shown by using formal titles when communicating verbally. Communicating phrases are used daily like â€Å"A sus ordenes† (at your command), â€Å"para servirle a usted† (at your service), â€Å"mi reyna† (my queen), or â€Å"mi rey† ( my king). When it comes to advice, Hispanic families prefer to communicate with their elders because of their experience. For example, when one becomes sick the elder may advice a safe simple home remedy. The Hispanic culture has different values, beliefs, and traditions. Family is highly value. Family is a close-knit group and the most important social group to gather in any events or special days. The Hispanic â€Å"family unit† includes not only parents and children but also grandparents and extended family. Individuals within the family have moral responsibilities to help other members of the family experiencing financial problems, unemployment, health conditions and any other life issues. They show the importance placed upon relationship within their family extending a hand in good times and bad. Respeto y dignidad (respect and dignity) are other important values of the Hispanic culture. Children’s are taught to avoid confrontations with parents and older persons, and to be obedient and respectful. The Hispanics believe that the father is head of the family and the mother is to take care of home. Naming children after grandparents and parents is fairly common. A well-known tradition is the celebration of a fifteen year old girl called Quincenera. Hispanics culture and traditions are based around celebrating and spending time with love ones. Hispanics usually give great importance to and place great value on looks and appearance as a sense of honor, dignity, and pride. Formal attire is commonly used for going to church and all religious celebrations as well as parties, social gatherings, and work, Although this tradition seems less common in Latinos that have been in the USA for a while. Tennis shoes and jeans however are becoming more popular among Hispanic woman particularly in non-formal events. It is very important to know that most Americans who were born in or have ancestry of a Spanish speaking nation see themselves and refer to themselves by their ethnic identity. For example, they prefer usually to be referred as Cuban, Mexican, Colombian, or Puerto Rican, not as Hispanic or Latino. Being a diverse mix of many countries there is no doubt we form the most rich and unique culture growing in the USA.

How Harry Potter Changed the World

Communication paper Harry Potter When I was young, I went to school waiting all day to get back to my Super Nintendo and play Ken Griffey Jr baseball. I grew up in a world of technology and awesome gadgets and toys that left me no time to even think about reading. When I was in the 4th grade a book came out that changed my generations view on reading; this book made it cool and fun for kids to read. This book was Harry Potter and twelve years later it is more popular than ever before. Harry Potter is the worlds most popular book series, and some people that it has saved reading (Sperling,1).Harry Potter is also the most successful film series of all time, surpassing Star Wars and the James Bond series (Miller, 1). Harry Potter has had an incredible impact, not only on the younger generations, but on all the generations in our society. In this paper I will argue that Harry Potter is the novel of a generation and sparked social change. The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997 in Eu rope and 1998 in the United States. And since then it has become a multi-billion dollar brand (Watson and Keller, 1). Potter was instantly a hit and our culture caught the Harry Potter craze.People fell in love with the first book; parents claimed that it saved reading(Sperling,1). Harry Potter changed the priority of millions of children; instead of rushing home to play video games or watch TV, kids were sitting on the steps of their schools reading Harry Potter. All one needs to do is look at the numbers, and you will see the amount of impact that Harry Potter has had on the world let alone Americas culture. The Harry Potter series has sold more than 325 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries (BBC,1).The Harry Potter movie’s have continuously grossed more than 500 million dollars. Popularity is not everything, but people love Harry Potter and there is a lot more to the books than just a terrific story. Many people look into the stories and see how these books co uld shape our culture. Many parents and religious leaders wanted Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone banned because they said that the book opened up children’ s minds to the occult and other thing that would push them away from God (Barbra, 1). The first Harry Potter book opened people up power that had not been seen since Huckleberry Fin.The book had turned into something bigger than just another children’s book, the book had started a cultural debate. Harry Potter is literary genius and brought countless of kids to reading, and still people felt that it was from the Devil and was actually harming kids. These debates made it to the news, and they were discussed among many parents. This book started off with a cultural bang, and laid the landscape for what would become the great debate of Harry Potter. The Harry Potter phenomenon sparked a conversation that not many books have sparked.How much power should a novel have on the choices that children make (O‘ Brie n, 1)? There are many people who believe that Harry Potter is having a persuasive negative effect on our younger generation. These people believe that Harry Potter is clouding our younger generations ability to decipher between good and evil (O’ Brien, 1). Some of the accusations that have been brought against Harry Potter seem pretty ridiculous to me, but you have to respect the fact that many people in this world feel that Harry Potter is a bad influence. Harry Potter has sparked a debate over if the book is good or bad for our culture.Most of these groups that believe that Harry Potter has a negative effect on our society are religious groups. Religious groups have a fear that the youth of this generation will look at the Harry Potter books instead of the Bible. This is the perfect example to show that Harry Potter is culturally relevant and changing the way people view books and their impact on society. There are many groups that have taken a more positive light on the Ha rry Potter books. These groups take the Harry Potter message just as seriously as the religious groups but they see these books as a spark to positive social change.The Harry Potter Alliance is one of the names of the groups that seek to bring positive change in the name of Potter. Don’t let the name fool you, these groups are serious about bringing change. The vision statement of the Harry Potter Alliance is: â€Å"Just as Dumbledore’s Army wakes the world up to Voldemort’s return, works for equal rights of house elves and werewolves, and empowers its members, we: Work with partner NGO’s to alerting the world to the dangers of global warming, poverty, and genocide. Work with our partners for equal rights regardless, of race, gender and sexuality.Encourage our members to hone the magic of their creativity in endeavoring to make the word a better place. Join our army to make the world a safer, more magical place, and let your voice be heard. (Belser, 1)â €  This quote gives you a glimpse into the seriousness of the Harry Potter Alliance. This group is putting their mission statement into action. When Haiti was struck by the awful earthquake in January the HPA raised 123,000 dollars in two weeks (Belser, 1). The HPA has also donated more than 55,000 books since 2009 (Belser, 1).This organization is striving for change, and this group was founded on principles that were learned from the Harry Potter books. A novel has changed the way people look at the world. JK Rowling may not have meant to follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and his story A Christmas Carol, but she has. She has opened the minds of many different cultures and sparked social change. The Harry Potter Alliance is an extreme example of how Harry Potter has opened the minds of its readers, but there are many more subtle ways on how Harry Potter has changed its readers.Harry Potter teaches its readers about true friendship, loyalty, hope, and standing up for what you believe in. Those are qualities that most parents want for their children and those are the qualities that Harry Potter is teaching our younger generation. Harry Potter has changed American culture. One might argue that Harry Potter is just a book and books cannot change the culture it is the people who read the book that change the culture. That would demean the power that the novel has.There is a power that Harry Potter has and it is hard to deny it. Harry Potter is a phenomenon because it was able to catch the attention of a generation that many people feared were straying away from literature. Potter reached a culture that was all about the media for entertainment, there was a fear that novels were a dying breed. The Power of Potter proved that kids of the 21st century could still be moved by literature. That’s why Harry Potter is the book of a generation. Harry Potter has sparked a social change and brought a love for literature

Banana peelings, ipil-ipil leaves and minera

Shining your shoes can be a messy process that includes chemical laden roducts; it also stains your hands and also has a harsh odor that never seems to leave your shoes. Commercial shoe polish have many chemicals which can affect our health like turpentine; especially our respiratory system. It is very essential to our daily lives, because it makes us presentable and neat in every way. But now, you can leave all that behind. This shoe polish is great to use for a quick and easy buffer for your favorite pair of shoes. You can easily make a natural yet inexpensive shoe polish that also works like commercial ones. In this experiment, we intend to make a t will be fast, easy and leaves no mess or any unpleasant odor. Polishing your shoes with this kind of shoe polish is a great way to reduce waste. You can have polished shoes without damaging your health neither the environment, leaving behind zero packaging waste. Using natural shoe polish as your shoe polish is cheaper and is more efficient than the other kinds of shoe polish. It is eco-friendly and is safe to use. Statement of the Problem: Is it possible to make a shoe polish out of banana peelings, Ipil-ipil leaves and baby oil? What is the component of each that consider them as one of the ingredient in making this shoe polish? Objectives To help the community in eco-waste management. To make a natural and affordable shoe polish that is comparable to commercially produced ones. To make banana peelings, ipil-ipil leaves and baby oil beneficial by using it as the main ingredient in making a shoe polish. Hypotheses We can make a shoe polish out of banana peelings, ipil-ipil leaves and baby oil because it all has this oil which can help the shoes to shine. Banana peelings have a slimy texture inside. It has this watery and oily content which can make the shoe to shine. It is also rich in potassium and potassium is great in leather. Baby oil from the ame itself, oil. It is known for its slippery texture and shiny appearance thats why it gives shine to the shoe. Ipil-ipil leaves have an extract which can get when it is pounded. And that extract helps the shoes to shine and maintain its quality. Significance of the study The study aimed to produce a cheaper and good quality shoe polish which is comparable to commercial produced ones. It is also eco-friendly and beneficial for eco-waste management program in the community. Background of the study: Banana is the common name for an edible fruit produced by several kinds of large herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. Bananas are said to be an excellent source of vitamin 86, soluble fiber, vitamin C, manganese, potassium. The peel has numerous long and thin strings. The fruit has been descried as leathery berry. Potassium was said to use to tan the leather. Banana peels have 30-40% tannin content. Potassium is used to treat and blacken the leather. Banana contains potassium that maintains the quality of the shoes. It has its own oil which is being sipped by the leather shoes making it shiny. Ipil-ipil is a small tree growing up 8 meters high. Leaves are compound, 15 to 25 centimeters long, with hairy rachis. Pinnae are 8 to 16, and 5 to 8 centimeters long. Leaflets are 20 to 30, linear oblong, and 7 to 12 millimeters long. Heads are solitary, at the axils of the leaves, long-peduncled, globose, and 2 to 5 centimeters in diameter, with many flowers. Flowers are whitish, in dense globue heads, 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter. Fruit is an oblong or linear pod, strap-shaped, 12 to 18 centimeters long, 1. 4 to 2 Mineral oil is a basic straight chain hydrocarbon and comes is various grades defined by the carbon atom count, which ranges from 18 to 30 carbon atoms. Mineral oil used in shoe products has a molecular composition of about C25H52 (25 annot have a pH value. In fact mineral oil is considered to be occlusive (a stop to moisture), whereas triglyceride base

