Mentoring Leadership Essay

Leadership has always been an important principle that shapes and motivates people to become better. It serves as a catalyst providing opportunities for members to recognize their strengths and grow from their experiences. Seeing this, to better understand Jesus’ style of mentoring leadership, it is then crucial to identify common elements shaping this approach and relate it with specific strengths and weaknesses. By actively determining these areas, it can create appreciation of how Jesus was able to hone his disciples to continue and expand his principles and teachings. Analyzing Jesus’ ministry, it can be argued that he seeks to promote a mentoring leadership style. This specific method corresponds to the ability of a leader to provide necessary means to train members to continue specific objectives. The main purpose of this style it to establish continuity and promote transcendence from an individual leader to several followers and expand the ideas or skills taught (Towns, 2007). Seeing this, Jesus’ participation and interaction with the disciples remains to be rooted in giving each one the capacity to pursue his teachings and become the fundamental groundwork for Christianity. Assessing the key strengths of this leadership approach, it can be argued that this process provides opportunities for the leader to become a teacher, communicate, and inspire members to follow. Under the first precept, a mentoring leadership style promotes the individual to become a teacher (Towns, 2007). Here, Jesus readily gives himself to be of service to his disciples by means of educating them about the scriptures and the values necessary to become a true Christian. Such dynamics then increase the ability of members to appreciate and relate with the purpose of Jesus both as a leader and a teacher. The second facet involves enhancing communication process. Here, Jesus’ ministry revolves around taking care of his disciples and becoming patient to their needs. Though the way Jesus communicates to his disciples may at oftentimes be metaphorical, he makes it a point to establish good connections with each one. This then trains the disciples to become committed towards reinforcing communication and dialogue as it remains to be a crucial precept to help promote the process of evangelization and conversion (Towns, 2007). The last part involves inspiring members to become better. Given the dynamics of Jesus’ ministry, he was able to put his words into actions and gain the respect of his disciples. Due to this, he was able to further his teachings and also allow members to recognize their individual inputs in the application of their specific leadership style (Towns, 2007). Due to this, Jesus was able to shape the value of his followers according to what he believes is essential. On the other hand, the weaknesses of this leadership style include (1) failure, (2) expectation of immediate results, and (3) live a life of isolation (Towns, 2007). In the first aspect, failure corresponds to the inability of a leader to create and develop the mentoring process. The most applicable example of this to Jesus’ life was the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and his limited ability to imbibe the teachings of Jesus. The second one looks into how some disciples expect immediate results from what the mentoring leader says. Applying this to the case of Jesus, the Bible has elaborated various scenes in the Gospel where the disciples question various principles and tenets of Jesus’ teaching. This then impedes the ability of disciples to fully take advantage of progressing and incorporating the ideas and values taught by Jesus to each one (Towns, 2007). Lastly, Jesus’ mentoring leadership style also promotes a life of isolation. Since Jesus is too focused to achieve his purpose and role in life, he found limited time to spend for himself and open up to his disciples about his personality and life (Towns, 2007). Though this cannot be entirely seen throughout Jesus’ ministry, this also served to provide confusion and misunderstanding among his disciples on specific occasions. In the end, Jesus’ mentoring leadership style illustrates both strengths and weaknesses in application. The strengths mentioned highlight how this approach can provide the opportunities for members to grow and continue the principles taught by the leader. However, the limitations of this approach also impede the ability to further encourage transcendence and growth. Regardless of these inputs, Jesus was successful in molding followers according to his purpose and beliefs due to his unconditional care given to his disciples together with the time and patience given.

Australian Consumer Law Tutorial Answers

A representative for Scoutmaster told Mrs. Trans that: ; â€Å"We believe the new rent is very reasonable and below the market value†; and The rent is lower than the rental paid by other tenants in the Food Court† Both statements were incorrect. Scoutmaster gave Mrs. Trans 7 days to agree to the lease renewal, but provided no reason for giving this limited time frame. Advise Mrs. Trans as to whether Scoutmaster Pity Ltd has breached the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (previously referred to as Trade Practices Act 1974 (Act)) and if so, her available remedies.Issue: Were the statements misleading or deceptive in breach of the Australian Consumer Law? Law: ; Section 18, Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Act) (or alternatively you can say Section 18 Australian Consumer Law which is the title for Schedule 2) ; Section 4 (â€Å"presumption of misleading†) ; Eveready Australia Pity Ltd v Gillette Australia Pity Ltd OR Taco Company of Status Inc v T aco Bell Pity Ltd (â€Å"objective test†) Application: ; Explain which of the statements was an opinion and why the law presumes it was misleading (e was there any basis for making the opinion? ; Apply the objective test to the second statement made by the Scoutmaster representative. In particular: (what will be the target market and why would a reasonable person from that target market be misled or deceived? Issue: Did Scoutmaster engage in unconscionable conduct? ; Section 22 Australian Consumer Law ; Miller v Gunter & Ours OR Commercial Bank of Australia v Amid ; Explain why section 21 and not section 20 applies ; Explain why Scoutmasters' conduct was in trade or commerce ; Explain what the conduct was and why it was unconscionable, with reference to the factors listed in section 22 of the Australian Consumer Law.In particular: o The superior bargaining position of Scoutmaster o Ability to understand documents o Undue pressure and tactics used Issue: Did Scoutmaster make a false or misleading representation? Section Australian Consumer Law ; Explain why the statements were false regarding the price of a service, in particular noting what the relevant price is and what the service is in the question. Issue: What are the remedies? Law: Section 236 (damages); Section 232 (injunction); Section 243 (other orders) ; Explain the remedies that Mrs. Trans would be seeking as you are advising her and not the AC.In particular: o Explain what an injunction would do and why Mrs. Trans would want this remedy; o Explain when Mrs. Trans would be entitled to damages and how damages would be calculated o Explain when Mrs. Trans loud want to vary the contract and what the variation would be o Explain when Mrs. Trans would want to void the contract and what the effect of voiding the contract would be Conclusion: ; Scoutmaster has engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct and made a false or misleading representation in respect of the price of a service.

History Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

History Project - Essay Example Prevalence of Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity and overweight children are characterized as â€Å"epidemic in North America and internationaly† (Deckelbaum & Williams, 2001, p. 239). The number of children satisfying the definition of obesity has increased significantly. For example, information released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that in the US the number of obese children between ages 6 and 19 increased from 4-5% in 1963-1970 to 15% in 1999-2000 (Korbonits, 2008). The CDC (2012) reports that 17% or 12.5 million children and adolescents in the US between the ages of 2 and 19 â€Å"are obese.† In addition, the numbers of obese children in the US have tripled since the 1980s. Childhood obesity differs according to ethnic and racial distinctions. For example, between 2007 and 2008, data suggested that Hispanic boys between the ages of 2 and 19 were far â€Å"more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white boys† (CDC, 2012 ). The data from 2007-2008 also revealed that non-Hispanic black girls were far more â€Å"likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white girls† (CDC, 2012). The CDC (n.d.) reports that 1 out of every 3 children are either obese or overweight before attaining the age of 5. Moreover, approximately 3.7 million or 1/3 of children from low-income families between ages 2 and 4 were either overweight or obese (CDC, n.d.). Childhood obesity is therefore prevalent in the US. Causes of Childhood Obesity According to Korbonits (2008) only between 1 and 2 percent of obese children suffer obesity as a result of an inherited gene. Obesity in children for the most part is more frequently caused by a number of interacting factors that â€Å"increase food intake and decrease energy expenditure† (Korbonits, 2008, p. 88). According to Davies, Fitzgerald and Mousouli (2007) both the quality and availability of food has changed during the latter parts of the 1900s to the extent that both food and drinks are dense in energy, come in larger portions, marketing of food and drinks has intensified and more and more Americans eat away from the home. Urbanization has also contributed to the propensity for obesity as walking in cities has been characterized as too dangerous (Davies, et. al., 2007). People in general have become more sedentary and as a result there is far less physical activities (Davies, et. al., 2007). Eating and lifestyle patterns and choices are typically cultural in nature in that children often inherit these choices and patterns within their respective cultures. Thus cultural influences help to explain why Hispanic boys and black girls in the US are more likely to be obese (Sundquist & Winkleby, 2000). Feeding habits beginning in infancy is said to be linked to the development of childhood obesity (Harder, Bergmann, Kallischnigg & Plagemann, 2005). A lack of physical activity is also linked to childhood obesity. In fact, Kimm, Glynn, Obarzaneck and Kriska (2005) reports that individuals who are more active are more able to effectively control their weight by developing muscles and decreasing body fat. However, children today tend to reduce the level of physical activities by the time they start high school (Kimm et. al., 2005). Health Risk Factors Attributed to Obesity Roberts and Hoffman (2008) reported that childhood obesity is associated with academic underperformance, psychological and physical health problems

No preference Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No preference - Research Paper Example It was used in brewing beer, making soups and stews, and barley bread in various cultures. Ships and vessels transported it across city-states in cases of warfare or trade activities. If someone found my pottery today, I would want the pottery itself to reflect on the revolutionary element of Greek society. The artistic movements of Greek, as a society, should focus on narrating the story of the birth of the first democracy, ancient Athens, through an artistically based kind of life. In the brutal world of the 5th Century BC, there emerged a society of equals in Greek, which was the ultimate reflection of the pottery artistic work if it were to be seen today. The aspects of life in Athens that encouraged cultural contribution of various philosophers, writers and artists include the following factors; firstly, the inbuilt spirits of Greek inhabitants is of an ever formulated trial and era aspect of the society. Secondly, Athens gave rise to various philosophers because of the emergence of educational activities through artistry. For instance, the Greek revolution overly began at the dawn of a simplified democracy in 508 B.C. with the revolution of common people against the aristocratic rule. This shows the complex nature of Greek subjects towards their leaders and the epistemological view of the world. The Greeks defeated the Persian Empire through an extraordinary self-sacrifice. When the Persians confidently arrived in the battlefield to tackle their Greek counterparts, their courier Phidipphides had already sought a 140 mile run to Sparta in two days. This was done in order to solicit help from Sparta’s army. The outnumbered Athenians henceforth fought to uphold their freedom rights, defeat the Persians and send them to Asia. The institution of ostracism was a formally implemented Athenian democracy. This democracy had a function of expelling defiant citizens from the

