Book Review Slam Dunked The NCAAs Shameful Reac Essays

Book Review: Slam Dunked: The NCAA's Shameful Reaction to Athletic Integration in the Deep South Throughout the years ULL has had many great moments in sports and Louisiana history for this reason t T he book I will be reviewing is a Slam Dunked : the NCAA's S s hameful R r eaction to A a thletic I i ntegration in the Deep South by Ron Gomez , and f F ormer UL Basketball coach Beryl Shipley. The book begins in 1954, shortly before Shipley's time at UL . in 1954. At th at is time the south was still segregated by race, meaning and S s outhern university's universities w h ere were still segregated by race. During that time ULL was also known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI) d uring that time and was the first all-white s S chool in the south to accept African-American Undergraduate students. Although T hough this transition was not made did not happen over night overnight or without incident, it was do ne nonviolently without any help from law enforcement. In 1957, The University brought in thirty-one 31 - year - old B eryl Shipley as the new h H ead b B asketball coach. It didn't take long for coach Shipley to make a difference in Southwestern Basketball . , W w ithin his first year of coaching , game attendance almost nearly doubled often times bringing a thousand to two thousand people. Which might This may not seem like all that much, but Ek Long gym (the primary venue at the time) only holds a little just over 1100 people. Attendance was not Shipley's only area of achievement . During his time as head coach, the team w on inning many Gulf States Conference Championships . In 1965 the USL Basketball team qualified for the N ational Association Intercollegiate Athletics AIA National Collegiate Championships tournament , although it was against the rules set by the Louisiana State board of education for t he all-white USL team to play integrated teams to play in the all-white tournament. Shipley received approval to play from by both the A a thletic director and President of the University . , However, the president and athletic director eventually revoked their approval that was later taken away after receiving pressure from the state board. After a student protest on the front l awn of the presidents president's house the , president was he was forced to allow the team to play. The play. The next year , the new University President , insert name here} , brought ushered in an era of change by by giving allowing Shipley the okay to recruit black players, making Shipley the first coach in the south to have black P p layers on his team . , b B ut this decision did not go without opposition . , Shipley received tons of backlash and ridicule for signing black players . Later , the state board ruled that scholarships would not be given to the black players. Shipley responded to this by getting local black leaders and others from the community to put their money together to build a scholarship fund for the black players. However, T t he state board fired back retaliated by reporting Shipley's actions to the NCAA and as a result the basketball program was put under a two year suspension and banned from all post season play. Two years after Once their suspension was lifted in 1972 , the USL t e am jumped was promoted to NCAA division 1 , finishing ranked in one of the top 10 teams in the nation and also ma de k ing it to the NCAA national tournament. Making USL was the first team to ever make it to the national tournament during their first year of eligibility . The team repeated this same success in 1973, but this success was short lived because shortly after the T t ournament Coach Shipley Resigned . , and And shortly after his resignation , the NCAA found USL G g uilty of violating over 100 NCAA rules. Doing everything from changing high school transcripts for players, giving players small cash payments, and

Comparative and Superlatives for Beginners

Comparative and Superlatives for Beginners The comparative and superlative forms in English compare and contrast different objects in English.   Basketball is more exciting than golf.That house is bigger than mine. Our friends have the nicest dog in the town.She is the happiest person I know. Comparative Form   Use the comparative form to show the difference between two objects. Examples: New York is more exciting than Seattle.His car is faster than Dougs.Mary is happier than Anna.   1 syllable adjective + -er She is faster than Mary. 2 + syllables more + adjective Jack is more handsome than Jerry. 2 syllables ending in -y drop -y from adjective +-ier That joke was funnier than mine. Comparative Form Comparative Form Explained One Syllable Adjectives Add -er to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a vowel) remove the y from the adjective and add ier Examples:  Ã‚  slow - slower / high - higher This book is cheaper than that book.Tom is smarter than Derrick.   Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y Drop -y and add -ier to two syllable adjectives ending in -y. Note adjectives ending in -y that are three syllables or more take more rather than -ier.   Example:  happy - happier / funny - funnier I am happier than you.That joke was funnier than his joke. Two, Three or More Syllable Adjectives place more before the adjective Examples:  interesting - more interesting / difficult - more difficult London is more expensive than Madrid.This test is more difficult than the last test. Here is another chart showing how to construct the  comparative form  in English.   Superlative Form Use the superlative form when speaking about three or more objects to show which object is the most of something. Examples: New York is the most exciting city in the USA.Peter is the luckiest guy in the world.Thats the cleanest bathroom Ive ever seen! 1 syllable the + adjective + add -est That's the tallest building in New York. 2+ syllables the most + adjective Alice is the most interesting woman I've ever met. 2 syllables ending in -y drop -y from adjective +-iest Peter is the funniest guy in my class. Superlative Form Superlative Form Explained One Syllable Adjectives Place the before the adjective and add -est to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a vowel) Example: cheap - the cheapest / hot - the hottest / high - the highest Today is the hottest day of the summer.This book is the cheapest I can find. Two, Three or More Syllable Adjectives Place the most before the adjective Example: interesting - the most interesting / difficult - the most difficult London is the most expensive city in England.That is the most beautiful painting here. Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y place the before the adjective and remove the y from the adjective and add iest Example: happy - the happiest / funny - the funniest New York is the noisiest city in the USA.He is the most important person I know. Here is a chart showing how to construct the  superlative form  in English: Important Exceptions There are some important exceptions to these rules! Here are two of the most important exceptions: good good - adjectivebetter - comparativethe best - superlative This book is better than that one.This is the best school in the city. bad bad - adjectiveworse - comparativethe worst - superlative His French is worse than mine.This is the worst day of my life. Teachers can use this comparative and superlative lesson plan to teach these forms to learners. Start from the basics.

Poverty in American Cities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Poverty in American Cities - Essay Example During the late nineteenth century, white Democrats in the urban areas had established legal infrastructures that were not favorable for industrial development and business ventures, especially by the private sector. The banking industry was still at its infancy, while credit facilities and services had not taken foot. Significance of the nineteenth century poverty in American cities The late nineteenth century poverty in the cities was significant, because it would define the long-standing policies that various urban planners were to set up to mitigate the problem or any recurrence in future; these include housing projects, sanitation, sewers, garbage dumps and structured construction of buildings in the urban areas. Meanwhile, Tardanico (2008) indicates the towns concentrated more on agricultural businesses. Additionally, the period witnessed a high population influx in the urban areas, following the industrialization efforts. Law-making bodies were opposed to business and the buil ding of a contemporary society. For instance, Alabama upheld a seven decade refusal to engage in redistrict measures, long after it had experienced major demographic transformations and economic drifts to towns. For a long period of time Birmingham city generated the bulk of the state’s revenue, but received a meager infrastructural development and services, thus leading to poverty (Lassonde, 1996). In the sunset years of nineteenth century, Texas swiftly increased its railroad coverage, building a link of major urban areas through a radial program and extended to the Galveston harbor (Riis, 2011). According to Bolland et al (2007), in an effort to improve the industrial sector was met with apparent job boycotts and labor instability among the town residents, who took home peanuts, despite their heavy toil. In 1885 Texas was among the top ten of the 40 states in which employee unrest took the toll on major industries in the town; within half a decade, it occupied the fifteent h position. More than 70 percent of labor unrest cases, mainly interstate instabilities such as telegraph workers and railway employees, took place in 1886. By 1890 Dallas developed to the biggest township in Texas (Bolland et al, 2007). The 1900 witnessed the town having a population exceeding 42,000; but by 1910, the population had immensely increased to 92,000 (Tardanico, 2008). Dallas transformed into world’s harness-making centre and a region of other manufacturing industries. As an illustration of the town’s ambitions, in late 1800s, Dallas set up the Praetorian Building, a fifteen storey edifice, the tallest on the western side of the Mississippi. Subsequently, others were soon built. Texas was completely changed by a rail transport line network connecting five significant cities, including Houston and Galveston, a nearby harbor; others include Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, and Fort Worth. It is notable that each experienced a remarkable increase in population w ith more than 50,000 within less than two decades (Riis, 2011). In the five decades from 1870, the population of Americans residing in the country’s major towns increased to 54 million, up five times. Into the late nineteenth century, American townships developed in terms of demographics and extended in area by encompassing nearby villages. For instance, New York City consumed Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens, regions that appeared as politically carved