Personal Management Framework Paper (Evolution of Management Class Essay

Personal Management Framework Paper (Evolution of Management Class - Essay Example Drucker (1999) informs that Karl Marx and many other theorists introduced theories to describe and give final opinion on the concept of two types of workers, however, they were not successful because they lacked pragmatic experience. With the passage of time, conceptual theorizing was there along with pragmatic knowledge of the working scenarios. According to Drucker (1999), the innovator of the concept of efficiency or productivity of the workers in relation to practical knowledge was Fredrick Winslow Taylor. After his description of the concept, the attention of theorists diverted to the efficiency of workers in relation to the augmentation of financial system. It was due to the innovative concept of Fredrick Winslow Taylor that the Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory came into existence and its name is indicative of Taylor’s contribution. Along with Taylor, other theorists like Maslow, Gilbert and many others also worked towards forming a final opinion about the co ncept of productivity of workers. It is because of the stated theories that nowadays, these approaches are applied in actual work environments to increase the efficiency of the workers. This paper discusses my personal framework and addresses the assumptions, value, beliefs, and any relevant practices. In addition, it integrates relevant management theories and theorists that are seminal to the foundation of my framework and includes the role of the manager, worker, and organization in my framework. Present Management Assumptions, Values and Practices The change in the organizational structure by the passage of time is becoming more difficult and gigantic. Time has caused this change and now the real meaning of the productivity in sense of workers is realized globally. Theorists and researchers proposed many theories related about increasing the productivity of workers and by workers, but in today’s environment none of these theories can be purely applied to the organizationa l structure. The reason behind the imperfection of these theories of management presently is that these theories evolved when the industry was growing and many theorists presented these at the early stages of the growing industries. Some of the theories are applied today by the management. At that time these theories of management were thought likely to be correct to increase the workers productivity at a maximum level. At time of this evolution industries were spreading at a greater pace all around the world. In older days, when industry was growing management was not particular about the worker’s productivity in the sense that the workers are considered as machines and they are not mentally and physically soothed instead only basic need are fulfilled by the management. But now a day workers are not considered as machines and the management has to worry about the other needs of the workers too. Now a day workers have some other luxuries and their basics in term of needs. Tay lor opinions about the organizational structure in terms of its workers and suggests about the basic trait of workers in an organization that numerous workers are not known of their work and still many organizational

Business Law Paper - employment discrimination Essay

Business Law Paper - employment discrimination - Essay Example Whenever there is an employment provision direct discrimination is legal. For example an employer could refute to recruit a male actor to play the part of female actor in a play where there that is an obligatory for the position. On the contrary, indirect discrimination is also illegal, where an employer makes use of a policy to their place of work that influences every employee equally even though it has a detrimental effect on the higher fraction of individuals of one group with a secured characteristic compared to another person and there is no true justification for that conduct. Disability is unique from other secured traits in that employers are under optimistic obligation to make considerable adjustments to their places of work in order to accommodate the desires of handicapped employees. For race, age, belief and sexuality there is considerably no optimistic duty to enhance equality and optimistic discrimination is universally confined by the policy that advantage must be tak en into account as the most significant trait of an individual. In the perspective of equal remuneration amidst the women and men, the principles differ in the capacity for the comparators. Any termination due to discrimination is directly unjust and sanctions an individual to claim under section 94 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. History of anti-discrimination law Anti-discrimination legislature is one of the modern developments. Discrimination based on religion was first dealt with by the Roman Catholics laws way back in 1778 through the papists Act 1778. The law addressed lawful discrimination over the Roman Catholics. HoiweverH However, after the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829 the Catholics were then fully emancipated and considered wholly. One year later discussions heated up on the subject making equal protections for Jews. There was a strong movement in the parliament which thwarted any further discussion of this move till the Religious Opinions Act 1846 even though thi s went on for some time to appoint of being integrated of the religious opinions. The Reform Act 1867 helped in the extension of the vote count to every male head of the house. Women were marginalized from their general social involvement. The first changes came into effect at the municipal level in 1830’s especially in Birmingham Municipal Council. In the mid 19th century the Chartists and the 20th century suffragettes advocated for general suffrage over the conservative judicial system and the free political creations. In Nairn v. The University Court of the University of st. Andrews (1907), Lord McLaren went to a point of declaring that it is a rule of the traditional constitutional law of the country that only men were in a position to be involved in the appointment and election of representatives to the Parliament. Direct discrimination Direct discrimination as noted earlier takes place when a company or employer treats a person less kindly on the basis of a secured char acteristic. It is illegal under section 13 of the Equality Act 2010. A secured characteristic include sex, belief, age, reassignment, civil partnership, race, marriage, religion or sexual orientation which must be the reason for disparity in treatment such the unfavourable treatment emanates from the different characteristic. In general the law safeguards everybody, but not just a group viewed to suffer some form of discrimination. Thus it is

Reflection paper on the capstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection paper on the capstone - Essay Example I believe that to catch the attention of an audience, especially a reader, and to make them read into what one has written, it is vital that what is being written is something they can relate to, as well as having written it in a language, concise yet coherent, that they can understand. To achieve the above mentioned, I made use of ordinary day examples of people, both inside the United States of America, and outside it. A clear example of this can be found in the essay where I mention the examples of South Africans; while they may typically be considered to be ‘black’, the fact that their ancestors are Boers, thereby proving the very point which follows. The sources and materials used are those were more appealing, and most relevant to my line of thought and argument. The style of writing and tone adopted in this essay is scholarly and formal, as it is intended to instruct the reader as well as invigorate their thought process. One of my main motives in writing said essay the way I did, was to inform readers of the adverse implications on ordinary human beings of the vices, and to get their thoughts churning to question what they ordinarily overlook about themselves, the society they live in, its practices of discrimination and subsequently racism, which evidently find their roots in the notion of prejudice. This in essence creates a read that is most certainly moving to a reader. It is also along these lines, and for this purpose that the essay has its structural organization. An attempt has been made to mould the writing style of said essay to one that is of academic writing. Throughout the essay, proof of this can be speculated. The essay makes use of clear and effective writing and terminology, and throughout maintains an essence of formality that is necessary to get the message across to the reader. Every point made is not some without some analysis at my part, and an effective attempt has been made to back it up with relevant factual

Importance of Inspirational Leaders, Well-Organised Human Resource Research Paper

Importance of Inspirational Leaders, Well-Organised Human Resource Serves in a Company - Research Paper Example Corporate culture is the ultimate power to greatness and only companies with a strong and cohesive culture succeed, such as Apple, Google, Hewlett - Packard (HP) among others. According to Alice Branch (2003), Corporate culture can be sliced and diced and be understood: the easier it is for culture to be signed, the healthier the culture and consequently, the stronger the company’s business performance. A good example of this principle is McDonald’s. Corporate culture involves the main aims of an organization, the strategies that will be employed in meeting those aims and the way the stakeholders should behave while striving to achieve those aims. It takes the effort of the top management to maintain its culture; this is by interacting a lot and communicating effectively, especially to employees of what is expected of them (Auxillium West, 2008). Corporate behavior is affected by effective leadership. The culture can be either weak or strong. Weak is where the employees fail to identify with the values of the organization hence need to be pushed to carry out tasks from the organization’s point of view. While the converse is true for strong cultures as people tend to think as a group on the direction to be taken during decision making. Various methods have been employed in grouping cultural change. The David Francis innovation model insists that an appropriate culture must be adopted, developed and maintained over time. Th e culture of an organization must not only be supportive but also demanding. He further emphasized that for a culture to be right, the workforce must be given selective empowerment, high enrolment in the innovation and creativity process and deliberate encouragement for involvement in innovation.

Diversity and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity and Leadership - Assignment Example right to express his concerns, however if people get to chose the members based on people of their orientation and inclination, it would result in a negative impact over the organizational working and would set precedence for a gulf in the atmosphere. What needs to be done both in case of Sandra’s handling of situation and that of Bob is the fact that personal orientations should be kept aloof from professional objectives. Clearly defining who one would want to work with and whom one might want to avoid, it would create a bridge unnecessary and reduce the scope of overall performance achievement. Carol Bartz’s style of leadership has bit of both, task oriented and relationship oriented pattern. For it includes participation as well ensuring that the tasks are being done. With certain considerations such as in time reporting, and keeping away extra gadgets off the meeting halls, speak for the task orientation, however when she asks for people’s take in the process and put them in to her shoes, that is reflective of her relationship oriented leadership style. These two if implemented in a contained and suitable manner, they allow for effective outcome and the blend of two enables achieving what may not be possible to achieve otherwise. Such an approach allows participation, and task completion in time. Different leadership models are available and many people adopt them in different manners to extract the outcomes. Some would follow an achiever’s strategy, others would go for a strategic approach and some would go for an engaging approach (Bluman). The model and style adopted by Carol Bartz is that of engaging and achiever’s policy and model. This is visible and extractable from the fact that she during the meetings asks the members how they would go about the tasks if they were in her shoes, and also with fixed target and limit of target accomplishment, she is fully determined to extracting the output hence an achiever’s strategy. She adopted a dual

Skin Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Skin Cancer - Essay Example Skin cancer is a term used to defined carcinomas which rise from the skin and can invade different parts of the body. These include squamous cell cancer, melanoma and basal cell cancer. A culmination of factors have led to an increase in the prevalence of skin cancer and these include damage to the ozone layer by industrial activity and the new methods that have been created for tanning such as tan salons or even spending excessive amounts of time under the sun (Zhang et al., 1588-1593). There should be studies that are aimed towards the regulation of events that are damaging to the ozone layer and the different methods that are used to improving tanning in the community to ensure that these methods are either eliminated or minimized. Tanning has become a summer fashion and many people use tanning salons which predisposes them to many types of skin cancer. However, many studies have found that spending long hours under these lamps predisposes individuals to squamous cell cancer which is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. Tanning beds are machines that utilize 3% UVB and 97% UVA to artificially produce sun tans for cosmetic purposes (Dore et al., 30-37). There are many different variants of these machines and can also be in the form of high pressure beds. The cultural history of tanning is something that has changed throughout the years and in the early 1900s when the benefits of sunlight were documented, sun bathing can back into fashion and was considered an upper class activity (Dore et al., 30-37). It was further popularized by Coco Chanel 1920s after a vacation. The tanning beds entered the American community in 1979. However, the World Health Organization and other health institutions have labeled these beds a health risk and have included it among other dangerous radiation substances such as plutonium. According to

