President Obama's Innauguration Address Assignment - 1

President Obama's Innauguration Address - Assignment Example When Obama refers to absolutism, he indirectly refers to the rigidity of republicans to embrace change. Obama has directly challenged the political ideologies of republicans that thrive of rigid principles and says that they must evolve with times to meet new challenges successfully. He is actually referring to the realistic values of American democratic process that is able to acknowledge change and innovate to ensure the fundamental values of freedom and equality to the people. President Obama’s inaugural address asserts his agenda for the current presidential tenure. He is serious in promoting universal healthcare, greater opportunities for marginalized population and new responses to face other challenges of times. New issues like climate change, gays’ rights etc. have also been included in his agenda. Indeed, issues like environment, sustainable development, diversity etc. require proactive participation of people and government which Obama claims as collective action. Obama’s strategy is clearly defined when he declares his allegiance to God and country and not to party and faction. He believes that he needs to think like a common man so that he is better able to understand their problems. Indeed, I believe that this approach would help him to push reforms, especially healthcare reforms and ensure equal opportunities so that poor can avail same opportunities for growth and

Understanding Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Understanding Terrorism - Assignment Example It seeks to identify long term and newly emerging political conflicts which might lead to terrorism and try to find solutions for them (Martin, 2010). The problem with this approach is that it may affect innocent people in the name of collateral damage. Soft approach to terrorism is where the government or the state seeks to address the root and main causes of terrorism. This tries to accommodate terrorist demands including negotiations as well as modifications that tackle the grievances of the terrorists. Soft response deals with the immediate crisis caused by terrorist’s attack which makes it an event related situation (Martin, 2010). The problem with this method is it gives terrorism power to that state and that is the last thing they should have. Economic sanctions are used to counter terrorism because they are believed to follow tradition and customs thus making any government using it to have an advantage. Economic sanctions include trade restrictions and other controls (Martin,

Analysis of Krafts Takeover of Cadbury

Analysis of Krafts Takeover of Cadbury Overview Of Both Companies Cadburys origins date back to almost two centuries when it was founded by John Cadbury who started the business by selling cocoa and tea in Birmingham, UK. Later he expanded by starting a line of beverages after a merger with Indian Schweppes changing the company name to Cadbury Schweppes (Chinn 1998). Successful product developments and launches have enabled Cadbury to boast of an extensive confectionary line consisting of Cocoa Essence, Easter Eggs,Milk Chocolate, Cadbury Fingers, Dairy Milk, BournevilleChocolate, Milk Tray, Flake Creme Egg, Crunchie, Picnic, Curly windy, Wispa boost, Twirl and Time Out (Cadbury 2010). Kraft, on the other hand, is a US company about a century old, which started off as a door to door cheese business but expanded into other confectionary items through many takeovers previously such as Ritz Crackers, Nabisco (Oreos) and Phenix Cheese Corporation (Philadelphia Cheese) to achieve success (Smith 2009). It is second in terms of sales and popularity in the confectionary industry with annual revenues of $42 billion, operating in more than 150 countries (Kraft 2008). The Idea Of A Takeover Due to recessionary times following fall in sales, many companies in the confectionary industry recognized the potential of merging with their competitors to become competitive and enjoy economies of scale (Mauboussin, 2010). Cadbury had continued to be a strong performer in the confectionary industry and shown steady performance and growth in light of the turbulent economic times. Much of Cadburys growth was due to its presence in emerging global markets. Kraft was attracted to Cadbury due its strong performance during the economic crisis. This led to Krafts proposal to Cadbury of a takeover. The initial offering of $16.3 billion or 740pence per share by Kraft to Cadbury was outright rejected as derisory and an attempt by Kraft to take over Cadbury for cheap. Cadbury has had strong brands whose icons are etched in the minds all over the world, an impressive category line and extensive worldwide consumer base. Successful financial overview and steady business model reinforced Cadburys belief that it should be an independent company. Krafts bid did not come remotely close to reflecting the companys true worth. Kraft proposed another bid shortly: This comprised of an offer of  £10.1 billion ($17 billion, same terms as the first bid in September-300 pence in cash and 0.2589 Kraft shares per Cadbury shares. The closing price of 9th November reflected the bid valuation of Cadbury at 710 pence which was lower than the share price of 761p on that day. Krafts share price: $26.53; Exchange rate (as agreed): $1.66 / GBP. Ratio: 0.2589 Kraft shares per every Cadbury share (26.53/1.66 * 0.2589 =  £ 4.133 + 4.13 =  £ 7.13).This was less than the price of Cadbury on that day and even the initial level of  £ 7.45. Cadbury rejected the offer on the basis of undervalued Cadbury which was now of a lesser value. It was in fact even lower than the current Cadbury share price. The Cadbury chairman said:â€Å"Under your proposal, Cadbury would be absorbed into Krafts low growth, conglomerate business model, an unappealing prospect which contrasts sharply with our strategy to be a pure play confectionery company.† The hype created by rumors of takeover figures led to exciting speculations .Media reported Ferrero to be considering a rival bid. Hersheys confirmed its own interest for same purpose. There were not only speculations of a joint bid but also of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Co. joining the bidding race. All this favored Cadbury whose share price witnessed new highs. Hersheys and Ferrero would struggle to bid alone and only their combined offer could beat Krafts offer. On January 18, Kraft finally managed to take over one of the worlds second largest confectionery manufacturer in a hostile bid of an enormous 11.5billion (US$19.5billion). This deal will be remembered in history as one of the largest transnational deals, especially in the aftermath of credit crunch. After four months of continuous resistance, Cadbury shareholders agreed to Krafts offering of $19.5 billion, (840 pence per share). This was agreed upon with the spirit of creating the worlds largest confectioner. This consisted of 500 pence in cash per share and the remaining amount paid to Cadbury shareholder in the form of Kraft shares. The shareholders had the power to decide the mix of amount they wanted in cash and shares.   According to estimations, the finals offer presented a multiple of 13 times Cadburys earnings in 2009 (after interest, taxes and debt were paid). The high bid price overruled the threat of Hersheys or Unilever offering a price for the same strategy, that is take over. The only rival left   was Nestle which too was reduced significantly when Cadburys Director signed the agreement that if Cadbury were to change its mind about the takeover, it would pay a handsome penalty for it, hence such a situation arising became highly unlikely. The Kraft management, led by Irene Rosenfeld also assured that Kraft had a great respect for Cadburys brands, employees and reputable history and therefore the employees of Cadbury would  Ã‚   do well in the new environment. Also, she verbally assured that under the new agreement the previous contractual rights of the employees would remain the same as before. Market Structure Of The Two Companies Cadbury and Kraft are both multinational operations with activities in both developed and developing countries. Cadbury is however the market leader in UK and Irelands confectionary where consumers have a liking for British chocolate containing vegetable oil having a richer taste in milk and also sweeter as opposed to continental chocolate having cocoa fat content; hence Kraft has a low share in such markets. Also, Cadburys strong standing in the Indian (Schweppes) and North American Markets was cleverly identified by Kraft who wanted to tap it and exploit under its own name now to add to its success story. Advantages Of The Takeover For Kraft. It was the biggest cross-border acquisition this year. Such a deal clearly pushed Kraft as number 1 dealer in confectionary. A merger allowed Kraft to gain a footing in the fast growing chewing gum category. Kraft management believes that the combination of the two companies is both a strategic as well as complimentary fit, boasting a portfolio of over 40 confectionary brands each having the ability to yield annual sales of over $100 million. A combination of Kraft products like Toblerone, Oreos and Ritz crackers with Trident gum and Dairy Milk chocolates from Cadbury would result in $625 million annual pretax cost savings on annual company costs of research and development, advertising, branding and procurement. There would also be a significant level of revenue synergy ($50 billion annually) that would subsequently result in higher earnings per share. After the takeover, Kraft would have a greater ability to compete with the giant Nestle on confectionary grounds by increasing its market share in Britain and enjoying the benefits of Cadburys strong geographical networking in Asia. Krafts growth prospects would brighten through access to new brands particularly in the confectionary department along with new distribution channels for the existing products which are outside US. These constitute about one third of the market in developing countries such as Africa, China and India. Advantages Of The Takeover For Cadbury Cadbury would profit from Krafts extensive distribution network around the globe. Cadbury had been vulnerable to a takeover ever since it demerged its US soft drinks business. This high takeover bid was an attractive opportunity to do away with such a fear. A combined Kraft and Cadbury would significantly expand the global reach of both businesses and create synergies worth in the region of $625m. Since a stand-alone Cadbury â€Å"had limited opportunities for value creation,† agreement to the contract for takeover seemed like a wise decision. Disadvantages Of The Takeover Along with the obvious benefits come the many challenges and ethical issues. These are primarily high debt issues and employee layoffs.   The high debt position of Kraft has further worsened with the takeover as funds were borrowed to pay the Cadbury shareholders a higher yield. Kraft also sold off its frozen Pizza line in order to make the takeover happen. The unions are worried that the jobs of hundreds would be at stake (estimated 9000plus) as Kraft would try to reduce costs to operate efficiently and pay back its debts. The company has also not given any formal assurance that it would protect 4500 UK jobs. Also it is a known fact that when a company needs to cut costs, jobs and job conditions suffer. The British Government also opposes takeovers of British companies by foreign giants as it nearly always leads to job losses. This takeover too was met with resistance including Gordon Browns advice and insistence against its happening but the shareholders overruled it and still went ahead with the deal. According to a Union head, â€Å"This is a very sad day for U.K. manufacturing. A successful, iconic, independent U.K. brand will now be owned by a giant company with massive debt.† In the face of such a scenario, even if employees are laid off it will not affect those who are rich and/ or are major shareholders in the company.   For example, if the chairman, Roger Carr gets axed, he would still walk away with $30 million! This proves that it is the low level managers and employees who feel the vulnerability of such an action. According to David Bailey, professor at Coventry University Business School; Serious questions need to be asked about Krafts intentions†¦ Kraft already has a track record of cutting production and moving production abroad†¦ Theres no guarantee that theyll keep production in the UK in the long run. When employees of both companies were interviewed to ask about their view points, most expressed fear and uncertainty. They were resistant to the idea of such a large company where their positions and titles might be reduced or lost due to the massive structure. They are also despondent of their lack of involvement in this decision. According to one employee, â€Å"nobody really knows what is going to happen, but it is definitely not going to be pleasant.† A disadvantage for Krafts shareholders of the takeover is that they now mentally feel less financially strong as assets were being sold and the entire pizza production plant worth $3.7 billion was sold to raise money for the takeover. The Market Theories Being Practiced The Market theory witnessed in such a situation is a combination of globalization practiced over countries and between countries of the two companies having their origins in US and UK. The practice generated by Kraft, in this case, was that of a hostile takeover, where the big company used its aggressive stance on growth to acquire a smaller company. This is a very certain way to achieve company growth. In the event of a significant bid for shares, the shareholders are likely accept the offer but the board of directors more likely to resist. This is exactly what happened with this takeover too, however due to low bid price initially, the shareholders were not inclined towards the idea until the bid became impossible to resist. Some Kraft shareholders too were also strongly against this idea, especially Warren Buffett who felt that Kraft was overpaying Cadbury when there was no need for Cadburys products in Krafts portfolio for long term growth. He expressed his desire of wishing to stop the takeover if he could. Conclusion Objectively speaking, when takeovers of such a   nature occurs; Two large companies come under one brand name, with the larger one burdened with high debt, the risk of business coming down due to conflicts in operation strategies in the near future are highly likely to occur. These are not realized when the benefits of the takeover are being discussed and third parties involved in its happenings are proactive as they too are making money. These parties are usually the deal makers, lawyers and other advisers who earn their commissions irrespective of whether the deal is eventually a success or a failure. Referencing Chinn, C. The Cadbury story: a short history (1998). Brewin Books. Shwartz, S.,(2005).HosTorScience Fiction, reprint, Tom Doherty Associates Faulkner, D., (2002)Strategy, Taylor and Francis Griffin, R.,(2009)Management,5,Houghton Mifflin Slater, R., (1999), illustrated, Beard Books. Hasian, Jr, 2008, Journal of Communication Inquiry, 32,249-270 www.kraftfoodscompany.com www.cadbury.co.uk www.unitetheunion.com www.ft.com www.cnn.com/2010/BUSIN Smith, A.F., Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine. (2009) Columbia University Press, 286-92. Maboussin, M. J. Surge in the Urge to Merge. (2010). Legg Mason Capital Management.

