Business Ethics and Studio Habitat Indonesia

STUDIO HABITAT CASE How to help low income houses clients while followed the architecture business ethics in Indonesia Everyone deserves a comfort, save, and beautifully well-designed house to live in. Unfortunately, there hardly ever an architect who is willing to get involved in a low budget house design project whereas in fact, an architect support is extremely needed in one. People need a particular architecture solution for their lack of budget, space, material, and opportunity in building a house. On the other hand, the low budget house should be made with an ideal plan so it wouldn’t cost more than the fund they have. Which hopefully, can be done with a hand from an architect. A good low budget house should be a sturdy one, so that it could have a low maintenance and sustainable construction. It should have fine light and circulation thus it won’t need much electrical energy which also means saving the energy and expense The space should be properly designed in an exact space, thus every space available is properly used and the material and structure are effective and efficiently applied along with the necessity so that the building cost can also be economized. In Indonesia, the issue is crucial due to the need of good quality house supporting a good quality of life. With a well-constructed environment comes well social environment. The problem is the fact that most architects lack of awareness these days towards the need of middle class society for a good architecture. Not to mention the society which doesn’t seem to assume architecture as a fundamental issue. The main problem due to the problems, there is a very different opinion about how should architects deals with this matter. To make an affordable houses designed by an architect, first of all architect should lowering the rates below the standard rates decided by the Indonesian Architects Association. This is not a really ideal solution, because ethically those who want to create a price war in the business could misuse it. In the other hand, if we keep up with the standard fees, it was to high to be reach by the poor. The Affordable Houses Affordable housing and low cost housing are the most talked about issues in the real estate sector these days. However, there is a distinct difference between the two concepts. In the absence of an institutional rental market in Indonesia affordable and low cost housing denotes ownership and not rental housing. Low cost housing generally refers to cost effective housing that relies on ‘low cost technology' that ensures similar quality and durability as compared to more commonly used technologies. In Indonesia, the affordable houses was definite by the government through some of the rules and laws and minimum standard, Indonesian government set some rules about it such as[1]: †¢ It provides a comfort, save, and proper shelter for the user †¢ It provides a proper air circulation, and ventilation for natural light †¢ It provides drainage, clean water, and a proper waste system †¢ It provides access to public facility †¢ It provides electricity More over, there is some standard minimum area of the houses so it would fulfill the criteria to be called as ideal affordable houses (on exhibit 1 & 2)[2] There’s still some unfinished points about this criteria and standards, for examples the government set up the standard height for ceiling in houses should about to be around 3. 2 meters from the floor. In fact, with a great design on the layout and opening for windows and doors, 2. 4 meters from the floor is all needed to had a proper, safe, comfort, and healthy affordable houses. Business ethics for architects in Indonesia Architects is someone creating an architecture[3]. The job is to make a real manifesto from the idea and the needs of a client. In doing their jobs an architect give a focus on some designs factors during the process, some of those are the style of the building, air circulation, natural light, ventilation, concepts, and the basic structure of the building, the materials that should be use, and so on. The working process would be start right after the architect had been chosen by the client, the next xtep is to collect all the neccessary data, surveys, and then the consultation begin. After the architect and the client had reach some agreement of how the design proccess should be done, the client gave the down payment no more than a 30% of total of the architects fee on the current project to get to the preliminary design process. It including the plan, elevation, and 3D image. Another 30% was given after, to start the works drawing, and at last another 30% to complete all the details and full drawing. There is no rules about the supervision during the construction process yet, but some architects takes 10% left as the supervision fee, and some ask for another contracts. According to The Indonesian architects association (known As IAI stands for Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia) the rules for an architect’s fee is classified through their experiences. So the senior the architect are, the more he or she should be paid[4]. There are 2 kind of fee classification according on year’s experiences. The first one is calculated from man/hour, man/month, even man/ year (see exhibit 3). The second is to calculate the fee from the total price of the projects. The basic fee is 6-9% for housing and 3-5% for public space[5]. This fee is the minimum standard to gain a quality control of architects works throughout Indonesia. Studio Habitat Studio Habitat is voluntary organization of students and professionals in the field of architecture that helps design for cost effective houses clients, doing the design process for free. During their works we had a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, an international nonprofit organization that helps families build safe, decent and affordable houses by providing labors and interest-free funding. Studio Habitat was established to answer the need for good design to help home partner (known as partner families as a clients) build their houses under Habitat program. Studio Habitat Indonesia, whose participants are mostly students of architecture helps to design houses for partner families. Students, who are used to designing houses on paper, get a chance to actually build their designs and learn something in the process. Ideally every Habitat for Humanity home partner that chooses to do so will have their house designed by participants of Studio Habitat Indonesia, under supervision of a mentor. The mentors are professional architects who volunteer for Habitat. Studio Habitat plays a more specific role, as architecture students are involved in designing houses, in addition to helping with the actual construction. The student become more adept in dealing with clients and we learn to be more sensitive to the need of the family in regard to their house is one of the benefits they get from joining Studio Habitat Indonesia. Students joining Studio Habitat talk to the homeowner. They survey the site and design the house in-group supervised by a mentor. Then they will give the workshop-draw to the Habitat for Humanity, and design the building budgeting plan. Afterwards the volunteers go to the location as the houses were built, to supervised and checked whether the workers had a problems on the building process. The Issue While Studio Habitat continuing to help the client, some problems occur. Some architects began to protest about the free-consultation concept this organization used. They don’t see any positive thing in a perspective of an architect to do such projects, and they afraid that this free-consultation idea would inspire some bad quality consultant to create some kind war of setting the price between architects. Some of them had bad experiences on meeting clients requested such a low price for the architect fee, and seeing this concept as a thread. This situation is not a new problem, for a long time certificated architects of The Indonesian architects association had struggled to compete the bad quality so called illegal-architects which selling their drawing per sheet on a very low prices. Others gave a free design, in exchange to use them as a contractor in the construction process. This is not just a thread to the architects, but also to the client, and more over it threatened the architecture business in Indonesia. To solve these problems, Indonesian architects association set the rules on the protection of the architecture business and tried to have it signed by the government on 2010. As for Studio Habitat, they create their own rules and criteria for up coming projects. It includes, the criteria of the client such as income, profession, family background, and so on. And for the houses they set the limits on budget, area, and function. And change the way they do the consulting process. The free consultation programs In brief, the idea is to provide a free of charge architecture consultation system for a low budget house design. The program should be held regularly from one to another middle class social area by turns in order to collect the data about related issue. As a result, this consultation might develop to a fund-raise or loan track activity for people with less budget, a coordination of community self-help activity done voluntarily, or low budget house renovation with followed by a fund raising. With a complete data, this program certainly can be a facility to provide source of information and education both for the architect and client as well. The targets of the program are low budget house clients who don’t know how to optimally spend their budget, space and opportunity. By planning a neat design of the house, the money can be spent properly, plus the rest of it could be used for another need. With a frequently updated data system, the information of building material price and execution charge could help to free from the possibility of deception. It can be sure that, with a well design, every cost spent is worthy and not useless. The most important part of the program is to gathering a number of architects who are willing to give voluntary consultation. And then followed up by finding fund supporting parties so that the consultation and design ideas are not only can be seen on the paper but can also be a realized. At last, forming a system among society to support each other, particularly in designing low budget house architecture within their environment which is not only limited to individual house for living but also public accommodations. The purpose of this program is to spread enthusiasm and idea that everyone deserves good architecture. Therefore, hopefully the community consists of society, architect as well as everyone interested, has been formed within a year. With a simple and low cost system, along with the ability to support individual through cooperation system, the program is wished to develop more and become an inspiration for other society and architect communities. Conclusion From a long, man-to-man consultation process, at the client house, to a short but mass consultation done in villages and traditional public space, The Studio Habitat had change their way of helping the low-income clients. Therefore, the target of the program would not be missed and not being misuse by irresponsible people. And starting from 2009, Studio Habitat is focused on designing prototype of an anti-disaster house for the government. The process is 90% done by the architecture student, within under Indonesian architects association considered as an internship programs member, and allowed to do the design process for free under supervision of certificated architects. The process would help to create a standard about what is architects and what can they do for their clients, so if a good design is for everyone their should be a specific ethics and laws on running the business. And to narrowed the gap between the architects and clients, the affordable houses for the low-income clients is the best way to do, while waiting for the government to step up with the legal laws. Exhibition 1 Number of room |Number of people | |1 |2 | |2 |3 | |3 |5 | |4 |7 | |5 |10 | Exhibition 2 |Area of the room |Max. erson/room | |4,64 m2 |0 | |4,64 – 6,5 m2 |0,5 | |6,5 – 8 m2 |1 | |8 – 10 m2 |1,5 | |> 10 m2 |2 | Exhibition 3 ———————– [1] Health ministry of the republic of Indonesia Number 829/ Menkes/ SK/ VII/ 1999 [2] The standard room area for houses by general works and electricity department year 1972 [3] The manual guide year 2007 by The Indonesian architects association [4] www. iai . com