Ethics in Business Summative Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics in Business Summative Assignment - Essay Example However, Vin Diesel has recently become a vegetarian and no longer consumes the product. Amie feels disturbed by the ethical ramifications of the celebritys endorsement and is pondering how to proceed with the advertising project in the face of ethical concerns. Individuals in the advertising business, or even amongst general society, are often challenged when they consider ethics and legality to be similar; however ethics and the law are two very distinctly different things (Nickels et al, 2005). Amie, the copywriter for Laird & Laird, questions the ethical appropriateness of using recent vegetarian convert Vin Diesel as the spokesperson for Basils Best bacon. Because the celebrity no longer consumes the product, Amie feels that consumers may be unintentionally misled by the endorsement, since potential health issues are being intentionally omitted from Diesels promotion of the product. However, the Advertising Standards Association has established that so long as the endorser can accurately testify to verifiable personal use of a product, with no mention of strictly present usage, the celebrity endorsement is legally valid. I believe that Amie is engaged in such a dilemma to where she is ineffectively relating legalities with that of ethi cal issues, thus she is not able to separate the two very different viewpoints. The first step that Amie needs to take to satisfy her apprehension is to adequately measure her perceptions to determine whether an ethical situation actually exists. Marketing communications and advertising messages must consistently be accurate and truthful in order to meet appropriate standards (Gershon & Buerstatte, 2003). With this in mind, it has been clearly illustrated through both personal communications with Vin Diesel and in his legalised testament to his historical satisfaction with the consumption of Basils

Refugees and Asylum seekers in the U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Refugees and Asylum seekers in the U.S - Essay Example The U.S has people from almost every part of the globe with the general population characterized of different races. The US operates under a motto â€Å"e pluribus unum† (Martin, 3) insinuating that from many nations to one nation and as such it is a well framed structure. Therefore, since traditional periods, immigration has been acknowledged in the U.S through providing the immigrants with opportunities to better themselves as well as the United States as a nation. The dominant immigration patterns have been noted since early periods of 1820 with statistics revealing a great influx of about 66 million legal immigrants from all over the world. Germany and Mexico has been in the lead for having high populations of immigrants to the U.S ever since. However, the country has also harbored hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, which has in the past triggered quite heated debates of the fate of such persons. The search for employment and education has equally been associated with the influx of the immigrants into the United States of America over years. People move from one country to another for different reasons: voluntary on basis of work and employment, political reasons, family re-unification, natural happenings like disasters, need for one to voluntary change natural surroundings, poverty or for general economic reasons. Involuntary reasons may stem up from running away from natural disasters such as earthquakes, political or civil wars, involuntary deportation as well as seeking asylum as refugees. Asylum seekers are persons who get to foreign countries looking for protection against mistreatment or persecution within their homeland and who may not necessarily be refugees. On the other hand, refugees are persons who would be persecuted within their own countries of nationality on basis of their religion, race, nationality, political stand or opinion or better still membership to a social group. The U.S has been credited over years to work by a principle that restricts her to deport foreign nationals to their countries of orig in where it is proved that their lives or freedom is at a threat (Wasem, 1). Immigration is a common feature within the U.S, though there are guidelines and frameworks that are responsible for regulating the issue. Moreover, apart from internal regulatory frameworks that govern migration of persons as refugees or even asylum seekers in the U.S, there are international frameworks

College and career readiness ( my target group is high school Assignment

College and career readiness ( my target group is high school students) - Assignment Example Consequently, many children of black origin had to cover many blocks to attend schools whereas there were schools in their neighborhood but they could not school there since they were â€Å"whites schools.’† He goes on to say that, the supreme court of United States ruled unanimously that separate educational facilities brought inequalities in the education system in the USA. This was a breakthrough in the fight against racial segregation as well as opening similar cases across the United States as similar cases were filed all over. It also brought to light the injustices that came with segregation as it exposed the fact that the black schools had fewer amenities as compared to the white schools. Attempts were made to protect the school segregation policy, but the Brown case was important in the fight against discrimination (Delinder, 2004). The separation of schools was put into place in 1868 when the fourteenth amend was adopted. This was further fortified by the 1896 Plessy V. Fergusson case which ensured that the white and the African American children did not attend the same schools. A change in this system necessitated as was put forward by the then (1954) Chief Justice Warren (Delinder 2004). According to Uscourts.gov (n.d) the case that came to be famously referred to as Brown Vs Board of Education of Topeka was in fact a group of instances that were to be heard by the Supreme Court of the USA. They were about racial segregation of schools in the USA. These cases included; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Briggs v. Elliot, Davis v. Board of Education of Prince Edward County (VA.), Boiling v. Sharpe, and Gebhart v. Ethel. While all of them had different details all of them had one issue; constitutionally state-sponsored racial segregation in public schools. After hearing the case, a three-judge panel ruled against the plaintiffs in favor of the education board. Consequently, the plaintiffs appealed to

World Literature Phase 4 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World Literature Phase 4 DB - Essay Example Other comparisons include the thought that sometimes the sun is too hot while his love is never unpleasant to be around, never too intense. In these types of comparisons, in which she is not like early summer nor like late summer, Shakespeare indicates that his subject exists in a space of time that doesn’t exist, neither shaken by rough winds nor too hot for comfort nor too short for summer. Despite this, he recognizes the short term period in which most beauty exists. The summer is too short to contain his love, but as time passes, â€Å"every fair from fair sometime declines, / By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed† (7-8). As much as her beauty seems timeless to him, Shakespeare is acknowledging that time cannot be held back for anyone and will eventually leave its trace upon her beauty. The second half of the poem begins to describe her in terms that seem to place her beyond the realm of the living, â€Å"But thy eternal summer shall not fade / Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st† (9-10), because time seems incapable of touching her. This idea is negated in the next line though, â€Å"Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade† (11), making the reader begin to wonder just how this individual is to escape the inevitable progression of time to which the rest of the human race is subject. The only way t o preserve such a thing, Shakespeare reasons, is through poetry. â€Å"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee† (13-14). As long as someone is capable of reading his lines, the beauty of his love will remain unforgotten and unspoiled. Because of these wonderful images that portray the depth of affection felt for another, poetry remains inextricably linked with romance and the involvement of the imagination. Christopher Smart’s poem, â€Å"Jubilate Agno† is quite different from most poems because half of the lines all start with the word

Services Sector Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Services Sector Marketing - Essay Example But a tangible product's quality can be evaluated at the time of purchase and it can be rejected, if the customer feels dissatisfaction about the product. It also creates problems when customers evaluate a product in terms of it price (Reif 1997). However, consumers can use other attributes of the service provider or the place of his business to evaluate the quality of service. Services are perishable in the sense that they have to be consumed the moment they are delivered by the service provider. If they are not consumed on site or immediately, they will be lost and that cannot be recoverable. They cannot also be stored and as such they cannot add time and place utility to consumers. The service offered at different time point need not have same quality. Consistency and uniformity in service cannot be expected even from the same service points. Naturally, service does not match with what was planned and promised. This causes concern for consumers and they often raise grievances in this respect. Utmost care and attention through personnel training and service maintenance alone can mitigate this issue. The major concern of marketing management is the development of tools for marketing goods and services. The marketing management means and includes all efforts that a marketer/manufacturer takes to make sure that goods and services are smoothly moving from production point to consumption point. In these efforts, marketing team put emphasis on certain elements, which they consider as indispensible for marketing success and they are collectively termed as marketing mix. Traditionally, the marketing mix consists of four components, namely: Product, Price, Place of Distribution and Promotional Activities, commonly referred to as 4 P's of marketing. These components of the marketing mix constitute the core of a company's marketing system. The 4Ps are strongly interconnected. However, with the advancement of modern marketing management theories, some more elements have been added to marketing mix. A brief description of all these elements comes in the coming paragraphs: Product: - is concerned with developing the right products and/or services, which should satisfy some customers' needs. Place: - is concerned with getting the right service to the target market. A service is not of much good to a customer if it is not available when and where it is required. Promotion: - is concerned with the creation of awareness to the target market about the right service. Price: - is very vital since it represents the only element of the marketing mix that creates revenue. Thus, through careful coordination of the 4Ps, management can draw the most benefit from any marketing environment. People: - Everybody involved in the marketing efforts irrespective of designation or status in the organisation. Physical evidence: - all the physical appearances and tangible thing that support the marketing process. Processes: - all the series of

Org behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Org behavior - Assignment Example They do this by managing costs, increasing costs or undertaking both. Essential product positioning, innovation, and targeting marketing can cause an increase in sales, while improving processes and controlling overhead expenses can reduce costs. Also, managers provide timely and effective revelation of information that is relevant to all the stakeholders. The revelation of this information highlights the organization’s respect towards their stakeholders. In addition, organizations set up code of ethics or rules and regulations for their employees and managers. These rules and regulations direct the way managers and organization’s employees handle and relate with other stakeholders (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman, & Willett, 2000). Entrepreneurship creates value and satisfactory results for stakeholders by instigating innovative business ideas that promote future prosperity and wealth building in an organization. Moreover, entrepreneurship promotes the health and progress of an organization. It achieves this by creating fresh opportunities of business in all areas of the organization. On the other hand, entrepreneurship promotes innovation and increases profits of an organization. Lack of entrepreneurial action may make an organization not to get to its maximum capability (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman, & Willett, 2000). Nonetheless, any knowledge that enters or is produced by the organization should create value to all the stakeholders. Organizational theory, design and change, structure and culture, have an interconnecting role in an organization. Organizational theory refers to the duty of an organization on the impact of the surrounding on the operational outline of the organization and how the organization works in the environment. This depicts an association with the cause and effect law. The organizational design and change points to how and why a variety of methods are selected. This helps the organization to manage its culture