Making a Less Restrictive Environment Through Inclusion Essay -- Inclu

Making a Less Restrictive Environment Through Inclusion Inclusion can be an excellent opportunity for many students with special needs when the classroom situation appropriately fits the needs of the students with special needs, the needs of the rest of the students in the classroom, and the teacher. It allows special needs children the ability to defy stigmas, a deficit of resources, and unrealistically low expectations. Social atmospheres enable both the special needs and non-special needs children necessary potential bonding opportunities for proper development. Additionally, the increased class size and demands mandate additional support and aid for the teacher. Unfortunately, there still exists much debate over the definition of inclusion as well as the implementation of it. Arguments over consequences, support, effectiveness, and funding dampen its effects. The future of the inclusion process for special needs children still leaves much to the imagination. Conclusion: The issues surrounding special needs children are diverse and not easily rectified. The complication and variety of the children’s situations and individual needs are a further complication to this dilemma. The children, those with and without special needs, are undoubtedly the future of the world; All should be equipped to deal with tomorrow’s challenges with the most formidable tools at disposal. This should be priority one. Inclusion can be an excellent opportunity for many students with special needswhen the classroom situation appropriately fits the needs of the student with special needs, as well as the rest of the students in the classroom, and the teacher. There are many advantages of integrating a student with special needs i... ...html Sullivan, L. (2001). Why Inclusion? Retrieved October 25, 2003, from: http://www.childcareresourcesinc.org/pdfs/TS525.pdf Viadero, D. (1993). Special Educators’ Group Weighs in on ‘Full Inclusion.’ Retrieved November 16, 2003, from: http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=29cec.h12 Venn, J. (1999). Students with Physical Disabilities and Health Impairments. ERIC Clearinghouse Digest, 459. Retrieved October 17, 2003 from ERIC. Harris-Kroll, N. (2002). Learning in Resource Rooms. Retrieved November 22, 2003 from http://learningresourcecenter.net. Special Education Curriculum. (2002). Retrieved December 3, 2003 from http://www.stow.summit.k12.oh.us/speceduc.htm. Kidder, K. (2003). Pull-Out or Pull-In? What Works Best. Retrieved on November 21, 2003 from http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/special_education/inclusion_pullin.htm.

Can Hybrid Cars Reduce the Dependency on Fossil Fuels

Can Hybrid Cars Reduce The Dependency On Fossil Fuels? I am going to talk about hybrid cars and can they reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The hybrid cars manufactures that I’m going to use is Toyota, Honda Can hybrid cars reduce the dependency on fossil fuels? Hybrid cars can reduce the dependency of fossil fuels because it would stand between the consuming world and its gas guzzling cars by replacing them with fuel efficient hybrid cars.Hybrid cars have lower level of gasoline consumption, therefore environmentally friendly causing less pollution then gasoline- powered cars. They beat electric cars by a long run which gives about 50 – 100 miles in-between    battery charges that require many hours to fully charge up. Even then electric cars made it possible to have development towards hybrid cars. Toyota Prius was the first passenger car with hybrid technology which was brought forth in Japan in 1997. Toyota and Honda introduced hybrid cars to the American mark ets in the beginning of 1999.Hybrid car are a combination of gasoline and electric powered car. Hybrid cars consist of a internal combustion engine that is small and fuel efficient. The hybrid cars internal combustion engine is assisted by the electric motor when the car is accelerating. The electric motor is generated by rechargeable batteries that automatically recharges when the car is being driven. The Toyota and Honda hybrids work and operate in a similar manner. The engine for gasoline    is smaller then the regular conventional cars.Essentially Toyota and Honda hybrids fellow the same concepts as most hybrids, It receives backup energy from the electric motor gets energy that the motor needs to help the engine when accelerating there for not consuming a large quantity of gasoline. However the Toyota and Honda hybrids also have a different source of generating energy. When the driver hits his or her breaks the kinetic energy created by the heat and friction of the break is c laimed by the electric motor and stored in the batteries. Then it comes to transmissions most hybrids and conventional cars are alike.However the Prius has an additional generator and a circle gear complex to make a controlled, yet continues variable transmission, taking away the need for any conventional manual or automatic transmission which use up unnecessary amount of energy that go to waste. The early hybrid gave about fifty to sixty miles per gallon. The exhaust pollution was almost eliminated and also the acceleration of the hybrids were far bettered then the non-hybrid cars. By 2008 almost all car manufactures offered hybrid model cars along with a few sports hybrid cars.Many of the sports hybrid cars however did not give as much mileage and more expensive then the conventional cars. The federal government offers a good amount of tax credits to purchaser of hybrid cars. The key to the future of hybrid–car development lies in battery technology. The early hybrids resem bled the old conventional electrical system that ran with lead-acid batteries. These lead-acid batteries were bulky and carried a heavy weight and were a major factor in holding back the development of hybrid and electric cars.Most of the current hybrids contain nickel metal hydride batteries, which are smaller, lighter, and more powerful. However the cost is a big factor in this development. Nonetheless most car manufacturers are focusing on lithium-ion batteries. The way to using lithium-ion batteries on hybrid cars has opened up promise the development to a generation of new hybrid vehicles. This development of lithium-ion batteries on hybrid cars allows the capability of the cars to be plug in hybrids. The car will have extended distance without the help of their gasoline engine.This development has made hybrid cars more affordable. In the big picture if our country in whole used more hybrid cars in our day to day life it would be just that much less gasoline we would not me usi ng. If there if do get a hybrid car in the long run you a creating a clean friendly environment and saving less trips to the gas pumps, which mean more money in your pockets. Who doesn’t want that with all the rising high gas prices and our economic condition? We need to put more hybrid cars on the road so we are use less gas and better our economy as a whole.