High School and Lateness Essay

This paper is a review on lateness in public schools, which has posed a major problem to school administrators in Delta State, Nigeria; especially at the primary and secondary school levels. The author delimited his focus on students, staff and supporting staff in the school system. The salient point is that, lateness to schools plagues school administrators, bringing about inefficiencies at work by way of administration. Therefore, this paper highlights the meaning, causes and effects of lateness to schools as related to the school administrator in Delta State, Nigeria. The study also highlighted various remedies to the sordid situation. This review will therefore help school administrators alleviate lateness, a hydra-headed monster plaguing schools in Delta State, Nigeria, and as such bring about easy administration of schools in the region. Key words: Lateness, school administrators, discipline, environment, punctuality. INTRODUCTION Amongst other components of any organisation, human beings are the most difficult to manage. Folks pose the most problems to administrators anywhere in the world, not excluding school organisations as learning factories in Delta State, Nigeria. Many authors have posited as a matter of fact that, it is easier to manage the financial and material components of any organisation than to manage the human component. They insinuate that â€Å"it is easier to manage even animals than to manage human beings† (Nakpodia, 2006; Peretomode, 1991; Peretomode, 2001; Ubogu, 2004; Emore, 2005; Ukoshi, 2004). Thus, in the school system, the school head, which is usually the headmaster/headmistress or the principal, is confronted with numerous problems posed by staff and/or students. These problems include: sleeping on duty, negative attitude to tasks, lack of motivation to tasks, sexual harassment, theft, quarrelling, malice, jealousy, envy, absenteeism, lateness, etc. But Lauby (2009) stated clearly that: ‘As a Human Resource professional, I have dealt with a plethora of employee issues: sleeping on the job, theft, sexual harassment†¦ but I have found over the years, that there is one issue that plagues managers more than all these other issues combined†¦ attendance and punctuality. That is, people not showing up at all†¦ people not showing up on time. It could thus be deduced from the excerpt that in the school system, which is the focus of this paper, both staff’s and students’/pupils’ lateness to school pose the greatest problems to school administrators in Delta State. What then is lateness? DEFINITION OF LATENESS Literally, the term â€Å"lateness† implies a situation where an individual arrives after the proper, scheduled or usual th time (Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, 5 ed. , 1995). Furthermore, Lauby (2009) puts it as a term used *Corresponding author. E-mail: kosdaf80@yahoo. com. Tel: +2347033941918. Nakpodia and Dafiaghor 59 to describe â€Å"people not showing up on time†. Breeze et al. (2010) contributed by saying that, lateness is synonymous with â€Å"tardiness†, which implies being slow to act or slow to respond, thus not meeting up with proper or usual timing. It is obvious therefore that, lateness could be seen as a system of network breakdown (Peretomode, 1991), a situation of not meeting up with programme†¦ a function of time†¦ time is the criteria and determinant of lateness. Having therefore known the meaning of lateness, the causes of lateness should be highlighted. CAUSES OF LATENESS There are numerous causes of lateness to school. Amongst others, the following are the major causes of lateness to school. Going late to bed This is one of the major causes of lateness to school. Going late to bed could result in waking up late, as could be deduced from the literal meaning of the saying â€Å"early to bed early to rise†. Watching films and late-night movies The individual involved in watching films and home videos may be so captivated and hypnotised by it that, he/she forgets that he/she has to be in school; and at sudden realisation, he/she hurries off and likely may not be punctual (Ukoshi, 2004). The habit of waking up late Some folks find more pleasure in early morning sleep than the overnight sleep. These kind of people always wake up late to hurry off to school but most times, situation may not really be in their favour, thus they are irresistibly late to school. Distance/Location of school The further the location of the school from the student/pupil or staff, the more distractions, obstacles, friends to say high to, hold-ups to beat, go-slows, etc are there that tend to hinder his/her punctuality to school. For instance, consider a situation where an individual working in DELSU Secondary School, Abraka, leaves Eku or Igun every day for work. This individual is likely not to be punctual when compared with some one of the same status living in Abraka, possibly even close to the school; he is more likely to be punctual because the level of distraction would be lesser. Keeping friends of different status Friends and acquaintances that are not of the same status with an individual tend not to understand the responsibilities of the individual, most especially those of lower status. For instance, a teacher spending most of the leisure time with a motorcyclist; the motorcyclist is likely not to motivate the teacher in the aspect of punctuality as compared with a fellow teacher. Engagement in untimely domestic chores/activities These activities are necessary but doing them at a wrong timing is what cause lateness to school. In some cases, most parents even oblige their wards to help carry their goods to the market and other such kind of chores before going to school. Activities like these inevitably cause lateness to school, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Furthermore, Oghuvwu (2008) concurred to this when he opined that â€Å"lateness is common as a result of students’ involvement by parents†. Innate anxiety level Most people always have that relax mind in anything they do; they do not even care if they are running late or not; they just do not beat that their relax temple or mood of doing things. Even when a little hurry could make them punctual, they prefer to be late than beat their innate temple; this is a glaring situation. Family background In some cases, the habit of lateness is being copied from family members. For instance, the child that sees the father always going late to work could also either voluntarily or involuntarily learn the habit, thus go to school late also. This is supported by Peretomode (2001) and Egbule (2004), when they elaborated the concept of NATURE-NURTURE as it affects an individual’s habits. Cultural background We live in a society where the culture does not frown at, or rather say anything about punctuality as ethics in a work environment, thus to most individuals, punctuality is not really a serious matter, compared with how punctuality is being perceived in Western cultures and developed countries (Breeze et al. , 2010). 60 Int. J. Sci. Technol. Educ. Res Religious background Every individual in this world is loyal or faithful to one religion or the other. Even the atheist is loyal to his own beliefs, thus he/she is his/her own religion. Individuals tend to swallow hook, line and sinker, whatever their religious leaders teach, and those which the religious teacher does not teach is considered less or not important by them. The salient point is that, if religions frown at lateness, it would reduce; and if they do not speak of it or speak encouraging it (they may say, no matter what happens, God will always favour you); the tendency is that lateness would be on the increase, most especially in Delta State, Nigeria, Africa, where religion is tenaciously adhered to because of the fear of witchcraft and wizardry (African Science). Lack of functional and effective punctuality policy Obviously, individuals could come late to school, if they perceive that there are no consequences to it. It is a consensus that â€Å"if black man no see strong thing, e no they hear†. This consensus is more pronounced in Delta State, Nigeria, where the probability of misdemeanour and stubbornness is high. Furthermore, school head’s fairness or equal treatment between different subjects, as perceived by individuals, could cause lateness. Individuals are likely to be more punctual, if they perceive obvious â€Å"rule of law† in terms of punctuality (Clackmannanshire Council Online, 2010). Too much body care and excessive facial/body makeup In some cases, individuals are obsessed by their appearance to the detriment of timely engagements in school. Oghuvwu (2008) agreed to this when he opined that â€Å"lateness is common among females more than males†. This could be as a result of the fact that, females require more time for their body and facial care and make up. EFFECTS OF LATENESS TO SCHOOL There are various effects of lateness to school. Many writers have pinpointed many of these effects. Amongst others, some are outlined and briefly discussed as follows. Lateness disorganises and causes distraction to the individual and the whole system The individual that came late to school is both a problem to him/herself, fellow students, teacher, and others in the school system†¦ he/she walks in when teaching is going on†¦ both teachers and students turn to look at him/her†¦ the system and flow is distracted and distorted†¦ he/she thinks where do I start from to catch up?.. asks a fellow student â€Å"is he just starting?.. how long has be been teaching?.. what has he/she taught?†¦ let me see your note. From this simple analogy, it is glaring that the late comer is both a problem him/herself and the entire school system. In addition, according to â€Å"Clackmannashire Council Online†, â€Å"lateness is disruptive to the individual and to the work of the class and may be an early warning of other difficulties†. Lateness inhibits the process of achieving the goals of the school The basic reason for the human component is to enable easy achievement of the goals and objectives of establishing the school. Thus, if the employers’ goal is to make money, and the individual’s contribution to the organisation could bring the school N20 per h. If he/she then comes 30 min late every day, thus N10 is lost every day as a result of lateness. The point is that as small as this, multiplied by the days of the years and a good number of employees with this habit†¦ this would be a very great loss to the school. Thus, Ali (2007) clearly posited that â€Å"†¦ showing up 10 min late could add up to lots of lost revenue for the company (school) and the individual. † Furthermore, ETC’s (2009) attendance and punctuality policy clearly states that â€Å"regular and punctual attendance is of paramount importance in ensuring that all students have full access to the curriculum†¦ valuable learning time is lost when students are absent or late†. Lateness leads to absenteeism and general failure in life Pupils/students and/or staff could sometimes feel the extent of their lateness and very often they just decide to be absent. This has a very great effect on the individual’s academic and other achievements. According to Ali (2007), this could lead to loss of confidence and engagement in premature sexual activity for students, leading to pregnancy, resulting in a phenomenon called storm and stress among adolescents. Also, Catt F found out that â€Å"it is always the same group of people showing up early and the same group of people showing up late†. REMEDIES TO LATENESS 1. Schools should operate strict functional punctuality policy. One of the major responsibilities of the school head is to implement policies and/or even possibly make some†¦ as whatever happens in the system would be credited or blamed upon him. Thus, the school head Nakpodia and Dafiaghor 61 needs to carry out the function of maintaining punctuality policy without favouritism. 2. Staff and students in the school system should be sensitised and made aware of the effects of lateness to them and the entire school system, and also the benefits of punctuality to them first and then to the entire school system. This should be carried out by both school heads, governmental and non-governmental agencies, religious bodies, and other such bodies and individuals. 3. The school administrator must teach punctuality by example†¦ he/she must act as a model for all to copy. 4. School administrators should impose compulsory beginning and closing of the day meeting of staff and students. In the meetings, there should be strict attendance register. 5. School administrators should build in staff and students, the virtue of â€Å"time-consciousness†. For instance, putting wall clocks in conspicuous locations for all to see could instil the time-consciousness attitude in individuals in the school. 6. As an individual, try to be 15 min early to school, as this could help you make friends and say hello to alreadymade friends; get one’s self prepared for the day’s activity; possibly even read a book, and most importantly could help make up for unforeseen causes of lateness, and still be punctual. 7. There should also be activities /acts to motivate and reinforce punctuality. For instance, awarding prizes for punctuality could go a long way in enhancing punctuality. 8. Parents and school administrators should join efforts in enhancing punctuality. UK Government (2010) stipulated that â€Å"on the first day absence, contact should be made with parents of the child to find out why the child is absent†. 9. Truancy patrol†¦ is a situation where members of the community are sensitised to seize or report students found outside the school environment after stipulated times. In this kind of situation, the pupil would likely be punctual since the only convenient environment would be that of the school†¦ if he/she comes late, would be punished†¦ he is then forced to come early. 10. Parents involving students in domestic activities should be mindful of punctuality. 11. Government on its part, should improve transportation and other economic activities in the country†¦ as some students walk/trek to school, as a result of fair†¦ even those that have the fair, sometimes no transport service or no good roads, causing hold-ups and go-slows. help identify and proffer solutions to this quality and disturbing problem that could lead to students’ drop-out from school, and also inefficiency and ineffectiveness on the part of the school administrators, by way of school administration and management; knowing fully well that lateness could be reduced by providing free education counselling and discipline among students, in addition to the use of electronic systems, truancy sweep by school heads. It should also be noted that, lateness is common among female students, and as such they should be of more concern to the school administrator in Delta State. Finally, the remedy to any situation is in the situation; thus, the school administrator, should study the peculiar situation and respond as the situation suggests. The fact is no two situations are the same, no matter how similar. REFERENCES Ali M (2007). Attendance and Punctuality cost companies big money. Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://bizconvering. com/business-law/attendance-andpunctuality. cost†¦ Breeze S, Woosh C, Batt C, Fine M (2010). â€Å"How to be punctual†. WikiHow: thehow to manual that you can edit. Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://www. wikihow. com/Be-Punctual. Catt F (2010). The lateness game: Coincidence or equilibrium? Retrieved 20th September, 2010 from: http://expertvoices. nsdl. org/cornell-info204/2010/02/27/the-game-ofpunctuality-coincidence-or-equilibrium/. Clackmannanshire Council Online (2010). Attendance and Punctuality (Secondary Schools). Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://www. clacksweb. org. uk/learning/attendanceandpunctualityss/ Egbule JF (2004). Readings in Educational Psychology. Owerri: Barlos Publishers, pp. 234-241. Emore C (2005). â€Å"Causes of students’ lateness to school in Uvwie L. G. A. of Delta State. † Unpublished Post Graduate Diploma in Education Project, Abraka, Delta State University. ETC (2009). Attendance and punctuality policy. Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://www. etc. org/attendanceandpunctuality/policy/†¦ Lauby S (2009). Attendance and Punctuality. Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://www. hrbartender. com/2009/comp/attendancepunctuality/. Nakpodia ED (2006). Educational Administration: A new approach. Warri: Jonokase, pp. 66-72. Oghuvwu PE (2008). â€Å"Absenteeism and lateness among secondary school students in Nigeria: Profiling causes and solutions. † Academic Leadership. Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://www. academicleadership. org/empirical_research/384. shtml. Online J. , 6: 3. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English (1995). 5th ed. , Oxford: University Press. Peretomode VF (1991). Educational Administration: Applied concepts and theoretical perspectives for students and practitioners. Lagos: Joja Educational Research and Publishers, pp. 25-26. Peretomode VF (2001). Sociology of Education: An introductory text for Nigerian undergraduates, 2nd ed. Lagos: Obaroh and Ogbinaka. Ubogu RE (2004). â€Å"The causes of absenteeism and dropout among secondary school students in Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis, Abraka: Delta State University. UK Government (2010). Fourteen approaches to improving attendance. Retrieved 23rd September, 2010 from: http://www. education. gov. uk. Ukoshi RE (2004). â€Å"Absenteeism in Nigeria work organisation: A comparative study of private and public organisation in Ondo State. † Unpublished M. B. A. Thesis, Benin: University of Benin.