Risk Management Within General Motors Company Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Within General Motors Company Essay This research looks at the General Motors Company and what led to company failure and filing of bankruptcy in 2009. The American automotive industry was poorly managed for years and was almost eliminated when the economy crashed in 2008. Without the help of the U. S. government, General Motors and Chrysler would not have been able to survive. How did GM, as the number one auto manufacturer and seller, go from being at the top to almost ceasing to exist? This kind of financial mess usually takes years of poor decisions and does not happen to a large company overnight. To come to my conclusion I analyzed four books written by people with inside knowledge of the company, as well as magazine articles and a couple of online websites. As a result of my research, I believe that the problems that GM faced stemmed from poor risk management. Rick Wagonner, former CEO, made several poor business decisions that did not take into account any future risks or market changes. A new management team and a fresh perspective were able to turn the company around and put them back at the top of the automotive industry. Risk Management within the General Motors Company General Motors has been in business since 1908 and currently employs 202,000 people in 157 countries world-wide. It is a well-known fact that GM took government bailout money and filed bankruptcy in 2009. How did one of the largest companies in the world fall to needing financial assistance and declaring bankruptcy? One of the largest issues within the company was the lack of risk management practiced by leadership. How did the company then bounce back from declaring bankruptcy to being the auto manufacturer who sold the most cars world-wide in 2011 (Rosevear, 2012)? It is quite a project to overhaul a company, and the end result was more than likely helped by good project management. There were several smaller projects involved in the large project of overhauling the company, including marketing projects, new car model development, forming risk management plans and paying back the government loans to name a few. Problems within the Company The issues that caused GM to lose their money did not happen overnight; years of poor business decisions led them to where the company stood in 2008. Several executives were very short-sighted in their decision making; they failed to set long-range goals and objectives which are important for successful strategic project management. In 1970, GM and the United Auto Workers (UAW) entered a new contract after a sixty seven day strike over wages. The most notable change with the new contract is that it allowed employees to retire after thirty years with the company with a full pension after the age of 57. At the time their full pension was $500 a month, but with inflation and wage increases, this number was much higher more than three decades later. They believed that early retirements would create new jobs for young people entering the workforce. Another strike occurred in 1973. This one resulted in a contract change that employees had the right to retire at any age with full benefits after thirty years working with the company ( Ingrassia, 2010). Men and women were now able to take full retirement at as early as the age of 48. Union members who decided to retire early would also receive extra pension pay until they were able to draw from Social Security. By 2003, GM had over 460,000 retirees and spouses, which outnumbered current employees almost three to one. All of these were collecting pension and healthcare, and the UAW members were still just as well off. The 1970s was the decade that undid GM; it set the stage for the financial hardships that the company would face with the downturn of the economy in future decades (Lutz, 2011). Another large money eater for the Detroit automotive companies was the union job banks, which were created as part of the 1984 labor contract. The goal for the program was to be a temporary option for laid off workers so that they could be retained for new positions when they opened; it was a sense of job security. Naturally, employees first went on unemployment when being laid-off. The UAW contract then required GM to give additional payments that would guarantee an employee 95% of their prior wages for forty eight weeks. Once this time period was over, an employee would enter a job bank. Here they would stay, while being paid, until their old plant reopened or a job became available at a factory within a fifty mile radius. Because nearby positions rarely opened, people would remain in the job banks for years. The requirements for staying in the job bank included volunteer work for company approved rganizations and programs. Or, employees could punch in at their empty building and pass the time by watching television, reading the newspaper, sitting on a computer, or playing Scrabble. The only stipulations were that they had to punch out to use the bathroom or go on their lunch break, and they could not sleep or play cards. Eventually, this program was costing GM an estimated $1 billion a year to compensate their employees who were not even working (Vlasic, 2011). In 2000, Rick Wagoner was promoted to the position of CEO of GM. He immediately instituted several changes throughout the company. He flew to Italy in March of that year to negotiate with Fiat because GM needed their diesel engine technology for their GM Europe divisions. GM obtained 20% of Fiat Automobile by paying Fiat $2. 5 Billion in GM stock (Ingrassia, 2010). In December of the same year, Wagoner announced that GM would be closing their 103 year old Oldsmobile division. This was a wise move since Oldsmobile sales had fallen almost 75% in the fifteen years leading up to this point. Wagoner hired John Devine, the former financial officer of Ford, to be GM’s new CFO, and in August of 2001 he hired Bob Lutz, who had redesigned Chrysler’s product line in the 1990s. To help the economy and sales after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Wagoner offered interest-free financing on every GM vehicle. Naturally, people flocked to the dealership showrooms to take advantage of this deal. Because of this, GM’s factories remained open, and money flowed to parts suppliers, dealerships, and ad agencies. Wagoner received praise from media throughout the country. However, an internal audit in mid-2001 showed that the company was not in as good of shape as the general public was led to believe. The analysis decided that GM had too many brands, too many dealers, too many factories, and too many workers. The report recommended that GM make cutbacks while times were good, but when this was presented to Wagoner he made a poor business decision and ignored the findings. In 2004, National Geographic magazine wrote an article titled â€Å"The End of Cheap Oil. † When Wagoner saw this, he once again ignored the facts. He was under the assumption that profits from SUVs and pickup trucks would continue to be strong- they probably would have if gas had stayed under $2 a gallon like it was in 2003 and 2004. Wagoner made several poor business decisions during his tenure as CEO of GM which led to the company needing help from the outside. In 2005, Jerry York was hired to analyze what was going wrong with the General Motors Company. He gave several ideas to get GM out of the financial crisis that they were in. At the time, GM still had enough cash to turn around the company. York suggested that the company well off Saab and Hummer. He also recommended cutting GM’s annual dividend in half to one dollar a share instead of two (Lutz, 2011). GM also could have cut the pay of their board members, senior executives, and mangers, and could have worked with the UAW to cut the healthcare costs that GM was paying to workers. On January 26, 2006, the board of directors heeded Yorks warnings and cut the dividends in half, cut executive pay, and eliminated several upper level bonuses. They also elected York onto the board. Another gentleman, Steve Girsky, did a six month analysis of the company in 2006. He estimated that out of the 107 vehicles in GM’s lineup that were produced in North America, 71 of them were unprofitable (Vlasic, 2011). Girsky suggested that GM spend their money on fewer but better products, cut production capacity and employees, be accountable for their goals, and acknowledge that GM was in serious trouble. This last suggestion would not be heeded for a couple more years. GM executives were not ready to admit that they were in over their heads. Heading into 2008, GM as a company was optimistic about the upcoming year. Many new vehicles were being produced or were being considered, and the new Chevy Malibu was named North American Car of the Year, GM’s second in a row since the Saturn Aura won in 2007 (Lutz, 2011). The company had quite a bit of debt, but this did not worry the executives. The first quarter of 2008 brought the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, followed by the financial crisis, failures from banks, and many home foreclosures. These episodes took hundreds of billions of dollars out of the U. S. economy instantly. By July, GM was making layoffs, suspending its dividends, and eliminating health benefits for retired managers and executives over the age of sixty five. In the second quarter of 2008, GM reported $15. 5 billion in losses ($181,000 a minute). With the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers Holding Firm came a standstill in automotive sales. Lehman Brothers was the fourth largest investment bank in the U. S. at the time, and when the financial giant declared bankruptcy, the public began to fear for their own finances and worry about the financial situation of the whole country. This is also when banks began to implement more strict policies about who they loaned money to and on what terms. The public was afraid to buy cars, and bankers were afraid to give loans. GM approached Ford asking for a merger, but Ford was not interested; they were the only automaker in Detroit that was still treading water. GM then approached Chrysler about a merger, but the deal never took place. By November, just after the presidential election, General Motors and Chrysler both admitted that they would run out of money by the end of the year (Ingrassia, 2010). A business tradition that hurt the company for years was that GM had cars in the U. S and Europe that looked alike on the outside, but shared nothing on the inside- causing high production costs. Several foreign companies such as Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, and Audis all have only one headquarters, as well as one engineering and design staff; their vehicles are the same across the world no matter where they are purchased. GM expanded overseas before WWII and through the years acquired the auto companies of Vauxhall in the UK, Opel, and Holden in Australia. Having these manufacturing facilities made it possible for GM to product cars in several different countries. For a long time, this factor was an advantage to GM; brands stayed close to their target markets and the cards that Europe demanded were very different from the cars that American desired (Lutz, 2011). Beginning in the 1980’s, several other car brands were quickly being recognized throughout the world. Federal fuel economy regulations came into the picture, which caused the size of U. S. cars to decrease and they began to look like cars throughout the rest of the world. By this point in time, it easily cost $700 million to engineer a new car design; GM found it hard to create a lineup of competitive vehicles within a reasonable amount of money. The company also lacked innovation in their products. The company was moving quickly, but the competition was far ahead of GM in terms of innovation, especially in the area of fuel economy. The General Motors Company had several poor project management habits in place. When Jerry York joined the board of directors, he was firm with Wagoner. He believed that the CEO worked for the board, and the board represented the shareholders, who owned the company. He too believed that GM was a poorly managed company (Vlasic, 2011). The top management was only concerned about making money, and the board of directors was too afraid of failure. There seemed to be very little (or no) risk management; all of the predictions that Rick Wagoner and the company made about future customer demand were based on the assumption that gas prices would stay at one dollar a gallon indefinitely (Vlasic, 2011). The executives and board of directors were also afraid of aggravating the UAW, which led to billions of dollars of wasted money, overpaying workers and paying for employees who were not even working. GM at one time was the largest company in America; they did not know how to effectively minimize their costs when the economy took a nosedive, nor did they conserve resources for the chance that anything bad would happen to the American economy. Responses to Company Problems The first task on the agenda was finding money to keep the company running. The auto industry needed to ask Congress for money, but it was a tricky time because the country was just about to shift presidents. Neither president (Bush or Obama) wanted to deal with the car companies on their tenure. The Big Three combined were asking for $25 billion of government loans. The CEOs flew into D. C. on their private company jets and then proceeded to be humiliated by the politicians. Eventually, GM and Chrysler were given $14 billion in emergency loans. In order for the companies to receive this money, they have to cut their debt by two-thirds by convincing bondholders to take a stock-for-debt swap. The UAW would have to take stock in GM and Chrysler instead of cash for half that the auto companies owed the VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) trusts, and the union would also have to immediately level their wages with those of the Japanese automotive plants that were in America- including their benefits. This last requirement was the breaking point for the UAW; they refused and argued that the UAW had already given enough to the auto companies in the last few years. Instead, within days President Bush gave $17. 4 billion from the $700 bank rescue package to keep the companies running for three months (Ingrassia, 2010). Bush’s requirement was that the companies needed to submit â€Å"viability plans† on February 17th, which would describe what the companies planned to do to return to being profitable. When President Obama took the office, he created the Automotive Task Force to investigate the American automotive industry and to suggest changes to be made. The task force decided that GM was a company that knew how to build great cars but did not have the necessary ability to market them. In early 2009, plans were drawn up to eliminate Saturn, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saab from GM’s lineup, for a future emphasis on Chevrolet and Cadillac). In April of 2009, GM made the announcement that they would exchange $27 billion of unsecured debt for GM stock. This was how they chose to try to drop the 90% of their debt that the Automotive Task Force was requiring, in hopes to avoid bankruptcy. This did not go as planned, as GM stock was at a low price and did not appeal to their investors. Because of this, the last option was for the government to buy the remaining stock. The government gave $30 million and now owned 60% of GM’s stock (Ingrassia, 2010).