Apple’s Success, Service and Innovations

CASE: â€Å"The Success of the iPod and iPhone raises the licensing question for Apple†¦. Again† 1. Use the Cyclic Innovation Model figure to illustrate the innovation process in this case and provide a brief description? Apple started in 1977 when it’s first personal computer was designed by Steven Jobs and Steven Wozniak. The thing that was different about the Apple Macintosh personal computer was that it used a mouse driven operating system, which was not being used by other computers at the time.Microsoft were using a Microsoft Disc Operating System, which they licensed to all other PC manufacturers, Apple refused to do this which limited it to only people who bought Apple computers, this led to Apple’s shares falling significantly. Although Apple had an arguably better operating system they were losing in the market, because Microsoft licensed other manufacturers to use their operating system it became the common household system. This stubbornness alth ough at the time seen to be foolish at the time, has helped with their success today (Trott, P 2012).Apple’s technological research over time (and the return of Steven Jobs) led to the creation of the iPod. In 2001 the iPod was launched, from 2003 the sales of the iPod heavily increased, generating massive profits for Apple, and giving the brand more exposure. To help Apple deal with the market competitors they kept improving and modifying the iPod, whilst still being able to lower its price. They did this by making modified versions such as the iPod Shuffle, and upgrading other models. Apple has continued to upgrade and invent new products to keep its customers and attract new ones.This has been done through the iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone, adding new technological features, such as giving phones other multipurpose uses such as an iPod substitute as well as the invention of the ‘apps store’. Their technological developments to make these products do all sorts of amazing new things has given them a huge upper hand in the market (Trott, P 2012). Apple have made a positive shift in the market transition since they first started, from the debut of the Apple Macintosh in 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club which was barely taken seriously.To now where the release of the iPad which was criticized for being too big for an iPhone but too small for a laptop which has made considerable profit, is astounding. The brand image they have built is superior to any other technological brand in the market, in my opinion. 2. With Sales of iPod falling and Apple facing fierce competition from all quarters such as Sony, Dell, Samsung and other electronics firms as well as mobile phone makers who are incorporating MP3 players into their devices, can the iPod survive?The iPod has become the standardized form of MP3 players in the market, taking up 50% of market share in the MP3 market (Trott, P 2012). Although Apple has recorded a fall in iPod sales in recent yea rs, they have been substituted for other apple products which have had a huge increase in sales such as the iPhone which is commonly used as an MP3 player. Other companies have tried making and matching and bettering the iPod with their own MP3 players but have been unsuccessful in knocking off the number 1 MP3 player of the decade.Apples brand is so strong in that market with so many different versions of the iPod, making them an affordable and safe choice when choosing an MP3 player. Still competitors will keep trying to better the iPod through MP3 technology in their own devices, the iPod will have to keep on improving if it wants to keep the upper hand in the market. To keep their spot Apple with have to keep improving the quality and technology of their iPod and keep its sleek original design, while still keeping the prices competitive with other brands.Even newer technology will need to be presented by Apple if it wants to keep MP3 market shares high, futuristic technology wil l have to be designed possibly holograms technology and increasing the uses that the iPod MP3 already has. Although I believe it is inevitable that iPods and MP3 players will soon be a very small market in today’s society with so many other devices having the same technology plus more, that is still a fair while away and more profit is definitely yet to be made through the iPod.New fashionable unique covers can make the iPods more attractive to consumers, as well as all the accessories; such as jogging/fitness straps to hold them while the consumer participates in physical activity. Also upgrading the headphone design so it sits in more comfortably. I think some kind of hologram technology will become evident in the future of the mobile phone or iPod technology. Also a backup storage where the whole device is always backed up to a computer device so absolutely nothing is lost if a phone breaks, or is lost. 3.How can Apple influence future technology developments or establish strategic alliances to ensure it is a dominant force in the hand-held device that will incorporate both the cellphone and the MP3 player? Apple must continue to maintain a positive and trusting strategic alliance with other companies in the future to ensure that their plans for future technologies aren’t leaked, or copied. If they are able to create that kind of a strategic alliance, and with a major technical company (e. g. HP) they could create some mind blowing new technology in the future.The possibilities if Apple were able to team up with a technology giant could mean massive $$ for both companies, and new technology which could come out of that type of alliance could set the standards for the next generation of the industry. With the ability Apple have to keep upgrading and improving their products this would give them a huge advantage over their competitors. However for now, Apple must make sure they maintain their brand image, as the producers of the newest and best technology.The only way they will be able to do this is by keep upgrading their current products, while they wait for new technology’s to be developed. They must also keep designing new and upgraded products, so when new generation technology’s become available, people look to buy their product first. This will help keep them as a dominant force in the future hand-held device of MP3, cellphone industry. References: Trott, paul. 2012 innovation management and new product development 5th edition. prentice hall/pearson

Shopping Rapturous or Torturous

Shopping Rapturous or Torturous Introduction The aim of this paper is to establish whether shopping is delightful or a torturous undertaking. Shopping has become a culture and commodities have turned many people into consumers. Fiske (1989, p. 13) claims that shopping places have become like worshiping places and the goods have become objects of worship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shopping: Rapturous or Torturous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through advertising, promotions and many other techniques used by many shopping centers, people become consumers with great appetite for shopping. Shopping has become a rapturous experience to many people but to others it’s a torture. Although shopping can be torturous in many ways, people have a responsibility of avoiding torturous situations and making the experience rapturous. Household Shopping Household shopping consists in sourcing for a variety of items used in the house or by family. Clo the shopping is one example and has become a common practice to many people. It can get torturous in many ways. One reason is that for clothes one must fit to make sure the clothes look good on him/her. Sometimes a shopper doesn’t find the exact type of clothe he/she wants and when he/she finds one that she wants, in many occasions, the clothe will not fit. It makes this type of shopping torturous because the shopper gets tired running up and down looking for what he/she exactly wants. Another type of household shopping is grocery shopping. This is a very exciting and rapturous practice. It is rapturous mostly when one goes with his/her family and one gets to choose what he/she wants. Factors that Affect Shopping Experience One of the factors that make shopping delightful or a nightmare is availability of parking space. There are many occasions especially during holidays, when everyone is shopping; this makes it hard for one to find appropriate parking. The culture of shoppin g, especially during holidays, has continued to greatly dominate individual lives and the contemporary society at large (Edwards, 2000, p. 34). The time one has for shopping affects how he/she does the shopping. If one has limited time, he/she will tend to rush. On the other hand if one sets enough time to do the shopping, he/she will do it leisurely and enjoy the shopping experience. It becomes torturous when one has no time to shop and has to rush through. Many people have no time for shopping and this is what makes them consider shopping torturous.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the kind of service one receives from shopping stores makes shopping experience torturous or rapturous. It becomes an exciting experience when one visits a store that offers friendly and pleasant shopping experiences. This promotes a good atmosphere which makes shopping fun an d enjoyable. Its good to visit a store that offers good customer services in order to avoid the stress of shopping. These customer services include customer attendants who assist customers find an item they have problem locating (Krafft Mantrala, 2008, p. 21). On the other hand if the customer care is poor then no one can enjoy shopping. Conclusion In conclusion, shopping experience is generally supposed to be a rapturous experience. In order to avoid being tortured by it, we have to make sure we have enough time and money for shopping. Moreover, shopping from stores that offer good quality products and enhanced customer services are critical to enjoying shopping. If one has to shop from a far place, then he/she should make sure there is a means of transport available. Consumers have control over their shopping experiences and they shouldn’t let it be a torturous experience. References Edwards, T., 2000, Contradictions of Consumption: Concepts, Practices, and Politics in Con sumer Society, Open University Press, Berkshire Fiske, J., 1989, Reading the Popular, Routledge, New York Krafft, M., Mantrala, M., K., 2008, Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends, Springer, New York

Nintendo Analysis Micro Environment Repost from Blog Essays

Nintendo Analysis Micro Environment Repost from Blog Essays Nintendo Analysis Micro Environment Repost from Blog Paper Nintendo Analysis Micro Environment Repost from Blog Paper Essay Topic: Blog Analysis Suppliers: Companies being the developers of their own video games become the suppliers themselves. The augmented products used in the development of these games may include cads, hard disks, electronic components, software?s, game writers, packaging of the consoles, printing of manuals and additional features like graphics etc to make the games more popular. Distributors: Distributors play a vital role in the video game industry. They include the local store distributors and now days the online distributors too who have major undistributed to the video game industry. However it is essential to know the potential distributors of video games as some might just act as middlemen to make profits. Customers: The individuals playing video games comprise an increasingly large and definition-defying group. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average gamer is 35 years old and has been playing for 13 years. Incidentally, there are more gamers than non-gamers in the U. S. Population almost half of which are female. Todays video game players include a diverse segment of students, employees, military troops, seniors, others and fathers who have driven the evolution of games into new territory. The first gamers have grown up, started families and included their children and parents in the fun, multiplying the pool of multi-generational gamers exponentially. As the population of gamers has expanded, market forces have driven game developers to make games more accessible to this new, diverse audience. Competitors: Sony and Microsoft are the major competitors of Nintendo. Sony has about 70% share in the market with Nintendo and Microsoft commanding rest of the market. Nintendo continues to be the market leader in the hand video games and is able to maintain a low price in the hardware. It and has a good reputation for maintaining healthy relationship with outside parties. The other small players like Gear Veined and Universal Games, concentrate mainly on Arcade games, which are not a major threat to Nintendo. In general, the company offering good graphics games at competitive prices can become a leader in the gaming sector. But at the same time, it should also come up with newer products by carefully analyzing the changing requirements of the users.