Of Mice and Men and Oliver Twist Essay

Of mice and men written by John Steinbeck is set in 1930 during the economic depression caused by the stock market crash of 1929. Unlike Oliver Twist, Of mice and men is set in USA, near the Salinas River, in the hot and beautiful state of California. On the other hand, Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is set in the powerful and the majestic city of London, over-ruled with darkness and murky pollution brought about by what was the industrial revolution in 1870, when the novel was set. The Industrial revolution really puts the whole evil and darkness of London into a shadow which adds to the sinister acts that unveil themselves as the novel progresses. The two main characters of of mice and men are two migrant agricultural labourers, George Milton and Lennie Smalls. George, ‘Small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features. Every part of him †¦ defined : small, strong hands, slender arms and a thin bony face.’ The second part of an unlikely relationship between these two friends is Lennie, who is a ‘large man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders.’ George is Lennies’ guardian, because of his ‘mental immaturity’ he is totally reliant on Georges leadership and commanding power, over of which he follows. In my opinion, without George, Lennie would either be dead or locked up in jail, as a result of him doing stupid acts. It is ironic that Lennies’ surname is Small, because of his huge size, ‘Bear’ like as the author describes. In the time of which of mice and men is set, there is lots of tension. Social classes, women, people who suffer from racism all suffer at the same expense during this period. Crooks is the only black man In this novel, and it is through him that we can see the position of blacks in America. Crooks, is crippled because he got kicked by a horse, he has his own little room, away from the rest of the ‘hands’. The other hands openly refer to Crooks as ‘Nigger’, this example directly amplifies the life and times of the Black Americans at this time. Women are also represented through Curleys’ wife. Curleys’ wife is one quarter of an unhappy marriage. The other three quarters of the marriage is Curley, the bosses sun, who has full power of his wife and tells her what to do constantly. Steinbeck deliberately doesn’t give Curleys’ wife a name, this representing the insignificance and illustrates ownership over women at this time. Curleys’ Wife doesn’t really love Curley, and didn’t really marry him because of love. She married him to prove a point to her mother, who destroyed the relationship she did have with the one she did love. She admitted, that marrying him was a Way Out. Curley’s wife is an ambitious, flirtatious, good looking, young women, who the ranch hands try to ignore and avoid. She is trapped in loneliness, in Curleys’ wrath, she is where she isn’t loved, and her only alternative is to make the most out of what she has got. ‘Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? You’re a nice guy. I don’t know why I can’t talk to you – I ain’t doin’ no harm to you.’ Previous to the murder, in the barn. There, in my opinion, is a hierarchy at the ranch, and at the bottom lies Curleys’ wife and Crooks, two characters treated insignificantly and are discriminated due to their social classes, a women and a black. In California, the setting for this novel, the atmosphere and the surroundings is very harsh and tough for the workers. The attitude and behaviour of the workers in the novel reflect this well. For the workers, there was no cash benefit for the workers, so If they lose their job then they have to do without and mainly starve. The law, I learned is enforced well, but strangely enough, without any force as we never see any police during the novel. California is described extremely well, it is very interestingly described too, this appeals to the reader and gives the novel a very bright and happy start. The first few pages focus on the setting and commentate on all the happenings that go on, this builds a sense of reality. Steinbeck was born and raised in California, near Salinas, so he had an advantage when attempting to describe it as he can relate to it very well. Oliver Twist is almost exactly the opposite in comparison. It is a very dark novel. London at this time set the scene for the monstrosities that happened and the events that took place. You could almost guess what was to expect when reading the first few pages of Oliver Twist, but to do the same with Of mice and men would be completely different. Of Mice and Men starts on a high, very bright and colourful, but it changes contrasts and horrible happenings crowd the last few chapters of the novel. The two main characters in Oliver Twist are Oliver and Fagin. Oliver is a young orphan, brought into the then cruel world by an unknown mother. Fagin, is an ‘Un-human’ man, whose features are aged and ugly. He is a ring leader of a gang of thieves that rob the city of London of valuable possessions, such as money, watches and gold. The Artful Dodger is Fagins’ keen apprentice, willing to learn, who knows all the tricks of the trade, a master of theft and scams. Bill Sikes, Fagins’ second man, is a ruthless cut throat man, whose large size and aggressive attributes add to the murder later on in the novel. The two murderers, Lennie and Sikes have many similarities. Firstly Sikes and Lennie are two large and intimidating men, who’s leader is considerably smaller than them. Secondly, they both receive orders and are followers to their two leaders. Although Sikes doesn’t receive commands off Fagin to an extent where he cannot survive without him, like Lennie, one part of the story he does. This is the main event that leads up to the murder of Nancy. In the early hours of the morning, when all the human and civilised world is asleep, London is awake. Fagin is awake in his chair. Waiting. Sikes enters with the loot that he has stolen from peoples houses. Fagin starts to talk about Nancy, Sikes’ girlfriend. He goes on and explains that Nancy could be a leak and could tell on them to the police. Fagin, knowing that Sikes has the mordacity and the capability of murder, begins to perform reverse psychology. He knows that if he pulls the right strings that Sikes could do anything for him. Sikes quite easily falls into Fagins’ mastermind trap, as if he had been brainwashed or hypnotised, he is now going to commit Fagins’ murder for him. Sikes goes to where Nancy is sleeping and severely shouts and screams at her. This traumatises her, to the extent where she doesn’t know what is going on. This makes Nancy vulnerable, and this is where Sikes commits his brutal and sick attack on her. We can tell, just by reading these several lines of the story, the evil and cunningness of Sikes. He continuously beats Nancy to death with a wooden stick. Leaning up top the murder of Curleys’ wife, which was by far not as hellacious and as horrific as this, Lennie was minding his own business and was in the barn, calmly stroking one of Slims pups. Not knowing his own strength Lennie accidentally killed the pup. Lennie began to become sad and at the same time, angry. He repeatedly thought about George not letting him tend the rabbits, at the home of which the whole is dream is based around. â€Å"An’ he’ll say : â€Å"Now just for that you ain’t gunna tend no rabbits.† Lennie put the pup in the straw, and began to talk to himself, moaning the death of the pup. Curleys wife enters and begins to flirt with Lennie, who confesses to her liking for stroking nice things. She invites him to stroke her long soft hair, but as the stroking becomes harder, she panics; the harder he strokes the more she panics and then Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. He half-buries the body in the hay and runs off to the brush. As you can tell, both the two murders are of a totally different nature. In of mice and men, the murder was unexpected, and didn’t really fit into the surrounding story, On the other hand, In Oliver Twist, a murder was almost inevitable. Sikes’ was a premeditated murder, as he had thought it out and planned the whereabouts etc. Lennies was out of the blue, an accident neither him or anyone else could of prevented. The setting of the two murders, also are totally different. The murder of Curleys wife was in the barn, in the sunny and hot state of California. The murder of Nancy was in the grimy claustrophobic city of London. The descriptions in the stories of the murders, are again totally opposite. In Oliver Twist, Dickens almost runs a post-mortem on the body, and describes Sikes’ moves in detail after the murderer. In of mice and men, however, Steinbeck runs a bleak vague synopsis on the happenings.

Platos philosophical approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Platos philosophical approach - Essay Example In short, philosophy to me then was that a philosopher can be a good lawyer because he or she is so good in presenting valid and relevant data to support his or her thesis statement. Also, I have always wondered why there are so many religions in this world. I could not understand why each religious sect does not want to be called a sect but some prefer to be called a non denominational church. But they have different teachings pertaining to God and the world. I was also curious as to why some people prefer to be ATHEISTS. These are people who do not believe or worship God. Well, this is what drove me to study Philosophy. After taking up philosophy class, I now know the answers to my questions about life. I have learned that philosophy is the love and hunt for wisdom through understanding, intelligence, prudence and also moral discipline of oneself. Also, I discovered that philosophy is the research, survey and analysis and interpretation data pertaining to the nature, reasons, or doctrine of reality, knowledge or values. The study of philosophy is grounded on reasoning. This reasoning is also grounded on logic. The research in philosophy is not so much based on empirical methods. Furthermore, I have also learned that philosophy is the system of thinking that is grounded on inquiry. ... Furthermore, I have also learned that philosophy is the system of thinking that is grounded on inquiry. Fork the philosophy of inquiry was first propagated by Hume himself. I have also gotten used to looking at life as a person critically analyzing the basic suppositions and convictions. Also, my mind has been deluged with the various disciplines found in the university curriculums of science and the liberal arts. And, I am also learned that the disciplines of philosophy is compose of many sections. Some of these sections are logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology. For example, I learned that if the first statement goes all birds fly and the second statement goes hawks are birds then the conclusion or third statement would be hawks can fly. Furthermore, I learned that philosophy is a set of ideas or principles that are concentrated on a specific field or activity, an underlying theory or an original philosophy of promotion or publicity. Finally, I have learned from my philosophy subject that philosophy is a system of values of a community where persons live. Finally, my first introduction to philosophy was that I was taught that the meaning of philosophy is LOVE OF WISDOM or philosophia) at least two quotations from your readings that were most important to you.This shows that my outlook in life before taking up philosophy classes has completely changed for the better. READINGS INCLUDE:In the Apology retrieved from http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.htmlMy life has been completely improved with Plato's famous statement in defence of charges falsely hurled against him stating "O Athenians, that I have nothing to do with these studies. Very many of those here present are witnesses to the truth

Ethical products Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ethical products - Case Study Example Slave trade was a trade too; it took a long struggle to fight slave trade which is still yet to be completely eliminated from the word according to the United Nations report. During the last century blacks from Africa were considered to sub human beings in the American society. In the recent there have been reports of industries releasing their waste into the rivers. Reports about nuclear waste dumping in the wrong areas have been rampant in the media especially in the last decade. From 1950s up 1970s the United States federal government was burying nuclear waste plutonium in Idaho. According to National Geographic News April 12, 2002, Snake River aquifer may be leached into by the buried plutonium waste. Snake river which is about 25000 square kilometers provides dirking and irrigation water for large population (Mayell, 2002). The diamond trade in Liberia that later turned out to be called the bloody diamonds because of fueling the civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone during the last decade. The late Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC) was a darling of the west because of the resources that were plenty in the Great Lakes region. One component of fair trade is corporate social responsibility also called corporate citizen ship where the interests of the society take the first place by the organization taking responsibility for the impact of activities by the company or organization. on communities , customers, employees or suppliers. One of the biggest companies that has hit headlines on corporate social responsibility is the Microsoft company with the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation. The foundations' global development program has been trying to assist people get out of poverty and hunger by creating opportunities for them in Agriculture, helping small farmers to improve crop production and market access. They have been working with partners to help the poor societies get access to financial services, which are only available to only a few in African societies. While recognizing internet and computers as drivers of economic and social progress, the foundation has assisted with access to these tools and pro fessional skills, search for work, conduct business on-line, access government services and exchange ideas with others (Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation, 2008). Other areas where the banded ethical products are Not geared toward social exclusion but inclusion are the global health program of the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation whose mission is to encourage the development of life saving medical services and help in access the existing vaccines against the common deceases in developing countries. By assisting in research toward the development of drugs against malaria, tuberculoses and HIV amongst others, it shows a sure sign that it is committed to improving the quality of life for the marginalized societies and the grater society as well. It is through the development of the ethical products such as the fair trade that the organizations for preventing the exploitation of the producers for commodities like coffee emerged. A system that allowed people recognize the products that certain standards (labor or environmental) put by an independent body which issues certifications. In the United States it called Fairtrade certification. It sets

State Coordinating Boards and accountability measures Essay

State Coordinating Boards and accountability measures - Essay Example In order to enhance competitiveness in the international marketplace, Governments are increasingly focusing on the need to improve the quality of human capital that is the product of higher educational institutions. Therefore, there is an accountability that is being demanded of these organizations, through the use of external evaluation and performance measures to assess the quality of the education that is being imparted and the effectiveness of policy outcomes. These moves are posing a threat to academic freedom, which gives an individual the right to â€Å"study and teach whatever he or she wants to without threat of sanction† [Tierney, 1998, pp 41], even if this course of study may be such that it does not contribute to maximizing economic returns for the public dollars that have been funneled into education. Educational institutions have traditionally functioned with autonomy because that makes them more â€Å"flexible and responsive, given their relative freedom from command and control by centralized Government†¦..[The result] is higher levels of organizational innovation and more variety within national systems of higher education† [Dee, Henkin and Chen, 2000, p 204]. However, increasing economic pressures leading to the corporatization of higher education are impinging upon the autonomy of educational institutions [Bok, 2003] and pose a serious threat to the achievement of true academic goals [Kirp, 2003]. The conflict between maintaining academic autonomy while simultaneously persevering policy accountability is an ongoing one, in which State Coordinating Boards are faced with the greatest difficulties in defining their role and achieving the right balance between autonomy and accountability.