Sociology Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

Sociology Death Penalty Essay Capital punishment has been a tool of the American judicial system since the beginning of our history as an attempt to deter its citizens from committing acts of violence against others with an ambition for community safety. However, our system of law is too lagging and inconsistent for the prospect of death as punishment to be a deterrence which therefore calls for reform and restructure; perhaps adopting the old ways of countries far removed from Westernized thinking. Originally the sentence of capital punishment necessitated death by beheading however, along with the dilution of the name came weaker and more â€Å"humane† ways of executing prisoners and is now known as the death penalty. The death penalty sentence in America does not serve as a meaningful deterrence. [P]roponents of deterrence have argued that in order for legal sanctions to be effective deterrence to crime, they must be (1) severe, (2) administered with certainty, (3) administered swiftly (celerity), and (4) administered publicly. The presumed importance of celerity of punishment is illustrated by Beccaria: An immediate punishment is more useful; because the smaller the interval of time between the punishment and the crime, the stronger and more lasting will be the association of the two ideas of â€Å"crime† and punishment; so that they may be considered, one as the cause, and the other as the unavoidable and necessary effect . . . Delaying the punishment serves only to separate these two ideas, and thus affects the minds of the spectators rather as being a terrible sight than the necessary consequences of a crime, the horror of which should contribute to heighten the idea of punishment.† (cited in Bailey, 1980, p 1309 ). Many people in our country have not seen a live execution and what they have seen most often looks painless and is carried out often a couple of decades after the punishable crime leaving minimal lasting impressions. Public humiliation is a greater deterrence; public hangings and canings have a greater impact on crime rates. â€Å"Worldwide, fewer than half of all nations allow the death penalty . . . Internationally, attention has focused on those nations where executions are relatively common, such as China and Iran . . . In the United States . . . pressure to abolish capital punishment has grown, both at home and abroad.† (Schaeffer, 2009,p175-177) The penalty needs to be refor med not abolished. The eighth amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment suggesting that executions should be humane and not cause undue pain, however since the rights of the victim were taken with force and brutality the criminal-killers should not be afforded comfort and privacy in compliance with their sentence to death. I agree with what Singapores Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said in a speech, The†¦traditional Asian value system . . . places the interests of the community over and above that of the individual†¦In criminal law legislation, our priority is the security and well being of law-abiding citizens rather than the rights of the criminal. . .(Tan, 2002) During a visit to Singapore, which practices public caning and sends prisoners to the gallows, I felt secure that no harm would befall me and I was never more afraid to J-walk. The guidelines for caning is spelled out very clearly; the number of lashes for each crime and humiliating public displays leaves no room for their society to act out of ignorance. The marks the caning leaves is a permanent reminder therefore, deterrent to breaking the law. Youths who have been convicted of violent crimes should be subject to the death penalty as well. Although â€Å"every country on earth has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the death penalty for juvenile offenders, with two exceptions: Somalia, which effectively has no government, and the US. Even China, one of the worlds most enthusiastic criminal-killers, recently banned juvenile executions.† (Beiser, 1999) However, crime punishment should not be imposed based on age if it is a crime that resulted out of deliberation. If an eleven year old was malicious enough to plot and commit murders of his parents or peers that same eleven year old should be punished as if he were 35. Perhaps if youths were exposed to the physical consequences of their actions the desire or idea to commit such crimes would yield deterrence. Americans and our criminal justice system would benefit from revisiting what is in the Nations best interest and resist pacifying those that insist perpetrators of violence be given the very rights to die peacefully which they violently stole from their victims. There will continue to be high crime rates as long as there is no deterrent; or certainty that swift, humiliating and painful justice will undoubtedly occur. Outline 1. Does the death penalty serve as a deterrent to crime? a. No because most people that commit the crimes which make them eligible for the death penalty probably act prior to thinking out consequences and those that do obviously do not believe they will be caught or held accountable. â€Å"[P]roponents of deterrence have argued that in order for legal sanctions to be effective deterrence to crime, they must be (1) severe, (2) administered with certainty, (3) administered swiftly (celerity), and (4) administered publicly. The presumed importance of celerity of punishment is illustrated by Beccaria: b. An immediate punishment is more useful; because the smaller the interval of time between the punishment and the crime, the stronger and more lasting will be the association of the two ideas of â€Å"crime† and punishment; so that they may be considered, one as the cause, and the other as the unavoidable and necessary effect Delaying the punishment serves only to separate these two ideas, and thus affects the minds of the spectators rather as being a terrible sight than the necessary consequences of a crime, the horror of which should contribute to heighten the idea of punishment.†(p. 1309) c.Our judicial system is not swift nor are the executions public. d. I believe that public humiliation serves as a more effective deterrence. e. As barbaric as it may seem, caning and public hangings have more of a direct impact on homicide and crime rates in general. 2. What are some other countries’ responses to the death penalty? a. Most countries have abandoned the idea of capital punishment b. Human rights have been adopted over societal well being 3. What is your position on the death penalty- should it be legal or should it be abolished? a. Reformed b. Needs to be in the public eye and seen as a certainty in order to have impact. c.Should be painful and something to be feared instead of looking like a peaceful sleep. d.The penalty needs to be reformed not abolished. The eighth amendment states that executions should be humane and not cause undue pain, however since the rights of the victim were taken with force and brutality the criminal-killers should not be afforded comfort and privacy in compliance with their sentence to death. 4.Should youths who have been convicted of violent crimes be subject to the death penalty? a. Yes- Although â€Å"every country on earth has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the death penalty for juvenile offenders, with two exceptions: Somalia, which effectively has no government, and the US. Even China, one of the worlds most enthusiastic criminal-killers, recently banned juvenile executions,† 5. Why or why not? a. dont feel that crime punishment should be imposed based on age if it is a crime that resulted out of deliberation. b.If an eleven year old was malicious enough to plot murders of his parents or peers that same eleven year old should be punished as if he were 35. c.Perhaps is youths were exposed to the physical consequences of their actions the desire or idea to commit such crimes would lessen. REFERENCE PAGE Bailey, W (1980). Social Forces, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Jun., 1980), pp. 1308-1333 Retrieved July 8, 2010 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2577328 Beiser, V. (1999). Wasted Youth Retrieved July 10, 2010 http://motherjones.com/politics/1999/12/wasted-youth Schaefer, R.T. (2009) Sociology: A brief introduction (8thed.) pp. 175-177 Tan, A (2002) Singapore Death Penalty Shrouded in Silence Retrieved July 9, 2010 fromhttp://www.singaporewindow.org/sw02/020412re.htm Reuters