Supply Chain Integration in the Food Industry Essay

Supply Chain Integration in the Food Industry - Essay Example My first action as the new CEO would be to implement an efficient consumer response (ECR) system. As one author notes, "ECR is an approach to supply chain management which...is a managerial approach that starts with consumer demand and then gears the whole of the supply chain to responding to that demand. It is a customer-driven, demand-pull product management system..." (Gillooley and Varley 42). This method makes particularly good business sense in the retail grocery environment because it is based on supplying products by allying all of the elements of the supply chain with customer purchasing patterns. Consider, for example, how this type of SCM system would increase efficiency during the holidays. Normal sales of large, frozen turkeys are generally low during the months of January through October, but spike over November and December. A supply chain which was based on the ECR model would be integrating suppliers, distributors, and in-store inventories to minimize costs and maxim ize what can only be considered as a diminishing profit margin, e.g., the closer to Thanksgiving it gets, the cheaper the price for the birds and the more competitive the market becomes. The alternatives to this integrated approach are either to run out of inventory and lose market share, or to over-stock and suffer a negative product age issue; neither of which are profitable nor efficient. Accordingly, the ECR would be my first move as the new CEO. My second strategic focus on using supply chain integration would focus on operation and information systems. Similarly to Mr. Johnston, I know that information systems efficiency and interoperability is an important area for an SCM. Proper use of technology to maximize efficiency is well worth the investment, as demonstrated by Wal-Mart in past case studies. One reason information systems are so vital is the operational support they provide and the speed and accuracy at which they provide it. This systems integration directly addresses issues like overstocking which, in many retail businesses is costly, but in a retail grocery setting can be prohibitively expensive. As Ketzenberg and Metters note, "although all major grocers use scanner technology at cash registers...[in most stores] stock ordering is still done manually by employees visually checking shelf sets" (31). It is for this reason that I think Mr. Johnston's investment in technology is astute; and I would do the exact same thing. As the information systems are integrated and the operational aspect of inventory tracking moves from visual unit counts to a more efficient and accurate SCM system, additional benefits will be gained; the ability to interface with the ECR system noted above will permit supply chain managers to monitor the relationship between quantities ordered and sold so that accurate forecasting can bring higher efficiency, lower costs, and greater customer satisfaction. The blending of a

Jessica Banks Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jessica Banks Case - Essay Example ame, it has to be understood that Haywards has not said that Banks cannot have access to the data she had generated, and she can still try to get a copy with his consent if she approaches this issue in a more mature way. Secondly, it has to be discussed whether Bank has a right to continue with the research which she has been working on in Haywards lab even after she quit that job and joined in another institution (Bebeau 24). In that case, the contribution of the student and the mentor have to be assessed regarding the generation of the data before a decision is made (Bebeau 24). Also, the spirit of research has always been that of a collective effort (Bebeau 24). Thirdly, it has to be decided how she could maintain her independence and at the same time, her collegiality and her personal integrity regarding this issue (Bebeau 25). Both these interests seem to be mutually conflicting in this particular context Bebeau 25). Here, the major thing is that usually the mentors role has the risk of being undervalued by beginner researchers (Bebeau 25). And also, a researcher needs to have the support of the mentor to pursue a successful career on a long term basis (Bebeau 25-26). Finally, in this part of solving the problem, Banks is faced with another conflict in which she has to decide whether she should fulfill her obligation to respect her mentor at the cost of loosing her research data generated so far or whether she should refuse to obey her mentor and fulfill her perceived obligation to warn other students who have a possibility to be in a similar situation (Bebeau 26). As far as this question is concerned, the basic premise has to be that the mentor should clearly communicate to the students, the legal obligations regarding the research work and the student should also try to learn such matters in the beginning of the research itself (Bebeau 26). In Bebeaus four-part approach, the second aspect of the problem lies in determining who the interested

U.S. automobile industry.