Innovative Nursing Care Delivery Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Innovative Nursing Care Delivery Models - Essay Example Development Team for Innovative Nursing Care Model As a matter of fact, implementation of any particular change in organization needs proper planning along with the formation of an effective team that can execute the planned activities accordingly. Contextually, the team working towards proper implementation of the model will encompass two Registered Nurses (RNs) along with two assistants. It has been observed that there are altogether 1,047 licensed beds in the organization, which will further be divided into subsections with equal numbers in each one of them applying this model. Furthermore, each of these sections will be accompanied with a set of RNs and assistants designed to implement the model efficiently (Adventist Healthcare, 2013; Health Workforce Solutions, 2008). The rationale for selecting RNs and assistants can be justified, as the model selected for implementing in the particular healthcare organization follows the â€Å"Human Caring Theory of Jean Watson†, which depicts the role of nursing practices or nurses in assuring knowledgeable and unique healthcare practices. Hence, based on this ground, Adventist Healthcare will need to prioritize and select RNs to ensure proper implementation of the chosen model. Moreover, the decision of selecting nurses should also be targeted towards providing opportunities for nurses to enhance their position and role in the healthcare organization. ... iciency within the workplace by utilizing the available manpower more effectively in delivering better quality care to the patients (Alliance for Health Reform, 2011). Additionally, the team that will implement the model will also include the top management officials to supervise the approaches of the RNs and their assistants throughout the process in Adventist Healthcare (Health Workforce Solutions, 2008). This will in turn ensure that the model operates in alignment with the set organizational goals and values to achieve maximum efficiency when implemented. Incorporation of Nurse Caring Delivery Model in Adventist Healthcare As illustrated earlier, with the assistance of the Nurse Caring Delivery Model, the management in Adventist Healthcare will be able to directly correlate with the organizational objectives to be achieved through its mission and values. The model is primarily a team-oriented nursing framework, developed entirely with the intention to ensure humanistic approach i n delivering healthcare services to the patients. It is also believed that the model ensures cost efficient services with maximum quality and safety for the patients along with continuous improvement in set of services provided. Moreover, another vital aspect of the model is that it augments work satisfaction level amid the nurses, subsequently resulting in declined turnover of the same within the organization (Adventist Healthcare, 2013; Health Workforce Solutions, 2008). In order to attain the complete benefits of the model, it will be implemented in the organization following certain planned steps. The model will be implemented in separate departments within the organization comprising of a medical unit, a telemetry unit and an intensive care unit among others. After a stipulated period

Operations manager & project management tools Essay

Operations manager & project management tools - Essay Example The methodology of a project enables a project manager to finish the project as early as possible, whether the manager is a novice or an expert (MPMM). A project manager makes use of a methodology in order to keep the projects going as per the schedule and conforming to the standards of quality required by the client. Methodology also helps a project manager structure the project in a way that it becomes more manageable. Methodology applied on a particular project can be used for many projects of similar nature, thus becoming a process as more and more projects are executed. Methodologies involved in a project include but are not limited to conduction of feasibility studies, cost-benefit analysis, designing, risk assessment, cost assessment, obtainment of insurance coverage, selection of staff, space management, organization, project execution, leading and controlling. All of these are a necessary part of the management of any project. There is also a whole range of project management tools including basic project management applications, wiki-based project management, ticket and bug tracking, conferencing and collaboration, invoic ing and time tracking (Chapman). Likewise, an operations manager needs to use all these methodologies to conduct the operation. In fact, execution of a project of any nature is an operation in itself. Thus, a project manager and operations manager can be used interchangeably. A task does not necessarily have to be called a project in order for project management methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen project management technique or tool, especially in the planning stage. (Chapman). In order to make the operation cost effective, an operations manager needs to assess the risks involved in the work prior to the commencement of the work. Taking

Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Criminal justice - Essay Example It proves to be difficult as there are so many new laws and rules. So if the senior is complaining that the team of new supervisor has made some forced complaints and if the supervisor feels that he was just doing his duty then it is important for the supervisor to have a good look at the arrests and warrants made while he was on a leave. It is very important to deal with the situation with a clear mind and remain calm. One should not try to do something extra ordinary. One should just remain himself as people can see through someone who is trying to be someone that they are not. The supervisor should start off strict and then ease off, rather than starting off easy and then becoming stricter. Proper communication with the seniors as well as the team is very important to alleviate the situation. It is not necessary to rush to make changes, it is better to bring in changes slowly and steadily. One should not let his ego get on to him. The new shift can be overwhelming and very tiring, but it is important to give the best shot and not get irritated with the tiring job. The sergeant must ensure that everyone in his team knows what is required from them and they have the resources required to do the job, as the supervisor is responsible for all the mistakes made by his team.

Short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short story - Essay Example Angelina was a lucky girl to have her. Angelina was only two years old when the accident happened. Mrs. Kevin was a mother as well as a father for Angelina. However, this fact cannot be negated that every person has a separate place in his life. Angelina, in spite of her mother’s overly care and love, missed her father a lot and tried to find fatherly association with the colleagues and friends of her mother. When she was a child, she used to closely look at the bondage of her friends’ fathers to their daughters in order to understand their relationships with their daughters. After looking at their relationships, she used to come to her mother and ask about her father. As an orphaned child, she always missed her father. This continuous deficiency made her an introvert due to which, people used to consider her as a shy girl. She got threatened and depressed soon as compared to other girls of her age. She was quite talented but whenever, she was required to face people, she always backed off. One day, she came to her mother and said, From the next day, Angelina started getting ready for the play. She took part in rehearsals and was really liked by the teachers. However, according to some of the teachers, she lacked confidence and for acting on stage, it was essential. Mrs. Elizabeth encouraged her to act and speak confidently. At last, the day came, when she was required to act on stage. When she appeared on stage as Desdemona, she at once got depressed seeing the audience. Her mother was also a part of the audience who clapped for her appearance on stage. Angelina was unable to speak a single dialogue and stayed in a trance for some time. She was taken back stage for two to three minutes where her teacher talked to her and convinced her to act. When she gave her second appearance, she started delivering her dialogues with such eloquence and confidence that everyone in the audience was amazed and appreciated her. Her mother was also proud of her.

The Sinking of the Aragon Essay Example for Free

The Sinking of the Aragon Essay With the outbreak of world one war the royal mail moved its home port to Newport, South Wales. However the Brittish government was in dire need of battle ships to strengthen their naval force. Many ships were converted from simply postal delivery vessels into war ready troop carrying ships. One of these ships was the Aragon The Aragon built in harland and wolf in Belfast was 9588 tons and could carry 306 first class 66 second class and 632 third class passengers. It was launched on the 23rd of Febuary 1905. The following information was gathered from an unsigned letter written by an officer of the Aragon to a Mr.  John William Hannay the father of a VAD on board the Aragon on her way to serve in palestine and Egypt. For two weeks the Aragon laid at anchor in the shelter of the harbour at Marseilles. Every day they would await sailing orders. At last they recieved orders and the ship, set sail. It set of in company with another transporter ship called the Nile and also with an escort of destroyers. On board there was 160 nursing sisters, 150 military officers, 2200 troops and the ships own officers and crew. In total there was 2700 poeople on board the Aragon. One of these men was my great grand uncle Thomas Cassin who was an Irish man and inlisted as a British solider. Along with the thousands of people on board ready to serve there was also 2500 bags of Christmas destined for Egypt. From Marseilles they set sail to Malta in safety. However There was some fierce weather and the sea became quite heavy. Many became sick. Miss Hannay the VAD nurse being sick for just one day. They arrived at the windy bay in Malta on the 23rd of December where they remained for four days until the 27th. They spent their Christmass holidays here in safety. On the fourth day they set out to sail again still in the company of the NIle and a fresh escort of destroyers. There were three destroyers in number, two of which were Japanese and the other British. They arrived near their destination, Alexandria Egypt, on the 30th of December in the morning. The port was just becoming visible to the naked eye on the horizion. Everyone was very excited to reach shore and every vantage point on the boat was filled with eager passengers looking on ward at the port. Many had packed their luggage and were already attired for disembarkation. It was heard that many were congradulating themselves on a safe voyage. The Aragon with the British destroyer Attack was entering the channel that leads to the port. They were already past the first buoy which indicated entrance into the channel. At this point a wireless message was intercepted from trawlers in the channels that there were mines further on. The Attack, being the senior ship, imediately signalled to the Aragon to follow them as they turned seawards. The trawelers which were there to direct the ships through the channel were doing the same and retreating. The Aragon had to keep well away from the buoy that they had already passed by when entering the port. Unkown to both the Aragon and the Attack there was a German submarine lurking in the depths of the waters right beside the buoy. It was unable to fire before because of the close proximity of the ship, if they did they would have endangered their own submarine. However now that the Aragon was turning seawards, she presented a perfect target for the Germans who took full advantage. The officers of the Aragon on duty on the bridge saw the periscope of the submarine and at the next instant the wake of a torpedo which was heading straight for the ship. In a desperate effort for surrvival the passengers and crew tried to turn the ship to avoid the torpedo but this was to no avail as the ship was quite slow. The explosion was a dull crashing blast and the ship shuddered violently. An officer who was on duty at the time was covered in glass as all the windows on the boat shattered. In the next instant the ship became aware to the fact that they had all been dreading. Everyone on board was at their sations in record time, orders were obeyed with precision. The first order given was the rescue of every sister. They were lowered into the rescue boats before doing anything else. This only took a few minutes and was carried out without a hitch. The boats they got on were the best in the ship and in a position to afford greatest possible facility for getting off. The Aragon sent a call for assitance to the shore and recieved a reply within seconds. By the time the sisters ships had got clear, the ship had taken a heavy list to starboard and had sunk deep astern. It remained like this for a few minutes. The Destroyer took this time to run up along side and the remaing passengers were ordered to get off. They managed to do this by attaching ropes from the Aragon to the Destoryer Attack. On other parts of the ship troops were ordered to take water as the rafts were let loose. In just moments the sea was full of struggling men. Many of the officers and troops were trying to get the remaining life boats into the water but they had become jammed by the list. The crew could now feel her sinking fast. It had become impossible to stand upon the deck. It was about fifteen minutes after the inicial explosion. The commander gave the order every man for himself! . There was a rush to get over the side of the boat but nowhere was there any sign of panic. The discipline was astounding as the troops clung on to each other, singing and cheering until they reached the water level. Then they broke into struggling masses. Then it was heard shes going and the Aragon began to sink rapidly astern. The Destroyer was still at rescue work but only one rope remained. One officer was trying to cross when they finally cut the remaining rope. He was thrown into the water between the two ships. He sank like a stone because his full uniform restricted him to swim. However he still managed to get to the surface and make his way onto the Destroyer. The Attack was full of both injured and dying. The Aragon was sinking rapidly, one could hear a roar of rushing water and smashing of internal fittings. Dozens of men still clung to the decks and at the last moment jumping into the water rather than be sucked under along with the ship. Many of their efforts for survial were futile as with the height that the bow had been raised because the ship had turned whilst it was sinking, they died on impact with the water. With a great surge, a roar of rushing water and the explosion of the ships boilers the Aragon was no more and it went beneath the surface. There was now silence over the men. The place where the ship once was, was now replaced by struggling men clinging to upturned boats and wreckage. The Destroyer was now alive with activity. As they attempted to move ahead to the safety of the harbour with all their injured on board, one man shouted and screamed and next instant there was a terrible explosion. The Destroyer was hit by another torpedo. The middle of the Destroyer had been smashed sending men flying into the air. OIl, fumes, splinters of wood and steel were sent in every direction. She broke into two halves and began to sink immedietly. Both the bow and the stern rising into the air as the middle(wher the torpedo hit) sank rapidly. Everyone jumped for the water. It was chaos around the remains of the destroyer. The only hope left for survival was two trawlers which were near at hand. Except for the trawlers the only rescue boats were the rafts from the Aragon which were already on their way to shore. Only wreckage and struggling men remained in the water, everything else had disappeared. However the rafts did an ecellent job, bringing hundreads to the trawlers near by. Other trawlers became visable on the horizon as the rushed at full speed towars the wreckage. However as the port was 80 miles away it took them some time to arrive and many men perished in this time. The temperature of the water was very cold and this contributed to some of the deaths. It took the trawlers an hour to reach the men but without them few would have survived. The VAD sisters who were the first to leave the Aragon arrived on shore at arround 2:30pm. It wasnt untill 4:30pm when the trawlers with the wounded and survivours arrived. The people on the shore were ready for them when they arrived and the wounded were rushed to hospital. In conclusion the Aragon was torpedoed 8 miles from Alexandria Egypt at 11am on Sunday December 30th 1917 and sank in twenty minutes. The escort for the Aragon the British Destroyer The Attack was also torpedoed about 5 minutes later. It took between 5 to 7 minutes to sink. The other transport ship The Nile with two Japanese destroyer escorts left the Aragon at day break, the day of the attack. They also came under submarine attack but managed to reach their destination safely. My great uncle unfortunately perished that day. It was hard for an Irish man to join the Brittish army. I imagine he would have recieved a lot of criticism for doing so, but he did what he thought was right. He fought with the allies and aggainst evil and for that my family is very proud of him.