Effects of Supply Chain and Logistics on Performance

Effects of Supply Chain and Logistics on Performance INTRODUCTION In this particular chapter, information is presented with the aim of providing a background in with regards to the topic on hand. This topic will include several aspects; background of the study, research problem, the aim and objectives of the study, hypothesis, problems and limitations of the study and definition of terms. Background of the study is the general introduction to supply chain and logistic management and financial matters related to these management systems with relevant information regarding JJ food service as a distribution firm. The research problem provides the primary focus of the study which includes a wider range and detailed questions which needs to be answered through this study. The aim and objectives of the study provides the goals which are to be achieved at the end, although there are different methodologies engaged in answering the research problem that is mentioned. The research hypothesis is considered to be statements which are to be proven throughout the study using the congregated data. In the study statistical analysis will be used to create an easy understanding of the data. The definition of terms provides the technical concepts that are used within the study to provide an easier reference to understand how the information is used through the study. Background of the Study At the current time the Market conditions are far more dynamic than at any time in the past. Leaders and managers now have to think and act appropriately in order to minimize the harmful effects of the economic downturn on their organisation, in terms of both its performance and future growth. The importance of supply chain and logistics management has always been dependant on market conditions and the imperatives that drive organisations` strategic goals. The same could be said for todays dynamic market. The integration of logistics process has given birth to what we now describe as supply chain management. Supply chain management is the term used to describe the management of the flow of materials, information, and funds across the entire supply chain, from suppliers to component producers to final assemblers to distributors and ultimately to the consumers. In fact it often includes after-sales service and returns and recycling. Supply chain and logistics management have generated much interest in recent years for various amounts of different reasons. Many managers now realize that action taken by one member of supply chain can influence the entire profitability of other supply chains. Supply chain management typically involves coordination of information and materials among multiple firms. The cost of poor coordination can result in extremely high back fall in the firm. Therefore, managing supply chains and logistics effectively, is very important for managers to be able to make decisions about the balance between cutting expenses and continuing to provide better service for the end user. There have been many articles written on how to improve the efficiency in the supply chain through improving technologies and processes. In this dissertation, impacts of well-managed supply chain and logistics activities are taken into consideration by executives to have enough faith to believe that supply chain and logistics management have as much value as sales and marketing. Effective and efficient supply chains and logistics operations have significant factors in organisations which affect overall and financial performance. This topic has been chosen for many reasons. Firstly, managing logistics and supply chain processes are essential for companies to reduce unnecessary costs and to give best service to consumers. Secondly, managing delivery infrastructure during financial recession periods often proves its importance, because it provides valuable data by which is considered to have effective outcomes. During the recession period it is very vital for businesses to make stable decisions which will affect the companies financial performance, therefore the act of cutting down on costs has to be carefully considered. Finally, keeping performance levels high during economic downturns can really help the companies, keep and attract their customers. The term supply chain management varies in different forms, however in reality it is an extension of the ideas which have been developed from the nature of logistics. This is the major difference between supply chain management and traditional logistics. In this dissertation both management areas are examined in order to see how they differentiate, how they are connected to each other and in what cases they affect on firms financial performance and future growth. The supply chain and logistics management can take many forms depends on the structure of the business. The concept for the food service industry is if you are out of stock, you are out of business. Therefore, the importance of getting products ordered, stored and delivered make supply chain management and logistics management very essential for a food service distributor. Most of the concept surrounding distribution is related to cost. Analysts and strategists are managers for supply chains and logistics operations who are able to balance the costs while maintaining a good level of performance. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the differentials of supply chain and logistics managements that create various effects on firms financial performance in a food service. Research Problem This study focuses on supply chain and logistics management activities, which are essential for companies` financial performance in both long and short term preparation. JJ food service is a food distribution firm which has managed to improve its financial performance and kept growing even during financial recession periods. The specific research problems for this dissertation includes following questions: What is the importance of an effective supply chain and logistics management? How has the evolution in the market affected the supply chain and logistics management role? Does technology help the supply chain and logistics activities? How can functions be improved between operations and finance? The Aim and Objectives of this Study The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of supply chain and logistics management on financial performance. In addition, it is very important to consider all issues of logistics and supply chain management related to financial performance to meet the research aim. Following research activities will be considered: To provide relevant and additional information, regarding supply chain management, logistics management, cost analysis and financial activities within organisations. To add existing body of knowledge. To investigate the relationship between logistics and supply chain management and companys financial performance. To investigate the value of supply chain and logistics management and how operations can be mapped with finance. To draw conclusion and provide specific recommendations regarding the relationship between supply chain-logistics management and firms financial performance. The Research Hypothesis Hypothesis of this study are stated as follows: Supply chain and logistics management need to justify the cost of delivery. It is also necessary to measure the impact of these management activities on financial performance. The new system, Microsoft Dynamics AX (Axapta), has proven itself to be very efficient and a highly recommend technological tool in terms of getting products ordered, stored and delivered. Definition of Terms Microsoft Dynamics (Axapta) Axapta is defined by Mourao and Weiner (2005) to be the Microsofts entry in the packaged business application market and it provides out-of-the-box functionality for managing your business or organisation, including modules for every business area, from supply chain management (SCM) and financials to shop floor control to warehouse management. RouteNet (Distribution Resource Planning Software) Baker B. (2006) defines DRP systems as they operate by breaking down the flow of material from the source of supply through the distribution network of depots and transportation modes. This is undertaken on a time-phased basis to ensure that the required-at the right place, at the right time, one of the classic distribution definitions. Integrated systems of this nature require complex, computerised information systems as their basis such as RouteNet. RoadNet consent you to route and schedule your orders quickly and efficiently in a continuously changing environment. If you know what needs to be where and when, then RoadNet will tell you which of your vehicles to use to service which customer, at what time and in what order. Cisco Mobile Sky Device (M3 Sky) M3 Sky from M3 Mobile is a fully-featured PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) that runs a version of Microsoft Windows Mobile 5. The M3 Sky combines different technologies such as Bluetooth, GSM, GPS and GPRS. RELATED LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter the existing literature is provided for a purpose of giving insights to what has been known, and what has been previously done in relation to the topic being discussed. There are several sections that are covered from different prospective and literature which are gathered from different authors. The sub-topic covered in this chapter includes supply chain management, logistics management and related financial performance in relationship to the mentioned management activities, Supply chain management Overview In the times before the 1980s organisations were using terms such as operation management and logistics. In early 1980s, the concepts of materials, transportation and distribution management began to combine into a single term: Supply Chain Management. In the late 1980s the term supply chain management has grown significantly and came into widely used in 1990s. According to Jayashankar et al. (1996) supply chain is to be a network of independent or semi-independent business bodies collectively responsible for procurement, manufacturing, and distribution activities linked with one or more families of related products. After 1990s supply chain management has become one of the main topic and challenge facing all companies. Companies were believed that every product has its own supply chain; therefore supply chain management was getting more complicated. It is even more complex in reality, as each organization works with many different products-often thousand. Cohen. S and Roussel J. (2005) stated that now many companies have addressed major supply chain challenges through selection and implementation of ERP and APS tools such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics and so on. They are finding that after implementation they are once again challenged with discovering and managing the core disciplines of supply chain management. The challenge of the next decade is to leverage the founding principles of supply chain management and move this management discipline forward. Defining the Supply Chain Management There are different definitions of supply chain management from different authors. Some definitions are offered below: Stanley E. Fawcett, Lisa M. Ellram, Jeffery A. Ogden (2007) defines the supply chain management as managing the flow of information and materials from the suppliers` suppliers to customers` customers. From a practical point of view, managers associate Supply chain management with better shared resources, information exchange, and win-win relationships among the members of the chain. The job of the Supply chain manager is to find opportunities to work with customers and suppliers to reduce costs while improving services given. The mission is to use technology and teamwork to build efficient and effective processes that create value for the end customer. (Stanley E. Fawcett, Lisa M. Ellram, Jeffery A. Ogden, 2007) The definition of supply chain management is the management of upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain as a whole. (Christopher M. 1998, p: 18) The supply chain is not only includes the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customer themselves. The systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. (Mentzer, DeWitt, Deebler, Min, Nix, Smith, and Zacharia , 2001, p: 8). Supply chain management is the integration of business processes from end user through original suppliers that provides products, services, and information that add value for customers. (Lmabert M. D, Stock M. J. and Ellram M. L., 1998, p: 504) According to Hugos M. (2006) supply chain management is the coordination of production, inventory, location, and transportation among the participants in a supply chain to achieve the best mix of responsiveness and efficiency for the market being served in lowest cost. It must be identified that the concept of supply chain management is in fact no more than an extension of the logic of logistics. Logistics management is primarily concerned with optimising flows within the organisation supply chain management recognizes that internal integration by itself is not sufficient. Supply Chain Management Activities Planning and Forecasting Every supply chain program starts with a plan. Planning gives the ability to forecast and analyze product demand, economic trends and customers needs. According to Blanchard D. (2007) supply chain planning plans the assets to optimize the delivery of good and services and also balances supply and demand with the information from supplier to customer. Supply chain planning provides what-if scenarios that weigh real-time demand commitments when creating forecasts. And Hugos M. (2006) states that supply chain management decisions are based on forecasts which allow to define which products are required, how many of these products is to be called for, and when they are needed. The demand forecast is essential for companies to plan their operations and to work together among each other to reach market demand. Purchasing and Procurement In a definition provided by Waters D. (2003) purchasing is a mechanism to initiate and control the flow of materials through the supply chain and procurement is one of supply chain management activity that acquire all the materials needed by an organizations. Procurement and purchasing are usually taken into same meaning. However, purchasing stands for the actual buying, while procurement has a broader meaning. Procurement includes different types of acquisition (purchasing, contracting, rental etc.) and also negotiating, agreeing terms, transport, materials handling, monitoring supplier performance, receiving goods from suppliers and warehousing. Procurement is crucial for any organisation, if procurement is managed badly, for instance wrong materials are delivered to wrong place in wrong quantity and so on. Procurement and purchasing is essential and also responsible for a lot of expenditure. They are directly responsible for spending; relatively small improvement in these activities can give substantial benefits. Manufacturing One of the main spotlight of supply chain management appears in manufacturing. Product design, manufacturing scheduling, facility management, order management are the main activities of manufacturing which is passing from customers back through supply chain and from supply chain to manufacturing. Inventory and Warehousing Waters D. (2003) point out that an inventory is a list of things held in stock. Regardless the fact that there are o lot of differences between a multi billion international retailer and a single one stop shop, in fact they opera2te on the same principles: if you are out of stock, you are out of business. A warehouse management system controls, manages, and regulates the movement of goods within a warehouse or distribution centre. Typical features of a warehouse management system include inventory management, picking and put away, order visibility, and fulfilment. Blanchard D. (2007, p: 128) Transportation Waters D. (2003) defines that transport is responsible for the physical movement of materials between points in the supply chain. Blanchard D. (2007) highlights that transportation is the lifeblood of any supply chain, however a companys logistics department tends to be an invisible link in that chain and transport is certainly one of its main components. Location Selection Blanchard D. (2007) states that on-time delivery is fundamental for supply chain management, and its a key benchmark to achieve the perfect order. A perfect distribution network has to be built to give the best service to the customers. The best-run organizations have developed their supply chains that extend from their customers customers to their suppliers suppliers. Globalization In recent years, an increasing rate of globalization has changed the nature of organisations and also their supply chains. Products even different parts of a product are no longer produced and consume within the same country. This creates more complex supply chains, and therefore it also changes the requirements within supply chain management. This also affects the effectiveness of computer systems employed in the supply chain. Globalization also brings foreign competition into markets that traditionally were local. Local companies are thereby forced to respond by improving their manufacturing practices and supply chain management. Fox M.S. (1992) states that market conditions force companies to reduce inventory levels and lead times and increase flexibility with maintaining high level of performance. Issues in Supply Chain Management Clasic logistics management objective is managing the activities to have the right product, in the right quantity, at the right place, at the right time and at minimum cost. On the figure below Newem-Workgroup creates four main areas for this objective within the supply chain management which are flexibility, delivery reliability, delivery time and inventory level. Delivery reliability and delivery time directly link customer service, and highly depends on flexibility, and inventory level. Supply Chain Management Drivers Supply chain management activities are mentioned in previous section. There are main driver which coordinates all the activities in supply chain and main drivers of supply chain management are connected with the information chain among these drivers. Information is based on the decisions regarding the other four supply chain drivers. It is the connection between all of the activities and operations in a supply chain. It is clearer to see on the figure below how information drives other four. According to Hugos M. (2006) information is used for two main purposes in supply chain management: Coordinating daily activities related to production, inventory, location, and transportation. Supply chain management uses the available data which is gathered from these drivers to decide on weekly production schedules, inventory levels, transportation routes, and stocking locations. The information is used to make tactical forecasts to plan the setting of monthly and quarterly production schedules and timetables. Information is also used for strategic forecasts to plan decisions about whether to create new facilities, enter a new market, or exit an existing market. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on Financial Measures Profitability is the ultimate measure of business success. When we look at the basic financial figures that make up the various elements of profits we will realize that supply chain management without doubt has significant affect on financial measures. First of all, managing supply chain cost is half the battle in executing that mission. Supply chain management does indeed influence corporate value. In the previous chapters affectivity of supply chain management activities on financial performance have been examined briefly. The topic of this chapter is to feature the effect of supply chain management on common financial indicators. Balance sheet reports and the income statement are already recognized as indicators of an organisations financial performance. According to Stolowy H. and Lebas M. (2006), the income statement measures profitability by taking into account the revenues and expenses during a period of time. The income statement reports how the companys financial performance is achieved. We must also take into measure that it is useful to show the impact of supply chain management activities during a period of time from the perspective of sales and costs. In a definition provided by Hales J. (2005) a balance sheet presents a financial status or net worth of a business. It shows the amount or balance between the assets and liabilities which will partly be based on the activities that are summarized in the income statement. We will concentrate on these financial elements to explain the impact of supply chain management on financial performance. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on the Income Statement The main figure of the income statement is net income, which is obtained through the calculation of various figures; as it is seen from the table below operations, which are managed via supply chain activities directly, affect the figures on this table even though figures are not related to costs. Effect of supply chain management on the income statement will be detailed in the following figures: sales, sales returns and allowances, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, interest expenses and income taxes. Sales The first component of income statement is sales. This depends on the operations which are managed mostly by supply chain activities. Camerinelli, E. (2009) lists the benefits, glitches, etc. of supply chain management activities on sales as follows: The first problem of the supply chain is known as usual suspect which occurs when a company runs out of inventory. When this happens, sales will be certainly affected negatively. The affect of this can be dramatic. A study has proven that when this happens this may affect the shareholders value up to 25 percent. Supply chain problems can negatively affect sales growth when a company fails to switch from production to owned or contracted facilities located in markets that have high retail process for the products that are being produced. if a company wants to improve sales flows and supply a greater volume of products to customers showing high levels of demand, then the company must be flexible, responsive and reliable in the delivery of those products. Achieving this goal to a high standard is heavily dependent on the quality of supply chain operations. When a company fails to be flexible, this will affect the supply chains affectivity to respond to changes in the market when needed, this will cause latency in the speed of delivering goods to the consumer. If the supply chain is not reliable, a company will perform poorly and this might mean: not being able to deliver the right product to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity, in the right packaging, with the right documentation and to the right customer. Supply chain management has a growing potential to be viewed as a front-line office tool. The supply chain can be critical in supporting the exchange of goods, information and funds. By taking in hand a study taken from General Motors that is in the automobile industry it showed that sales of $9 billion in parts and services contributed $2 billion in profits, on parallel to this car sales of $150 billion produced earnings of just $1 billion for the company. Service and support, therefore, are becoming just as important as the product itself. If the supply chain is to be at the heart of a companys service and support processes, then it must ensure that it does not fail to overcome the demands placed by the companys needs. Sales Returns and Allowances When we look into sales returns and allowances, it is easy to highlight another area where supply chain management must retain its strength. Camerinelli, E. (2009) mentions that one of the typical faults in supply chain management which impact on sales returns and allowances is delayed deliveries. Return of goods can happen for many reasons such as poor quality of product or service, incomplete or partial delivery of goods, incorrect quantities delivered or incorrect product attributes. These returns will eventually reduce total sales figures. If a company chooses to compensate the negative impact of these factors on customer satisfaction and loyalty by offering discounts or special prices, this will increase the allowance value and sales figures will be further eroded. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Another important component of income statement is cost of goods sold which represents the costs of resources consumed in manufacturing a particular product for sale, including the actual cost of materials and direct labour costs associated with getting the product into marketable condition. This component is directly related to supply chain operations because the activities and operations performed during the production are managed by supply chain activities. Camerinelli, E. (2009) lists the impacts of supply chain activities as follows: The purchase price of the goods or services negotiates between the purchasing department and the suppliers sales department. If an organisation separated purchasing from supply chain operations which focuses on cost of materials, it will not benefit from the organic and cross-departmental perspective that tries to connect supplier relationship management closely with the characteristics of an efficiently and effectively managed supply chain. The purchase price may often stands for only a part of the total cost. The final price paid for a product or service must take into account the purchase price plus the costs of all other activities along the supply chain. Those companies that achieve best practice in cost management take this into account and factor in all the costs associated not only with producing a product or service, but also with delivering it to their customers which are managed by supply chain activities. Supply chain processes, such as warehouse management, materials handling, manufacturing operations management, production forecast planning, delivery, returns and post-sales operations management should be supported with programmes that use stream-mapping models, value-added and other techniques to avoid additional loses that might occur due to mismanagement of the supply chain. Failing to run these programmes, for instance, might unavoidably affect direct labour expenses which comprise the other element of the cost of goods sold calculation. This confirms that the elements cost of goods sold calculation is directly related to supply chain management. Operating Expenses Operating expenses is the cost spent converting raw materials into sales in a specific time period. Administrative expenses, labor costs (both direct and indirect), marketing expenses, utility costs, etc. are all combined in operating expenses. Camerinelli, E. (2009) states that the supply chain management activities, which are registered under this heading usually occur in the back office. Operating expenses should all be taken into account so surprises or inexplicable hidden costs will be avoided. Failure to take into account of all these activities could potentially lead to harmful disruption. Camerinelli, E. (2009) has submitted that the most common activities of supply chain, which affects operation expenses, are as follows: One of the first back-office processes that must be taken into account to measure accurate operating expenses is the management of business rules during planning cycles. This refers to the process of establishing and maintaining support criterias for supply chain planning. When the demand planning function is made more reliable, the flow of business along the supply chain will be much more stable; consequently, the people responsible for running the supply chain will need less time to adapt to changes needed. This will cause in a more responsive supply chain, which means less time spent on tackling ideas. This is an example that was carried out by EyeOn, a consulting firm that specializes in the delivery of planning and control solutions to complex organisations. This research shows that an additional benefit of a more stable flow along the supply chain is reduced overtime in the production process. Another potential source of hidden operating expenses is the planning of total inventory limits, which includes raw materials, work in progress, and purchased finished goods. As investigations have been done to define an integrated supply chain transportation strategy by maintaining the data that characterizes the supply chain transportation requirements, there is significant potential to increase operating expenses. Another significant underestimated figure of operating expenses, which is directly affected by supply chain management activities, is the group of activities related to managing existing purchase orders or supplier contracts. These activities include processes such as the management of volume pricing, resolving problems and maintaining an exact picture of purchase orders or contracts. The factors mentioned above are linked the activities within the organization. Supply chain managers generally more focused on managing cooperation with external partners which will partly form day-to-day tasks such as collecting, maintaining information to support delivery planning, and delivery requirements to warehouse data, transportation data and so on. Interest Expenses and Income Taxes Interest expenses and income taxes seem to be affected by non-operational activities which take into account only financial activities. Some researchers such as Fawcett, Ellram and Ogden, (2007) suggest that there is a linkage between supply chain management and accounting, international tax law and corporate finance. However, none of the models proposed so far effectively consider the close coupling of production decisions with cash flow movements, royalty fees and dividend repatriations. On the other hand, with a little bit of investigation we can see that if an organization carefully selects a location to run supply chain activities, it can potentially benefit from tax intensives and financial assistance for industry. Likewise Camerinelli, E. (2009) stated that supply chain decisions which are related the choices such as new machinery and equipment, inventory on goods in transit and raw materials used in manufacturing can also affect excise tax exemption. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on the Balance Sheet Having seen how the quality of supply chain practices can positively or negatively affect the principal elements of income statement, we can now look at how supply chain management impacts on the other key report used by the financial community, the balance