U.S. automobile industry. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Car is great invention of human development. After more than two centuries of development and innovation, automotive products remain irreplaceable in the transportation. Automobile industry is always one of the most important industries of each country and the world in general. The U.S. automobile industry was born in the beginning of 19th century, contributes a huge amount in GDP of American as well as one of the domination industries in American particularly and globe generally. This project provides an overall and comprehensive view about the U.S. automobile industry. Through application of appropriate strategic analysis tools, this topic focus on analyze four following parts: Firstly, the overall current macro-environment of this industry is provided, especially the key forces driving change in the U.S. automobile industry. Secondly, using the Michael Porter model to analyze the competitive environment or also called task or industry environment, the strengths and extent of competitive forces, which affect the attractiveness of the U.S. automobile industry. Next, map of the key strategic group in the U.S. automobile industry and analysis of the competitors in a main strategic group. Finally, based on the analysis of both environments, this report offers comments of the key opportunities and threats facing by the firm in the U.S. automobile industry and its attractiveness of the present incumbents and potential new entrants. I. INTRODUCTION The United States, with its total current resident is about 308 million, is the third most populous country in the world. It is the second largest country in Western Hemisphere, and the third or fourth largest in the world by total area. With an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of US $14.4 trillion (a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity), the U.S. economy continuingly occupies the most important position in global economy. Based on these advantages, the U.S. automobile market is one of the third largest markets, after China and Japan, both of manufacturing and consumption. The U.S. automobile industry has long historic development from the early decades of the 19th. There were over 1800 automobile manufacturers in the United States in the past. Although very few can survive and only a few new ones were started after that period, they are on the top automakers of the world. Moreover, it attracts most of the biggest foreign automakers to locate factories and invest, such as Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mitsubishi, etc. Recently, the automobile industry dramatically down caused the shortage resource and the current economic crisis. The U.S. automobile cannot avoid this trend. However, the general industry and Big Three U.S. automakers General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford recover gradually whereby the timely auto industry bailout and restructuring of the President Barack Obamas government. II. THE CURRENT MACRO-ENVIRONMENT OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY There are many external forces that can affect an industrys performance and hence to know well about the environment is the best way for improving the strength as well as reducing the weaknesses of companies in the field. This analysis of Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, Political and legal forces that affect the automobile manufacturing industry will be presented as follows. 1. Socio-cultural forces It cannot be deny that in todays society, people are judged on the type of cars they drive. Anyone who drives a nice and expensive vehicle is thought to be wealthy and success. People will find them-selves more valuable and feel better when they drive a nice and new car and therefore, car manufacturers target their markets by these thoughts. For example, with Mercedes-Benz, the producer launched three types of cars, which represent the brands value: luxury, safety, innovation. They are A-Class, F400-Carving and C-Class which being able to appeal the significant diversity of Mercedes-Benz in conquering the customers. Another thought provoking issue of the socio cultural is the environmental concerns for the need of fuel-efficient vehicles. Many environmentalists are worried about the impact that the gas cars have on the environment. The lower amount of gas emission emits into the air, the better the environment becomes. Therefore this problem also is taken into consideration by specialists of automobile companies. 2. Technological forces The U.S. is the worlds largest producer and consumer of motor vehicles with production of 16 million units every year. To increase its scale, the U.S automotive industry continues to experience technological change by investing on research and develop projects every year. These plan aim at finding out clean and renewable energy resources so that car can be used in the most efficient way. In addition to this, improving the quality of engine, making new more functions, changing technical innovation and styles for cars are also the objects that car-manufacturers want to bring to customers. Getting success as today, automobile industry should consider Internet as an important and useful instrument that make the business easier and more convenient. Thanks to its functions, the business of automobile industry becomes more efficiency and lower cost by e-booking, payment, connecting suppliers and customers online. For example, Ford, GM, and Daimler Chrysler created a global online exchange for suppliers and the original equipment manufacturers. 3. Economic forces In the past, the automobile manufacturing industry is regarded as one of the largest and vital industries within the U.S due to its great contributing to this economy in employment and productivity. Reports indicate that motor vehicle production represents over 5 % of the U.S. private sector GDP. However, because of the global crisis and the increase in oil price, 2008 and 2009 are the most difficult periods for automobile companies all over the world. In US, the number of cars sold is significantly reduced to be lower than 30% in 2008 and predicted 50% in 2009, making many automobile companies got into trouble, especially big ones like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. 19.4 billion aid from the U.S. government with 9.5 billion from Canada government can not help General Motors avoid from breaking in 1/6/2009. The car consumption of Ford Corporation also decreased significantly, they had to close four plants in the U.S. and thousands of workers to leave work until now. The head of corporate manufacturing automotive components Continental (Germany) Karl-Thomas Neumann is predicted, the crisis in the automobile industry could take up to the next 5 years. This means that over 50 million people live based on the automobile industry will have to face unemployment in this period. 4. Ecological forces After the crisis, major technology trends that automobile production corporations want to aim at are comfortable, friendly environment with consumption of fuel savings cars. In present, Hybrid vehicles with fuel economy of fuel consumption at 35 km per liter gasoline are taken into consideration and eventually moving to the car model that does not use fuel as crude oil is development direction of the automobile industry in the near future. Besides, Pollution Prevention Project will be carried out regularly with the hope of finding innovative ways to keep our environment healthier and cleaner. 5. Political and legal forces Since the 1960s, the U.S. government has issued regulations that affect the production and consumption of cars in this country. Accordingly, almost all of the provisions are about environmental related problems and the safety of the drivers as well as passengers. The first National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act that forced manufacturers to improve the safety for the passengers, the driver visibility, and the braking of the car were approved in 1966. After that, there was also growing concern for the environment, many Acts were introduced in order to set standards for automobile pollution and decrease in automobile emission such as The Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act, Clean Air Act. Then, after the oil crisis in the 1970s, The Energy Policy and Conservation Act stated that all automobiles must meet a certain mileage per gallon to ensure that the amount of energy could be saved as much as possible. III. THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT In todays fierce competitive environment, the firms need to achieve competitive advantages for competing, existing and growing. Accordingly, the firms must recognize the environment that powerfully influences the firms. In American automobile industry, the automobile manufacturers have realized the environments influence to automotive industry. At the same time, they must look at the main sources of competitive forces and how high or low competitive force is. As stated by Wheelen and Hunger (2008, p. 83) about the six sources of competition in Porters Five Forces model. This framework is used to identify the opportunities and threats for entering in to a particular industry. It is featured as follow: Rivalry amongst existing firms in the industry The American automobile industry includes three major manufacturers, General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler. On the other hand, it has also two Japanese biggest competitors, Honda and Toyota. Now we will discuss about how strong each competitive force is and which they affect on the attractiveness of the American automotive industry. 1. The threat of new entrants-Barriers to entry New entrants can threaten the market share of existing competitors. One reason new entrants pose such a threat is that they bring additional production capacity, reducing the attractiveness. (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskinsson, 2008). The threat of new entrants is low in the American automobile industry because of some main reasons. First, the American automobile industry now is mature and it has attained economies of scale. Although Honda and Toyota have invested heavily in America to produce cars, now the crisis in the auto industry and the slow sluggish state of the global economy lead to small demand; therefore, new entrants are not interested to enter this sector. Besides, this heavy industry requires a significant amount of capital for producing automobiles as well as research and development new designs. It also demands modern technologies, management and marketing skills. Besides, establishing the intermediaries for distributing the products is not the simply problem in America. The firms must look for the dealership to sell their automobiles. These entry barriers are substantial that make it difficult for new automakers. Accordingly, it is not easy for any new entrants to enter the American automobile industry. 2. Bargaining power of suppliers According to Hill and Jones (2008), the bargaining power of suppliers is the suppliers ability to raise input prices or the costs of the industry by providing poor quality inputs or poor services. In the automobile industry, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. The auto manufactures need several components from suppliers. Moreover, there are many suppliers in this sector. We can see that suppliers in the U.S automobile industry have little power. Therefore, the auto manufacturers have many options for bargaining prices and deliveries. If suppliers do not meet some main qualifications such as quality and delivery, the auto manufacturers can switch to other suppliers. Besides, the automakers can have many opportunities to force down input price as well as demand higher quality inputs. 3. Bargaining power of buyers Wheelen and Hunger (2008) mentioned that buyers could have an effect on an industry through their ability to force down price, bargain for high quality or more services. Thus, powerful buyers should be viewed as a threat of the industry. The bargaining power of the buyers in the American automobile industry is high. Nowadays, customers easily get information and have many options in choosing brands and models of cars between auto suppliers. Some of qualifications that they based on in choosing cars are quality, price, appearance, efficient, and so on. Because of the variety of lifestyle, customers purchase the cars in different ways. Besides, the switching costs are low in automobile industry. As a result, the buyers can play off the supplying company against each other to force down price. Whats more, a buyer has the potential to integrate backward by producing the product itself as a bargaining tool. Ford and General Motor have used the threat of manufacturing a component themselves instead of buying it from suppliers. 