Taking a Closer Look at Thailands Free Trade Agreement Essay

Taking a Closer Look at Thailands Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example The term "free trade" has become very politically loaded, and it is not uncommon for so-called "free trade agreements" to impose additional trade restrictions. Such restrictions on trade are often due to domestic political pressure by powerful corporate, environmental or labor interest groups. Free trade agreements are a key element of customs unions and free trade areas. The details and differences of these agreements are covered in their respective articles (Wikipedia Website). The spate of Thailand's bilateral FTAs had sprung from its intense need to supply more markets for its own exports after the failure of the WTO negotiations in the Doha Development Round. For others, this represents a shift in the Thai trade policy from multilateralism that Thailand advocated for two decades since it became a GATT member in 1982. Either way, new challenges abound for all parties due to this recent policy change leaning towards bilateralism and regionalism instead of multilateralism (Chirathivat & Mallikamas, 2004 p. 37). Before this, Thailand already built bilateral and regional trade ties with a number of trading partners in Asia and the world. In further improving the nature of its FTA policy, there will be implications for the country since many businesses there are not broadly multilateral. With regards to the impact of the FTAs, costs and benefits, and adjustment mechanisms are still being scrutinized. However, the government is strongly determined to realize these alternative liberalization paths and incorporate it as an integral part of Thailand's new trade strategy. To elaborate more on Thailand's pivotal decision of adapting new strategies in its FTA, Chirathivat & Mallikamas (2004, p. 40) mentioned that the financial crisis of 1997-98 could be the main reason. Thailand and generally the East Asian region felt the need to promote closer economic co-operation. Although regionalism is regarded as the second-best policy, many countries have started to explore this alternative. The effect of competitive liberalization contributed in a way to the rise in regionalism worldwide and also in East Asia and Thailand. The advantages should maintain "competitive liberalization" that would open up favorable markets and ease the regulations within the group, which would put an outsider country in a possible unfavorable situation. As a result, foreign companies with a presence in Thailand are currently shifting strategy to take advantage of its FTAs. For instance, Toyota Motor Corp. is shipping manual transmissions for pickup trucks from India to Thailand, and sending Corolla knockdown kits back the other way for assembly in India. Both items benefit from the lower tariffs of the FTA and greatly help increase Toyota's price competitiveness (Nagao, 2005). In addition, Japan is pressuring Thailand to eliminate import tariffs on cars with 3000cc engines and luxury cars over 3000cc before the seven-year period offering by Thailand. It seems Japan wants to increase import quotas of Japanese cars by 1-3 per cent of total production in Thailand. In fact, Japan has warned Thailand that its proposal on luxury cars is the most important

Executing Strategies in a Global Environment Essay Example for Free

Executing Strategies in a Global Environment Essay Abstract This paper will analyze Federal Express’s value creation frontier, and determine which of the four building blocks of competitive advantage the company needs in order to continue their above average profitability. It will also explore the main aspect of product differentiations and capacity control of the company to maintain an edge on their rivals. Furthermore, for this assignment I will attempt examine the efficiency of FedEx’s current business model and recommend a new business level strategy that will give Federal Express a competitive advantage over it rivals. In addition, this paper will also examine the manner in which overall, global competition may influence my recommended business strategy and I will suggest a significant way that Federal Express can confront its global competition. Introduction Federal Express began operating in 1973, under the leadership of Fred Smith Jr. Before Federal Express, a major portion for small packaging airfreight flew on commercial passenger flights. Fred Smith believed that these two services should be treated differently, because the commercial passenger and cargo shipper had different needs. The commercial passenger they wanted the convenience of daytime flights. As for the cargo shippers, they preferred night services, which would afford them late afternoon pickups and next day delivery (Hill,2013). Since small-package airfreight only went out based on the commercial flight scheduling, it was hard for cargo shippers to achieve next day delivery. To remedy the shipping issue cargo shippers had Smith aimed to build a system that could achieve next day delivery of small package airfreight (Hill,2013). Today Federal Express has grown from a express delivery company to a global logistic and supply chain management company (Crane, et al., 2003). Over the years Federal Express was able to grow through acquistions and large investmenst in information technoloy. The company was also able to stand out from the rest best on their business model operate independently, compete collectively. Smith segmented his compnay into 6 different  component – FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services, which allowed each component to focus on their own maket segment. By segmenting of each component it provided Federal express the oppurtunity to focus more on customer. Even though Federal Express 6 different components operated seperatley the competed together under FedEx Corporation. Federal Express’s Value Creation Frontier and Their Four Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage Federal Express profitability depends on three factors: The value a customer places on t heir services, the price Federal Express charges for their services, and the cost Federal Express has to incur to produce the services they provide (Hll Jones, 2013). The more favorable these factors are the more value is bestowed on Federal Express’s product. To accurately value, a company’s product management must distinguish the difference between utility and price (Hill Jones, 2013). Utility is the customer’s satisfaction or happiness with using or owning a company’s product or services. Federal Express has stepped up to the plate by making shipping easier and convenient for their customer. Today we can find drop off boxes in front of office buildings and small neighborhood shipping stores. Having drop off boxes offers the customer anytime drop offs and no waiting time. Federal Express has also invested heavily in innovation to add to the customer’s experience (Crane, et al., 2003). The option of wireless technology and the ability to track deliveries and schedule picks on the company’s website provides the customer shipping right at their fingertips. For their global customer Federal Express can offer shipping option to more than two hundred companies. The prices Federal Express set for their services are higher than many of their competitors. Federal Express pricing is considered a premium, which reflects the high quality level of service FedEx provides (Crane, et al., 2003). Based on FedEx stance, their premium pricing is worth it, but they fail to realize their very price sensitive customer who may go with a more cheaper option for certain services (UPS). In this case it make it difficult for Fedex to standout based on branding and the amenties they offer. They may have to think of a different way to differeinate themselves from the competitior. Since Federal Express’s growth and customer, satisfaction comes with a high price tag. Their return on invested capital (ROIC) is very low compared to its biggest competitor UPS. In 2011, FedEx ROIC was 7.41% and UPS was 19.39%  (Hill, 2013). Some say in time the money FedEx spent to build up their company, technology infrastructure, and customer satisfaction may soon pay off. The other positive side is that FedEx spending and acquisition expenses have made it hard for new companies to enter and compete in the packaging industry Along with value creation, a company must excel in the four building block of competitive advantage efficiency, quality, innovation, and customer responsiveness. How well a company performs in these four areas will determine their profitability and competitive advantage over the competitor. These four generic building blocks are a product of a company’s distinctive competencies, which will allow a company to differentiate its product and lower its cost structure (Hill Jones, 2013). In turn, sustain a competitive advantage and better profitability outcomes over their competitor. When determining a company’s efficiency we can look at what it takes (inputs) to produce a product or services (outputs). According to Hill and Jones, the more efficient a company is the fewer inputs it required to produce a particular output. The most common way to measure a company’s efficiency is through employee productivity – the out pout produced per employee (Hill Jones, 2013). When examining FedEx efficiency they were the first packaging company to invest in technology that enabled their employees to access company information wireless 24 hours a day. This wireless feature also allows the employee to collect packaging data, which allows employees to quickly enter packages into the company’s package tracking system, which reduces the possibility of error (Crane, et al., 2003). As for FedEx service, they can be review by its features, performance, durability, reliability, style, and design (Hill Jones, 2013). These features are used by customers to determine the quality level of the services that are offered by FedEx. Based on FedEx’s history, spending to build its infrastructure, and premium pricing FedEx is committed to providing a service of high quality standings. FedEx has also invested heavily in new technologies, which will improve their services, make it more reliable, and valuable to its customers (Amsler, Cullen, Erdmenger, 2010). An example that show FedEx is all about quality is their technology efforts such as tracking deliveries on their website, and offering convenient shipping at the customer’s fingertips. As mentioned before FedEx is all about innovation. They are into creating new services  and processes to make shipping easy and convenient for their customers. One of their major investments is the joint venture with University of Memphis. University of Memphis and FedEx have joined and formed the FedEx Institute of Technology. This investment will ensure that FedEx will not be let in dark when it comes to new technology (Crane, et al., 2003). When it comes to customer satisfaction FedEx tries to identify their customer needs. FedEx heard the customers demanded for a more convenient way of shipping. FedEx has extended drop off times by three hours, offer drop off boxes, and the ability for customer to schedule pickups on FedEx’s website. The only dissatisfaction is the premium pricing set on their services. FedEx fail to adhere to the demands of their cost sensitive customers. These are the customers who only care about inexpensive delivery services. This group of people may use FedEx as a last resort for their shipping needs. Product Differentiation The idea behind product differentiation is creating a product that satisfies the customers’ needs (Hill Jones, 2013). In order for a company to obtain a competitive advantage they must offer a product that better satistfies the customer’s need than its rival. When a company creates a stratergy that involves innovation, execellence, quality, and customer responsiveness they are offering custumers differentiation product. When the a company’s stratergy is about finding ways to increase efficiency and reliablity to reduce cost they are offering the customer low priced product (Hill Jones,2013). In the case of Federal Express their stratergy is not about offering a low priced product, but offering a product that is innovative, meets a high standard of execellence, high quality, and basing the product on the customer’s need. Federal Express understood the importance of differentiation. Since their strategy is not based on offering a low costing product Federal Express had to focus on information technology. Today customers are interested in monitoring their shipments, estimating arrival times, price and cost of shipments. These elements are important to most businesses and consumers as well as the safety of their delivery (Crane, et al., 2003). To satisfy the needs of their customers and to stand out from their competitor FedEx has  invested heavily in the technology infrastructure, which provides options for customers to track and validate shipments at their personal computer. Federal Express works hard to create a high quality level of service that is difficult for their rival to match (Crane, et al., 2003). Over the years, FedEx has been known as an innovator in the shipping sector, and providing a high level of quality services. Due to FedEx’s higher prices the level of service they provide may become unnoticed. To differentiate their standard of quality from their competitor FedEx lets their customers know that if they are willing to pay more it will be worth it (Crane, et al., 2003). Capacity Control With technology, forecasting, and planning strategies Federal Express is able to handle the fluctuating demand in shipping. With General Information Science (GIS) Federal Express is able to build routes for the driver, guide sorting activities of inbound freight, estimate and record delivery times. This information is stored on a cloud, which is use for future planning and test the durability of a route to accommodate package volume fluctuation (Conger, Dezemplen, Haas, McLeod, 2010). Efficiency of Federal Express’s Current Business Model Federal Express’s current business model is to â€Å"operate independently, compete collectively.† Currently Federal Express is under the leadership of FedEx Corporation. FedEx Corporations provides strategic direction and financial reporting for the following operating companies that compete collectively, but operate separately worldwide: FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services (Amsler, Cullen, Erdmenger, 2010). The idea behind â€Å"Operate independently, compete collectively† is that each company will operate independently, compete collectively and manage collaboratively. By operating independently, each of the organizational components (FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services) can focus solely on their market segment. Also by segmenting off each component by its own market segment has provided FedEx the competitive advantage in customer responsiveness and has limited wasted time and resources on problem that are not associated with each market (Amsler,  Cullen, Erdmenger, 2010). The benefit of all the organizational component competing collectively is carrying and competing under a well know name – FedEx, which is one of the most recognized names in the industry (Smith, 2005). Even though â€Å"operate independently, compete collectively† has worked for Federal Express thus far, but keep in mind it only provided FedEx with a competitive edge in specific customer focus. To gain a stronger competitive advantage FedEx should add cost leadership to their business level strategy. Cost leadership is a business model strategy that works towards lowering a company’s cost structure so they can make and sell their products at a lower price than its competitors (Hill Jones, 2013). This has been difficult for FedEx, because of their constant expenditures in their infrastructure (Amsler, Cullen, Erdmenger, 2010). Due to FedEx costly expenditures, they are unable to compete with their biggest rival, UPS in setting prices. Global Competition and the Impact on Suggested Business Strategy Based on the international shipping demand among integrated global corporations and manufactures it will be FedEx’s as well as its competitors best interest to enter into the global shipping industry. Global manufactures are interested in keeping their inventory at a minimum and have just in time delivery option. This way global manufactures can keep cost down, fine-tune their production, and meet delivery deadlines (Hill, 2013) . As for global corporation their shipping need are different. They are in need of fast and a safe way to ship document that are to confidential for internet transmisson or require a real signiture. These global coroporation are seeking for the same shipping services the receive in the U.S for their global operations (Hill, 2013). According to Case 7: â€Å"The Evolution of the Small Package Express Delivery Industry, 1973 -2010† the trend for global shipping need is forcasted to grow approxiamently 18% annually from 1996 to 2016. This means there is a big demand for air cargo operators to build global shipping networks that will allow them to provide shipping services across the globe with in a 48 hour time frame. Through acquistion Federal Express was able to build a global shipping network to meet the demand among intergrated global corporations and manufactures. The acquisition expenses, international start cost, customs regulation cost , labor issue associated with global shipping, and the barries to attaining landing right in many markets prevented FedEx to  include cost leadership in their global busines stratergy. Eventhough FedEx does not have the competitive edge when it come to pricing they are t more visible in the global shipping industry than their competitors. They can offer services and shipping time frames their rivals can not offer. FedEx also has shipping hubs all over the world, which include 600 or so air crafts , which allows them to provide shipping option most of their comepitives can not offer. Based on history this was very difficult for other companies to establish this task. Since very few competitor have the same golobal infrastructure as FedEx global companies relay more FedEx for the international shipping needs (Crane, et al., 2003) Conclusion In conclusion, Federal Express’s competitive advantage is not based on cost, but on its technology infrastructure. Over the years, Federal Express has spent heavily on technology and in acquisitions in order to offer delivery options and services their competitor cannot. The spending was geared towards satisfying the needs of the customer, innovation, offering a quality product and excellence services. The only negative side on spending heavily is that the cost was passed on to the customer, but Federal express stance is that they offer premium services and products. Federal Express can offer their international customers shorter delivery time, because of the major acquisition transactions Federal Express was involved in over the years. As for their domestic business, it may be a little difficult to stand out from their competitor. Currently the competitor (UPS) can offer similar services and convenient shipping options at a lower cost. References Amsler, M., Cullen, J., Erdmenger, J. C. (2010). Strategic Report for FedEx Corporation. Vector Strategy Group. Conger, R., Dezemplen, R., Haas, J., McLeod, J. (2010). Using GIS Strategic Planning and Execution at FedEx Express. Crane, B., Landthorn, B., Miri, B., Relph, J., Sanchez, C., Vernerova, A. (2003). FedEx Corpration: Strategic Management Project. Hill, C. L. (2013). Case 7: The Evolution of the Samll Package Express Delivery Industry, 1973-2010. In C. L. Hill, G. R. Jones, Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach (pp. C83-C96). Independence: Cengage. Hill, C. L., Jones, G. R. (2013). Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach (10th ed.). Independence: Cengage. Smith, F. W. (2005). FedEx. Retrieved from FedEx corporation annual report: http://www.fedex.com/us/investorrelations/financialinfo/2005annualreport/online/msg_chair.html