Antiterrorism Policy Essay -- Government Intervention, Global Issues

Does being peaceful and showing goodwill in the state indicate terrorists have the license to work at their freewill?? Indeed it does!! Soft policies against terrorists will definitely create a lot of positive headlines but at the same time it puts to stake the survival and security of its people and primarily disturbs the government's commitment towards preserving national interests. The Mumbai terror attacks of 11/26 shook India and stunned the world, clearly revealing huge chinks in the country's anti-terror armor. A year later, the sole surviving terrorist captured by authorities, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab is given the right to seek freedom before the courts of law, the masterminds of the deadly assault are free and the country harboring these terrorists- Pakistan, is probably laughing at our weakness, dismissing us as a state whose outrage is easily calmed by tokenism. Our leaders say, war is not the only way to assert one's strength, dialogue with Pakistan is the best recourse given the volatile situation in the country. But, isn't this 'anti-confrontation' policy responsible for India's failure to check terrorism? Isn't India a soft state? India, being a secular democratic state has always faced difficulties in maintaining its integrity every now and then. But the unity amongst people and the prevailing brotherhood among countrymen have kept as intact despite being the most diversified country in the world. We are renowned to be kindhearted and generous towards others. We like our friends and love our enemies. Call it Gandhigiri or national ethics, compared to other nations, people in our country are not outrageous or rebellious when it comes to "International Relations" (only when it comes to international r... ...etic condition of the poor find higher priority. It is difficult to turn away from the harsh reality-high population, illiteracy, unemployment, social marginalization, poverty, highly appalling condition of public health and much more make our country weak. We need to track these issues right to their ancestral roots in order to come up with a permanent remedy. Sooner the headship realizes this, the better for the nation. On the track to betterment there is no gray, it's black or white, yes or no. There is no scope for a counterfeit policy. We can no longer put to stake our successful trail by swaying into mediocre sources of insinuation. Hence it becomes highly important for the Government to stand up to such situations in future and demonstrate the right mix of power and bargaining strength to neutralise the antagonist and avoid becoming a soft state.