Garnier Report Essay Example for Free

Garnier Report Essay †¢The first Garnier product was made by Alfred Garnier in 1904, a hair tonic. The full company name, Laboratories Garnier, originated in the 1920s as a producer of haircare products made with organic ingredients. Garnier continues that mission today, as all of its products are made with natural ingredients. The LOreal Group has owned Garnier since 1965. LOreal †¢LOreal, based in France and the United States, has been in operation since 1909. It now owns five divisions including Garnier. LOreal has a focus on research, especially studies in sustainable development, with research centers on three continents. Products †¢Garnier currently has three product lines: Fructis, Nutrisse and Nutritionist. Fructis, started in 1996, is the Garner line of haircare and styling products. Nutrisse, Garniers hair color line released in 2002, was originally called Natea when it debuted in 1998. Natea wasnt as successful in the United States as in Europe, hence the name change. Garnier started selling Nutritionist, its skincare product line, in 2005. Innovation †¢Besides introducing Alfred Garniers hair tonic in 1904, when people still used soap on their hair, Garnier has been the first to produce sun-care items (in 1936) and the first to make a permanent home hair color (in 1960). Today Garnier is the number-one brand in Europe using natural ingredients. Research †¢Garnier exemplifies LOreals emphasis on scientific study. Research for Garnier goes through four stages at one of LOreals sixteen research centers. Then Garnier conducts clinical studies and consumer studies before releasing the product, as well as surveys afterward Garnier uses scientifically proven, natural ingredients to promote optimum hair health and let inner beauty shine through. The Garnier Fructis hair care line and Garnier Fructis Style products, allow women of all hair types to get the gorgeous locks they want. Garnier products have garnered prestigious beauty awards from top magazines like Allure, Health Magazine, More Magazine, CosmoGirl!, and Cosmopolitan. The brand is also a sponsor of Project Runway and models of this popular reality show strut the catwalk with styles powered by Garnier products.

Themes of Tradition in Literature

Themes of Tradition in Literature Evolving Traditions Traditions are important because they transmit stories, shared values, and aspirations from generation to generation. Traditions offer guidance and assists in a group of people sharing a collective identity. Overtime the origin/meaning of a tradition may become obscured or lost in time, and when that happens the tradition can either fade from existence or be blindly followed even though the original meaning may have been lost. The stories The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, and A Worn Path by Eudora Welty have many themes, but; one underling theme throughout them all, is tradition. In Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Once a year the villagers amass in the center of town to partake in the lottery. They anticipate the arrival of Mr. Summers and the black box, inside the box are slips of paper with one having a black dot. Whoever draws the dot wins and precedes to get stoned to death. The reason behind this is unknown to the villagers, but it is a tradition they are not willing to abandon. According to critics Jacksons tradition theme is a modern representation of the primitive annual scapegoat rite to appease the forces of the new year, to insure fertility. Primitive man, it seems, could not distinguish natural from moral phenomenaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Used to be a saying Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon. (Lainhoff). The meaning behind the Lottery lost but the villagers refuse to abandon it, simply because it is tradition. In A Rose for Emily a young woman in the early 1900s refuses to accept change, she did not join the new society and lives in the past. Emily did not acknowledge her father and the colonels death, she did not update to the new way of living. Emily did not pay taxes and her house had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street Emily had become a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town. the difference between the attitude of Judge Stevens (who is over eighty years old) and the attitude of the young man who comes to him about the smell at Emilys place. For the young man (who is a member of the rising generation) it is easy. For him, Miss Emilys world has ceased to exist. (West). In the end, Emilys derangement is revealed when the community enters her bedroom and they see a long strand of iron-gray hair on the pillow beside Ho mer Barrons corpse when traditions and its values center around hereditary privilege, it will eventually lead to social decay. Emilys life and her decaying house symbolize the effects of accepting ignorance and complacency when its built-in traditions. Eudora Weltys A Worn Path shows Phoenix Jackson an elderly woman traveling a treacherous path numerous times in order to get medicine to save her grandsons life overtime the journey has become a sort of tradition for her. Like Phoenix, you work all your life to find your way, through all the obstructions and the false appearances and the upsets you may have brought on yourself, to reach a meaning-And finally too, like Phoenix, you have to assume that [you] are working in [the] aid of life, not death. (Barnhisel). Phoenix is old and near the end of her life, but; like a phoenix she rises. She starts the journey mentally prepared to overcome the obstacles that await her. Her grandson symbolizes the new Phoenix that will be given life when she perishes. When a traditions origin/meaning are no longer known, it begs the question; should the tradition still be followed as in The Lottery and that traditions centered around unchecked hereditary privilege may lead to social ruin, like Emily in A rose for Emily and that new-found traditions in the service of aiding your loved ones can help you rise above many obstacles like Phoenix in A Worn Path. Traditions are a wondrous part of any culture, but; if the meaning is unknown and the ritual goes unchecked should it still be followed? References Lainhoff, Seymour. The Lottery Short Stories for Students, vol. 1, Gale Virtual  Reference Library. Gale Research, 1997. West, B. Ray,Jr. A Rose for Emily Short Stories for Students, vol.6, Gale Virtual Reference  Library. Gale Research, 1999. Barnhisel, Greg. A Worn Path Short Stories for Students, vol. 2, Gale Virtual Reference  Library. Gale Research, 1997.

Explain the Responsibility of the Human Resources Department :: Business and Management Studies

Explain the Responsibility of the Human Resources Department Within any business the Human Resources department is a vital functional area. The department’s main role is to ensure the welfare of employees and make sure any problems are resolved quickly and efficiently whether internal or external. Although this is the main function of the department there are also a number of other roles the Human Resource department handles within a business: Ø Development and monitoring employee appraisal system Ø Overseeing industrial relations Ø Dealing with disciplinary Ø Paying Salaries Ø Redundancy Ø Training and development Ø Recruitment and selection All the above are typical functions carried out by the human resources department, as they are clearly linked to employees and problems they may have. Although the above are typical functions carried out by the human resources department there are sometimes other functions that are specific to certain businesses that have to be dealt with when they arise. HSBC I will be studying a part of HSBC that was formally known as Merrill Lynch. Merrill Lynch was set up in 2001 and aimed to revolutionise the way in which investors banked. In July 2002 HSBC took over 100% of the ownership of Merrill Lynch and it was now part of the HSBC group. The telephone call centre that was opened near Leamington Spa’s ‘Spa Park’ created hundreds of jobs for people in the surrounding areas. Throughout this project I will be studying the functions of the human resources department at HSBC in Leamington Spa. HSBC have many internal departments, which mean that communication within the company is vital. Each of these departments depend heavily upon one anther in the day-to-day running of the business. When recruiting HSBC must ensure that they have a clear strategy that they follow throughout the recruitment and selection process. As they employ a large number of people it is important that they select the right people first time due to the costs associated with recruitment and selection. When HSBC needs to recruit a large number of people they use agencies to help reduce the administration work for the human resources department and generally get the job done more efficiently. Unemployment within Leamington Spa is at record lows, and for that reason HSBC need to make sure they offer appealing positions with attractive salaries to recruit successfully. This can be done through newspaper advertisements and HSBC need to ensure that in these advertisements they portray the company image in a positive light. As the human resources department covers a large amount of tasks and functions I have decided to cover the main activities that are most important to the organisation. Ø The Working Environment

The Internet :: essays research papers

Right now I'm thinking about the Internet, the all-pervasive medium through which I've published my thoughts and work I've done in my free time for several years now. Like mostly everyone else, I communicate with others using the Internet, play games through it, read news, and learn about things. (Except, sadly, I am not convinced the general public is interested in learning.) And we are all familiar with the "dot com mania" and the insane rise in the NASDAQ - and, sadly, the subsequent fall of the NASDAQ. People have been wondering exactly what was behind all of this, and if the Internet - which once seemed so enticing - is now bogus. "What we are entering is a power age, and the importance of the power age lies in its ability, rightly used with the wage motive behind it, to increase and cheapen production so that all of us may have more of this world's goods. The way to liberty, the way to equality of opportunity, the way from empty phrases to actualities, lies through power" - Henry Ford Here's something which should not be news: the entire .com insanity was a crock from the start! That's right - the entire New Economy was founded on delusions and misinformation all along. But just as people were overzealous then, they are overly pessimistic now (at the time of this writing). The Internet is not intrinsically a crock. But the general public got a taste of what the Internet can do, and warped and distorted it into a magical cure-all for all of life's problems. The Internet cannot produce material objects; only industry can. The Internet can near-instantaneously transport information from any location to any location, but it cannot transport atoms. And while information is fun and happy, many other things we enjoy (such as books (for now), pizza, and computers!) are made of heavy, sluggish atoms. Throwing up a web site does not automatically mean instant wealth, nor does a name that ends in ".com". This has always been true, and will continue to be true (for a while...), but for a short time most everyone deluded themselves into believing the exact opposite. And even technically knowledgeable people (such as myself, and many others who knew what the Internet was before everyone and his uncle came onto the scene) were caught up in the hysteria, because the Internet is indeed really cool, and it seemed it was the time when everyone was becoming aware of that fact too.

The View from the Bottom Rail Essay -- essays papers

The View from the Bottom Rail The Lewinsky Scandal†¦ A perfect example as to why we cannot accept everything at face value before carefully examining it first. Everyone thought President Clinton was behaving himself in the White House, but, as it turns out, he was most definitely not. This can be the same for history. We must carefully consider different aspects of articles so that we do no make the mistake of believing everything we read. In order to fully understand an article, we must understand the author that wrote it. It is necessary to examine prejudices, sources, information left out, and missing background information before accepting an article. This method of critical analysis allows us to better understand the article and therefore history because we are more aware of the authors and their possible mishaps. â€Å"The View from the Bottom Rail†, an article in After the Fact, provides an opportunity to examine different aspects of analysis. If we look at it carefully, then we will be able to determine if the thesis was proven effectively. In â€Å"The View from the Bottom Rail†, the authors, James Davidson and Mark Lytle, proposed, â€Å"For several reasons, that debased position has made it unusually difficult for historians to recover the freedman’s point of view.† Within the article, Davidson and Lytle cycled through different aspects as to why it is hard for historians to determine the â€Å"view from the bottom rail†. They questioned the validity of many sources that, if accurate, would have contained the perspective of an ex-slave. These sources included both white and black testimony. In order to examine these sources, the authors traced the topics using microcosm. Because they were covering a topic and not an event, microcosm was the most appropriate method of examining the subject. Davidson and Lytle first introduced a source. Then, they pondered over the different ways that the source could be biased. They took small segments from the source and used those to demonstrate why the source could not be taken at face value. For example, when examining the proposed source of a slave master’s account, Davidson and Lytle examined one aspect of this to make a conclusion. They determined that, â€Å"With slaves so dependent on the master’s authority, they were hardly likely to reveal their true feelings; the dangerous consequences of such indiscr... ...s old. The authors do question whether her mental status was viable or not. However, further background information was needed. It was imperative for the authors to examine the validity of this source before using it. It is not know if the ex-slave was capable of recalling accurate details of her life. Since the authors’ argument was that the same slave told two different stories depending on the circumstances of the interview, how do we know if the stories varied because of the circumstances or because of a poor or maybe even imaginative memory? This background information would make the authors’ arguments even more convincing. However, if we assume that the ex-slave was capable, then the argument is flawless. Overall, the article was well written. Only minor aspects were left uncovered. In addition, not much background information was needed. Also, the authors’ only had sparse and subtle prejudices. A variety of sources was used effectively. In the end, the thesis was proven convincingly. Almost all audiences would be assured that, â€Å"For several reasons, that debased position has made it unusually difficult for historians to recover the freedman’s point of view.†