Bacteria produce gold by digesting toxic metals

Bacteria produce gold by digesting toxic metals High concentrations of heavy metals like copper and gold are found to be toxic for most of the organisms. But scientists have discovered a modern alchemist that can extract valuable trace elements from a compound of toxic metals without poisoning itself. One of the interesting side effects is the production of gold nuggets. This microbial magician, C. metallidurans, when placed in a minilab full of gold chloride converts it to 24-carat gold in a week’s time, a process that this bacterium is thought to carry out regularly in nature. This finding by Kazem Kashefi and Adam Brown has been exhibited as an art instalment called â€Å"The Great Work of the Metal Lover†. The art work consists of a portable lab which consists of a glass bioreactor containing the bacteria. While Kashefi calls this as microbial alchemy, Brown calls it as neo-alchemy which is a cross between modern microbiology and alchemy. This artwork received an honourable, mentioned in the world renowned cyber art competition, Prix Ars Electronica, held in Austria. Producing pure gold from bacterium seems to be a boon at a time when the price of gold has reached an all-time high. But, does this mean that the scientists have got the answer to the international debt crises? Although this bacterium can produce the 24-carat pure gold, but it has been said that it will be cost prohibitive to carry out this experiment at a larger scale. So, one should not see this as a golden investment in economic crisis. But, this discovery has surely created a debate over the use of science and technology, the greed and other economic and environmental impacts associated with it. This work can be used to address questions regarding the ethics related to science and the magnificent engineering of nature. When discovered, the bacterium was initially found to be resistant to cadmium but subsequent studies identified that this strain is multi-metal resistant and has two plasmids pMOL28 and pMOL30 which harbour multiple loci for metal resistance. The bacterium’s ability to thrive in toxic environments with a high number of heavy metal resistant genes makes it an excellent model organism to study the means by which microbes deal with heavy metal stress. Such unique ability of this extremophile to metabolize toxic substances might also provide an insight into understanding the origin of life. When too much copper has accumulated inside the bacteria, it is normally pumped out by the enzyme CupA. However, when gold compounds are also present, the enzyme is suppressed and the toxic copper and gold compounds remain inside the cell. Copper and gold combined are actually more toxic than when they appear on their own, says Dietrich H. Nies. To solve this problem, the bacteria activate another enzyme CopA. This enzyme transforms the copper and gold compounds into their originally difficult to absorb forms. This assures that fewer copper and gold compounds enter the cellular interior. The bacterium is poisoned less and the enzyme that pumps out the copper can dispose of the excess copper unimpeded. Another consequence is that the gold compounds that are difficult to absorb transform in the outer area of the cell into harmless gold nuggets only a few nanometres in size, says Nies. In nature, C. metallidurans plays a key role in the formation of so-called secondary gold, which emerges following the breakdown of primary, geologically created, ancient gold ores. It transforms the toxic gold particles formed by the weathering process into harmless gold particles, thereby producing gold nuggets. The study conducted by the joint German-Australian research team provides important insights into the second half of the bio-geochemical gold cycle. Here primary gold metal is transformed by other bacteria into mobile, toxic gold compounds, which is transformed back into secondary metallic gold in the second half of the cycle. Once the entire cycle is understood, gold can also be produced from ores containing only a small percentage of gold without requiring toxic mercury bonds as was previously the case.

Individual Leadership Growth Reflection1 Assignment

Individual Leadership Growth Reflection1 - Assignment Example This means that I am capable of becoming a person and a leader who is aware of both his strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, I believe that the genuineness of my character is also one of my strengths and another reason why I believe I am fit to be an authentic leader (Kruse, 2013). I have also realized that I am a mission-driven person, which means one who is above his concerns for self-interest and is focused on results (Kruse, 2013). By being mission-driven, I could actually effortlessly encourage people to work out a particular project without having to please me, thus they can follow my example and they also do not focus on their happiness. Rather, they focus on the completion of the project for that is the only thing that can actually bring them so much joy and satisfaction. Moreover, by being mission-driven myself and by inspiring others to be the same kind of person, I can personally say that one can accomplish something fast only if he does not focus on the problems of the present or on how difficult it is to do it. In short, being mission-driven makes one ignore the difficulties one would normally experience when trying to achieve a goal. This is therefore one of the major keys to professional success. According to Kruse (2013), an authentic leader leads with his heart and is therefore not afraid to show his emotions. This means that whenever I lead people someday, I believe I will use my heart in leading them, which is through love, concern and example. This is in conjunction with my desire to focus on supporting people and to show them empathy and care, which are essential parts of my leadership growth plans. The best way I can achieve this rather emotional leadership is to acknowledge the hardships that each member experiences while they are trying to accomplish the goals of the group or the company. Moreover, according to Kruse (2013), an authentic leader must possess long-term focus and must emphasize hard work and patience. This

Policy paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Policy - Research Paper Example Both of these policies, working in consort, and in spite of a polarizing political climate, did manage to turn the American economy around. However, it was because of the desperate political climate that the ARRA was made to suffer less than a full effect on the American economy. It could have done much more, but the damaging political climate refused to allow deeper systemic problems to be addressed. Introduction The UN International Labor Organization estimated that the recent global regression resulted in worldwide job losses at 50 million by the end of 2009 (Taylor and Weepapana, 2009). With demand of goods falling worldwide, global economic growth was expected to shrink by 2 percent, effecting emerging economics as far as in Eastern Europe and in mainland China. Taiwan saw its exports fall 42.9 percent. Unemployment in the United Kingdom which was 4.7 in 2000 and grew to 5.0 in 2008, reached 7.9 by December 2010. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics charted unemp loyment rates that varied between 4.1 and 5.0 percent 2000 through November 2005. These rates begin to worsen by September 2008, reaching 6.5 by October 2008 and the highest level of 10.0, 15.4 million people out of work, by November 2009. A total of 750,000 jobs was being lost per month in an economy that was contracting 6 percent annually (CEA). Clearly, economic policy had faltered worldwide and particularly in the United States. By December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research had finally declared the U.S. had been in a recession since December 2007. Growth in the fourth quarter of 2008 had shrunk to a negative 6.2%, the lowest since 1982. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Immediately after his election, President Barak Obama led the 111th United States Congress through a series of emergency measures. These measures capitalized to his signing into law, on February 17 2009, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, Pub.L. 111-5), referred to as the Stimulus or the Recovery Act. This $787 billion spending program consisted of $286 billion in tax cuts to stimulate the economy and expenditures for spending on infrastructure, State, revenue sharing, unemployment benefits, food stamps, and business and middle class tax cuts. Specifically the ARRA directed $88 billion for direct purchase of goods; $44 billion for infrastructure transfers to state and local governments; $215 billion for non-infrastructure transfers to state and local governments, accounting for such as public safety and education spending; $100 billion for direction transfers to persons in form of unemployment insurance benefits, and student loans; $18 billion to retirees; and tax cuts totaling $266 billion that covered business tax provisions and such as the first-time homebuyer tax credit (Berger and Gaffney, 2009). The ARRA funded many specific programs that sought to influence change in greenhouse technology, rapid transit, electronic medical health records a mong a large number of broad base initiatives. For education, the ARRA allocated $5 billion to the Department of Education to fund programs under the Race to the Top program that closed the achievement gap and improved student achievement. The DoE allowed successful programs to compete for grants from a $650 million fund that would enable them to

Child Labor during Industrial Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Child Labor during Industrial Revolution - Essay Example Child labour played a fundamental, though little acknowledge, role in the industrialisation of Britain. As Humphries (1995) writes, "the child worker stands pitifully at the heart of contemporary perceptions of the British Industrial Revolution. But modern economic historians have neglected her experiences and her contribution." That contribution, as may be inferred from Humphries' (1995) research is largely incalculable. His/her experiences, however, have been recorded by the literary authors, amongst whom one may mention Dickens, and sociologists. They are important because they explain several of the questions relating to child labour, as in the conditions which incited it and who, precisely, was responsible for the exploitation of children. In response to the question pertaining to responsibility for child labour and exploitation, the Industrial Revolution only intensified already existing conditions. ... ncontrovertibly unethical base, the Industrial Revolution may be identified as one of the forces which eventually led to the decline of the aforementioned practice. The implication here is that the Industrial Revolution effectively continued a trend and did not cause it and, in so doing, contributed to the termination of that trend. Child labour may have declined towards the end of the nineteenth century but, it endured throughout much of the Industrial Revolution due to market conditions. Poverty, as both Cunningham (1990) and Humphries (1995) explain, did not simply incite parents to seek employment for their children but motivated children themselves, among whom were orphans and street children, to seek employment. In that sense, the labour of children, while founded upon exploitation, provided the child labourer with a means for basic survival. The implication, therefore, is that, comparatively speaking, children benefited from paid employment, if only for the fact that it allowed them shelter and the fulfilment of their barest nutrition needs. Employees sought child labour because of the very nature of market conditions. The demand for cheap and unskilled labour was high and children and women were the perfect candidates, not just because they were cheaper than male labourers but also because they were perceived of as controllable, or a source of relatively trouble-free cheap labour. The aforementioned, combined with the determination to keep production costs at a minimal in order to increase profit margins, incited employees to exploit child labour. While the demand for child labour, due to the factors mentioned in the above paragraph was high, the supply of child labour was even higher. The fact that supply exceeded demand effectively kept child labour