4. The threat of substitute products Hitt, Ireland and Hoskinsson (2008) pointed out that substitute products are goods or services from outside a given industry that perform similar or the same functions as a products that the industry produce. The threat of substitute products in U.S automobile industry is medium. Although people can travel by several public transportation means such as subways, trains, buses, the need of automobiles is inevitable in todays modern life. Traveling by automobiles bring conveniences and dependences for people whenever and wherever they want to go. Moreover, in using subways, trains, buses, the switching costs are high in considering of time, money and convenience. The cost of fuel consumption, the maintenance costs, the annual insurance fee, and so on in using automobiles may be higher than traveling by public transportation means. Thus, we can see that the threat of substitute products is depend on personal preference and it can be seen mild in automobile industry. 5. Rivalry among existing firms in the industry Rivalry refers to the competitive struggle between companies in an industry to gain market share from each other (Hill and Jones, 2008). Rivalry among competitors is extremely intense in the American automobile industry. There are few competitors in this sector and they are roughly equal in size. We can consider that American automobile industry is a consolidated industry because a small number of large automobile companies dominate this industry. They are General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler. In todays economic recession with slow market growth, each auto company watches each other carefully and fights to take market share from each other. They compete with each other by offering long-term warranties to customers. Besides, the rivalry among existing firms is high in this industry because of not much differentiation opportunities. General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler produce automobiles and sport utility vehicles. They evaluate about the price, quality, product design, and after-sales services and support of each other in competing to gain market share. Overall, the competition between American automakers can strengthen the attractiveness of automobile market as well as improve the product quality and after-sales services in automobile industry. 6. Relative power of other stakeholders The US government has low power over the automobile industry. General Motors, Fords have plants outside the United States, where U.S laws are not applicable. Forces driven by market demand are the only forces that significantly affect profit potential of auto industry. Accordingly, the relative power of other stakeholders ability to affect profit potential is low. After analyzing the Porters Five Forces model in the American automobile industry, we can see that the threat of new entrants is low through high entry barriers. The rivalry among existing firms is extremely intense because of few automakers in this sector. The overall impact from buyers bargaining power to the industrys attractiveness is high because customers have many options. Suppliers have limited bargaining power in this industry. The threat of substitute products is moderate and the relative power of other stakeholders is low. IV. MAPPING OF THE KEY STRATEGIC GROUPS AND ANALYSIS OF THE COMPETITORS According to Anthony Henry (2007) and Gregory, Lumpkin Marilyn (2002), the purpose of strategic group mapping is help organization identify their directly competitors, recognize mobility barriers, indicate the direction in which their strategies are moving to determine industry competition and analyze trends in the general and competitive environment. Automotive industry is one of the most complicated industries in which the giant corporations own many brands and focus on many different market sectors. The price of the product in the automotive industry is not only depended the cost but also related to the brand image of the firm. Those are the reason why this report chose the brand image and product ranger as the two variances for the two dimensions. Base on two dimensions as mentioned above, five strategic groups are formed. These groups are mainly formed base on the difference of brand image. However, the criterion of product ranger is very useful when mentioning about the luxury and extreme luxury group. The first group includes firms that have the brand image as low class / low price (Hyundai, Kia, Tata†¦). However, this group is the second highest wide range of product cluster. All most of those firms are defender. The short-term strategy of the companies mostly is cost orientation. The strategy of these organizations is try to clear the image of the low class, low quality brand and endeavor to enter to the second group which is middle class brands. The way that Hyundai try to do is build a new image of a quality brand when they offer an extensive warranty (7 years, 100,000 miles) (Gregory at all, 2002) The second group is the most powerful cluster. They have the most wide range of product which cover all most of segment of the automotive market exclude S-segment (Appendix I car classification). Majority of them are analyzers type. Toyota is a typical example. They have a wide range of current traditional engine product, which can give it a stable fundamental for them to innovate in the other sector. On the other sector, Toyota innovate the new generation hybrid engine (Toyota Prius), which is the solution in the world of traditional energy shortage nowadays. In the future, as the competitors in the same strategic group, Honda and Ford are going to introduce the new generation hybrid cars to compete with Toyota. To reach to the higher class of customers, these firms that stick with the image of middle class car try not to introduce a new high-class line but create a new higher-class brand or purchase an existence higher-class brand. With this purpose, Toyota creates Lexus, Nissan owns Infiniti, Volkswagen has Audi, Bentley and Bugatty etc. The third group is the high-class cluster. The price is higher than the middle-class mainly because the brand image and the performance of engine. In this group, the ranger of product is narrower than the middle class group because of the focus on the higher income group. To reach the higher class of customer, those firms also implicate the same strategy with the second group, which create new brands or purchase new ones. For example, BMW owns Rolls Royce. The fourth and fifth group is the luxury and extremely luxury car. Those two groups differ between each other not only on the price but also on the target customer although they are seemed in the same position when we mention in the ranger of product. The fourth group mainly focuses on the sport car, which has the high speed and hi-end technology. The target customers are young successful businessperson and celebrities. On the other section, the target customers of fifth group are people have the high state in the society, successful executives and of very rich. Because of the difference in the target customer and brand history image, the barrier of motivation is very high between those two groups. The group that this report focus on is the middle class which is the most profitable and innovative group in the automotive industry FORD Henry Ford in June 16, 1903 founded Ford Motors Company, which would go on to become one of the most profitable and largest companies in the world. As known one of the largest family-controlled companies, Ford family has been continuous controlling this company for over 100 years. The company locates the head-quarter in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Ford is currently the fourth-largest automaker in the world and the third in US based on number of vehicle sold annually which records 1,602,011 in the U.S. market and 5,407,000 in the global market. In 2008, Ford employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Well-known brand and history Product diversification Offering hybrid and environmental friendly cars Good marketing plan: Bold Moves Sponsoring and financing for big event. Product has a good review: quality, reliability, moderate price. Firestone tire recalls. CEO Jacques Nasser and Chairman Bill Ford Jr. cannot get along. Their overseas allocation and outsourcing creates fewer jobs in America. Their products are getting lower quality due to use cheap ways to make them. HONDA Soichiro Honda found the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu in October 1946, to develop and produce small 2-cycle motorbike engines. Two years later, Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was born, and in 1959, Honda opened its first storefront in Los Angeles with six industrious employees. Today, Honda employs nearly 27,000 people in all 50 states. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Good brand in producing high quality products from cars to motorcycles to lawn mowers. One of the largest manufacturers of motorcycles in the world Awards for initial quality and customer satisfaction Pioneer in engineering low emissions internal combustion and hybrid technology. Higher price for non-luxury vehicles. Non-attractive in truck product. High technology cost cause over-price for consumer. MITSUBISHI MOTOR Basically, Mitsubishi Motors is one member of Mitsubishi group was found on April 22, 1970, and was based on the successful introduction of the first Galant. Until now, MMC has 33,202 employees and 12,761 non-consolidated employees, as of March 2008. The Mitsubishi brand was introduced to the American market for the first time in 1971. Until now, they employ about 18,500 employees across United States. Nearly two-thirds of the Mitsubishi vehicles are sold in the U.S; particularly this number is 58,963 in the end of 2008. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES 4th largest automaker in Japan Restructuring Recovery plan. Strong brand awareness. Member of Mitsubishi Group. Poor model awareness. Loss of RD engineers. Weak uncertain leadership. Eclipse brand strongly associated with Female buyers. History of product recalls TOYOTA Toyota Motors Corporation was established on 28 August 1937 as independent company, headquarter is being located in Toyota city, Japan. The founder of Toyota was Kiichiro Toyoda. Nowadays, Toyota is basing 26 factories to produce vehicles, and marketing distribution in more than 170 countries in the world. In 2008, Toyota passed General Motors to become the No1 automaker in USA and the worlds largest automaker in global sales for the first time in history. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Well-trained employees. Strong leadership. Global organization, with a strong international position in 170 countries worldwide. High financial strength. Strong brand image based on quality, environmental friendly (greener), customized range. The largest automaker. Well culture-friendly, family†¦ encourages employees. Product diversification, developing the hybrid- motor product ranges. Japanese car manufacturer seen as a foreign importer. Quality issues due to rge-scale re-call made in 2005. Most products targeted to the US and Japan only shifting attention to the Chinese market. VOLKSWAGEN Founded by Ferdinand Porsche on May 28, 1937 as â€Å"Grsellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† and renamed as â€Å"Volkswagenwerk GmbH† in 1938, from a small car company, nowadays Volkswagen becomes the largest automobile maker in the world by vehicle production (Autocar, 2009) STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Aggressive and talent leadership High financial strength. The largest automaker. High reputation German quality engine Cost-control with the purchasing list Non-stop requirement for the new project Special production testing process (manager attend the test drives) Lower position than Toyota and Honda in the market share Bad public image because of GM sue Not good relationship with their investors V. THE COMMENTATION VI. CONCLUSION Automobile industry is one of the most important industries contributed the U.S. worldwide dominated position. However, this industry now is facing the worst crisis of the car industry in the past decades. The most urgent task is recovering this crisis. Moreover, finding out the new developed trend is the main strategic for whole the industry.