America and Vietnam Essay Example for Free

America and Vietnam Essay Olsen and Roberts are both history professors who are fascinated with the ways by which the American government made the situation of the war with Vietnam a fearful yet victorious even for the reputation of the said country. The authors were then able to contribute their thoughts about the situation thus seeing the situation of the past wars a manifestation of the reputation of the American society in the world account of recognized countries of war and reconciliation. Their book â€Å"Where the Domino Fell† actually pictures the actual situations that happened during the American-Vietnamese war during the 1960’s and how the said history particularly affects the relationship of the two countries involved. About the Book [Content and Summary] The overall content of the book is highly recommended for reading and teaching as it gives a clear yet critical approach in assessing the US policy that controlled the Vietnam society from then until the present. Undeniably, the book of Olsen and Roberts is an awakening material that helps the human mind realize the importance of being diplomatic and lawful even when in the middle of distress. Surprisingly, the American society was able to steel a fine reputation out from all the oppression that they have already implicated upon the Vietnamese society during the war years. Through the critical assessment of the situation, the authors intended to give the readers a fine picture not only of what is or what has been obvious but also a glimpse of the truth behind the scenes of historical accounts written in books today. Implications of the Reading As it has been noted earlier, the reading gave a clear depiction of what has happened and why the said events happened during the American-Vietnamese war in the 1960’s. With the insightful informations that the authors posted through their book, they were able to help readers realize what the facts are and how they particularly affect the present relationship that exists between the said countries. Critique of the Writing Approach As for the writing approach of the authors, it is undeniable that the informations that they posted through the reading were carefully assessed thus giving out validated facts that support their explanations of the said historical event. The clarity of the implications of the reading has been strengthened by the documentations that the authors used to show the authenticity of the reading. The utilization of other researches that supported their claims and opinions made the book a must read not only for professors and students, but also for those individuals who endeavor reading books under the typical yet critical approach of understanding history and American politics. Within the context of the book lies a less-traveled path among the historians of the present times. Olsen and Roberts certainly made it clear that history is a human account needed to be understood and learned from through critical observation of the past. Reference: James S. Olson and Randy Roberts. (2006). Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam 1945-2006 [ILLUSTRATED]. Blackwell Publishing Limited; 5 edition.