How Consumer Insight Are Shaping Companies in India Essay

Customer is King is an adage that most companies across the globe have embraced. The need to concentrate on customers and be responsive to their demands has long been acknowledged by organizations. However, with globalisation and technological revolution the dynamics of business, the meaning of customer and market knowledge have all undergone a transformation. Today, the customer is the controlling factor in business and to be market-driven, an organisation has to evolve a culture that constantly listens to the customer, analyses competition and has strategies that meet existing, anticipated and even unanticipated needs of the customer. Going one step further, organizations must focus on customer relationship management which has given way to customer knowledge management. Given the international environment and knowledge economy, market and customer intelligence serves as a core competency and a principal source of competitive advantage. Leading by listening Practically every success story in today’s corporate realm reflects how awareness of customer needs shapes competitive business strategy. Let’s look at some examples. Procter & Gamble When P&G, the largest consumer goods company in the world, chose to offer its products to the lower income customer in developing countries, it had research teams associating with the poorest of homes for weeks. This gave the company valuable insights, which aided the company in creating a range of products that suited the pockets of this segment, enabling it to gain substantial market share. Amazon.com Amazon.com, the first e-retailer of books in the world, attained competitive advantage by emerging as book lovers’ forum where they could also share knowledge. It maintains customer knowledge through services such as book reviews, access to order histories and product recommendations based on preceding orders. Consequently, Amazon has recorded more than 70% repeat orders from its customers. Mahindra & Mahindra Mahindra & Mahindra’s SUV, Scorpio, has experienced enormous success in domestic and international markets. The positioning of Scorpio as an economy SUV was centered on the findings of extensive market visits and exploration of customer needs. The customer needs and wants ascertained were transformed into product specifications for Scorpio. Customer groups were consulted at every stage of design and product development. Scorpio was designated as the â€Å"Car of the Year† by ‘BBC on Wheels’ shortly after its launch. Indian Railways The amazing transformation of Indian Railways from what was termed as a white elephant to a profit making entity in less than two years has caught the attention of Indian and foreign academic and corporate establishments. This turnaround was not owing to any high-end technology but to a modest information means — the passenger feedback form. Data attained from these forms was analysed to identify customer expectations from the Railways. This was supported by a study of the best railways worldwide, and benchmarking with other transportations such as roadways and airlines. The outcome was a complete renovation of trains, stations and railway services to render them passenger-friendly. Needless to say, customers welcomed this change. The above examples highlight that it is vital to listen to customers for a success marketer-customer relationship, where the customer is not just a beneficiary, but a partner. Effective listening, together with strategic initiatives, can bring about a happily-ever-after end to this association.

Abc Acquitsion

Corporate  Valuation Problem  Set  2 Dr. Zacharias  Sautner If  no  information  about  the  premium  has  been  given  in  the  questions  below,  you   can  use  the  data  form  the  following  table: Arithmetic  average      Geometric  Average            Stocks  ? Stocks  ? Stocks  ? Stocks  ? Historical  Period   T. Bills      T. Bonds   T. Bills      T. Bonds   1928? 2004      7. 92%      6. 53%      6. 02%      4. 84%   1964? 2004      5. 82%      4. 34%      4. 59%      3. 47%   1994? 2004      8. 60%      5. 82%      6. 85%      4. 51%      For  a  long? term  investor  the  geometric  average  with  treasury  bonds  (4. 4%)  is  used. For  a  short? term  investor  the  arithmetic  average  with  treasury  bills  (7. 92%)  is  used. In  both  cases  the  longest  possible  period  is  taken. Solutions 1. In  December  1995,  Boise  Cascade’s  stock  had  a  beta  of  0. 95. The  treasury  bill   rate  at  the  time  was  5. 8%,  and  the  treasury  bond  rate  was  6. 4%. The  firm  had   debt  outstanding  of  $1. 7  billion  and  a  market  value  of  equity  of  $1. 5  billion;   the  corporate  marginal  tax  rate  was  36%. a. Estimate  the  expected  return  on  the  stock  for  a  short  term  investor  in   the  company. b.Estimate  the  expected  return  on  the  stock  for  a  long? term  investor  in   the  company. c. Estimate  the  cost  of  equity  for  the  company. a. We  use  the  CAPM:   The  Expected  Return  on  the  stock  =  0. 058  +  0. 95(0. 0792)  =  0. 1332  =  13. 32%   Since  the  investor  is  a  short? term  investor,  we  use  the  T? bill  rate,  and  the  arithmetic   mean. Since  the  focus  is  short? term,  we  don’t  need  to  take  compounding  into account. 1 b. For  a  long? term  investor,  we  would  use  the  T? bond  rate,  and  the  geometric  mean:   The  expected  return  =  0. 064  +  0. 95(0. 0484)  =  0. 1  or  11%,  where  4. 84%  is  used  as   the  estimate  of  the  market  risk  premium,  since  that  is  the  geometric  average  of  the   market  premium  using  the  long? term  T? bond  rate  as  the  riskfree  rate. c. The  cost  of  equity  for  the  company  is  more  appropriately  the  long? term  required   rate  of  return,  since  most  projects  for  the  company  would  be  long? term. 2. Boise  Cascade  had  debt  outstanding  of   $1. 7  billion  and  had  a  market  value  of   equity  of  $1. 5  billion;  the  corporate  marginal  tax  rate  was  36%. a. Assuming   that   the   current   beta   of   0. 5   for   the   stock   is   a   reasonable   one,  estimate  the  unlevered  beta  for  the  company. b. How   much   of   the   risk   in   the   company   can   be   attributed   to   business   risk  and  much  to  financial  leverage? c. a. The  levered  beta  of  the  company  is  given  by  formula:  Ã‚   ? (levered)= (unlevered)(1+(1-tax rate)(D/E)) Solving, we get ? unlevered = 0. 95/(1+(1-0. 36)(1. 7/1. 5)) = 0. 55 b. The  proportion  of  the  risk  of  the  firm’s  equity  that  can  be  attributed  to  business   risk  is  0. 55/0. 95  =  58%,  while  the  remainder  is  due  to  financial  leverage  r isk. 3.Genting   Berhard   is   a   Malaysian   conglomerate,   with   holdings   in   plantations   and  tourist  resorts. The  beta  estimated  for  the  firm,  relative  to  the  Malaysian   stock   exchange,   is   1. 15,   and   the   long? term   government   borrowing   rate   in   Malaysia  is  11. 5%. (Malaysian  risk  premium  is  12%). a. Estimate  the  expected  return  on  the  stock. b. If   you   were   an   international   investor,   what   concerns,   if   any,   would   you   have   about   using   the   beta   estimated   relative   to   the   Malaysian index? If  you  do,  how  would  you  modify  the  beta? . The  expected  return  on  the  stock,  assuming  that  the  marginal  investor  is  a   Malaysian  with  primarily  domestic  holdings  is  0. 115  +  1. 15(0. 12)   =  25. 30%,  using   the  risk  premium  based  on  country  risk  provided  by  ratings  agencies. b. For  an  international  investor,  who  has  the  ability  to  diversify  globally,  some  of   the  risk  might  be  diversifiable,  and  hence  the  true  beta  might  be  lower. To  take   care  of  this  possible  overstatement,  it  would  be  appropriate  to  compute  a  beta   relative  to  a  more  global  index,  such  as  the  Morgan  Stanley  Capital  Index. . You  have  just  done  a  regression  of  monthly  stock  returns  of  Heavy  Tech  Inc. ,   a  manufacturer  of  heavy  machinery,  on  monthly  market  returns  over  the  last   five  years  and  come  up  with  the  following  regression:  Ã‚   RHeavyTech=0. 5%+1. 2RM 2 The  variance  of  the  stock  is  50%,  and  the  variance  of  the  market  is  20%. The   current  T. bill  rate  is  3%. (It  was  5%  one  year  ago). The  stock  is  currently  selling   for  $50,  down  $4  over  the  last  year,  and  has  paid  a  dividend  of  $2  during  the   last  year  and  expects  to  pay  a  dividend  of  $2. 50  over  the  next  year.The  New   York  Stock  Exchange  (NYSE)  composite  has  gone  down  8%  over  the  last  year,   with  a  dividend  yield  of  3%. HeavyTech  Inc. has  a  tax  rate  of  40%. a. What  is  the  expected  return  on  HeavyTech  over  the  next  year? b. What  would  you  expect  HeavyTech’s  price  to  be  one  year  from  today? c. What  would  you  have  expected  HeavyTech’s  stock  returns  to  be  over   the  las t  year? d. What  were  the  actual  returns  on  HeavyTech  over  the  last  year? e. HeavyTech  has  $100  million  in  equity  and  $50  million  in  debt. It  plans   to   issue   $50   million   in   new   equity   and   retire   $50   million   in   debt. Estimate  the  new  beta.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER FIVE