Choose a topic urself for my research proposal in finace .i am doing

Choose a topic urself for my in finace .i am doing mba in finace and i have to submit a for my dessertation.find tha infromation file about this - Research Proposal Example termining the answers to these questions, there is a need for conducting a research study, which may provide the guidelines to the investors while selecting the right stocks. Small-cap, Mid-cap and Large-cap companies show varied performance based on the difference in time-horizons and geographic setting thereby creating discrepancies in the expected/predicted and actual movement in company performance Fisher (1966), Fisher and Lorie (1968, 1970, and 1977) and Ibbotson and Sinquefield (1976) studies are primarily based to determine the long-run returns of different cap companies.2 According to Casey, Quirk & Associates (2006), â€Å"The Small Cap universe has grown much faster than the Large Cap universe.†3 The small cap European companies outperformed the large cap European companies in first quarter of 2006, thereby, continued their six year cycle of out-performance.4 â€Å"Market expects 21% growth in small caps, 16% in mid caps and 10% in large caps.†5 Brad (2006) argued that market capitalization-based indexes signify the clearest explanation of the market opportunity set.6 According to Integrity Research Associates (2007), during the last five years, the small cap companies have outperformed large cap companies and the assets of these companies have grown from $86 billion in 2005 to $102 billion in 2007.7 â€Å"Today, there is a growing demand for managers with a broader small/mid cap, or â€Å"SMID† cap mandate to manage the non-large cap equity portion of a portfolio.†8The mid cap companies outperform the large cap companies because mid cap stocks are flexible, innovative, capitalised, globally diversified and high growth aspects.9 In order to evaluate the impact of the market cap on the performance of the companies, Ibbotson Associates conducted a study, which showed that 94 percent of the 20-year periods from 1976 to 1995, the smallest cap companies performed better as compared to the large cap companies.10Roxy Capital Management, LLC also conducted a

Early Modern Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Modern Philosophy - Essay Example Ultimately, he concludes that even with these occurrences, he can be certain he exists, because in the process of doubting his existence he is thinking and thinking necessitates existence – I think, therefore I am. It’s necessary that Descartes’ ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’ argument be understood from the first person perspective because the argument throughout Descartes’ philosophy is precisely that senses cannot determine the validity of existence (Frost 1962). Descartes’ Cogito Ergo Sum, therefore, only proves that the individual who is thinking exists. As discussed, the essence of the argument is that one’s thoughts directly determine the validity of one’s existence, so that an outside individual cannot determine another exists simply by listening to another. It is entirely from the first person perspective that the cogito is founded. Descartes differed from earlier philosophers on a number of levels. During the Middle Ages philosophy became highly related to theology and god and the supernatural were the predominant concerns of thinkers. In this regard, Descartes’ introduced a higher awareness of skepticism, although he offered viable and logically derived solutions for these questions. Considering Descartes’ difference from the pre-Socratic philosophers, one is drawn to the nature by which knowledge is believed to be founded and attained. The pre-Socratic philosophers, while promoting the natural sciences and other such intellectually rigorous propositions, founded their philosophic and scientific assumptions on the primacy of the senses. Descartes’ was skeptical of the senses and sought a more rigorous understanding of knowledge through his rationalist philosophy (Waterfield 2009). Descartes if known as the father of modern philosophy as his main philosophical ideas, most notably the cogito ergo sum, were foundational elements in the development of modern philosophical thought and

The Representation of Mosquitoes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Representation of Mosquitoes - Assignment Example Consequently, a select species of mosquitoes survive the effects of the pesticide. Certain mosquitoes are likely to survive the effects of pesticide due to a selective advantage. This selective advantage results in a greater resistance to the genes of certain mosquitoes. As a result, they are able to survive the effects of a pesticide spray as other mosquitoes die. The mosquitoes that are able to survive the effects of the pesticide possess a genetic resistance to the pesticide. As the mosquitoes achieve maturity, they reproduce and transfer the genetic resistance to the subsequent generation. In the process, the new generation acquires an increase in the number of alleles that develop further resistance to the pesticide within the population. A systematic and continuous application of the selective pressure against the pesticide results in a mutual resistance against the pesticide within the mosquito population. Examples of organisms that became extinct before the adaptive radiation are the prehistoric non- avian dinosaurs that were replaced by mammals during the end period of Cretacious. Adaptive radiation refers to a fast evolutionary radiation fuelled by natural selection that is synonymous with an addition of the ecological and morphological diversity of one rapidly changing lineage. It occurs right after extinction since the phenotypes of a new species adapt in conformance to the environment. Consequently, new traits that are beneficial are increasingly evident. The sun acts as a source of energy that is transferred to the producers such as plants. However, the energy is lost through heat. As a result, 10% of the energy from the producers is transferred to primary consumers such as deer, zebras, and other herbivores. As energy is transferred across the trophic levels through consumption, there is a consistent loss of approximately 10%.

Early Modern Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Modern Philosophy - Essay Example Ultimately, he concludes that even with these occurrences, he can be certain he exists, because in the process of doubting his existence he is thinking and thinking necessitates existence – I think, therefore I am. It’s necessary that Descartes’ ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’ argument be understood from the first person perspective because the argument throughout Descartes’ philosophy is precisely that senses cannot determine the validity of existence (Frost 1962). Descartes’ Cogito Ergo Sum, therefore, only proves that the individual who is thinking exists. As discussed, the essence of the argument is that one’s thoughts directly determine the validity of one’s existence, so that an outside individual cannot determine another exists simply by listening to another. It is entirely from the first person perspective that the cogito is founded. Descartes differed from earlier philosophers on a number of levels. During the Middle Ages philosophy became highly related to theology and god and the supernatural were the predominant concerns of thinkers. In this regard, Descartes’ introduced a higher awareness of skepticism, although he offered viable and logically derived solutions for these questions. Considering Descartes’ difference from the pre-Socratic philosophers, one is drawn to the nature by which knowledge is believed to be founded and attained. The pre-Socratic philosophers, while promoting the natural sciences and other such intellectually rigorous propositions, founded their philosophic and scientific assumptions on the primacy of the senses. Descartes’ was skeptical of the senses and sought a more rigorous understanding of knowledge through his rationalist philosophy (Waterfield 2009). Descartes if known as the father of modern philosophy as his main philosophical ideas, most notably the cogito ergo sum, were foundational elements in the development of modern philosophical thought and

Aristotle Impact on Law Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Impact on Law Essay Aristotle (384 322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a various ways. Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece, and as a young man he studied in Platos Academy in Athens. After Platos death he left Athens to proceed in philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor and Lesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedonia to tutor his young son, Alexander the Great. Aristotle was extremely successful in tutoring Alexander, as he develoepd a great mind and was widely known for launching the invasion of the Persian Empire. Aristotle returned as a resident to Athens, and it was during this time (335-323 BC) when he wrote or at least completed some of his major theories, which included law. Aristotle and his teacher Plato, had alike minds when it came to their political views. They both believed that law had a moral purpose. They thought that it made people live their lives based on their reason, rather then their passion. When Aristotle talks about people following their reason, he means that they live their lives to the fullest taking in consideration all the talent and skill they are blessed with and using it to their advantage. One accomplishes this by making the most out of what he/she has been given to benefit themselves in life. Basically, he was following the natural law tradition because he felt as though the most important purpose of law was to help people live their lives positively and be happy. Law helped lead people into a positive direction Aristotle advanced a theory of individual rights, at the same time accepting aspects of positive law theory and natural law theory. He was supporting equity in judicial decision making and tells us how this can operate consistently with the rule of law. Also, Aristotles brilliant ideas on ethics forms a basis for punishment in criminal law. He teaches how to educate lawyers and the legal profession to incorporate ethics and virtue; he teaches lawyers how they can be more persuasive. Furthermore, Aristotle also had a huge insight on moral virtues and believed that if these virtues are to be nurtured, law is needed. He believed that law is essential to help discipline citizens and their actions, as well as to help maintain the beneficial habits they acquire. One of the most important aspects of our modern court/trial is the examining of the evidence. In most cases, the amount of quality evidence, or the lack of evidence, plays a huge role in making the final decision. Aristotle was the first person to think out the problem on evidence. When he approached a problem, he would examine: a) what people had previously written or said on the subject, b.) the general consensus of opinion on the subject, and c)a systematic study of everything else that is part of or related to the subject. His studies on evidence extremely influenced the concept and everything that comes along with it in the present day. He believed that every action needs to be judged according to all the relevant circumstances to the situation. As just mentioned, Aristotle believed that every action needed to be judged. Therefore, he believed that judging these actions were to be done based on the concept of equity. It was the foundation of modern law and the road to justice. Aristotle was against some aspects of equity. For example, Aristotle believed that men were more useful and important in life. He believed that women should not be granted many of the rights that men had, such as the right to vote, but that is a different topic. When it came to judging someone based on his/her actions, Aristotle supported the concept of equity 100%. Aristotle seems to be primarily concerned to discover and refine the moral standards by which human beings should be governed. What laws are to be used to establish and maintain those standards depends on the good sense of the community and the prudence of its leaders, including its poets and other educators. In particular, his views on the connection between the well-being of the political community and that of the citizens who make it up, his belief that citizens must actively participate in politics if they are to be happy and virtuous, and his analysis of what causes and prevents revolution within political communities have been a source of inspiration for many contemporary theorists.