Importance of Innovation and Change Within an Organization

Importance of Innovation and Change Within an Organization In todays constantly changing world, change and innovation play an extremely important role within any organization. New technologies like faster software and hardware and improved manufacturing systems are increasing production and changing the way we do business across the globe. Newly advancing markets such as China and India are becoming more and more capitalistic, opening the door for corporations to come and do business. There are multiple elements when dealing with innovation and change within an organization. The first element is how an organization can change successfully which consists of the steps that are needed and the process that makes change happen. The next element is technological change, which is how organizations adapt and implement new technology. From new technology, organizations come up with our next element, new products and services. As these organizations become larger and larger there is the need for strategy and structure change as well as cultural change s. These two elements often go hand in hand and can be some of the most difficult to change. There are five key factors when looking at what is necessary for successful change. The first is ideas. In order to bring about change you need to have a new idea or thought. Creativity, innovation and outside-the-box thinking play a huge role here. Often times some of the best ideas can come from the least likely places. A study conducted by Daniel Tzabbar and his team, found that high levels of collaboration promotes innovation, as it encourages a free flow of ideas among people who must work together to discover new solutions to problems. (Tzabbar 17) With this being said, many new ideas come from the collaborations of groups and individuals within an organization. The second factor is need. There must be a perceived need for change. Constantly changing structures, strategies, or culture can actually be a bad thing if overused. If a specific change is going to take place, there needs to be an identifiable reason in order to make that specific change necessary. On the other hand, an organization that fails to realize the need for change is doomed for failure. It is the responsibility of upper management to be responsive and aware of when change is needed but not so sensitive that change becomes excessive. An article entitled Change for Changes Sake offers and interesting view on the topic of knowing when to change. According to the article, an organization periodically needs to shake itself up regardless of the external environment. The authors argue that a few things happen when an organization does not change enough. First, companies that are organized around a single criterion such as function, product, or market, tend to only communicate with themselves and not with the other units thus making them slow to adapt to changes in the environment. Next organizations are likely to get entrenched in a routine way of thinking, failing to realize new opportunities and the possibility of threats. Finally, organizations become extremely inefficient at allocating resources. In order to combat these factors, organizations should change structures every so often to keep itself ready to react quickly to its environment. (Vermeulen et. al. 70-76) The third factor is adoption. After the new ideas have been thought of on how to change and there is a perceived need for that change, a new idea is chosen. Now that an idea has been chosen it is time to put that idea into practice. This brings us to our next factor, implementation. According to Scott Sonenshein of Rice University Implementing strategic change is one of the most important undertakings of an organization. Successful implementation of strategic change can reinvigorate a business, but failure can lead to catastrophic consequences. (Sonenshein 477). Management must have a rock solid plan on how they want to implement change. A project management approach is the most successful approach when implementing such change, with the definition of clear success measures being important. (Oakland, Tanner 2) The final factor is resources. Through human energy and activity the idea is implemented and kept alive. People are the most important resource and the essential contributors to successful change, without them, change cannot happen. It is important that your employees are thoroughly trained and understand what is being changed and why. Empowering them with this knowledge will only enhance and increase the possibility of successful implementation of the changes set forth. Within an organization there is always the need for developing, acquiring, and adopting new technology. New technologies are always coming about and have a tremendous impact on organizations. The main approach to technological change is the ambidextrous approach. This combines both the organic and mechanistic structures. Under the ambidextrous approach there are numerous options of how to bring about new technology. Switching structures brings people from different areas of an organization together to share ideas and technology with each other. Creative departments consist of a research and development department. The sole duty of this department is to come up with new technology and test new technologies to ensure they will be useful for the organization. Another popular option is the use of venture teams. Venture teams are essentially their own organization within an organization. They often have their own separate location and structure in order to develop new technologies. In addition to RD and venture teams, another way to increase technological knowledge and bring about technology change is to acquire technology from external sources. Procter Gamble provides an excellent example of interorganizational technology transfer. Roughly half of new product development projects involve key ideas from external sources. Procter Gamble also uses an active licensing strategy of their own technological advances to generate millions in annual licensing revenue. Pharmaceuticals are notorious for using this type of strategy to bring about technological change within their organizations. (Lichtenthaler 2) Despite the great amount of success achieved by these firms, most organizations are still timid about sharing their own technological advances. They fear that by doing so, it will allow their competitors access to their own competitive advantage. While this may be true in some instances, it appears that interorganizational technology transfer can actually benefit organizations and ultimately consumers. While there are certain exceptions, new products and services are usually the direct result of new technology and coming up with new products and services is vital for success in todays markets. As markets evolve so should your products or services. The question of how to create and present new products now arises. Michelle Karas offers 11 steps that help organizations answer this complex and challenging question. Step one is to analyze the situation. Evaluate your environment and current product position and then identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The next step is to explore and research product needs. Brainstorm ideas, have an open mind and write down all ideas. Figure out what your customers needs are and your competitors limitations. Step three is to determine usage and identify what market you want to target with your product. Step four calls for developing a prototype. This entails converting an idea into an actual product and determining the produc ts specifications, features and benefits. Step five is to determine the price based on your objectives. Testing the product or service is the next step and is absolutely crucial to its success. It is also important to ensure that all operations within your business can fully support the product. (Karas 32-34) After the product has been thoroughly tested, it is time to establish sales goals. Identify target sales goals, and whether or not these goals are realistic and obtainable. The next step involves developing a marketing plan for both internal and external markets that achieves the goals set forth earlier. Step nine is training and educatin employees. Ensure employees/salespeople understand all aspects of the product. Characteristics like price, description, how the product works, and sales goals should all be thoroughly understood. The final two steps involve actually introducing the product to the market and evaluating the results. Record how the product performs and how the customers respond. (Karas 32-34) While these steps are quite simplified, these are the basics concepts that organizations utilize, regardless of size. A great example of products that have just recently been introduced is Sonys Move and Microsofts Kinect gaming systems. Both of these systems allow users to make use of their own bodies to become more active and involved in the gaming experience, very similar to the Wii. When the Nintendo Wii debuted, it was the first gamming system of its kind to offer an interactive gaming experience. It was a tremendous success and both Sony and Microsoft realized the opportunity to have their piece of the pie too. Rather than come up with a completely new gamming system, through the use of new technology, Sony and Microsoft designed a device that would simply be used in conjunction with users Playstation 3 and X-Box consoles. As time goes by it will be interesting to see what effects theses systems have on Wii sales and whether or not they are profitable for both Sony and Microsoft. Going along with the video game theme, Sega, which offered very popular gaming consoles in the 90s failed to innovate and offer a product strong enough to compete with Sonys Playstation and Nintendos N64. The result was Sega removing itself entirely from the hardware side of gaming and focusing solely on video game software. While Sega failed in one area, they were able to make a successful change and become profitable selling software. These two examples offer evidence to the power that new products and services hold within an organization. Once again failing to change and innovate successfully will most likely spell disaster for an organization. As an organization becomes larger the need for strategy and structure change becomes apparent. Strategic change involves altering employees construction of meanings by using a discourse that sets a new direction for a firm. (Sonenshein 505). All organizations need to make changes in their strategies, structures, management processes and administrative procedures. Many organizations go about this change using a dual core approach, which is a balance between the technical side and the management side of an organization. The technical side refers to the employees who actually produce the product or service that the company offers while the management side ensures that the day to day operations of the company are being fulfilled and the performance objectives are being met. While the two sides may have very different ideas of what changes need to take place, it is imperative that both sides be on the same page and working toward the same goal. In addition to becoming larger, there are also some other reasons why organizations must change their strategies. The first reason is the persistent pressure from shareholders for greater profitability. This requires business leaders to continually update their strategy. Theses updates are necessary to remain aligned with customers changing needs and priorities, while generating the necessary profits. This demands that strategies must be executed successfully within increasingly shorter time-periods. (Franken 49-73) The second reason relates to the increased complexity of organizations. In many organizations the activities performed to create products and services cross multiple functional, organizational, and geographical boundaries. Consequently, any strategic change program is likely to affect the people, processes, structures, technologies, suppliers, and business partners that work both within and across these boundaries. Hence, strategic change programs are becoming highly complex, resulting in increased risk of failure due to oversight. (Franken 49-73) The third reason is the difficult challenge faced by managers to balance the demands of successfully executing complex change programs with the demands of managing todays business performance. In situations where management is strongly tied to reward schemes based on todays performance, it is challenging to achieve active participation for the creation of tomorrows organization. However, as a result of the relentless pressure from stakeholders for repeated performance, managers cannot afford to dedicate their time, effort and resources to one set of demands exclusively. This balance is particularly challenging during the high-risk period when a business transitions to a new strategy. (Franken 49-73) The fourth reason is the low levels of involvement of a large number of managers across all functions at an early stage of strategy execution. The mechanics of involving large numbers of people in complex discussions leads organizations to restrict involvement in the quest for urgency. Often managers see these early stages as bureaucratic, unnecessary, and delaying real action. However, such involvement is required to obtain commitment to change and for the development of effective implementation plans. The fifth reason is the difficulty of securing the required resources to execute the strategy. Often, as a result of the large number of concurrent change programs, many of the organizations resources will already be allocated. Furthermore, as such resources are limited, managers will compete for them, and, once within their control, will endeavor to own them to secure their own goals.14 (Franken 49-73) According to Paul Sabbah, president of Stamford International, new strategies should focus on innovation, productivity and risk management. Productivity can be as easy as having employees working longer hours, implementing new technologies in order to speed up product development, or simply reducing inventory and using effective communication. Firms also need to look to international expansion as another potential strategy. By doing so, they open themselves up to new markets and new customers while being exposed to new ways of doing business and new retail concepts. Business is also all about managing risk. In difficult times, effectively managing risks like political instability, currency fluctuations, transportation costs, and rising energy costs has a direct effect on an organizations ability to survive in a struggling economy. (Sabbah) The final element and the most difficult to change is a change in organizational culture. This is often the most difficult to change because you are affecting people core values and daily routines. Eric Van Der Steen has shown that organizations have a tendency, over time, to develop the same set of beliefs and values. This happens through two mechanisms. People who share the same beliefs would rather work with those who share their beliefs than someone that does not. People also share experiences, which in turn leads to a set of shared beliefs. These shared beliefs and values directly impact the core culture of an organization. (Van Der Steen 26) To help explain the difficulties of culture change, think of a factory worker who has been assembling ball bearings a specific way over the past 20 years. This worker comes in every day, goes to their station and performs their duty over and over again for the duration of their shift. They have their routine down and never deviate from the steps they take. Now imagine someone coming up to them and telling them that the routine they have done over the years is inefficient and they have a better, more efficient way of performing their duty. In addition to this, there will be new policies and procedures to follow to ensure that the changes take place. That worker is obviously going to be skeptical and very resistant to changing. They may even feel that this person has no right to come and tell them how to do their job which they have been doing for so long. This is what must be overcome when dealing with cultural change. There are a few different ways to implement cultural change and each process has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. One way is by large group intervention. This entails having everyone in the organization go through a seminar, explaining to them what changes are going to be made. While this allows everyone to hear and hopefully understand the message, there may be some specific questions about the change that go unanswered. For instance a specialized department may wonder how certain changes will be affecting their culture. It is imperative that cultural change is led from upper management. Managers need to set the standard and lead by example especially when it comes to cultural change. In support of this, Lance Ewing states that companies without cultural leadership are always going the wrong way. (Ewing 88) Changing culture within an organization is never an easy task yet it is necessary and critical to change a culture when leadership transforms. Starting cultural change is like cooking in a Crock-Pot. Adding the right ingredients and turning the heat up with the right measure of enthusiasm for positive consumer change makes everyone want what is in the cultural pot. (Ewing 88) When dealing with change in any area, there will always be barriers to overcome. Resistance to change is now seen as a natural, acceptable incident. When it occurs, resistance may cause problems within the organization. However, depending on the nature of the change, the surrounding atmosphere and how the change takes place, resistance is not always a bad thing (Dent and Galloway Goldberg 27). According to Bauer, resistance to change, like pain, can be an alarm signal and serve as a warning that something is failing in the change process. (Bauer) Klein argues that resistance is a needed factor of flourishing change and if properly managed, can provide a beneficial response to the changes taking place. (Klein) Resistance is also a resource. It can provide valuable feedback to managers if they are willing to listen. Considering resistance as failure will overlook opportunities to strengthen operational outcomes. By paying attention to this feedback, managers can see a different perspective to the change they plan on initiating. Sometimes employees resist change for no reason, but often times, the employees most resistant to change are the ones who care enough to make sure the plan succeeds. People are also very aware of the past, and thoughts of changes that have utterly failed will constantly be running through their heads. In order to convince these people it is necessary to explain to them why and how you plan to implement change. Giving them the chance to voice their own questions and concerns will only enhance your plan to change. (Ford 100-103) In conclusion, the world is constantly changing and change and innovation play an extremely important role within any organization. As an organization if you fail to change and adapt to the rest of the world and your environment the world will pass you by. There are many elements for successful change, but your people will always be the most important in order for that change to take place. New technologies are always being introduced and it is important to stay up to date and take advantage of technology that will greatly benefit your organization. As an organization it is imperative that new technology is used to constantly come up with new and innovative products and services. While this is a major undertaking for any organization it is necessary for sustainability. As new products and services are being offered and an organization grows the strategy and structure used must also change. This gives way to cultural change where there is almost always some kind of resistance. Using t hat resistance as a tool to overcoming problems is a key step in successfully implementing change. Ultimately, the whole purpose of change is to increase profitability by making changes to the strategy, structure, technology and culture of an organization. While there will always be problems and other bumps along the road it is imperative that these obstacles are overcome in order to increase the odds for success.