Once, when I was sixteen, a plane went supersonic directly over my head. I was walking in the woods when it happened, thinking of some story I was going to write, perhaps, or how great it would be if Doreen Fournier weakened some Friday night and let me take off her panties while we were parked at the end of Cushman Road. In any case I was travelling far roads in my own mind, and when that boom went off, I was caught totally by surprise. I went flat on the leafy ground with my hands over my head and my heart drumming crazily, sure I'd reached the end of my life (and while I was still a virgin). In my forty years, that was the only thing which equalled the final dream of the ‘Manderley series' for utter terror. I lay on the ground, waiting for the hammer to fall, and when thirty seconds or so passed and no hammer did fall, I began to realize it had just been some jet-jockey from the Brunswick Naval Air Station, too eager to wait until he was out over the Atlantic before going to Mach 1. But, holy shit, who ever could have guessed that it would be so loud? I got slowly to my feet and as I stood there with my heart finally slowing down, I realized I wasn't the only thing that had been scared witless by that sudden clear-sky boom. For the first time in my memory, the little patch of woods behind our house in Prout's Neck was entirely silent. I stood there in a dusty bar of sunlight, crumbled leaves all over my tee-shirt and jeans, holding my breath, listening. I had never heard a silence like it. Even on a cold day in January, the woods would have been full of conversation. At last a finch sang. There were two or three seconds of silence, and then a jay replied. Another two or three seconds went by, and then a crow added his two cents' worth. A woodpecker began to hammer for grubs. A chipmunk bumbled through some underbrush on my left. A minute after I had stood up, the woods were fully alive with little noises again; it was back to business as usual, and I continued with my own. I never forgot that unexpected boom, though, or the deathly silence which followed it. I thought of that June day often in the wake of the nightmare, and there was nothing so remarkable in that. Things had changed, somehow, or could change . . . but first comes silence while we assure ourselves that we are still unhurt and that the danger if there was danger is gone. Derry was shut down for most of the following week, anyway. Ice and high winds caused a great deal of damage during the storm, and a sudden twenty-degree plunge in the temperature afterward made the digging out hard and the cleanup slow. Added to that, the atmosphere after a March storm is always dour and pessimistic; we get them up this way every year (and two or three in April for good measure, if we're not lucky), but we never seem to expect them. Every time we get clouted, we take it personally. On a day toward the end of that week, the weather finally started to break. I took advantage, going out for a cup of coffee and a mid-morning pastry at the little restaurant three doors down from the Rite Aid where Johanna did her last errand. I was sipping and chewing and working the newspaper crossword when someone asked, ‘Could I share your booth, Mr. Noonan? It's pretty crowded in here today.' I looked up and saw an old man that I knew but couldn't quite place. ‘Ralph Roberts,' he said. ‘I volunteer down at the Red Cross. Me and my wife, Lois.' ‘Oh, okay, sure,' I said. I give blood at the Red Cross every six weeks or so. Ralph Roberts was one of the old parties who passed out juice and cookies afterward, telling you not to get up or make any sudden movements if you felt woozy. ‘Please, sit down.' He looked at my paper, folded open to the crossword and lying in a patch of sun, as he slid into the booth. ‘Don't you find that doing the crossword in the Derry News is sort of like striking out the pitcher in a baseball game?' he asked. I laughed and nodded. ‘I do it for the same reason folks climb Mount Everest, Mr. Roberts . . . because it's there. Only with the News crossword, no one ever falls off.' ‘Call me Ralph. Please.' ‘Okay. And I'm Mike.' ‘Good.' He grinned, revealing teeth that were crooked and a little yellow, but all his own. ‘I like getting to the first names. It's like being able to take off your tie. Was quite a little cap of wind we had, wasn't it?' ‘Yes,' I said, ‘but it's warming up nicely now.' The thermometer had made one of its nimble March leaps, climbing from twenty-five degrees the night before to fifty that morning. Better than the rise in air-temperature, the sun was warm again on your face. It was that warmth that had coaxed me out of the house. ‘Spring'll get here, I guess. Some years it gets a little lost, but it always seems to find its way back home.' He sipped his coffee, then set the cup down. ‘Haven't seen you at the Red Cross lately.' ‘I'm recycling,' I said, but that was a fib; I'd come eligible to give another pint two weeks ago. The reminder card was up on the refrigerator. It had just slipped my mind. ‘Next week, for sure.' ‘I only mention it because I know you're an A, and we can always use that.' ‘Save me a couch.' ‘Count on it. Everything going all right? I only ask because you look tired. If it's insomnia, I can sympathize, believe me.' He did have the look of an insomniac, I thought too wide around the eyes, somehow. But he was also a man in his mid- to late seventies, and I don't think anyone gets that far without showing it. Stick around a little while, and life maybe only jabs at your cheeks and eyes. Stick around a long while and you end up looking like Jake La Motta after a hard fifteen. I opened my mouth to say what I always do when someone asks me if I'm all right, then wondered why I always felt I had to pull that tiresome Marlboro Man shit, just who I was trying to fool. What did I think would happen if I told the guy who gave me a chocolate-chip cookie down at the Red Cross after the nurse took the needle out of my arm that I wasn't feeling a hundred percent? Earthquakes? Fire and flood? Shit. ‘No,' I said, ‘I really haven't been feeling so great, Ralph.' ‘Flu? It's been going around.' ‘Nah. The flu missed me this time, actually. And I've been sleeping all right.' Which was true there had been no recurrence of the Sara Laughs dream in either the normal or the high-octane version. ‘I think I've just got the blues.' ‘Well, you ought to take a vacation,' he said, then sipped his coffee. When he looked up at me again, he frowned and set his cup down. ‘What? Is something wrong?' No, I thought of saying. You were just the first bird to sing into the silence, Ralph, that's all. ‘No, nothing wrong,' I said, and then, because I sort of wanted to see how the words tasted coming out of my own mouth, I repeated them. ‘A vacation.' ‘Ayuh,' he said, smiling. ‘People do it all the time.' People do it all the time. He was right about that; even people who couldn't strictly afford to went on vacation. When they got tired. When they got all balled up in their own shit. When the world was too much with them, getting and spending. I could certainly afford a vacation, and I could certainly take the time off from work what work, ha-ha? and yet I'd needed the Red Cross cookie-man to point out what should have been self-evident to a college-educated guy like me: that I hadn't been on an actual vacation since Jo and I had gone to Bermuda, the winter before she died. My particular grindstone was no longer turning, but I had kept my nose to it all the same. It wasn't until that summer, when I read Ralph Roberts's obituary in the News (he was struck by a car), that I fully realized how much I owed him. That advice was better than any glass of orange juice I ever got after giving blood, let me tell you. When I left the restaurant, I didn't go home but tramped over half of the damned town, the section of newspaper with the partly completed crossword puzzle in it clamped under one arm. I walked until I was chilled in spite of the warming temperatures. I didn't think about anything, and yet I thought about everything. It was a special kind of thinking, the sort I'd always done when I was getting close to writing a book, and although I hadn't thought that way in years, I fell into it easily and naturally, as if I had never been away. It's like some guys with a big truck have pulled up in your driveway and are moving things into your basement. I can't explain it any better than that. You can't see what these things are because they're all wrapped up in padded quilts, but you don't need to see them. It's furniture, everything you need to make your house a home, make it just right, just the way you wanted it. When the guys have hopped back into their truck and driven away, you go down to the basement and walk around (the way I went walking around Derry that late morning, slopping up hill and down dale in my old galoshes), touching a padded curve here, a padded angle there. Is this one a sofa? Is that' one a dresser? It doesn't matter. Everything is here, the movers didn't forget a thing, and although you'll have to get it all upstairs yourself (straining your poor old back in the process, more often than not), that's okay. The important thing is that the delivery was complete. This time I thought hoped the delivery truck had brought the stuff I needed for the back forty: the years I might have to spend in a No Writing Zone. To the cellar door they had come, and they had knocked politely, and when after several months there was still no answer, they had finally fetched a battering ram. HEY BUDDY, HOPE THE NOISE DIDN'T SCARE YOU TOO BAD, SORRY ABOUT THE DOOR! I didn't care about the door; I cared about the furniture. Any pieces broken or missing? I didn't think so. I thought all I had to do was get it upstairs, pull off the furniture pads, and put it where it belonged. On my way back home, I passed The Shade, Derry's charming little revival movie house, which has prospered in spite of (or perhaps because of) the video revolution. This month they were showing classic SF from the fifties, but April was dedicated to Humphrey Bogart, Jo's all-time favorite. I stood under the marquee for several moments, studying one of the Coming Attractions posters. Then I went home, picked a travel agent pretty much at random from the phone book, and told the guy I wanted to go to Key Largo. Key West, you mean, the guy said. No, I told him, I mean Key Largo, just like in the movie with Bogie and Bacall. Three weeks. Then I rethought that. I was wealthy, I was on my own, and I was retired. What was this ‘three weeks' shit? Make it six, I said. Find me a cottage or something. Going to be expensive, he said. I told him I didn't care. When I came back to Derry, it would be spring. In the meantime, I had some furniture to unwrap. I was enchanted with Key Largo for the first month and bored out of my mind for the last two weeks. I stayed, though, because boredom is good. People with a high tolerance for boredom can get a lot of thinking done. I ate about a billion shrimp, drank about a thousand margaritas, and read twenty-three John D. MacDonald novels by actual count. I burned, peeled, and finally tanned. I bought a long-billed cap with PARROTHEAD printed on it in bright green thread. I walked the same stretch of beach until I knew everybody by first name. And I unwrapped furniture. A lot of it I didn't like, but there was no doubt that it all fit the house. I thought about Jo and our life together. I thought about saying to her that no one was ever going to confuse Being Two with Look Homeward, Angel. ‘You aren't going to pull a lot of frustrated-artist crap on me, are you, Noonan?' she had replied . . . and during my time on Key Largo, those words kept coming back, always in Jo's voice: crap, frustrated-artist crap, all that fucking schoolboy frustrated-artist crap. I thought about her long red woods apron, coming to me with a hatful of black trumpet mushrooms, laughing and triumphant: ‘Nobody on the TR eats better than the Noonans tonight!' she'd cried. I thought of her painting her toenails, bent over between her own thighs in the way only women doing that particular piece of business can manage. I thought of her throwing a book at me because I laughed at some new haircut. I thought of her trying to learn how to play a breakdown on her banjo and of how she looked braless in a thin sweater. I thought of her crying and laughing and angry. I thought of her telling me it was crap, all that frustrated-artist crap. And I thought about the dreams, especially the culminating dream. I could do that easily, because it never faded as the more ordinary ones do. The final Sara Laughs dream and my very first wet dream (coming upon a girl lying naked in a hammock and eating a plum) are the only two that remain perfectly clear to me, year after year; the rest are either hazy fragments or completely forgotten. There were a great many clear details to the Sara dreams the loons, the crickets, the evening star and my wish upon it, just to name a few but I thought most of those things were just verisimilitude. Scene-setting, if you will. As such, they could be dismissed from my considerations. That left three major elements, three large pieces of furniture to be unwrapped. As I sat on the beach, watching the sun go down between my sandy toes, I didn't think you had to be a shrink to see how those three things went together. In the Sara dreams, the major elements were the woods behind me, the house below me, and Michael Noonan himself, frozen in the middle. It's getting dark and there's danger in the woods. It will be frightening to go to the house below, perhaps because it's been empty so long, but I never doubt I must go there; scary or not, it's the only shelter I have. Except I can't do it. I can't move. I've got writer's walk. In the nightmare I am finally able to go toward shelter, only the shelter proves false. Proves more dangerous than I had ever expected in my . . . well, yes, in my wildest dreams. My dead wife rushes out, screaming and still tangled in her shroud, to attack me. Even five weeks later and almost three thousand miles from Derry, remembering that speedy white thing with its baggy arms would make me shiver and look back over my shoulder. But was it Johanna? I didn't really know, did I? The thing was all wrapped up. The coffin looked like the one in which she had been buried, true, but that might just be misdirection. Writer's walk, writer's block. I can't write, I told the voice in the dream. The voice says I can. The voice says the writer's block is gone, and I believe it because the writer's walk is gone, I'm finally headed down the driveway, going to shelter. I'm afraid, though. Even before the shapeless white thing makes its appearance, I'm terrified. I say it's Mrs. Danvers I'm afraid of, but that's just my dreaming mind getting Sara Laughs and Manderley all mixed up. I'm afraid of ‘I'm afraid of writing,' I heard myself saying out loud. ‘I'm afraid to even try.' This was the night before I finally flew back to Maine, and I was half-past sober, going on drunk. By the end of my vacation, I was drinking a lot of evenings. ‘It's not the block that scares me, it's undoing the block. I'm really fucked, boys and girls. I'm fucked big-time.' Fucked or not, I had an idea I'd finally reached the heart of the matter. I was afraid of undoing the block, maybe afraid of picking up the strands of my life and going on without Jo. Yet some deep part of my mind believed I must do it; that's what the menacing noises behind me in the woods were about. And belief counts for a lot. Too much, maybe, especially if you're imaginative. When an imaginative person gets into mental trouble, the line between seeming and being has a way of