Analysis Of Britannia Industries Limited Marketing Essay

Analysis Of Britannia Industries Limited Marketing Essay An Analysis On The External Factors Affecting The Company And The Role And Importance Of Stakeholders Britannia Industries Limited (BIL), formerly known as Britannia, was established in the year 1892. Britannias business was flourishing. In 1910, Britannia mechanized its operations, and in 1921, it became the first company east of the Suez Canal to use gas ovens. In 1979 it was renamed to Britannia Industries Limited, with an Indian shareholding of more than 60%. After few years, in 1997, Britannia made its debut in the dairy products market. Britannia is not only known for the quality of its products but also for the innovative approach towards them and the marketing. In 2002, Britannias New Business Division formed a joint venture with Fonterra, the worlds second largest Dairy Company, and Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt. Ltd. was born. Britannia was rated One amongst the Top 200 Small Companies in the World (200 Companies for 2002 (2002) Forbes.com) and was awarded The Economic Times as The Second Most Indias Trusted Brands (Dettol is most trusted brand (2002) The Times of India ). Britannias market is not only limited to India but also extends to few countries in Middle East, Seychelles, Singapore, Ghana and USA. Today, the company is operations extend from manufacturing bakery products like biscuits and breads to the production of dairy products like cheese and butter. Aim of the Report To analyse the macro and micro external environment with the help of tools like PESTEL and Porters Five Forces respectively. To role of stakeholders and the importance of stakeholders in influencing the strategies with reference to Corporate Social Responsibilities. Macro External Environment Analysis Macro external environment here includes the factors such as issues related to politics, economical reforms and achievements, social behaviour, technological enhancements and inventions, environmental changes and environmental concerns and legislation and legislative changes. All these factors bear a significant effect on any industry and business. A business has take into consideration all such effects and then formulate its strategies and policies to work along with them and prosper. PESTEL analysis tool helps in determining the effect of all such factors on an industry and businesses. With the help of PESTEL analysis we will be seeing the affects of such factors on Indian Bakery and Dairy Industry. PESTEL analysis is a technique for identifying and listing the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors in the general environment most relevant to an organisation. (Boddy, D (2005). Management An Intoduction. 3rd ed. UK: Pearson Education. 88.) Type of Factors Effecting Factors Political Economical Social Technological Environmental Exemption on Customs on Sugar Raw Material Import Shortage of Milk Need for Healthy Eating Habits Cloning of Livestock Change in the Climatic Conditions VAT on Biscuits Rise in Sugar Production and Duty Free Sugar Imports Problems with Cloned Livestock New Age Packaging Removal of Import Duty on Dairy Products Globalization Incentives to Build Cold Storage Facilities Requirement for Logistics Political Exemption on Customs Duty on Sugar Raw Material Import Due to the shortage in the production of sugar the deadline for the exemption on customs duty on raw sugar imports has been extended by the government to April 1, 2011 (Dey, A Jha, Dilip K (2010) Duty-free sugar imports extended till April 2011, Business Standard). Since sugar is a major input in the bakery, the price of sugar highly influences the price of inputs of the bakery industry. Exemption on customs duty will help in purchasing sugar at lower cost, which in turn will control the cost of production. VAT on Biscuits The VAT of 12.5% on Biscuits, being the only processed food item to attract such high VAT rates, will affect the pricing of the product (Bhushan, R (2009) Biscuit prices to rise by 10%, The Economic Times). Price of the biscuits might need to be increased due to the high VAT rates which may result in switch of brands due to the highly competitive market. Removal of Import Duty on Dairy Products The whole-sale price based inflation indicates that the milk prices have moved up by 14.73% over the last year. Worried about the rising prices government announced the removal of duty on Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) and other dairy products (Govt removes import duty on dairy products (2010), Business Standard). The imports at cheaper rate would help in reduce the cost factor for dairy products. Incentives to Build Cold Storage Facilities Wastage of food items due to lack of cold storage facilities lead to a loss of Rs. 500 billion every year. The government announces schemes and incentives to attract investments in cold storage warehousing (Union Budget 2010: Cold-storage incentives to attract fresh funds (2010), The Economic Times). Increase in the number of cold storage facilities would help in preserving products better and reduce the wastage cost. Economical Shortage of Milk Even though the milk production has risen by 4.6% compound annual average growth rate, it still cannot match up with the increasing demand. The demand for milk has been growing at a faster rate than the growth rate of milk production resulting in the shortage of milk supply (Milk output would stagnate (2010) The Economic Times).   India cannot meet its expected demand if the demand and supply rise at the same rate. For the same the reason, the milk prices are on a constant rise. Price of milk increased by 12.6% to 13.6% (Goyal, K (2010) Indias Food-Price Inflation Holds Near 11-Year High- Business Week). This can cause an increase in the input cost for the dairy products and which in turn can lead to hike in price or lower profit margins. If the company increases the price of its products, it may affect the sales as it might lose on consumers. Rise in Sugar Production and Duty Free Sugar Imports The total sugar production in the first six months ending September 2010 is expected to be 22% more than the output in the unchanged phase last season, the total production expected is at 16.7 million (Press Trust India (PTI) (2010) Sugar output rises 22% in first half of 2009-10, Business Standard). Due to the shortage in the production of sugar the deadline for the exemption on customs duty on raw sugar imports has been extended by the government to April 1, 2011 (Dey, A Jha, Dilip K (2010) Duty-free sugar imports extended till April 2011, Business Standard). The increase in sugar production and the duty exemption on raw sugar can help in purchasing sugar at lower prices and this in turn can help in producing goods at lower prices. Globalization Globalization a universal phenomenon is affecting each and every industry. The world is coming closer, the communication gap is closing and the businesses are going global. This can serve as an opportunity to expand the business to a global level but on the other hand there is a threat of new entrants from international market. Requirements for Logistics Logistics in India suffer due to the poor infrastructure and other limitations. There is a high demand for sophisticated third party logistics so the domestic logistics service providers are trying to improve their service. International participation is also expected in the logistics industry (Pandey, S Basu, A (2010) Logistics cos ramp up supply chain to meet rising demand, The Economic Times). Sophiscticated logistics system will help in proper supply chain management and on time delivery of goods, which help in maintaining the shelf life of goods on meeting the demand on time. Social Need for Healthy Eating Habits Studies say that Indians are more prone to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), which is the major independent risk factor causing Cardiovascular diseases, due to the smaller calibred arteries found in Indians (Isalkar, U (2009) Indians more prone to heart disease, The Times of India). This suggests that Indians should move towards more healthy food and diet. This could be a new area to explore for Britannia with its new health associated products like Nuti-Choice biscuits and Actimind flavoured milk. Problems with Cloned Livestock Cloned animals are supposed to be suffering from large-offspring syndrome. The mother cows face a problem in giving birth to the cloned animals as they are larger than normal. Also these cloned animals suffer from health issues (Gogoi, P (2007) The case against cloning, BusinessWeek). It is morally wrong to clone animals as they cause problems to the mother during the birth and moreover the cloned livestock suffer from health issues which might make unsafe to consume the produce from them. Technological Cloning of Livestock India, a late entrant in cloning research, is now moving with a great pace in cloning technology. Hand guided cloning technique, a technique very different from the conservative cloning practice has been a successful venture (Mahalakshmi, BV Chowdhary, S (2009) Cloning Glory, The Financial Express). New Age Packaging The new packaging systems help in protecting food from micro-organisms by creating shelter layer. It uses new technologies like oxygen scavenging function, atmosphere control, biodegrability etc. and is low cost (Han, J Packaging Innovations, Bakers Journal). The packaging technology helps in preserving food for longer by protecting them from micro-organisms with the help of new technologies, thus resulting in longer shelf life of the food. The advantage of low cost packing and longer shelf life could be very beneficial for the company in increasing its profit margin. Environmental Change in the Climatic Conditions Climate plays an important role in the agriculture process. The change in the rainfall pattern has been a matter of concern now in India. The agriculture sector in areas which are monsoon dependent suffered badly due to the change in the rainfall pattern. The sector suffered a huge loss in terms of total output (Bhosale, J (2009) Farmers worried over climate disturbances, The Economic Times). The loss in crop will affect the input supply and this might delay or cause problems in the production. So the industry might not be able to meet the demands resulting in the loss of customers. Legal Raising the Norms for the Probiotic Food There is a need for setting the standards for probiotic food. Clinical tests should be conducted on the probiotic foods before they could reach the market for sale. The Indian Council of Medical and Research has submitted the proposal for the same to the government (Das, S (2009) Probiotic food likely to come under clinical trial ambit, The Financial Express).  Strict norms will help in raising the quality standards but on the other hand the cost and time of production might subsequently increase. Micro External Environment Analysis Factors that influence the micro external environment are Competitor Rivalry, Threat of New Entrants, Threat of Substitutes, Buyers Power and Suppliers Power. These factors play a vital role in determining the current situation of the business and to plan strategies accordingly. With the help Porters Five Forces we will be analysing these factors and their immediate effect on the company. Five forces analysis is a technique for identifying and listing those aspects of the five forces most relevant to the profitability of an organisation at that time. (Boddy, D (2005). Management An Intoduction. 3rd ed. UK: Pearson Education. 83.) Competitor Rivalry: BIL has a market share of 38% and has been growing at 27%, compared to the industry growth rate of 20% (Saxena, R (2007) Battle-scarred Britannia on expansion spree, Business Standard) and has many competitors based on the nature of product. Parle and ITC (Sunfeast) pose a great competition to BIL (Biscuit Industry: India (2010), Market Research India). BIL earning major of its income from the biscuits (Britannia Annual Report 2007-08 (2008)), and Parle and ITC are the other major players in biscuit market. BIL is also into the production of dairy products, where the two major players in market are Amul and Nestle. Amul is the leader in the dairy industry. There is also a high level of competition from the unorganised baking sector. Overall rivalry is high. Threat of New Entrants: The entry on a small scale dairy industry and in the unorganised baking sector is easy. But on the other hand to enter the large scale dairy industry and organised baking sector a huge amount of investment is required in terms acquiring assets and to establish supply and distribution chains. Government regulations pertaining to food norms and others may also seem to be unattractive. Looking at the latest trends, the bakery industry is expected to earn huge revenues which might attract new entrants (Vijay, N (2008) Indian Bakery sector foresees high growth and increasing interest in product offering, FnBNews.com). So the threat of new entrants is moderate. Threat of Substitutes: Savoury snacks, crisps, cereals, fruits and other fast food can be substituted for biscuits. Dairy products are dubious to be replacing with other products as they key ingredients of majority of peoples diet. So the threat is a very moderate threat of substitutes. Buyers Power: The buyers of these products could be a retailer or the consumer. Both the dairy and bakery industry are price sensitive, so a little increase in price might lead the consumer to shift other brand or product. So the buyers power is calculated to be very strong. Suppliers Power: The major supplies for a bakery industry include wheat, sugar and other agriculture products. And the major supplies for dairy products are milk. Its difficult to bargain with the suppliers of the above mentioned inputs as the price of these inputs is majorly influenced by the production of these inputs. The prices tend to be high as the demand for these products is rising at much faster rate than supply. The secondary supplies include the packaging material. The secondary supplies can be easily substituted with the low-cost ones to save on cost. Overall the suppliers power is assessed to be moderate. Conclusion of Five Forces Analysis: There is an existence of major players in the market with a moderate level of threat of new entrants and substitutes. The suppliers power is moderate but the buyers power is measured to be strong. So the rivalry is suggested to be high. Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) Freedman (1984) defines a stakeholder as any individual or group who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of the organisations objectives. Further in addition to that, Clarkson (1995), stated that the government and the other communities that effect the working of the business and the market also form as a part of stakeholders. Stakeholders, except the employees, have a high power over the strategic change ideas (Hayes, J (2007). The Theory and Practice of Change Management. 2nd ed. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. 153). Internal Stakeholders The internal stakeholders are the ones associated with the company internally. For BIL its internal stakeholders would be: The Shareholders The Board of Directors, and The Employees Currently, nearly 51% of shares are held by Corporate Bodies and the rest 49% is held by the public (Statement showing shareholding pattern (2009), Britannia Industries Limited). The board consists of 11 members (Company Overview, Britannia Industries Limited) and employees nearly 2000 people (Britannia Industries Ltd. Overview, MarketLine). External Stakeholders The external stakeholders are the ones who are not immediately associated with company but influence the decision making of the company. To BIL the external stakeholders are as follows: Customers Suppliers Contractors Government Regulatory Agenices (like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, etc.), and Society Britannia being the leader in the baker industry of India has a huge amount of customers to cater. Britannia has to keep up the tastes and quality preferences of its customers. The government plays an important in influencing the market by creating and changing the policies. BIL has to adhere to the rules and regulations formulated by the regulatory agencies. The suppliers and contractors form an important part of a business. Britannia completely relies on its suppliers and contractors for its raw materials. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) For years corporate entities followed the practice of providing goods and services and maximizing wealth. But the trends have changed over the period of years. The companies are now expected to be more socially responsible. The company now has to be responsible to the stakeholders, society and environment. They are expected to pay back to the environment and society for all the affects that are caused due to its operations (Idowu, S Filho, W (2009) Global Practices of Corporate Social Responsibility. Berlin: Springer. 1-2). BIL believes in working with the society and the culture. It gives a premier importance to the nation and its policies. It believes in being a good corporate citizen by not just adhering to the rules and regulations but also by helping the community to improve the quality of life. BIL involves itself in initiating and providing support to community health and family welfare, water management, vocational training, educating people and encouraging the application of modern techniques and technologies. BIL believes in ethical behaviour (Code of Conduct, Britannia Industries Limited). BIL is taking steps toward conserving the environment by employing new process and upgrading the technology. It is trying to reduce its carbon footprints by recycling the waste heat. It has now filed for carbon reduction benefits (Britannia Annual Report 2007-08 (2008)). BIL has taken steps towards helping the society by joining the nutrition program with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Nandi Foundation. Along with these organisations BIL will is providing mid-day meals in schools and provide nutrition to the deprived (Britannia Annual Report 2007-08 (2008)).