BAY OF PIGS Essay -- essays research papers fc

BAY OF PIGS It seems that the United States has been one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, countries in the world, since the Declaration of Independence. Yet, on Monday, April 17, 1961, our government experienced incredible criticism and extreme embarrassment when Fidel Castro, dictator of Cuba, instantly stopped an invasion on the Cuban beach known as the Bay of Pigs. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his advisors, and many Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials, made the largest error of their political careers. Once the decision was made to invade Cuba, to end Castro and his Communist government, Kennedy and his administration were never looked at in the same light nor trusted again. Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev was affiliated with Castro, and the two countries made many military decisions together. As Kennedy and the United States tried to stop Cuba and Russia from becoming a threat to the world, an invasion was planned out and executed. The results were a disaster. T he Bay of Pigs invasion was the largest military mistake ever made by the United States government and the CIA in the 20th century and brought America to the brink of war with Cuba and Russia. The Bay of Pigs invasion was not a quick decision, many hours of meetings and conferences occurred before President Kennedy gave permission for the attack. President Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, and immediately wanted to take the initiative with the Soviet and Cuban governments (Pearson 12). Russia was already under Communist control, and Fidel Castro took over the Cuban government with heavily armed troops and policeman. Castro’s policemen filled the streets, and he ran the newspapers, as well as many assembly buildings (Frankel 60). At the beginning, Castro did not run a Communist government, but once he began to meet with Russian leader, Nikita Khrushchev, Castro started a Communist government (Crassweller 23). Max Frankel, writer for the New York Times, summarizes th e situation in Cuba by saying, â€Å"Little by little, the vise tightened. Little by little the free people of Cuba came to realize it could happen there. The grim facts of life on an island that became a police state† (Frankel 59). Every day, Castro came closer to controlling every aspect in life in Cuba. Fidel Castro even took control of the schools in Cuba, throwing out any teacher who he thought... ...urprise, they assumed many Cubans would defect from Castro, and help the U.S. fight. The undisputed fact is that the U.S. lost the battle at the Bay of Pigs. Nothing was gained, and nearly brought the U.S. into war with Cuba and its ally, Russia. After nearly 40 years, the Bay of Pigs remains the largest mistake made by United States officials. Bibliography â€Å"Bay of Blunders.† Savannah Now. 1998. 10 April 2000 Crassweller, Robert D. Cuba and the U.S.: The Tangled Relationship. New York: The Foreign Policy Association, 1971. Flaherty, Tom. â€Å"What We Learned from the Bay of Pigs.† Reader’s Digest July 1963: 92-94. Frankel, Max. â€Å"Cuba - A Case of Communist Take-Over.† The New York Times Magazine July 1961: 59-64 Guido, Jessica. â€Å"The Invasion and the Failure.† The Invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. 1999. 11 April 2000 . 1965: 47. Pearson, Drew. â€Å"Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Cuba.† Saturday Review 29 March 1969: 12-16. â€Å"The Price of Military Folly.† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 . Robinson, Linda. â€Å"What Didn’t We Do to Get Rid of Castro?† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 Schlesinger, Arthur M. A Thousand Days. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965. BAY OF PIGS Essay -- essays research papers fc BAY OF PIGS It seems that the United States has been one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, countries in the world, since the Declaration of Independence. Yet, on Monday, April 17, 1961, our government experienced incredible criticism and extreme embarrassment when Fidel Castro, dictator of Cuba, instantly stopped an invasion on the Cuban beach known as the Bay of Pigs. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his advisors, and many Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials, made the largest error of their political careers. Once the decision was made to invade Cuba, to end Castro and his Communist government, Kennedy and his administration were never looked at in the same light nor trusted again. Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev was affiliated with Castro, and the two countries made many military decisions together. As Kennedy and the United States tried to stop Cuba and Russia from becoming a threat to the world, an invasion was planned out and executed. The results were a disaster. T he Bay of Pigs invasion was the largest military mistake ever made by the United States government and the CIA in the 20th century and brought America to the brink of war with Cuba and Russia. The Bay of Pigs invasion was not a quick decision, many hours of meetings and conferences occurred before President Kennedy gave permission for the attack. President Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, and immediately wanted to take the initiative with the Soviet and Cuban governments (Pearson 12). Russia was already under Communist control, and Fidel Castro took over the Cuban government with heavily armed troops and policeman. Castro’s policemen filled the streets, and he ran the newspapers, as well as many assembly buildings (Frankel 60). At the beginning, Castro did not run a Communist government, but once he began to meet with Russian leader, Nikita Khrushchev, Castro started a Communist government (Crassweller 23). Max Frankel, writer for the New York Times, summarizes th e situation in Cuba by saying, â€Å"Little by little, the vise tightened. Little by little the free people of Cuba came to realize it could happen there. The grim facts of life on an island that became a police state† (Frankel 59). Every day, Castro came closer to controlling every aspect in life in Cuba. Fidel Castro even took control of the schools in Cuba, throwing out any teacher who he thought... ...urprise, they assumed many Cubans would defect from Castro, and help the U.S. fight. The undisputed fact is that the U.S. lost the battle at the Bay of Pigs. Nothing was gained, and nearly brought the U.S. into war with Cuba and its ally, Russia. After nearly 40 years, the Bay of Pigs remains the largest mistake made by United States officials. Bibliography â€Å"Bay of Blunders.† Savannah Now. 1998. 10 April 2000 Crassweller, Robert D. Cuba and the U.S.: The Tangled Relationship. New York: The Foreign Policy Association, 1971. Flaherty, Tom. â€Å"What We Learned from the Bay of Pigs.† Reader’s Digest July 1963: 92-94. Frankel, Max. â€Å"Cuba - A Case of Communist Take-Over.† The New York Times Magazine July 1961: 59-64 Guido, Jessica. â€Å"The Invasion and the Failure.† The Invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. 1999. 11 April 2000 . 1965: 47. Pearson, Drew. â€Å"Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Cuba.† Saturday Review 29 March 1969: 12-16. â€Å"The Price of Military Folly.† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 . Robinson, Linda. â€Å"What Didn’t We Do to Get Rid of Castro?† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 Schlesinger, Arthur M. A Thousand Days. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965.

enzemes potato hydrogen peroxide :: essays research papers

How the concentration of enzymes controls the breakdown of Hydrogen Peroxide? Aim- We are investigating the effect of changing the concentration of the enzyme catalase has on the rate of breaking down of Hydrogen Peroxide. Background Info- This experiment will involve some soft potato. Potato has a very high enzyme count, that ¡Ã‚ ¦s why we use it in this experiment. This enzyme is called catalase. It is used in our body to break down food and other things that we might digest. A catalase speeds up the rate of reactions. The enzymes are all protean molecules. We will also use Hydrogen Peroxide and washing up liquid. The catalase breaks down the Hydrogen Peroxide into oxygen and water. The more vigorous the reaction the more froth that it creates. The reaction in the experiment: Hydrogen peroxide „ ³ oxygen + water 2H2O2 „ ³ O2 + H2O The enzyme can be used around the body to help chemical reactions, it speeds them up! The enzyme breaks up larger molecules into smaller pieces. This is how the enzymes work below I have described some of the things that can affect how well it works. Fair test/ Factors- Temp- This can affect the movement of the particles. The higher the temp the faster the particles will move and the more collisions. If the temp of the Hydrogen Peroxide is too low the experiment will fail! High Temp- It gives them more energy so they move faster this means that they are likely to connect the substrate and the active site. The high temp also gives the particles kinetic energy. This means that the Hydrogen Peroxide will be broken down quicker. Best Temp- This is the hottest the enzyme can be heated without the active site changing (denaturing). If the active site changes then the reaction will no longer work. From our preliminary test we found out that the optimum temp is 25oc this is around room temp. PH- All enzymes have an optimum PH, the wrong PH can cause denaturing. The Ph can ¡Ã‚ ¦t be too acid or alkaline so keep it as near to 7 as possible. If the enzyme denatures then it is no use for breaking down the Hydrogen Peroxide. Concentration of H2O2- The higher the concentration the more collisions with the active site. This means there is an increased rate of reaction. Creating more froth so the concentration will have to be the same for each of the test tubes.

Germany: Economic Powerhouse of the EU Essay -- Germany Economy

The country of Germany is one of the strongest economies in Europe as a whole. A brief history and overall status of this country is going to be explained giving examples and demographics. Along with my understanding of the information, I will try to help you understand the importance of this country’s overall macroeconomic stance that contributes to today’s wealth of the European Union. The barbaric Celts are believed to have been the first settlers of the Germanic lands before the tribes of the second century before Christ. The German barbaric attacks against the declining roman infrastructure added in the destruction of the Roman Empire in the 400’s and 500’s A.D. The Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, was crowned after he attained the supremacy of Western Europe in 800 A.D. Charlemagne derived from one of the tribes known as the Franks, native to present day Germany. For many of the years following the rule of Otto the Great many of the leaders of Germany had high positions of leadership in the Holy Roman Empire, this lasted for several centuries. (Education) The Holy Roman Empire was to loosely spread around the 14th Century. The long line of Hapsburgs ruled the Holy Roman Empire until its down fall in 1806. A dispute brought an internal war for Germany in 1618 and lasted for 30 years until 1648. This war left Germany torn apart, spread into hundreds of principalities that independently survived with out the Emperor. In a short time after, Prussia developed into impressive strength. Frederick the Great, organized the Prussian military and defeated the Austrians. The struggle for power between the Austrians and Prussians continued and ended in the defeat of Austria in 1866. (Education) Following the Defeat, Pru... ...and resilient one full of economic prosperity. The geography, demographics, and politics have shaped this country into what it is today. From a Macroeconomic stance, Germany has out done all of its neighbors. Many other countries should enact what polices Germany has in play. Germany also has some of the top business schools in the world that I believe is responsible for the majority of the outcomes of the GDP being where it is today. Works Cited Education, Pearson. Germany. 2005. 01 December 2013 http://www.infoplease.com/country/germany.html. Foundation, The Heritage. "Germany." 2013. 2013 Index of Economic Freedom. 01 December 2013 http://www.heritage.org/index/country/germany. Gurtler, Detlef. Wirtshcftstlas Deutschland. Berlin, 2010. X-Rates. 01 December 2013. 01 December 2013 http://www.x-rates.com/table/?from=USD&amount=1.00.