All Quiet on the western front :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All Quiet on the Western Front is narrated by Paul Baumer. He is a young man of nineteen who fights in the German army on the French front in World War I. Unlike most during that time period, Paul and several of his friends and classmates from school joined the army voluntarily. They joined after listening to nationalistic speeches told to them by their schoolmaster, Kantorek   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But after experiencing ten weeks of atrocious basic training at the hands of the small-minded, vindictive Corporal Himmelstoss and the inconceivable cruelty of life on the front lines. Paul and his comrades realize that the ideals that made them enlist are merely empty clichà ©s. They no longer believe that war is magnificent or respectable, and they live in unceasing physical terror that each day that goes may be their last. When Paul’s company receives a short reprieve after two weeks of fighting at the front lines, only eighty men of the original 150-man company return from the front. The cook , Ginger, doesn’t want to give the survivors the rations that were meant for the dead men He insists that he is only allowed to distribute single rations and that the dead soldiers’ rations will simply have to go to waste but eventually gives in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul and his friends visit Franz Kemmerich, a former classmate who has recently had a leg removed after contracting gangrene. Kemmerich is in the process of dying, and Mà ¼ller, another former classmate, wants Kemmerich’s yellow boots for himself. Paul doesn’t consider Mà ¼ller insensitive because like the other soldiers, Mà ¼ller simply realizes sensibly that Kemmerich is no longer in need of his boots. Not very long after this meeting, Paul returns to Kemmerich’s bedside just as he is about to die. At Kemmerich’s request, Paul takes his boots to Mà ¼ller.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Twenty-five younger men arrive as reinforcements. Paul believes Kat is the most resourceful soldier he knows, always able to scrounge up food. The men learn Himmelstoss is coming up to the front. Tjaden especially hates the Corporal because of his cruel punishment for Tjaden's bed-wetting problem. For vengeance, Paul and his friends ambushed and beat Himmelstoss before they left for the front. The soldiers are sent to put up barbed wire at the front. At night, during an artillery bombardment, the soldier dive for cover. The men set up the wire. Soon the artillery attacks them. Several men are hit, as well as horses.

Cival War Weapons :: essays research papers fc

Civil War Weapons One weapon used in the Civil War is a Sharps Carbine. It was developed primarily for Calvary, because of the shorter barrel. They were much easier to handle on horse back than their longer brother the Breech-Loader. Sharps were preferred because they could be loaded on a moving horse, something virtually impossible with a Muzzle-Loader. Also, Breech-Loaders carbine which fired moisture proof metallic cartridges, where more reliable than rifles that fired paper cartridges. As I said be fore it is easier to load a Sharps than a Muzzle-Loader. A Muzzle-Loader took 9 long hard steps just to fire one shot. Even the most skilled solder could only get three rounds off in a minute on the old Civil War Muzzle-Loader. And No wonder. After each shot you have to (1) steady the gun on the ground take out a new cartridge out of a belt pouch. (2) Tear open a piece of paper with your teeth. (3) Empty the powder in the barrel and insert a bullet in to the muzzle. (4) Draw the long â€Å"rummer† out of its carrying groove under the barrel. (5) ram the bullet all the way down. (6) Return the rod back to its groove. (7) Lift the weapon half-cocked the hammer. (8) Fully cock the hammer, aim, and finally,(9) fire. At the beginning of the war Southern Calvary was armed as well, if not better than the Northern counterpart. Carbines were in short supply in both armies. The rebels favorite weapon was a sawed off shotgun loaded with Buckshot. A farmland weapon. Saber a sword was only the Calvary and generally in the beginning of the war were used regularly and to their full extent Saber became marks of ranking later years and were abandoned in favor of efficient weapons. Canister is the weapon that killed the most soldiers in the war. Canister rounds are a artillery, fired from a canon, are a thinned walled metal cylinder packed with musket balls, or large lead or iron balls, and sawdust, some canisters that were found were packed with nails, pieces of hinges, and other scrap metal.