Voltaire Exposes the Fallacy of Optimism in Candide Essay -- Optimism

Voltaire was the French author of the novella Candide, also known as "Optimism" (Durant and Durant 724). Famous as a playwright and essayist, Voltaire’s Candide is the book where he tries to point out the fallacy of Gottfried William von Leibniz's theory of Optimism. He uses satire, and techniques of exaggeration to contrast highlight the evil and brutality of war and the world in general when men are meekly accepting of their fate. Leibniz, a German philosopher and mathematician of Voltaire's time, developed the idea that the world they were living in at that time was "the best of all possible worlds." This systematic optimism shown by Leibniz is the philosophical system that believed everything already was for the best, no matter how terrible it seemed. In this satire, Voltaire also used contrast in the personalities of the characters to convey the message that Leibniz's philosophy should not be dealt with any seriousness. Leibniz, sometimes regarded as a Stoic or Fatalist because his philosophies were based on the idea that everything in the world was determined by fate, theorized that God, having the ability to pick from an infinite number of worlds, chose this world, "the best of all possible worlds." Although Voltaire chose that simple quality of Leibniz's philosophy to satirize, Leibniz meant a little more than just that. Even though his philosophy stated that God chose "the best of all possible worlds," he also meant that God, being the perfection he is, chose the best world available to him, unfortunately it was a world containing evil. It seems as though Voltaire wanted to ridicule Leibniz's philosophy so much that he chose to satirize only the literal meaning and fatal acceptance of evil of Leibniz's philosophy. ... ...ell. When Candide is reunited with both he realizes that he was right not to lose hope. In essence, it was Candide's optimism that keeps him from a state of total dejection, maintaining his sanity during troubled times. Candide eventually achieves happiness with his friends in their simple, yet full, lives. The book's ending affirms Voltaire's moral that one must work to attain satisfaction. Work helps Candide overcome his tragedies and enables him to live peacefully and in contentment. The message of Candide is: "Don't rationalize, but work; Don't utopianize, but improve. We must cultivate our own garden, for no one is going to do it for us" (Richter 161). Works Cited Bottiglia, William. "Candide's Garden." Voltaire: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Richter, Peyton. Voltaire. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1980.

Quantum Teleportation Essay -- quantum physics teleport

Quantum Teleportation is one of the newest areas of study in the field of quantum physics. It is the stuff of science fiction, which is fast becoming reality, where solid objects can be moved vast distances instantly. It has been the subject of books and movies for years but it wasn’t until recently that physicists at IBM’s laboratories made it a reality. The ideas that formed the basis of these experiments came about from previous research by scientists such as Albert Einstein and Heisenberg. This essay will explore the research done on this subject, the theories behind it, and the possible applications. Quantum teleportation is the idea that transporting matter can be achieved instantaneously by taking advantage of certain aspects of quantum physics. It is not possible to actually transport the matter, but rather, the properties of the object being transported can be applied to matter in a separate location. This newly created object is identical to the original down to the state of the individual atoms, and so is in effect the same object. The original object loses its properties during the process and is, in effect, destroyed. This takes advantage of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlation (Quantum), also referred to as entanglement. When two particles are entangled they take on properties identical to each other regardless of separation. This means that if something alters one of the entangled pair it affects the other in the exact same manner. In order to transport something we have to start with one of these entangled pairs. One particle at the source location and one at the location we want to transport the new object to. We then take a third particle, which is what will be transported, and measure it in relation ... ... in the field of computing. Because computers operate on a binary system it is possible that individual quanta cold be used to store information. This is possible because quanta can be in two states, horizontal and vertical. Using quantum teleportation information can instantly be sent from one point to another. An example of quantum computing could be if a person had to search a dorm for a specific item. Normally the person would have to go to every door in turn and look inside but if this were a quantum computer doing the searching it could look in every room at the same time. Works Cited Quantum Teleportation. IBM corporation. 1995. . Barret, Curtis. Quantum Teleportation. 23 April 2000. . Zeilinger, Anton. "Quantum Teleportation." Scientific American. April 2000. 50-59.