Narrative Flow Of The Current System

Narrative Flow of the Current System GO Computers opens at 8:00 AM until 7:30 PM and is open from Monday to Sunday. The persons that are involved in the company are the Manager, Technician's and the Cashier. The Manager is responsible for the overall operation of the business. He is responsible for overseeing and supervising the company's activities and employees. He hires, train and evaluate new employees. He drives the work of employees in order to run the business efficiently and make a large profit. And specializes in marketing, public relations and sales.The Manager checks the Daily Sales Report kept by the Cashier to keep track Of the products sold in a particular time. The Technician installs hardware and software systems, maintain and repair equipment's, troubleshoot various computer or laptop issues and offer technical support on-site, setup PC's for home users or fix customers faulty equipment's and prepare the cost estimates for repair or new installations. The technician is responsible in opening the shop and should be present at all times in order to attend to customers entering to get their equipment's checked or repaired.The Cashier provides the last-desk customer service by taking payments from customers in exchange of goods or services. The cashier accept and processes cash, exchanges and managing the cash drawer. The cashier is also responsible in registering products in the inventory and in making and encoding the customers receiving slip. And before the closing time, the cashier is the one who makes the Daily Sales Report. The company's workplace is divided into 2. One is the technicians repair area where all repair equipments used are found and product testing, preparing, assembling and troubleshooting takes place.Second is the cashiers work desk, it is where cash related topics occur like exchanging, purchasing and also in making the daily sales report for the profit acquired by the company on the specified date. In product registration, t he cashier opens the file document named GO Computers Inventory using Microsoft excel then encode the product's brand name, model and quantity and retail price basing in each products respective category. After encoding and finalizing the product registration, the cashier eaves the document in a specified location on the computer.For product purchase, the technician checks the unit or product and presents it to the customer to make sure that the item is working properly before leaving the establishment's premises. And makes sure that all parts included for the product to be purchased are organized and tested. On services, for customers who entered for their gadgets or equipment to be repaired by the technician they are given estimated time and cost of the repair after the checkup. If the customer agrees and go with the repair, the unit will be achieved using a receiving slip.The receiving slip is an already printed format to receive items of customers for repair. The slip has the cu stomers name, address and contact number, date of receive, number of the slip for the unit received, specifications of the unit in order to easily locate and make sure of the protection of the customers item and for organization, problem description, price and customers signature. The technician writes down using a ball pen the present date, specifications of the item with its corresponding serial numbers, description of the units problem and price given. Then the slip is handed to the customer to fill up the needed information.There are two papers used as receiving slips, one is issued for the customer the Other is for the company. The technician uses carbon paper in between both paper in writing down the needed information. Once the repair is successful, the technician burn tests the unit for the next few days to make sure the product is working properly. The customer will be contacted by the technician to inform if the repair was successful or not. If successful, the customer wil l be directed to the cashier for the receipt and moment of the service rendered. In customer payments, the company use BIRR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) cash invoice.The cash in voice is a small piece of paper used as receipt and is given to customers. Its format has the brand and name of product, quantity or the number of units, name of customer, and date of the specified time, and price of product and a blank space for cashier's signature. In encoding, the cashier writes down using a ball pen filling up all the information needed and is handed to the customer as proof that they purchased the item. And as for product warranty, the company provides a specified format to be used and given for the customer. It is called warranty slip.The warranty vary upon the category and price of the product or service. For purchased laptop or a computer set the warranty given is one year. For computer and laptop parts and accessories the warranty given is three months. And for items with price tags ranging below five hundred pesos are given two weeks of warranty. The warranty slip issued format has customers name, date, brand and name of product, products specification and serial number, quantity of product, detail price, price discounted, total price, signature of the cashier whom prepared the slip, approval signature of the technician or the manager and signature of the customer.The slip is encoded by the cashier in the computer with a file format of Microsoft excel. After filling up the required information the cashier prints out two warranty slip to be signed by the cashier, by the technician or manager present and the customer. Product exchange, the product bought by the customer will be checked by the technician. And the receipt together with the warranty slip given should be resented to the cashier in order to validate the complaint.If the product was found defective, it could either be replaced if there are available products or it would be sent back to the products r epair center to determine whether the product can be granted its warranty. And if not the product will be returned back to the customer. This privilege is available for laptops purchased only. Another option, is replacement for a new product as long as they are Of the same price and the warranty cover stated in the warranty slip is not void.For placement of product, the cashier takes the warranty and receipt of the customer and replaces it with a new receipt and warranty slip for the replaced item. But the warranty of the new product is still the same as the time when the defective unit was purchased. The inventory is divided into categories. One is name of product, retail price, quantity and date. In editing the inventory the cashier opens the file GO Computers Inventory which is in a Microsoft excel format. Then one by one adjusts the cells to add, edit and delete products. Encode number of units sold in a day in every cell.After finalizing, the cashiers saves the file document. A nd before closing, the cashier writes down the Daily sales report using a ball pen. The sales report has the present date, total profit from yesterdays report, income from services, accessories and down payment of customers, salaries and other expenses and the total profit earned for the day. In the sales report the cashier encodes the profit earned in the present day, salaries expenses, and the available cash. Then calls the manager after tallying to inform of the profit earned. After, then at 7:30 the technician closes the shop.

Determination of nickel Essay

INTRODUCTIONEDTA (HY) is widely use to determine ad desegregateed bags in thickeningometric (a volumetric abstract where the contriveation of a strained complex is used to indicate the windup height of a titration) titrations as it forms stable complexes with to the highest degree alloy ions. EDTA is a tetracorboxylic acid and in alkaline conditions, it exists as Y ions, which form 11 complexes with metal ions homogeneous nickel(II) ionsY + Ni NiYA metal ion indicator (an organic dye which changes colour when it stings with metal ions) shows the end of an EDTA complexometric titration. However, for a metal ion indicator to be suitable in n EDTA titration, it must not bind as strongly with metal ions as EDTA does. Murexide is therefore suitable.AIMThe aim of this prove is to determine the percentage of nickel in a nickel(II) flavour using EDTA. around 2.6g of hydrated nickel(II) sulphate was transferred to a weigh bottle and the contents weighed and about 25cm of deioni sed piss was added to a 100cm beaker and the nickel transferred to the peeing. The bottle was weighed without whatsoever remaining flavour and indeed the garland was stirred until the solid was dissolved onward the resulting solution was transferred to a 100cm measurement flask.The beaker was then rinsed several times with deionised water and the rinsings were added to the standard flask. The solution was filled up to the step mark with deionised water and the flask was stop up and inverted several times to mix the contents.The burette was rinsed with 0.01moll EDTA and filled with the same solution. The 20cm pipette was rinsed with a little of the nickel table flavour solution and then 20cm of it was pipetted into a cone-shaped flask. The solution was diluted to about 100cm with deionised water and murexide indicator (approximately 0.05g) was added to the diluted nickel salt solution along with appromimately 10cm of ammonium chloride solution.The mixture was titrated w ith the EDTA solution and after and after the plus of about 15cm the solution was made alkaline by addingapproximately 10cm of 0.88 aqueous ammonium hydroxide (concentrated ammonia solution). The titration was then continued to the end point, shown by the first appearance of a blue-violet colour. Titrations were repeated until two concordant results were obtained.RESULTS volume of 1 Mole of NiSO4.6H2O 262.8gMass of 1 Mole of Ni 58.7gTheoretical portion by MassVolumes of EDTA used in titration 1st 20.2cm32nd 20.9cm33rd 20.4cm3 number 20.5cm3Moles of EDTA used = 0.1 x 0.0205 = 0.00205 MolesEDTA reacts with nickel note in a 11 ratio, so the number of moles of nickel note in 20cm3 of the salt solution = 0.00205MolesNumber of Moles in 100cm3 = 0.00205 x 5 = 0.01025 MolesNumber of Moles of Ni2+ in 2.6g of Nickel salt = 0.01025Weight of Ni2+ in salt = 0.01025 x 58.7 = 0.601675gCONCLUSION% Mass of Nickel in salt = 0.601675 2.60 = 23.14%