disappearing. Things in the woods, yes, sir. I had one of them right there in my hand as I was thinking these things. I lifted my drink, holding it toward the western sky so that the setting sun seemed to be burning in the glass. I was drinking a lot, and maybe that was okay on Key Largo hell, people were supposed to drink a lot on vacation, it was almost the law but I'd been drinking too much even before I left. The kind of drinking that could get out of hand in no time at all. The kind that could get a man in trouble. Things in the woods, and the potentially safe place guarded by a scary bugbear that was not my wife, but perhaps my wife's memory. It made sense, because Sara Laughs had always been Jo's favorite place on earth. That thought led to another, one that made me swing my legs over the side of the chaise I'd been reclining on and sit up in excitement. Sara Laughs had also been the place where the ritual had begun . . . champagne, last line, and the all-important benediction: Well, then, that's all right, isn't it? Did I want things to be all right again? Did I truly want that? A month or a year before I mightn't have been sure, but now I was. The answer was yes. I wanted to move on let go of my dead wife, rehab my heart, move on. But to do that, I'd have to go back. Back to the log house. Back to Sara Laughs. ‘Yeah,' I said, and my body broke out in gooseflesh. ‘Yeah, you got it.' So why not? The question made me feel as stupid as Ralph Roberts's observation that I needed a vacation. If I needed to go back to Sara Laughs now that my vacation was over, indeed why not? It might be a little scary the first night or two, a hangover from my final dream, but just being there might dissolve the dream faster. And (this last thought I allowed in only one humble corner of my conscious mind) something might happen with my writing. It wasn't likely . . . but it wasn't impossible, either. Barring a miracle, hadn't that been my thought on New Year's Day as I sat on the rim of the tub, holding a damp washcloth to the cut on my forehead? Yes. Barring a miracle. Sometimes blind people fall down, knock their heads, and regain their sight. Sometimes maybe cripples are able to throw their crutches away when they get to the top of the church steps. I had eight or nine months before Harold and Debra started really bugging me for the next novel. I decided to spend the time at Sara Laughs. It would take me a little while to tie things up in Derry, and awhile for Bill Dean to get the house on the lake ready for a year-round resident, but I could be down there by the Fourth of July, easily. I decided that was a good date to shoot for, not just the birthday of our country, but pretty much the end of bug season in western Maine. By the day I packed up my vacation gear (the John D. MacDonald paperbacks I left for the cabin's next inhabitant), shaved a week's worth of stubble off a face so tanned it no longer looked like my own to me, and flew back to Maine, I was decided: I'd go back to the place my subconscious mind had identified as shelter against the deepening dark; I'd go back even though my mind had also suggested that doing so would not be without risks. I would not go back expecting Sara to be Lourdes . . . but I would allow myself to hope, and when I saw the evening star peeping out over the lake for the first time, I would allow myself to wish on it. Only one thing didn't fit into my neat deconstruction of the Sara dreams, and because I couldn't explain it, I tried to ignore it. I didn't have much luck, though; part of me was still a writer, I guess, and a writer is a man who has taught his mind to misbehave. It was the cut on the back of my hand. That cut had been in all the dreams, I would swear it had . . . and then it had actually appeared. You didn't get that sort of shit in the works of Dr. Freud; stuff like that was strictly for the Psychic Friends hotline. It was a coincidence, that's all, I thought as my plane started its descent. I was in seat A-2 (the nice thing about flying up front is that if the plane goes down, you're first to the crash site) and looking at pine forests as we slipped along the glidepath toward Bangor International Airport. The snow was gone for another year; I had vacationed it to death. Only coincidence. How many times have you cut your hands? I mean, they're always out front, aren't they, waving themselves around? Practically begging for it. All that should have rung true, and yet somehow it didn't, quite. It should have, but . . . well . . . It was the boys in the basement. They were the ones who didn't buy it. The boys in the basement didn't buy it at all. At that point there was a thump as the 737 touched down, and I put the whole line of thought out of my mind. One afternoon shortly after arriving back home, I rummaged the closets until I found the shoeboxes containing Jo's old photographs. I sorted them, then studied my way through the ones of Dark Score Lake. There were a staggering number of these, but because Johanna was the shutterbug, there weren't many with her in them. I found one, though, that I remembered taking in 1990 or '91. Sometimes even an untalented photographer can take a good picture if seven hundred monkeys spent seven hundred years bashing away at seven hundred typewriters, and all that and this was good. In it Jo was standing on the float with the sun going down red-gold behind her. She was just out of the water, dripping wet, wearing a two-piece swimming suit, gray with red piping. I had caught her laughing and brushing her soaked hair back from her forehead and temples. Her nipples were very prominent against the cups of her halter. She looked like an actress on a movie poster for one of those guilty-pleasure B-pictures about monsters at Party Beach or a serial killer stalking the campus. I was sucker-punched by a sudden powerful lust for her. I wanted her upstairs just as she was in that photograph, with strands of her hair pasted to her cheeks and that wet bathing suit clinging to her. I wanted to suck her nipples through the halter top, taste the cloth and feel their hardness through it. I wanted to suck water out of the cotton like milk, then yank the bottom of her suit off and fuck her until we both exploded. Hands shaking a little, I put the photograph aside, with some others I liked (although there were no others I liked in quite that same way). I had a huge hard-on, one of those ones that feel like stone covered with skin. Get one of those and until it goes away you are good for nothing. The quickest way to solve a problem like that when there's no woman around willing to help you solve it is to masturbate, but that time the idea never even crossed my mind. Instead I walked restlessly through the upstairs rooms of my house with my fists opening and closing and what looked like a hood ornament stuffed down the front of my jeans. Anger may be a normal stage of the grieving process I've read that it is but I was never angry at Johanna in the wake of her death until the day I found that picture. Then, wow. There I was, walking around with a boner that just wouldn't quit, furious with her. Stupid bitch, why had she been running on one of the hottest days of the year? Stupid, inconsiderate bitch to leave me alone like this, not even able to work. I sat down on the stairs and wondered what I should do. A drink was what I should do, I decided, and then maybe another drink to scratch the first one's back. I actually got up before deciding that wasn't a very good idea at all. I went into my office instead, turned on the computer, and did a crossword puzzle. That night when I went to bed, I thought of looking at the picture of Jo in her bathing suit again. I decided that was almost as bad an idea as a few drinks when I was feeling angry and depressed. But I'll have the dream tonight, I thought as I turned off the light. I'll have the dream for sure. I didn't, though. My dreams of Sara Laughs seemed to be finished. A week's thought made the idea of at least summering at the lake seem better than ever. So, on a Saturday afternoon in early May when I calculated that any self-respecting Maine caretaker would be home watching the Red Sox, I called Bill Dean and told him I'd be at my lake place from the Fourth of July or so . . . and that if things went as I hoped, I'd be spending the fall and winter there as well. ‘Well, that's good,' he said. ‘That's real good news. A lot of folks down here've missed you, Mike. Quite a few that want to condole with you about your wife, don't you know.' Was there the faintest note of reproach in his voice, or was that just my imagination? Certainly Jo and I had cast a shadow in the area; we had made significant contributions to the little library which served the Motton-Kashwakamak-Castle View area, and Jo had headed the successful fund drive to get an area bookmobile up and running. In addition to that, she had been part of a ladies' sewing circle (afghans were her specialty), and a member in good standing of the Castle County Crafts Co-op. Visits to the sick . . . helping out with the annual volunteer fire department blood drive . . . womaning a booth during Summerfest in Castle Rock . . . and stuff like that was only where she had started. She didn't do it in any ostentatious Lady Bountiful way, either, but unobtrusively and humbly, with her head lowered (often to hide a rather sharp smile, I should add my Jo had a Biercean sense of humor). Christ, I thought, maybe old Bill had a right to sound reproachful. ‘People miss her,' I said. ‘Ayuh, they do.' ‘I still miss her a lot myself. I think that's why I've stayed away from the lake. That's where a lot of our good times were.' ‘I s'pose so. But it'll be damned good to see you down this way. I'll get busy. The place is all right you could move into it this afternoon, if you was a mind but when a house has stood empty the way Sara has, it gets stale.' ‘I know.' ‘I'll get Brenda Meserve to clean the whole shebang from top to bottom. Same gal you always had, don't you know.' ‘Brenda's a little old for comprehensive spring cleaning, isn't she?' The lady in question was about sixty-five, stout, kind, and gleefully vulgar. She was especially fond of jokes about the travelling salesman who spent the night like a rabbit, jumping from hole to hole. No Mrs. Danvers she. ‘Ladies like Brenda Meserve never get too old to oversee the festivities,' Bill said. ‘She'll get two or three girls to do the vacuuming and heavy lifting. Set you back maybe three hundred dollars. Sound all right?' ‘Like a bargain.' ‘The well needs to be tested, and the gennie, too, although I'm sure both of em's okay. I seen a hornet's nest by Jo's old studio that I want to smoke before the woods get dry. Oh, and the roof of the old house you know, the middle piece needs to be reshingled. I shoulda talked to you about that last year, but with you not using the place, I let her slide. You stand good for that, too?' ‘Yes, up to ten grand. Beyond that, call me.' ‘If we have to go over ten, I'll smile and kiss a pig.' ‘Try to have it all done before I get down there, okay?' ‘Coss. You'll want your privacy, I know that . . . just so long's you know you won't get any right away. We was shocked when she went so young; all of us were. Shocked and sad. She was a dear.' From a Yankee mouth, that word rhymes with Leah. ‘Thank you, Bill.' I felt tears prickle my eyes. Grief is like a drunken house guest, always coming back for one more goodbye hug. ‘Thanks for saying.' ‘You'll get your share of carrot-cakes, chummy.' He laughed, but a little doubtfully, as if afraid he was committing an impropriety. ‘I can eat a lot of carrot-cake,' I said, ‘and if folks overdo it, well, hasn't Kenny Auster still got that big Irish wolfhound?' ‘Yuh, that thing'd eat cake til he busted!' Bill cried in high good humor. He cackled until he was coughing. I waited, smiling a little myself. ‘Blueberry, he calls that dog, damned if I know why. Ain't he the gormiest thing!' I assumed he meant the dog and not the dog's master. Kenny Auster, not much more than five feet tall and neatly made, was the opposite of gormy, that peculiar Maine adjective that means clumsy, awkward, and clay-footed. I suddenly realized that I missed these people Bill and Brenda and Buddy Jellison and Kenny Auster and all the others who lived year-round at the lake. I even missed Blueberry, the Irish wolfhound, who trotted everywhere with his head up just as if he had half a brain in it and long strands of saliva depending from his jaws. ‘I've also got to get down there and clean up the winter blowdown,' Bill said. He sounded embarrassed. ‘It ain't bad this year that last big storm was all snow over our way, thank God but there's still a fair amount of happy crappy I ain't got to yet. I shoulda put it behind me long before now. You not using the place ain't an excuse. I been cashing your checks.' There was something amusing about listening to the grizzled old fart beating his breast; Jo would have kicked her feet and giggled, I'm quite sure. ‘If everything's right and running by July Fourth, Bill, I'll be happy.' ‘You'll be happy as a clam in a mudflat, then. That's a promise.' Bill sounded as happy as a clam in a mudflat himself, and I was glad. ‘Goingter come down and write a book by the water? Like in the old days? Not that the last couple ain't been fine, my wife couldn't put that last one down, but ‘ ‘I don't know,' I said, which was the truth. And then an idea struck me. ‘Bill, would you do me a favor before you clean up the driveway and turn Brenda Meserve loose?' ‘Happy to if I can,' he said, so I told him what I wanted. Four days later, I got a little package with this laconic return address: DEAN/GEN DELIV/TR-90 (DARK SCORE). I opened it and shook out twenty photographs which had been taken with one of those little cameras you use once and then throw away. Bill had filled out the roll with various views of the house, most conveying that subtle air of neglect a place gets when it's not used enough . . . even a place that's caretook (to use Bill's word) gets that neglected feel after awhile. I barely glanced at these. The first four were the ones I wanted, and I lined them up on the kitchen table, where the strong sunlight would fall directly on them. Bill had taken these from the top of the driveway, pointing the disposable camera down at the sprawl of Sara Laughs. I could see the moss which had grown not only on south wings, as well. I could see the litter of fallen branches and the drifts of pine needles on the driveway. Bill must have been tempted to clear all that away before taking his snaps, but he hadn't. I'd told him exactly what I wanted ‘warts and all' was the phrase I had used and Bill had given it to me. The bushes on either side of the driveway had thickened a lot since Jo and I had spent any significant amount of time at the lake; they hadn't exactly run wild, but yes, some of the longer branches did seem to yearn toward each other across the asphalt like separated lovers. Yet what my eye came back to again and again was the stoop at the foot of the driveway. The other resemblances between the photographs and my dreams of Sara Laughs might only be coincidental (or the writer's often surprisingly practical imagination at work), but I could explain the sunflowers growing out through the boards of the stoop no more than I had been able to explain the cut on the back of my hand. I turned one of the photos over. On the back, in a spidery script, Bill had written: These fellows are way early . . . and trespassing! I flipped back to the picture side. Three sunflowers, growing up through the boards of the stoop. Not two, not four, but three large sunflowers with faces like searchlights. Just like the ones in my dream.