Essays --

Abortion itself is not an easy process to go through. Having a simple fetus removed medically might seem easy, but the woman herself might go through many difficult situations before, during, and after the process of abortion emotionally and physically. Making the right choice of having an abortion might be regretful to some woman and their family. The choices are either having the baby and later finding out they can’t take care of the baby or having an abortion and finding out later that you cannot have a child in the future. There can physical effects on woman that have abortion. Abortion can result in miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and a slight chance of breast cancer. Many miscarriages happen when an abortion is used on the previous pregnancy because it can be dangerous to the future reproductive systems of woman. After an abortion, there can be severe case where bleeding and infection can occur. A woman might have five times the chance of ectopic pregnancy because the woman who had their first pregnancy was terminated. An ectopic pregnancy happens when the embryo is implante...

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 4 WAKING UP

TIME PASSES. EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE. EVEN when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me. CHARLIE'S FIST CAME DOWN ON THE TABLE. â€Å"THAT'S IT, Bella! I'm sending you home.† I looked up from my cereal, which I was pondering rather than eating, and stared at Charlie in shock. I hadn't been following the conversationactually, I hadn't been aware that we were having a conversationand I wasn't sure what he meant. â€Å"I am home,† I mumbled, confused. â€Å"I'm sending you to Renee, to Jacksonville,† he clarified. Charlie watched with exasperation as I slowly grasped the meaning of his words. â€Å"What did I do?† I felt my face crumple. It was so unfair. My behavior had been above reproach for the past four months. After that first week, which neither of us ever mentioned, I hadn't missed a day of school or work. My grades were perfect. I never broke curfewI never went anywhere from which to break curfew in the first place. I only very rarely served leftovers. Charlie was scowling. â€Å"You didn't do anything. That's the problem. You never do anything.† â€Å"You want me to get into trouble?† I wondered, my eyebrows pulling together in mystification. I made an effort to pay attention. It wasn't easy. I was so used to tuning everything out, my ears felt stopped up. â€Å"Trouble would be better than this this moping around all the time!† That stung a bit. I'd been careful to avoid all forms of moroseness, moping included. â€Å"I am not moping around.† â€Å"Wrong word,† he grudgingly conceded. â€Å"Moping would be betterthat would be doing something. You're just lifeless, Bella. I think that's the word I want.† This accusation struck home. I sighed and tried to put some animation into my response. â€Å"I'm sorry, Dad.† My apology sounded a little flat, even to me. I'd thought I'd been fooling him. Keeping Charlie from suffering was the whole point of all this effort. How depressing to think that the effort had been wasted. â€Å"I don't want you to apologize.† I sighed. â€Å"Then tell me what you do want me to do.† â€Å"Bella,† he hesitated, scrutinizing my reaction to his next words. â€Å"Honey, you're not the first person to go through this kind of thing, you know.† â€Å"I know that.† My accompanying grimace was limp and unimpressive. â€Å"Listen, honey. I think thatthat maybe you need some help.† â€Å"Help?† He paused, searching for the words again. â€Å"When your mother left,† he began, frowning, â€Å"and took you with her.† He inhaled deeply. â€Å"Well, that was a really bad time for me.† â€Å"I know, Dad,† I mumbled. â€Å"But I handled it,† he pointed out. â€Å"Honey, you're not handling it. I waited, I hoped it would get better.† He stared at me and I looked down quickly. â€Å"I think we both know it's not getting better.† â€Å"I'mfine.† He ignored me. â€Å"Maybe, well, maybe if you talked to someone about it. A professional.† â€Å"You want me to see a shrink?† My voice was a shade sharper as I realized what he was getting at. â€Å"Maybe it would help.† â€Å"And maybe it wouldn't help one little bit.† I didn't know much about psychoanalysis, but I was pretty sure that it didn't work unless the subject was relatively honest. Sure, I could tell the truthif I wanted to spend the rest of my life in a padded cell. He examined my obstinate expression, and switched to another line of attack. â€Å"It's beyond me, Bella. Maybe your mother† â€Å"Look,† I said in a flat voice. â€Å"I'll go out tonight, if you want. I'll call Jess or Angela.† â€Å"That's not what I want,† he argued, frustrated. â€Å"I don't think I can live through seeing you try harder. I've never seen anyone trying so hard. It hurts to watch.† I pretended to be dense, looking down at the table. â€Å"I don't understand, Dad. First you're mad because I'm not doing anything, and then you say you don't want me to go out.† â€Å"I want you to be happyno, not even that much. I just want you not to be miserable. I think you'll have a better chance if you get out of Forks.† My eyes flashed up with the first small spark of feeling I'd had in too long to contemplate. â€Å"I'm not leaving,† I said. â€Å"Why not?† he demanded. â€Å"I'm in my last semester of schoolit would screw everything up.† â€Å"You're a good studentyou'll figure it out.† â€Å"I don't want to crowd Mom and Phil.† â€Å"Your mother's been dying to have you back.† â€Å"Florida is too hot.† His fist came down on the table again. â€Å"We both know what's really going on here, Bella, and it's not good for you.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"It's been months. No calls, no letters, no contact. You can't keep waitingforhim.† I glowered at him. The heat almost, but not quite, reached my face. It had been a long time since I'd blushed with any emotion. This whole subject was utterly forbidden, as he was well aware. â€Å"I'm not waiting for anything. I don't expect anything,† I said in a low monotone. â€Å"Bella,† Charlie began, his voice thick. â€Å"I have to get to school,† I interrupted, standing up and yanking my untouched breakfast from the table. I dumped my bowl in the sink without pausing to wash it out. I couldn't deal with any more conversation. â€Å"I'll make plans with Jessica,† I called over my shoulder as I strapped on my school bag, not meeting his eyes. â€Å"Maybe I won't be home for dinner. We'll go to Port Angeles and watch a movie.† I was out the front door before he could react. In my haste to get away from Charlie, I ended up being one of the first ones to school. The plus side was that I got a really good parking spot. The downside was that I had free time on my hands, and I tried to avoid free time at all costs. Quickly, before I could start thinking about Charlie's accusations, I pulled out my Calculus book. I flipped it open to the section we should be starting today, and tried to make sense of it. Reading math was even worse than listening to it, but I was getting better at it. In the last several months, I'd spent ten times the amount of time on Calculus than I'd ever spent on math before. As a result, I was managing to keep in the range of a low A. I knew Mr. Varner felt my improvement was all due to his superior teaching methods. And if that made him happy, I wasn't going to burst his bubble. I forced myself to keep at it until the parking lot was full, and I ended up rushing to English. We were working on Animal Farm, an easy subject matter. I didn't mind communism; it was a welcome change from the exhausting romances that made up most of the curriculum. I settled into my seat, pleased by the distraction of Mr. Berty's lecture. Time moved easily while I was in school. The bell rang all too soon. I started repacking my bag. â€Å"Bella?† I recognized Mike's voice, and I knew what his next words would be before he said them. â€Å"Are you working tomorrow?† I looked up. He was leaning across the aisle with an anxious expression. Every Friday he asked me the same question. Never mind that I hadn't taken so much as a sick day. Well, with one exception, months ago. But he had no reason to look at me with such concern. I was a model employee. â€Å"Tomorrow is Saturday, isn't it?† I said. Having just had it pointed out to me by Charlie, I realized how lifeless my voice really sounded. â€Å"Yeah, it is,† he agreed. â€Å"See you in Spanish.† He waved once before turning his back. He didn't bother walking me to class anymore. I trudged off to Calculus with a grim expression. This was the class where I sat next to Jessica. It had been weeks, maybe months, since Jess had even greeted me when I passed her in the hall. I knew I had offended her with my antisocial behavior, and she was sulking. It wasn't going to be easy to talk to her nowespecially to ask her to do me a favor. I weighed my options carefully as I loitered outside the classroom, procrastinating. I wasn't about to face Charlie again without some kind of social interaction to report. I knew I couldn't lie, though the thought of driving to Port Angeles and back alonebeing sure my odometer reflected the correct mileage, just in case he checkedwas very tempting. Jessica's mom was the biggest gossip in town, and Charlie was bound to run into Mrs. Stanley sooner rather than later. When he did, he would no doubt mention the trip. Lying was out. With a sigh, I shoved the door open. Mr. Varner gave me a dark lookhe'd already started the lecture. I hurried to my seat. Jessica didn't look up as I sat next to her. I was glad that I had fifty minutes to mentally prepare myself. This class flew by even faster than English. A small part of that speed was due to my goody-goody preparation this morning in the truckbut mostly it stemmed from the fact that time always sped up when I was looking forward to something unpleasant. I grimaced when Mr. Varner dismissed the class five minutes early. He smiled like he was being nice. â€Å"Jess?† My nose wrinkled as I cringed, waiting for her to turn on me. She twisted in her seat to face me, eyeing me incredulously. â€Å"Are you talking to me, Bella?† â€Å"Of course.† I widened my eyes to suggest innocence. â€Å"What? Do you need help with Calculus?† Her tone was a tad sour. â€Å"No.† I shook my head. â€Å"Actually, I wanted to know if you would go to the movies with me tonight? I really need a girls' night out.† The words sounded stiff, like badly delivered lines, and she looked suspicious. â€Å"Why are you asking me?† she asked, still unfriendly. â€Å"You're the first person I think of when I want girl time.† I smiled, and I hoped the smile looked genuine. It was probably true. She was at least the first person I thought of when I wanted to avoid Charlie. It amounted to the same thing. She seemed a little mollified. â€Å"Well, I don't know.† â€Å"Do you have plans?† â€Å"No I guess I can go with you. What do you want to see?† â€Å"I'm not sure what's playing,† I hedged. This was the tricky part. I racked my brain for a cluehadn't I heard someone talk about a movie recently? Seen a poster? â€Å"How about that one with the female president?† She looked at me oddly. â€Å"Bella, that one's been out of the theater forever.† â€Å"Oh.† I frowned. â€Å"Is there anything you'd like to see?† Jessica's natural bubbliness started to leak out in spite of herself as she thought out loud. â€Å"Well, there's that new romantic comedy that's getting great reviews. I want to see that one. And my dad just saw Dead End and he really liked it.† I grasped at the promising title. â€Å"What's that one about?† â€Å"Zombies or something. He said it was the scariest thing he'd seen in years.† â€Å"That sounds perfect.† I'd rather deal with real zombies than watch a romance. â€Å"Okay.† She seemed surprised by my response. I tried to remember if I liked scary movies, but I wasn't sure. â€Å"Do you want me to pick you up after school?