Fool Chapter 1

THE STAGE The stage is a more or less mythical thirteenth-century Britain, with vestiges of British culture reaching back to pre-Roman times still loitering about. Britain encompasses what is now modern Great Britain, including England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, of which Lear is king. Generally, if not otherwise explained, conditions may be considered damp. ACT I When we are born, we cry that we are come To this great stage of fools. – King Lear, Act IV, Scene 5 ONE ALWAYS A BLOODY GHOST â€Å"Tosser!† cried the raven. There's always a bloody raven. â€Å"Foolish teachin' him to talk, if you ask me,† said the sentry. â€Å"I'm duty-bound foolish, yeoman,† said I. I am, you know? A fool. Fool to the court of Lear of Britain. â€Å"And you are a tosser,[1]† I said. â€Å"Piss off!† said the raven. The yeoman took a swipe at the bird with his spear and the great black bird swooped off the wall and went cawing out over the Thames. A ferryman looked up from his boat, saw us on the tower, and waved. I jumped onto the wall and bowed – at your fucking service, thank you. The yeoman grumbled and spat after the raven. There have always been ravens at the White Tower. A thousand years ago, before George II, idiot king of Merica, destroyed the world, there were ravens here. The legend says that as long as there are ravens at the Tower, England will stand strong. Still, it may have been a mistake to teach one to talk. â€Å"The Earl of Gloucester approaches!† cried a sentry on the west wall. â€Å"With his son Edgar and the bastard Edmund!† The yeoman by me grinned. â€Å"Gloucester, eh? Be sure you do that bit where you play a goat and Drool plays the earl mistaking you for his wife.† â€Å"That would be unkind,† said I. â€Å"The earl is newly widowed.† â€Å"You did it the last time he was here and she was still warm in the grave.† â€Å"Well, yes. A service that – trying to shock the poor wretch out of his grief, wasn't it?† â€Å"Good show, too. The way you was bleatin' I thought ol' Drool was givin' it to you right proper up the bung.† I made a note to shove the guard off the wall when opportunity presented. â€Å"Heard he was going to have you assassinated, but he couldn't make a case to the king.† â€Å"Gloucester's a noble, he doesn't need a case for murder, just a whim and a blade.† â€Å"Not bloody likely,† the yeoman said, â€Å"everyone knows the king's got a wing o'er you.† That was true. I enjoy a certain license. â€Å"Have you seen Drool? With Gloucester here, there'll be a command performance.† My apprentice, Drool – a beef-witted bloke the size of a draught horse. â€Å"He was in the kitchen before the watch,† said the yeoman. The kitchen buzzed – the staff preparing for a feast. â€Å"Have you seen Drool?† I asked Taster, who sat at the table staring sadly at a bread trencher[2] laid out with cold pork, the king's dinner. He was a thin, sickly lad, chosen, no doubt, for his weakness of constitution, and a predisposition toward dropping dead at the slightest provocation. I liked to tell him my troubles, sure that they would not travel far. â€Å"Does this look poisoned to you?† â€Å"It's pork, lad. Lovely. Eat up. Half the men in England would give a testicle to feast thus, and it only mid-day. I'm tempted myself.† I tossed my head – gave him a grin and a bit of a jingle on the ol' hat bells to cheer him. I pantomimed stealing a bit of his pork. â€Å"After you, of course.† A knife thumped into the table by my hand. â€Å"Back, Fool,† said Bubble, the head cook. â€Å"That's the king's lunch and I'll have your balls before I'll let you at it.† â€Å"My balls are yours for the asking, milady,† said I. â€Å"Would you have them on a trencher, or shall I serve them in a bowl of cream, like peaches?† Bubble harrumphed, yanked her knife from the table and went back to gutting a trout at the butcher block, her great bottom rolling like thunderclouds under her skirt as she moved. â€Å"You're a wicked little man, Pocket,† said Squeak, waves of freckles riding o'er her shy smile. She was second to the cook, a sturdy, ginger-haired girl with a high giggle and a generous spirit in the dark. Taster and I often passed pleasant afternoons at the table watching her wring the necks of chickens. Pocket is my name, by the way. Given to me by the abbess who found me on the nunnery doorstep when I was a tiny babe. True, I am not a large fellow. Some might even say I am diminutive, but I am quick as a cat and nature has compensated me with other gifts. But wicked? â€Å"I think Drool was headed to the princess's chambers,† Squeak said. â€Å"Aye,† said Taster, glumly. â€Å"The lady sent for a cure for melancholy.† â€Å"And the git went?† Jest on his own? The boy wasn't ready. What if he blundered, tripped, fell on the princess like a millstone on a butterfly? â€Å"Are you sure?† Bubble dropped a gutless trout into a bushel of slippery cofishes.[3] â€Å"Chanting, ‘Off to do ma duty,' he was. We told him you'd be looking for him when we heard Princess Goneril and the Duke of Albany was coming.† â€Å"Albany's coming?† â€Å"Ain't he sworn to string your entrails from the chandelier?† asked Taster. â€Å"No,† corrected Squeak. â€Å"That was Duke of Cornwall. Albany was going to have his head on a pike, I believe. Pike, wasn't it, Bubble?† â€Å"Aye, have his head on a pike. Funny thing, thinkin' about it, you'd look like a bigger version of your puppet-stick there.† â€Å"Jones,† said Taster, pointing to my jester's scepter, Jones, who is, indeed, a smaller version of my own handsome countenance, fixed atop a sturdy handle of polished hickory. Jones speaks for me when even my tongue needs to exceed safe license with knights and nobles, his head pre-piked for the wrath of the dull and humorless. My finest art is oft lost in the eye of the subject. â€Å"Yes, that would be right hilarious, Bubble – ironic imagery – like the lovely Squeak turning you on a spit over a fire, an apple up both your ends for color – although I daresay the whole castle might conflagrate in the resulting grease fire, but until then we'd laugh and laugh.† I dodged a well-flung trout then, and paid Bubble a grin for not throwing her knife instead. Fine woman, she, despite being large and quick to anger. â€Å"Well, I've a great drooling dolt to find if we are to prepare an entertainment for the evening.† Cordelia's chambers lay in the North Tower; the quickest way there was atop the outer wall. As I crossed over the great main gatehouse, a young spot-faced yeoman called, â€Å"Hail, Earl of Gloucester!† Below, the greybeard Gloucester and his retinue were crossing the drawbridge. â€Å"Hail, Edmund, you bloody bastard!† I called over the wall. The yeoman tapped me on the shoulder. â€Å"Beggin' your pardon, sirrah,[4] but I'm told that Edmund is sensitive about his bastardy.† â€Å"Aye, yeoman,† said I. â€Å"No need for prodding and jibe to divine that prick's tender spot, he wears it on his sleeve.† I jumped on the wall and waved Jones at the bastard, who was trying to wrench a bow and quiver from a knight who rode beside him. â€Å"You whoreson scalawag!† said I. â€Å"You flesh-turd dropped stinking from the poxy arsehole of a hare-lipped harlot!† The Earl of Gloucester glowered up at me as he passed under the portcullis.[5] â€Å"Shot to the heart, that one,† said the yeoman. â€Å"Too harsh, then, you reckon?† â€Å"A bit.† â€Å"Sorry. Excellent hat, though, bastard,† I called, by way of making amends. Edgar and two knights were trying to restrain the bastard Edmund below. I jumped down from the wall. â€Å"Haven't seen Drool, have you?† â€Å"In the great hall this morning,† said the yeoman. â€Å"Not since.† A call came around the top of the wall, passing from yeoman to yeoman until we heard, â€Å"The Duke of Cornwall and Princess Regan approach from the south.† â€Å"Fuckstockings!† Cornwall: polished greed and pure born villainy; he'd dirk[6] a nun for a farthing,[7] and short the coin, for the fun. â€Å"Don't worry, little one, the king'll keep your hide whole.† â€Å"Aye, yeoman, he will, and if you call me little one in company, the king'll have you walking watch on the frozen moat all winter.† â€Å"Sorry, Sir Jester, sir,† said the yeoman. He slouched then as not to seem so irritatingly tall. â€Å"Heard that tasty Princess Regan's a right bunny cunny, eh?† He leaned down to elbow me in the ribs, now that we were best mates and all. â€Å"You're new, aren't you?† â€Å"Just two months in service.† â€Å"Advice, then, young yeoman: When referring to the king's middle daughter, state that she is fair, speculate that she is pious, but unless you'd like to spend your watch looking for the box where your head is kept, resist the urge to wax ignorant on her naughty bits.† â€Å"I don't know what that means, sir.† â€Å"Speak not of Regan's shaggacity, son. Cornwall has taken the eyes of men who have but looked upon the princess with but the spark of lust.† â€Å"The fiend! I didn't know, sir. I'll say nothing.† â€Å"And neither shall I, good yeoman. Neither shall I.† And thus are alliances made, loyalties cemented. Pocket makes a friend. The boy was right about Regan, of course. And why I hadn't thought to call her bunny cunny myself, when I of all people should know – well, as an artist, I must admit, I was envious of the invention. Cordelia's private solar[8] lay at the top of a narrow spiral staircase lit only with the crosses of arrow loops. I could hear giggling as I topped the stairs. â€Å"So I am of no worth if not on the arm and in the bed of some buffoon in a codpiece?† I heard Cordelia say. â€Å"You called,† said I, stepping into the room, codpiece in hand. The ladies-in-waiting giggled. Young Lady Jane, who is but thirteen, shrieked at my presence – disturbed, no doubt, by my overt manliness, or perhaps by the gentle clouting on the bottom she received from Jones. â€Å"Pocket!† Cordelia sat at the center of the circle of girls – holding court, as such – her hair down, blond curls to her waist, a simple gown of lavender linen, loosely laced. She stood and approached me. â€Å"You honor us, Fool. Did you hear rumors of small animals to hurt, or were you hoping to accidentally surprise me in my bath again?† I tipped my hat, a slight, contrite jingle there. â€Å"I was lost, milady.† â€Å"A dozen times?† â€Å"Finding my way is not my strong suit. If you want a navigator I'll send for him, but hold me blameless should your melancholy triumph and you drown yourself in the brook, your gentle ladies weeping damply around your pale and lovely corpse. Let them say, ‘She was not lost in the map, confident as she was in her navigator, but lost in heart for want of a fool.'† The ladies gasped as if I'd cued them. I'd have blessed them if I were still on speaking terms with God. â€Å"Out, out, out, ladies,† Cordelia said. â€Å"Give me peace with my fool so that I might devise some punishment for him.† The ladies scurried out of the room. â€Å"Punishment?† I asked. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"I don't know yet,† she said, â€Å"but by the time I've thought of the punishment, I'm sure there'll be an offense.† â€Å"I blush at your confidence.† â€Å"And I at your humility,† said the princess. She grinned, a crescent too devious for a maid of her tender years. Cordelia is not ten years my junior (I'm not sure, exactly, of my own age), seventeen summers has she seen, and as the youngest of the king's daughters, she's always been treated as if fragile as spun glass. But, sweet thing that she is, her bark could frighten a mad badger. â€Å"Shall I disrobe for my punishment?† I offered. â€Å"Flagellation? Fellation? Whatever. I am your willing penitent, lady.† â€Å"No more of that, Pocket. I need your counsel, or at least your commiseration. My sisters are coming to the castle.† â€Å"Unfortunately, they have arrived.† â€Å"Oh, that's right, Albany and Cornwall want to kill you. Bad luck, that. Anyway, they are coming to the castle, as are Gloucester and his sons. Goodness, they want to kill you as well.† â€Å"Rough critics,† said I. â€Å"Sorry. And a dozen other nobles as well as the Earl of Kent are here. Kent doesn't want to kill you, does he?† â€Å"Not that I know of. But it is only lunchtime.† â€Å"Right. And do you know why they are all coming?† â€Å"To corner me like a rat in a barrel?† â€Å"Barrels do not have corners, Pocket.† â€Å"Does seem like a lot of bother for killing one small, if tremendously handsome fool.† â€Å"It's not about you, you dolt! It's about me.† â€Å"Well, even less effort to kill you. How many can it take to snap your scrawny neck? I worry that Drool will do it by accident someday. You haven't seen him, have you?† â€Å"He stinks. I sent him away this morning.† She waved a hand furiously to return to her point. â€Å"Father is marrying me off!† â€Å"Nonsense. Who would have you?† The lady darkened a bit, then, blue eyes gone cold. Badgers across Blighty[9] shuddered. â€Å"Edgar of Gloucester has always wanted me and the Prince of France and Duke of Burgundy are already here to pay me troth.† â€Å"Troth about what?† â€Å"Troth!† â€Å"About what?† â€Å"Troth, troth, you fool, not truth. The princes are here to marry me.† â€Å"Those two? Edgar? No.† I was shaken. Cordelia? Married? Would one of them take her away? It was unjust! Unfair! Wrong! Why, she had never even seen me naked. â€Å"Why would they want to troth you? I mean, for the night, to be sure, who wouldn't troth you cross-eyed? But permanently, I think not.† â€Å"I'm a bloody princess, Pocket.† â€Å"Precisely. What good are princesses? Dragon food and ransom markers – spoiled brats to be bartered for real estate.† â€Å"Oh no, dear fool, you forget that sometimes a princess becomes a queen.† â€Å"Ha, princesses. What worth are you if your father has to tack a dozen counties to your bum to get those French poofters to look at you?† â€Å"Oh, and what worth a fool? Nay, what worth a fool's second, for you merely carry the drool cup for the Natural.[10] What's the ransom for a jester, Pocket? A bucket of warm spittle.† I grabbed my chest. â€Å"Pierced to the core, I am,† I gasped. I staggered to a chair. â€Å"I bleed, I suffer, I die on the forked lance of your words.† She came to me. â€Å"You do not.† â€Å"No, stay back. Blood stains will never come out of linen – they are stubborned with your cruelty and guilt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Pocket, stop it now.† â€Å"You have kilt me, lady, most dead.† I gasped, I spasmed, I coughed. â€Å"Let it always be said that this humble fool brought joy to all whom he met.† â€Å"No one will say that.† â€Å"Shhhh, child. I grow weak. No breath.† I looked at the imaginary blood on my hands, horrified. I slid off a chair, to the floor. â€Å"But I want you to know that despite your vicious nature and your freakishly large feet, I have always – â€Å" And then I died. Bloody fucking brilliantly, I'd say, too, hint of a shudder at the end as death's chilly hand grabbed my knob. â€Å"What? What? You have always what?† I said nothing, being dead, and not a little exhausted from all the bleeding and gasping. Truth be told, under the jest I felt like I'd taken a bolt to the heart. â€Å"You're absolutely no help at all,† said Cordelia. The raven landed on the wall as I made my way back to the common house in search of Drool. No little vexed was I by the news of Cordelia's looming nuptials. â€Å"Ghost!† said the raven. â€Å"I didn't teach you that.† â€Å"Bollocks!† replied the raven. â€Å"That's the spirit!† â€Å"Ghost!† â€Å"Piss off, bird,† said I. Then a cold wind bit at my bum and at the top of the stairs, in the turret ahead, I saw a shimmering in the shadows, like silk in sunlight – not quite in the shape of a woman. And the ghost said: â€Å"With grave offense to daughters three, Alas, the king a fool shall be.† â€Å"Rhymes?† I inquired. â€Å"You're looming about all diaphanous in the middle of the day, puking cryptic rhymes? Low craft and tawdry art, ghosting about at noon – a parson's fart heralds darker doom, thou babbling wisp.† â€Å"Ghost!† cried the raven, and with that the ghost was gone. There's always a bloody ghost.