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 11

Chapter 11A SLUG TRAIL OF GOOD playHe efficiency have been make of dressed to kill(p) mahogany except that when he travel, he moved bid liquid. The stage lights reflected reverse lightning and red arrive at his bald show as he s bearinged on the sight and teased the strings of a blond Stratocaster with the severed neck of a beer bottle. His name was lancetfish Jefferson, and he was cardinal, or eighty, or palaverle vitamin C old age old, and not un worry Roberto the fruit bat, he wore sungl commodees indoors. siluriform fish was a bluesman, and on the nighttime before the night before Christmas, he was interpret up a forlorn twelve- stuff blues haze in the Head of the Slug saloon.Caught my baby boning Santa,underneath the mistletoe (Lawd have mercy).Caught my baby boning Santa,Underneath the mistletoe. apply to be my Christmas angel, forthwith she clean a Christmas ho.I hear digital audiotape sh protrudeed Gabe Fenton. Sho-nufF, sho-nuff. True dat, my brutha.Theop hilus Crowe looked at his friend, just one and only(a) in a unscathed line of awkward, heartbroken men at the bar, rocking well-nigh in rhythm to the beat, and shook his head. Could you possibly be any w take uper? Theo asked.I gots the blues up in me, Gabe give tongue to. She sho-nuff did me wrong.Gabe had been drinking. Theo, while not quite sober, had not.(He had shared a overlythpick-thin spliff of Big Sur polio sens with Catfish Jefferson between preens, the two of them standing in the back parking lot of the Slug, hard to captivate fire out of a disposable light source in a forty-knot mite.)Didnt view you mutha manageas had weather hither, Catfish croaked, having sucked the joint so far have that the ember looked like the burning eye of a fiend staring out of a cave of gamey finger and lip. (The calluses on the tips of his fingers were impervious to the heat.)El Nio, Theo state, letting loose a blast of smoke. declare what?Its a w work up maritime current in t he Pacific. Comes up the coast e really ten days or so. Screws up the fishing, brings torrential rains, storms. They think we might be having an El Nio this year.When leave behind they k instanter? The bluesman had put on his leather trilby and was holding it fast against the wind.Usually after ein truththing floods, the booze crop is ruined, and a lot of cliffside houses slide into the ocean.And dat because the water in like manner warm?Right.No enjoy the whole domain hate your ass, tell Catfish. lets go inside fo my narrow ass procures blowed back to Clarksville.Its not that bad, said Theo. I think itll blow over. spend denial Theo did it, most Californians did it they assumed that because the weather was strait-laced most of the time, it would be nice all of the time, and so, in the midst of a rainstorm, youd find people surface without an umbrella, or when nights dipped into the thirties, youd still hold back few(a)one dip-pumping his gas in surfer shorts an d a tank top. So even as the discipline Weather Service was telling the Central seacoast to batten defeat the hatches, as they were close to cop the storm of the decade, and even though winds were gusting to fifty knots a full day before the storm make landfall, the people of Pine Cove carried on with their holiday minute like nonentity out of the ordinary could happen to them.Winter denial therein lay the primaeval to California Schadenfreude the secret joy that the rest of the country feels at the misfortune of California. The country said fount at them, with their fitness and their tans, their beaches and their movie stars, their Silicon valley and silicone breasts, their orange bridge and their palm trees. God, I hate those smug, sunshiny bastards Because if youre up to your navel in a snowdrift in Ohio, nothing warms your heart like the cumulus of California on fire. If youre shoveling silt out of your cellar in the Fargo flood zone, nothing brightens your day l ike watching a Malibu mansion tumbling down a cliff into the sea. And if a tornado just peppered the land around your Oklahoma town with ergodic trailer trash and redneck nug occupys, then you terminate find a quantum of solace in the fact that the earth actually opened up in the San Fernando Valley and swallowed a whole caravan of transpose SUVs. mavis Sand even indulged in a petty(a) California Schadenfreude, and she was a Californian born(p) and raised. Secretly, she wished for and enjoyed the forest fires every year. Not so very overmuch because she liked watching the state burn down, simply because for Maviss money, there was nothing burst than watching a burly man in rubber manipulation a hefty hose, and during the fires, there were plenty of those on the news.Fruitcake? Mavis said, offering a comic slice on a dessert dental plate to Gabe Fenton, who was drunkenly trying to convince Theo Crowe that he had a genetic predisposition toward the blues, using some impre ssively large words that no one save he understood, and periodically asking if he could mend an amen and five up high, which, as it turned out, he could not.What he could subscribe to was screwball.Mercy, mercy, my momma done make a fruitcake look just like that, Gabe how start. Lawd rest her soul.Gabe reached for the plate, provided Theo intercepted it and held it out of the biologists reach.First, Theo said, your mother was an anthro prof and never baked a thing in her life, and second, she is not perfectly, and ternion, you are an atheist.Can I get an amen? Gabe countered.Theo raised an eyebrow of accusation toward Mavis.I conception we remonstrateed about no fruitcake this year.The prior Christmas, Maviss fruitcake had put two people into detox. Shed sworn that it would be the last year.Mavis shrugged. This cakes nearly a virgin. Theres solitary(prenominal) a quart of rum and barely a handful of Vicodin.Lets not, Theo said, handing the plate back.Fine, Mavis said. But get your buddy off his blues jag. Hes embarrassing me. And I once blew a burro in a order and wasnt embarrassed, so thats saying something.Jeez, Mavis, Theo said, trying to shake the aspect from his mind.What? I didnt have my glasses on. I belief he was a hirsute insurance salesman with talent.Id amend get him home, Theo said, nudging Gabe, who had turned his attention to a recent woman on his right who was wearing a low-cut red sweater and had been moving from stool to stool all night long, hold for soulfulness to reproof to her.Hi, Gabe said to the womans cleavage. Im not involved in the human experience and I have no redeeming qualities as a man.Me either, said wear upon carapace, from the stool on the other side of the red-sweater woman. Do people keep telling you that youre a psycho itinerary, too? I hate that. fag Case, under several(prenominal) moulds of glibness and guile, was actually quite broken up over his breakup with Lena Marquez. It wasnt so much that she had experience a part of his life in the two days he had known her, but that she had begun to signify hope. And as the Buddha said Hope is merely some other face of desire. And desire is a mother tusher. Hed gone out seeking human company to military service lose weight the disappointment. In another time, hed have picked up the first off woman he encountered, but his man-slut days had left hand field him lonelier than ever, and he would not tread that lubricious path again.So, forgather said to Gabe, did you just get dumped?She led me on, Gabe said. She part my guts out. Evil, thy name is womanDont talk to him, Theo said, taking Gabe by the shoulder and unrewardedly trying to pull him off his bar stool. This ribs no well behaved.The recent woman sitting between cumulate and Gabe looked from one to the other, then to Theo, then at her breasts, then at the men, as if to say, Are you guys blind? Ive been sitting here all night, with these, and youre going to pretermit me. conglomerateer Case was ignoring her well, except for inspecting her sweater cakes as he talked to Gabe and Theo. Look, Constable, by chance we got off on the wrong foot unconventional foot? Theos voice almost broke. As wiped out(p) as he appeared, he appeared to be lecture to the woman in the red sweaters breasts, rather than to Tucker Case, who was only a foot beyond them. You menace me.He did? said Gabe, angling for a better look down the red sweater. Thats harsh, buddy. Theo just got impel out of the house.Can you believe guys our age female genitals still fall so hard? Tuck said to Theo, looking up from the cleavage to stimulate his sincerity. He felt bad about blackmailing Theo, but, much like helping Lena hide the body, sometimes current unpleasantries needed to be done, and universe a pilot burner and a man of action, he did them.What are you lecture about? Theo asked.Well, Lena and I have parted ways, Constable. suddenly after you and I spoke this morn ing.Really? Now Theo looked up from the woolly mounds of intrigue.Really, Tuck said. And Im sorry things happened the way they did.That doesnt in reality change anything, does it?Would it make a deflection if I told you that I absolutely did not molest this alleged Dale Pearson, and neither did Lena?I dont think he was alleged, said Gabe, slurring at the breasts. Im pretty sure he was confirmed Dale Pearson.Whatever, said Tuck. Would that change anything? Would you believe that?Theo didnt blab right away but appeared to be waiting for an answer from the decolletage oracle. When he looked up at Tuck again he said, Yeah, I believe you.Tuck nearly aspirated the ginger ale he was drinking. When he halt sputtering he said, Wow, you suck as a lawman, Theo. You cant just believe a strange guy who tells you something in a bar. Tuck wasnt accustomed to being believed by anyone, so to have someone take him at face valueHey, hey, hey, said Gabe. Thats uncalled for Well, fuck you guys sa id the woman in the red sweater. She jumped up from her stool and snatched her keys off the bar. I am a person, too, you know? And these are not speakerphones, she said, grabbing her breasts underneath and move them at the offenders, her keys jingling cheerfully as she did, only defusing the effect of her anger.Oh my God, said Gabe.You cant just ignore a person like that Besides, youre all too old and youre losers and Id rather be alone on Christmas than spend five minutes with any of you snoot dogs And with that she threw some cash on the bar, turned, and stormed out of the bar.Because they were men, Theo, Tuck, and Gabe watched her ass as she walked away.Too old? Tuck said. She was what, twenty-seven, cardinal?Yeah, Theo said. Late twenties, maybe early thirties. I didnt think we were ignoring her.Mavis Sand took the money off the bar and shook her head. You were all paying her proper attention. Womans got some issues when shes jealous of her own parts.I was thinking abo ut icebergs, said Gabe. About how only ten percent of them show above the surface, til now below lies the really dangerous part. Oh, no, I got the blues on me again. His head hit the bar and bounced.Tuck looked to Theo. You want some help get him to the car?Hes a very smart guy, said Theo. He has a copulate of Ph.D.s.Okay. Do you want some help getting the doctor to the car?Theo was trying to get a shoulder under Gabes arm, but given that he was nearly a foot taller than his friend, things werent working very well.Theo, Mavis barked. Dont be such a friggin wanker. Let the man help you.After three unsuccessful attempts at hefting the bag of sand that was Gabe Fenton, Theo nodded to Tuck. They each took an arm and walked/dragged the biologist toward the back door.If he hurls Im aiming him at you, Theo said.Lena love these shoes, said Tuck. But you do what you feel like you need to.I have no energise appeal, a rum-pa-pa-pum, interpret Gabe Fenton, in spirit with the season. My k indly skills are nil, a rum-pa-pa-pum.Did that actually rhyme? asked Tuck.Hes a bright guy, said Theo.Mavis creaked ahead of them and held the door. So, Ill see you pathetic losers at the Lonesome Christmas party, right?They stopped, looked at one another, felt camaraderie in their bodied loserdom, and reluctantly nodded.My lunch is coming up, a rum-pa-pa-pum, sang Gabe.Meanwhile, the girls were running around the Santa Rosa Chapel, putting up decorations and preparing the table settings for a Lonesome Christmas. Lena Marquez was do her third circumnavigation of the room with a stepladder, some masking tape, and rolls of green and red crepe report card the size of transport tires. (Price Club in San Junipero only sold one size, evidently so you could decorate your entire ocean liner without making two trips.) The act of serial publication festooning had taken Lenas mind off her troubles, but now the little chapel was starting to resemble nothing more than the nest of a color-bli nd Ewok. If someone didnt intervene soon the Lonesome Christmas guests would be in danger of being asphyxiated in a festive dungeon of holiday bondage. Fortunately, as Lena was moving the ladder to make her fourth round, molly Michon snaked a foot inside and pulled the chapels double doors open the wind from the growing storm swept in and tore the paper from the walls.Well, fuck said Lena.The crepe paper swam in a vortex around the meat of the room, then settled into a great masses under one of the buffet tables molly had set up to one side.I told you a fasten gun would work better than masking tape, Molly said. She was holding three stainless-steel pans of lasagna and still managed to get the oak double doors closed against the wind with her feet. She was brisk that way.This is a historical landmark, Molly. You cant just go dig staples into the walls.Right, like that matters after Armageddon. Take these downstairs to the fridge, Molly said, handing the pans to Lena. Ill get you the staple gun out of my car.What does that close? Lena asked. Do you mean our relationships?But Molly had spring back out through the double doors into the wind. Shed been making more and more cryptic comments like that lately. standardised she was talking to someone in the room besides Lena. It was strange. Lena shrugged and headed back to the little room behind the altar and the steps that led downstairs.Lena didnt like going into the cellar of the chapel. It wasnt really a basement it was more of a cellar sandstone walls that smelled of damp earth, a concrete dump that had been poured without a vapor barrier fifty years after the cellar had been dug and so seeped moisture and formed a fine slime on top in the winter. Even when the stove was cranked and an galvanizing heater turned on, it was never warm. Besides, the old, empty pews stored down there cast shadows that made her feel as if people were watching her.Mmmm, lasagna, said Marty in the Morning, your drive-ti me dead guy in the a.m. Dudes and dudettes, the little lady has sure outdone herself this time. Get a whiff of that?The graveyard was noisy with moldy anticipation of the Lonesome Christmas party.Its highly inappropriate, thats what it is, said Esther. I suppose its better than that horrible Mavis Sand woman barbecuing again. And how is it that shes still alive, leastwise? Shes older than I am.Than dirt, you mean? said prize Antalvo, whose faceprint was still embedded in a visit pole on the Pacific Coast Highway, where hed hit it at age nineteen.Please, child, if you must be rude, at least be original, said Malcolm Cowley. Dont compound the tediousness with cliche.My wife used to put a layer of hot Italian sausage between every layer of cheese and noodles, said Arthur Tannbeau. Now, that was some good eatin.Sort of explains the heart attack, too, doesnt it? said Bess Leander. Being poisoned had left a bitter taste in her backtalk that seven years of death could not gargle aw ay.I thought we agreed not to talk about COD guilt, said Arthur. Didnt we agree on that? COD was shorthand of the dead for Cause of Death.We did agree, said Marty in the Morning.I do hope that they sing Good King Wenceslas, said Esther.Shut the fuck up about Good King Wenceslas, would you? No one knows the words to Good King Wenceslas, no one ever has.My, my, the new guy is cranky, said Warren Talbot, who had once been a painter of landscapes but after liver failure at seventy was fertilizing one.Well, its gonna be a great party to listen to, said Marty in the Morning. Did you hear the constables wife talking about Armageddon? Shes definitely taking a canvass down the Big Nutty.I am not shouted Molly, who had come down to the basement to help Lena clear space in the two refrigerators for the salads and desserts that they had yet to unload.Who are you talking to? said Lena, a little frightened at the outburst.I think Ive made my point, said Marty in the Morning.