† she offered. â€Å"Sure.† Jessica smiled at me with tentative friendliness before she left. My answering smile was just a little late, but I thought that she saw it. The rest of the day passed quickly, my thoughts focused on planning for tonight. I knew from experience that once I got Jessica talking, I would be able to get away with a few mumbled responses at the appropriate moments. Only minimal interaction would be required. The thick haze that blurred my days now was sometimes confusing. I was surprised when I found myself in my room, not clearly remembering the drive home from school or even opening the front door. But that didn't matter. Losing track of time was the most I asked from life. I didn't fight the haze as I turned to my closet. The numbness was more essential in some places than in others. I barely registered what I was looking at as I slid the door aside to reveal the pile of rubbish on the left side of my closet, under the clothes I never wore. My eyes did not stray toward the black garbage bag that held my present from that last birthday, did not see the shape of the stereo where it strained against the black plastic; I didn't think of the bloody mess my nails had been when I'd finished clawing it out of the dashboard. I yanked the old purse I rarely used off the nail it hung from, and shoved the door shut. Just then I heard a horn honking. I swiftly traded my wallet from my schoolbag into the purse. I was in a hurry, as if rushing would somehow make the night pass more quickly. I glanced at myself in the hall mirror before I opened the door, arranging my features carefully into a smile and trying to hold them there. â€Å"Thanks for coming with me tonight,† I told Jess as I climbed into the passenger seat, trying to infuse my tone with gratitude. It had been a while since I'd really thought about what I was saying to anyone besides Charlie. Jess was harder. I wasn't sure which were the right emotions to fake. â€Å"Sure. So, what brought this on?† Jess wondered as she drove down my street. â€Å"Brought what on?† â€Å"Why did you suddenly decide to go out?† It sounded like she changed her question halfway through. I shrugged. â€Å"Just needed a change.† I recognized the song on the radio then, and quickly reached for the dial. â€Å"Do you mind?† I asked. â€Å"No, go ahead.† I scanned through the stations until I found one that was harmless. I peeked at Jess's expression as the new music filled the car. Her eyes squinted. â€Å"Since when do you listen to rap?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"A while.† â€Å"You like this?† she asked doubtfully. â€Å"Sure.† It would be much too hard to interact with Jessica normally if I had to work to tune out the music, too. I nodded my head, hoping I was in time with the beat. â€Å"Okay† She stared out the windshield with wide eyes. â€Å"So what's up with you and Mike these days?† I asked quickly. â€Å"You see him more than I do.† The question hadn't started her talking like I'd hoped it would. â€Å"It's hard to talk at work,† I mumbled, and then I tried again. â€Å"Have you been out with anyone lately?† â€Å"Not really. I go out with Conner sometimes. I went out with Eric two weeks ago.† She rolled her eyes, and I sensed a long story. I clutched at the opportunity. â€Å"Eric Yorkie? Who asked who?† She groaned, getting more animated. â€Å"He did, of course! I couldn't think of a nice way to say no.† â€Å"Where did he take you?† I demanded, knowing she would interpret my eagerness as interest. â€Å"Tell me all about it.† She launched into her tale, and I settled into my seat, more comfortable now. I paid strict attention, murmuring in sympathy and gasping in horror as called for. When she was finished with her Eric story, she continued into a Conner comparison without any prodding. The movie was playing early, so Jess thought we should hit the twilight showing and eat later. I was happy to go along with whatever she wanted; after all, I was getting what I wantedCharlie off my back. I kept Jess talking through the previews, so I could ignore them more easily. But I got nervous when the movie started. A young couple was walking along a beach, swinging hands and discussing their mutual affection with gooey falseness. I resisted the urge to cover my ears and start humming. I had not bargained for a romance. â€Å"I thought we picked the zombie movie,† I hissed to Jessica. â€Å"This is the zombie movie.† â€Å"Then why isn't anyone getting eaten?† I asked desperately. She looked at me with wide eyes that were almost alarmed. â€Å"I'm sure that part's coming,† she whispered. â€Å"I'm getting popcorn. Do you want any?† â€Å"No, thanks.† Someone shushed us from behind. I took my time at the concession counter, watching the clock and debating what percentage of a ninety-minute movie could be spent on romantic exposition. I decided ten minutes was more than enough, but I paused just inside the theater doors to be sure. I could hear horrified screams blaring from the speakers, so I knew I'd waited long enough. â€Å"You missed everything,† Jess murmured when I slid back into my seat. â€Å"Almost everyone is a zombie now.† â€Å"Long line.† I offered her some popcorn. She took a handful. The rest of the movie was comprised of gruesome zombie attacks and endless screaming from the handful of people left alive, their numbers dwindling quickly. I would have thought there was nothing in that to disturb me. But I felt uneasy, and I wasn't sure why at first. It wasn't until almost the very end, as I watched a haggard zombie shambling after the last shrieking survivor, that I realized what the problem was. The scene kept cutting between the horrified face of the heroine, and the dead, emotionless face of her pursuer, back and forth as it closed the distance. And I realized which one resembled me the most. I stood up. â€Å"Where are you going? There's, like, two minutes left,† Jess hissed. â€Å"I need a drink,† I muttered as I raced for the exit. I sat down on the bench outside the theater door and tried very hard not to think of the irony. But it was ironic, all things considered, that, in the end, I would wind up as a zombie. I hadn't seen that one coming. Not that I hadn't dreamed of becoming a mythical monster oncejust never a grotesque, animated corpse. I shook my head to dislodge that train of thought, feeling panicky. I couldn't afford to think about what I'd once dreamed of. It was depressing to realize that I wasn't the heroine anymore, that my story was over. Jessica came out of the theater doors and hesitated, probably wondering where the best place was to search for me. When she saw me, she looked relieved, but only for a moment. Then she looked irritated. â€Å"Was the movie too scary for you?† she wondered. â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"I guess I'm just a coward.† â€Å"That's funny.† She frowned. â€Å"I didn't think you were scaredI was screaming all the time, but I didn't hear you scream once. So I didn't know why you left.† I shrugged. â€Å"Just scared.† She relaxed a little. â€Å"That was the scariest movie I think I've ever seen. I'll bet we're going to have nightmares tonight.† â€Å"No doubt about that,† I said, trying to keep my voice normal. It was inevitable that I would have nightmares, but they wouldn't be about zombies. Her eyes flashed to my face and away. Maybe I hadn't succeeded with the normal voice. â€Å"Where do you want to eat?† Jess asked. â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"Okay.† Jess started talking about the male lead in the movie as we walked. I nodded as she gushed over his hotness, unable to remember seeing a non-zombie man at all. I didn't watch where Jessica was leading me. I was only vaguely aware that it was dark and quieter now. It took me longer than it should have to realize why it was quiet. Jessica had stopped babbling. I looked at her apologetically, hoping I hadn't hurt her feelings. Jessica wasn't looking at me. Her face was tense; she stared straight ahead and walked fast. As I watched, her eyes darted quickly to the right, across the road, and back again. I glanced around myself for the first time. We were on a short stretch of unlit sidewalk. The little shops lining the street were all locked up for the night, windows black. Half a block ahead, the streetlights started up again, and I could see, farther down, the bright golden arches of the McDonald's she was heading for. Across the street there was one open business. The windows were covered from inside and there were neon signs, advertisements for different brands of beer, glowing in front of them. The biggest sign, in brilliant green, was the name of the barOne-Eyed Pete's. I wondered if there was some pirate theme not visible from outside. The metal door was propped open; it was dimly lit inside, and the low murmur of many voices and the sound of ice clinking in glasses floated across the street. Lounging against the wall beside the door were four men. I glanced back at Jessica. Her eyes were fixed on the path ahead and she moved briskly. She didn't look frightenedjust wary, trying to not attract attention to herself. I paused without thinking, looking back at the four men with a strong sense of dj vu. This was a different road, a different night, but the scene was so much the same. One of them was even short and dark. As I stopped and turned toward them, that one looked up in interest. I stared back at him, frozen on the sidewalk. â€Å"Bella?† Jess whispered. â€Å"What are you doing?† I shook my head, not sure myself. â€Å"I think I know them† I muttered. What was I doing? I should be running from this memory as fast as I could, blocking the image of the four lounging men from my mind, protecting myself with the numbness I couldn't function without. Why was I stepping, dazed, into the street? It seemed too coincidental that I should be in Port Angeles with Jessica, on a dark street even. My eyes focused on the short one, trying to match the features to my memory of the man who had threatened me that night almost a year ago. I wondered if there was any way I would recognize the man, if it was really him. That particular part of that particular evening was just a blur. My body remembered it better than my mind did; the tension in my legs as I tried to decide whether to run or to stand my ground, the dryness in my throat as I struggled to build a decent scream, the tight stretch of skin across my knuckles as I clenched my hands into fists, the chills on the back of my neck when the dark-haired man called me â€Å"sugar.† There was an indefinite, implied kind of menace to these men that had nothing to do with that other night. It sprung from the fact that they were strangers, and it was dark here, and they outnumbered usnothing more specific than that. But it was enough that Jessica's voice cracked in panic as she called after me. â€Å"Bella, come on!† I ignored her, walking slowly forward without ever making the conscious decision to move my feet. I didn't understand why, but the nebulous threat the men presented drew me toward them. It was a senseless impulse, but I hadn't felt any kind of impulse in so long I followed it. Something unfamiliar beat through my veins. Adrenaline, I realized, long absent from my system, drumming my pulse faster and fighting against the lack of sensation. It was strangewhy the adrenaline when there was no fear? It was almost as if it were an echo of the last time I'd stood like this, on a dark street in Port Angeles with strangers. I saw no reason for fear. I couldn't imagine anything in the world that there was left to be afraid of, not physically at least. One of the few advantages of losing everything. I was halfway across the street when Jess caught up to me and grabbed my arm. â€Å"Bella! You can't go in a bar!† she hissed. â€Å"I'm not going in,† I said absently, shaking her hand off. â€Å"I just want to see something† â€Å"Are you crazy?† she whispered. â€Å"Are you suicidal?† That question caught my attention, and my eyes focused on her. â€Å"No, I'm not.† My voice sounded defensive, but it was true. I wasn't suicidal. Even in the beginning, when death unquestionably would have been a relief, I didn't consider it. I owed too much to Charlie. I felt too responsible for Renee. I had to think of them. And I'd made a promise not to do anything stupid or reckless. For all those reasons, I was still breathing. Remembering that promise. I felt a twinge of guilt. but what I was doing fight now didn't really count. It wasn't like I was taking a blade to my wrists. Jess's eyes were round, her mouth hung open. Her question about suicide had been rhetorical, I realized too late. â€Å"Go eat,† I encouraged her, waving toward the fast food. I didn't like the way she looked at me. â€Å"I'll catch up in a minute.† I turned away from her, back to the men who were watching us with amused, curious eyes. â€Å"Bella, stop this right now!† My muscles locked into place, froze me where I stood. Because it wasn't Jessica's voice that rebuked me now. It was a furious voice, a familiar voice, a beautiful voicesoft like velvet even though it was irate. It was his voiceI was exceptionally careful not to think his nameand I was surprised that the sound of it did not knock me to my knees, did not curl me onto the pavement in a torture of loss. But there was no pain, none at all. In the instant that I heard his voice, everything was very clear. Like my head had suddenly surfaced out of some dark pool. I was more aware of everythingsight, sound, the feel of the cold air that I hadn't noticed was blowing sharply against my face, the smells coming from the open bar door. I looked around myself in shock. â€Å"Go back to Jessica,† the lovely voice ordered, still angry. â€Å"You promisednothing stupid.† I was alone. Jessica stood a few feet from me, staring at me with frightened eyes. Against the wall, the strangers watched, confused, wondering what I was doing, standing there motionless in the middle of the street. I shook my head, trying to understand. I knew he wasn't there, and yet, he felt improbably close, close for the first time since since the end. The anger in his voice was concern, the same anger that was once very familiarsomething I hadn't heard in what felt like a lifetime. â€Å"Keep your promise.† The voice was slipping away, as if the volume was being turned down on a radio. I began to suspect that I was having some kind of hallucination. Triggered, no doubt, by the memorythe deja vu, the strange familiarity of the situation. I ran through the possibilities quickly in my head. Option one: I was crazy. That was the layman's term for people who heard voices in their heads. Possible. Option two: My subconscious mind was giving me what it thought I wanted. This was wish fulfillmenta momentary relief from pain by embracing the incorrect idea that he cared whether I lived or died. Projecting what he would have said if A) he were here, and B) he would be in any way bothered by something bad happening to me. Probable. I could see no option three, so I hoped it was the second option and this was just my subconscious running amuck, rather than something I would need to be hospitalized for. My reaction was hardly sane, thoughI was grateful. The sound of his voice was something that I'd feared I was losing, and so, more than anything else, I felt overwhelming gratitude that my unconscious mind had held onto that sound better than my conscious one had. I was not allowed to think of him. That was something I tried to be very strict about. Of course I slipped; I was only human. But I was getting better, and so the pain was something I could avoid for days at a time now. The tradeoff was the never-ending numbness. Between pain and nothing, I'd chosen nothing. I waited for the pain now. I was not numbmy senses felt unusually intense after so many months of the hazebut the normal pain held off. The only ache was the disappointment that his voice was fading. There was a second of choice. The wise thing would be to run away from this potentially destructiveand certainly mentally unstabledevelopment. It would be stupid to encourage hallucinations. But his voice was fading. I took another step forward, testing. â€Å"Bella, turn around,† he growled. I sighed in relief. The anger was what I wanted to hearfalse, fabricated evidence that he cared, a dubious gift from my subconscious. Very few seconds had passed while I sorted this all out. My little audience watched, curious. It probably looked like I was just dithering over whether or not I was going to approach them. How could they guess that I was standing there enjoying an unexpected moment of insanity? â€Å"Hi,† one of the men called, his tone both confident and a bit sarcastic. He was fair-skinned and fair-haired, and he stood with the assurance of someone who thought of himself as quite good-looking. I couldn't tell whether he was or not. I was prejudiced. The voice in my head answered with an exquisite snarl. I smiled, and the confident man seemed to take that as encouragement. â€Å"Can I help you with something? You look lost.† He grinned and winked. I stepped carefully over the gutter, running with water that was black in the darkness. â€Å"No. I'm not lost.† Now that I was closerand my eyes felt oddly in focusI analyzed the short, dark man's face. It was not familiar in any way. I suffered a curious sensation of disappointment that this was not the terrible man who had tried to hurt me almost a year ago. The voice in my head was quiet now. The short man noticed my stare. â€Å"Can I buy you a drink?† he offered, nervous, seeming flattered that I'd singled him out to stare at. â€Å"I'm too young,† I answered automatically. He was baffledwondering why I had approached them. I felt compelled to explain. â€Å"From across the street, you looked like someone I knew. Sorry, my mistake.† The threat that had pulled me across the street had evaporated. These were not the dangerous men I remembered. They were probably nice guys. Safe. I lost interest. â€Å"That's okay,† the confident blonde said. â€Å"Stay and hang out with us.† â€Å"Thanks, but I can't.† Jessica was hesitating in the middle of the street, her eyes wide with outrage and betrayal. â€Å"Oh, just a few minutes.† I shook my head, and turned to rejoin Jessica. â€Å"Let's go eat,† I suggested, barely glancing at her. Though I appeared to be, for the moment, freed of the zombie abstraction, I was just as distant. My mind was preoccupied. The safe, numb deadness did not come back, and I got more anxious with every minute that passed without its return. â€Å"What were you thinking?† Jessica snapped. â€Å"You don't know themthey could have been psychopaths!† I shrugged, wishing she would let it go. â€Å"I just thought I knew the one guy.† â€Å"You are so odd, Bella Swan. I feel like I don't know who you are.† â€Å"Sorry.† I didn't know what else to say to that. We walked to McDonald's in silence. I'd bet that she was wishing we'd taken her car instead of walking the short distance from the theater, so that she could use the drive-through. She was just as anxious now for this evening to be over as I had been from the beginning. I tried to start a conversation a few times while we ate, but Jessica was not cooperative. I must have really offended her. When we go back in the car, she tuned the stereo back to her favorite station and turned the volume too loud to allow easy conversation. I didn't have to struggle as hard as usual to ignore the music. Even though my mind, for once, was not carefully numb and empty, I had too much to think about to hear the lyrics. I waited for the numbness to return, or the pain. Because the pain must be coming. I'd broken my personal rules. Instead of shying away from the memories, I'd walked forward and greeted them. I'd heard his voice, so clearly, in my head. That was going to cost me, I was sure of it. Especially if I couldn't reclaim the haze to protect myself. I felt too alert, and that frightened me. But relief was still the strongest emotion in my bodyrelief that came from the very core of my being. As much as I struggled not to think of him, I did not struggle to forget. I worriedlate in the night, when the exhaustion of sleep deprivation broke down my defensesthat it was all slipping away. That my mind was a sieve, and I would someday not be able to remember the precise color of his eyes, the feel of his cool skin, or the texture of his voice. I could not think of them, but I must remember them. Because there was just one thing that I had to believe to be able to liveI had to know that he existed. That was all. Everything else I could endure. So long as he existed. That's why I was more trapped in Forks than I ever had been before, why I'd fought with Charlie when he suggested a change. Honestly, it shouldn't matter; no one was ever coming back here. But if I were to go to Jacksonville, or anywhere else bright and unfamiliar, how could I be sure he was real? In a place where I could never imagine him, the conviction might fade and that I could not live through. Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk. I was surprised when Jessica stopped the car in front of my house. The ride had not taken long, but, short as it seemed, I wouldn't have thought that Jessica could go that long without speaking. â€Å"Thanks for going out with me, Jess,† I said as I opened my door. â€Å"That wasfun.† I hoped that fun was the appropriate word. â€Å"Sure,† she muttered. â€Å"I'm sorry about after the movie.† â€Å"Whatever, Bella.† She glared out the windshield instead of looking at me. She seemed to be growing angrier rather than getting over it. â€Å"See you Monday?† â€Å"Yeah. Bye.† I gave up and shut the door. She drove away, still without looking at me. I'd forgotten her by the time I was inside. Charlie was waiting for me in the middle of the hall, his arms folded tight over his chest with his hands balled into fists. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† I said absentmindedly as I ducked around Charlie, heading for the stairs. I'd been thinking about him for too long, and I wanted to be upstairs before it caught up with me. â€Å"Where have you been?† Charlie demanded. I looked at my dad, surprised. â€Å"I went to a movie in Port Angeles with Jessica. Like I told you this morning.† â€Å"Humph,† he grunted. â€Å"Is that okay?† He studied my face, his eyes widening as if he saw something unexpected. â€Å"Yeah, that's fine. Did you havefun?† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"We watched zombies eat people. It was great.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"‘Night, Dad.† He let me pass. I hurried to my room. I lay in my bed a few minutes later, resigned as the pain finally made its appearance. It was a crippling thing, this sensation that a huge hole had been punched through my chest, excising my most vital organs and leaving ragged, unhealed gashes around the edges that continued to throb and bleed despite the passage of time. Rationally, I knew my lungs must still be intact, yet I gasped for air and my head spun like my efforts yielded me nothing. My heart must have been beating, too, but I couldn't hear the sound of my pulse in my ears; my hands felt blue with cold. I curled inward, hugging my ribs to hold myself together. I scrambled for my numbness, my denial, but it evaded me. And yet, I found I could survive. I was alert, I felt the painthe aching loss that radiated out from my chest, sending wracking waves of hurt through my limbs and headbut it was manageable. I could live through it. It didn't feel like the pain had weakened over time, rather that I'd grown strong enough to bear it. Whatever it was that had happened tonightand whether it was the zombies, the adrenaline, or the hallucinations that were responsibleit had woken me up. For the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to expect in the morning.

The Prohibiton Movement essays

The Prohibiton Movement essays The article that I have chosen to review discusses and explains the entire prohibition movement of the 1920s. It explains that the temperance movements were began when there was an idea that the consumption of alcohol was hazardous to peoples virtue. The early efforts of people to ban alcohol were only partially effective. They were able to help 23 of the 48 states at the time to adopt antisaloon laws, which closed saloons and prohibited the manufacture of any alcoholic beverage in the state. These events all led up to the growth of the idea of a national prohibition law. By 1919, the dry members (prohibition supporters) outnumbered the wet members (against prohibition) by more than two to one. Due to this, on Dec. 22, 1917, Congress submitted the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. By January 1919 ratification was complete, and the 18th Amendment was in place. It officially banned the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors. By the time the law was in place it had a large following of support both popularly and in Congress. Congress passed the National Prohibition Act in order to enforce the 18th Amendment. It defined what an intoxicating liquor was, and also made concessions for certain personal uses of lighter liquors. However, Congress was never really willing to give much money towards enforcing the movement, and people blatantly disregarded the unstable law. Because of the inability for the law to uphold itself it remained more of an ideal than an actuality. Almost as soon as prohibition had set in, it was challenged by many groups of people. Some claimed that it led to a social disorder and decay which was exemplified by the raids, seizures, and searchings of the police. People claimed that this style of law enforcement was an encroachment upon the private lives of civilians. Some of ...

Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution Essays

Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution Essays Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution Essay Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution Essay How do people pass on? Peoples communicate in assorted ways. Peoples use verbal communicating along with utilizing the Internet. the telephone. composing notes. hearing. and holding a conversation is an extra. Either signifier of communicating is acceptable in the workplace or in his or her personal life. How are verbal and gestural communications different? The verbal communicating causes for an person to hold a conversation with another human being. The verbal communicating can be a face-to-face conversation or a verbal conversation on the telephone. The gestural communicating is a significance of words non spoken. The gestural communicating is detected with emotions. facial looks. organic structure linguistic communication. and manus signals. The differences between the verbal and gestural communications are that one is heard by oral cavity. tone of voice. and noises from the communicator. The gestural communicating is used in the mode of non utilizing his or her voice. It is non uncommon for the verbal and gestural communications to be used in the workplace or in his or her personal life. As an illustration in the workplace the squad meetings cause for the squad to hold verbal conversation on the work undertaking. Everyone provides his or her input at the meeting. An illustration of gestural communicating is doing a facial look when hearing something for the first clip as a surprise of hearing good intelligence or hearing bad intelligence for the first clip. Analyzing Consequences? Work force and adult females communicate otherwise. Women find several ways to pass on with words and work forces have a manner of pass oning with actions and in a gestural mode. I besides believe genders communication otherwise because of his or her background. If a adult male was raised in a place where there was non really much communicating as the male go an grownup he has the same traits as an grownup. An illustration person may understand similar information otherwise from myself when discoursing political beliefs or a woman’s abortions rights. A adult male may non understand why a adult female may desire to hold an abortion or why she may decline to hold an abortion. A adult male will neer understand the load of the peculiar information from a woman’s point of position. Challenges? As an employee who works with and communicates with the company’s India employees the civilization is different. and there is a linguistic communication barrier. The meetings with the India employees are sometimes confounding. and the statements are misunderstood. As an employee who attends the hebdomadal meetings on a regular footing is a strain to understand linguistic communication. Person from a different civilization background may non understand the communicating manner when Americans use his or her custodies to depict something when speaking. The Americans may utilize facial looks as a agency of communicating. When an American utilizations facial look the facial look may be hard for person from a different civilization to understand and the facial look may non intend the same from an American point of view. As an illustration in America utilizing has gestures may be appropriate. unlike in foreign states had gestures may be found as an abuse. For an illustration utilizing two fingers to do a circle to state person you are all right. The same manus gesture is non appropriate in foreign states. Another communicating manner is oculus contact. In America it is appropriate to look person in the eyes when talking with him or her. In other civilizations it is disrespectful to look person in the eyes. Consequences? I plan to go on to pass on with our India employees through electronic mails and verbal communicating in meetings. Although the linguistic communication creates a barrier for both squads. nevertheless. the teams manage to acquire the message across to the squad members. As an illustration in the hebdomadal meetings. I will bespeak the India employees send an electronic mail for clearer apprehension in order to extinguish miscommunication among team members. In the yesteryear I have realized it is easier to hold the squad to direct an electronic mail with their inquiries. The inquiries are direct. and the inquiries are non confounding. and easier to react to the electronic mail and inquiries versus in regular scheduled meetings. Mentions Bohl. D. B. ( 2009 ) . Male-Female Communication Challenges. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. slowdownfast. com/male-female-communication-challenge/ Ikeda. J. . A ; Tidwell. J. C. ( n. d. ) . Cultural differences in gestural. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //healthvermont. gov/family/toolkit/toolsF-6 Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communic. pdf MORELAND. E. ( 2013 ) . How Do Humans Communicate? Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ehow. com/about_5460103_do-humans-communicate. hypertext markup language Sarfin. R. L. ( 2013 ) . Cultural Differences in Verbal A ; Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ehow. com/list_6945684_cultural-verbal-_amp_-nonverbal-communication. hypertext markup language

Customer Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example Such an organization will have competitive advantages such as certified ISO 9000, reduction in costs, delivery on time, new technologies and CRM implementation. Marketing activities are important because they add value to CRM through tracking a customer’s activities. CRM, in current days, is considered a buzzword in selling and marketing activities (Bidgoli, 2010). There is tracking of cookies, which is similar to that of Google Analytics, which will allow an organization to build a digital trail of a customer interacting with the firm automatically. Google Analytics does provide the overall trends of the visitors while marketing automation will offer tracking at a micro level hence the organization is able to see the activities of its customers. For instance, a customer will open a paper, view the price information in the paper and this information is able to give sales representatives intelligence regarding their prospects. CRM can include capabilities of emails while market ing using automated software will offer comprehensive marketing system via the email. Most of the features of automated marketing include the abilities of sending blast emails that will display each sales representative, email resending tests among others. Traditional forms of marketing used to focus on the 4ps for increasing market share. The market share was increased through increasing the volume of transactions taking place between a buyer and a seller. On the contrary, CRM currently focuses on use of various strategies, procedures, tools and technologies available in promoting good relationship between customers and sellers for the purpose of increasing the sales volume, profit of the firm and creating customer satisfaction. Ways to Deploy CRM Solutions available for CRM today encompass more than just market automation and sales, but also building customer loyalty, mobile and internet business and Web 2.0 driven value of CRM in the society. Therefore, CRM has expanded to be a k ey predictor of the business activities done by enterprises. Options available for an enterprise to consider when deploying CRM include hybrid combination, RMS on the premise, on premise CRM that is managed by the vendors, etc. Organizations that employ o-premise deployment method lease infrastructure that include the operation systems. These applications will be installed in the organization’s data center and hence the entire package will be owned by the organization. The firm can customize the applications as needed because it has full control over all infrastructure and data. Siebel CRM product from Oracle Corporation uses this category and according to Gartner, this type of deployment makes up seventy percent of the total CRM market. Vendor Managed CRM deployment on the premise is similar to on-premise deployment although in this case, the vendor is responsible for providing the operational support for the entire application at the site hosting the application. The firm p reserves the ability of this application to function and they can customize the application to a specified extent. Modifications on this application can be done by mixing internal resources and resources supplied by the vendors. Use of server roles enables a company to deploy other servers to other servers for performance (Wolenik

Lyndon Johnson and the Roots of Contemporary Conservatism Essay

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