Black House Chapter Eight

8 TWO TELEPHONE CALLS and another, private matter, one he is doing his best to deny, have conspired to pluck Jack Sawyer from his cocoon in Norway Valley and put him on the road to French Landing, Sumner Street, and the police station. The first call had been from Henry, and Henry, calling from the Maxton cafeteria during one of the Symphonic One's breaks, had insisted on speaking his mind. A child had apparently been abducted from the sidewalk in front of Maxton's earlier that day. Whatever Jack's reasons for staying out of the case, which by the way he had never explained, they didn't count anymore, sorry. This made four children who had been lost to the Fisherman, because Jack didn't really think Irma Freneau was going to walk in her front door anytime soon, did he? Four children! No, Henry had said, I didn't hear about it on the radio. It happened this morning. From a janitor at Maxton's, Henry had said. He saw a worried-looking cop pick up a bicycle and put it in his trunk. All right, Henry had said, maybe I don't know for certain, but I am certain. By tonight, Dale will identify the poor kid, and tomorrow his name will be all over the newspaper. And then this whole county is going to flip out. Don't you get it? Just knowing you are involved will do a lot to keep people calm. You no longer have the luxury of retirement, Jack. You have to do your part. Jack had told him he was jumping to conclusions, and that they would talk about it later. Forty-five minutes later, Dale Gilbertson had called with the news that a boy named Tyler Marshall had vanished from in front of Maxton's sometime that morning, and that Tyler's father, Fred Marshall, was down there right now, in the station, demanding to see Jack Sawyer. Fred was a great guy, a real straight arrow and family man, a solid citizen, a friend of Dale's, you could say, but at the moment he was at the end of his rope. Apparently Judy, his wife, had been having some kind of mental problems even before the trouble started, and Tyler's disappearance had driven her off the edge. She talked in gibberish, injured herself, tore the house apart. And I kind of know Judy Marshall, Dale had said. Beautiful, beautiful woman, a little thing but tough as all get-out on the inside, both feet on the ground, a great person, a tremendous person, someone you'd think would never lose her grip, no matter what. It seems she thought, knew, whatever, that Tyler had been snatched even before his bicycle turned up. Late this afternoon, she got so bad Fred had to call Dr. Skarda and get her over to French County Lutheran in Arden, where they took one look at her and put her in Ward D, the mental wing. So you can imagine what kind of shape Fred's in. He insists on talking to you. I have no confidence in you, he said to me. Well, Dale had said, if you don't come down here, Fred Marshall is going to show up at your house, that's what'll happen. I can't put the guy on a leash, and I'm not going to lock him up just to keep him away from you. On top of everything else, we need you here, Jack. All right, Dale had said. I know you're not making any promises. But you know what you should do. Would these conversations have been enough to get him into his pickup and on the road to Sumner Street? Very likely, Jack imagines, which renders the third factor, the secret, barely acknowledged one, inconsequential. It means nothing. A silly attack of nerves, a buildup of anxiety, completely natural under the circumstances. The kind of thing that could happen to anybody. He felt like getting out of the house, so what? No one could accuse him of escaping. He was traveling toward, not running away from, that which he most wanted to escape the dark undertow of the Fisherman's crimes. Neither was he committing himself to any deeper involvement. A friend of Dale's and the father of a child apparently missing, this Fred Marshall, insisted on talking to him; fine, let him talk. If half an hour with a retired detective could help Fred Marshall get a handle on his problems, the retired detective was willing to give him the time. Everything else was merely personal. Waking dreams and robins' eggs messed with your mind, but that was merely personal. It could be out-waited, outwitted, figured out. No rational person took that stuff seriously: like a summer storm, it blew in, it blew out. Now, as he coasted through the green light at Centralia and noted, with a cop's reflexive awareness, the row of Harleys lined up in the Sand Bar's parking lot, he felt himself coming into alignment with the afternoon's difficulties. It made perfect sense that he should have found himself unable well, let us say unwilling to open the refrigerator door. Nasty surprises made you think twice. A light in his living room had expired, and when he had gone to the drawer that contained half a dozen new halogen bulbs, he had been unable to open it. In fact, he had not quite been able to open any drawer, cabinet, or closet in his house, which had denied him the capacity to make a cup of tea, change his clothes, prepare lunch, or do anyt hing but leaf half heartedly through books and watch television. When the flap of the mailbox had threatened to conceal a pyramid of small blue eggs, he had decided to put off collecting the mail until the next day. Anyhow, all he ever got were financial statements, magazines, and junk mail. Let's not make it sound worse than it was, Jack says to himself. I could have opened every door, drawer, and cabinet in the place, but I didn't want to. I wasn't afraid that robins' eggs were going to come spilling out of the refrigerator or the closet it's just that I didn't want to take the chance of finding one of the blasted things. Show me a psychiatrist who says that's neurotic, and I'll show you a moron who doesn't understand psychology. All the old-timers used to tell me that working homicide messed with your head. Hell, that's why I retired in the first place! What was I supposed to do, stay on the force until I ate my gun? You're a smart guy, Henry Leyden, and I love you, but there are some things you don't GET! All right, he was going to Sumner Street. Everybody was yelling at him to do something, and that's what he was doing. He'd say hello to Dale, greet the boys, sit down with this Fred Marshall, the solid citizen with a missing son, and give him the usual oatmeal about everything possible being done, blah blah, the FBI is working hand in glove with us on this one, and the bureau has the finest investigators in the world. That oatmeal. As far as Jack was concerned, his primary duty was to stroke Fred Marshall's fur, as if to soothe the feelings of an injured cat; when Marshall had calmed down, Jack's supposed obligation to the community an obligation that existed entirely in the minds of others would be fulfilled, freeing him to go back to the privacy he had earned. If Dale didn't like it, he could take a running jump into the Mississippi; if Henry didn't like it, Jack would refuse to read Bleak House and force him to listen instead to Lawrence Welk, Vaughn Monroe, or something equally excruciating. Bad Dixieland. Years ago, someone had given Jack a CD called Fats Manassas & His Muskrat All Stars Stompin' the Ramble. Thirty seconds of Fats Manassas, and Henry would be begging for mercy. This image makes Jack feel comfortable enough to prove that his hesitation before cupboards and drawers had been merely a temporary unwillingness, not phobic inability. Even while his attention was elsewhere, as it chiefly was, the shoved-in ashtray below the dash has mocked and taunted him since he first climbed into the pickup. A kind of sinister suggestiveness, an aura of latent malice, surrounds the ashtray's flat little panel. Does he fear that a small blue egg lurks behind the little panel? Of course not. Nothing is in there but air and molded black plastic. In that case, he can pull it out. The buildings on the outskirts of French Landing glide past the pickup's windows. Jack has reached almost the exact point at which Henry pulled the plug on Dirtysperm. Obviously he can open the ashtray. Nothing could be simpler. You just get your fingers under there and tug. Easiest thing in the world. He extends a hand. Before his fingers touch the panel, he snatches the hand back. Drops of perspiration glide down his forehead and lodge in his eyebrows. â€Å"It isn't a big deal,† he says aloud. â€Å"You got some kind of problem here, Jacky-boy?† Again, he extends his hand to the ashtray. Abruptly aware that he is paying more attention to the bottom of his dashboard than to the road, he glances up and cuts his speed by half. He refuses to hit his brakes. It's just an ashtray, for God's sake. His fingers meet the panel, then curl under its lip. Jack glances at the road once more. Then, with the decisivesness of a nurse ripping a strip of tape off a patient's hairy abdomen, he yanks out the sliding tray. The lighter attachment, which he had unknowingly dislodged in his driveway that morning, bounces three inches into the air, greatly resembling, to Jack's appalled eye, a flying black-and-silver egg. He veers off the road, bumps over the weedy shoulder, and heads toward a looming telephone pole. The lighter drops back into the tray with a loud, metallic thwack no egg in the world could have produced. The telephone pole swims closer and nearly fills the windshield. Jack stamps on the brake and jerks to a halt, arousing a flurry of ticks and rattles from the ashtray. If he had not cut his speed before opening the ashtray, he would have driven straight into the pole, which stands about four feet from the hood of the pickup. Jack wipes the sweat off his face and picks up the lighter. â€Å"Shit on a shingle.† He clicks the attachment into its receptacle and collapses backward against the seat. â€Å"No wonder they say smoking can kill you,† he says. The joke is too feeble to amuse him, and for a couple of seconds he does nothing but slump against the seat and regard the sparse traffic on Lyall Road. When his heart rate drops back to something like normal, he reminds him self that he did, after all, open the ashtray. Blond, rumpled Tom Lund has evidently been prepped for his arrival, for when Jack walks past three bicycles lined up next to the door and enters the station, the young officer takes off from behind his desk and rushes forward to whisper that Dale and Fred Marshall are waiting for him in Dale's office, and he will show him right in. They'll be glad to see him, that's for sure. â€Å"I am, too, Lieutenant Sawyer,† Lund adds. â€Å"Boy, I gotta say it. What you got, I think, we need.† â€Å"Call me Jack. I'm not a lieutenant anymore. I'm not even a cop anymore.† Jack had met Tom Lund during the Kinderling investigation, and he had liked the young man's eagerness and dedication. In love with his job, his uniform, and his badge, respectful of his chief and awed by Jack, Lund had uncomplainingly logged hundreds of hours on the telephone, in records offices, and in his car, checking and rechecking the often contradictory details spun off by the collision between a Wisconsin farm-insurance salesman and two Sunset Strip working girls. All the while, Tom Lund had retained the energetic sparkle of a high school quarterback running onto the field for his first game. He does not look that way anymore, Jack observes. Dark smudges hang beneath his eyes, and the bones in his face are more prominent. More than sleeplessness and exhaustion lie behind Lund's affect: his eyes bear the helplessly startled expression of those who have suffered a great moral shock. The Fisherman has stolen a good part of Tom Lund's youth. â€Å"But I'll see what I can do,† Jack says, offering the promise of a commitment greater than he intends. â€Å"We can sure use anything you can give us,† Lund says. It is too much, too servile, and as Lund turns away and leads him to the office, Jack thinks, I didn't come here to be your savior. The thought instantly makes him feel guilty. Lund knocks, opens the door to announce Jack, shows him in, and vanishes like a ghost, utterly unnoticed by the two men who rise from their chairs and fasten their eyes upon their visitor's face, one with visible gratitude, the other with an enormous degree of the same emotion mixed with naked need, which makes Jack even more uncomfortable. Over Dale's garbled introduction, Fred Marshall says, â€Å"Thank you for agreeing to come, thank you so much. That's all I can . . .† His right arm sticks out like a pump handle. When Jack takes his hand, an even greater quantity of feeling floods into Fred Marshall's face. His hand fastens on Jack's and seems almost to claim it, as an animal claims its prey. He squeezes, hard, a considerable number of times. His eyes fill. â€Å"I can't . . .† Marshall pulls his hand away and scrubs the tears off his face. Now his eyes look raw and intensely vulnerable. â€Å"Boy oh boy,† he says. â€Å"I'm really glad you're here, Mr. Sawyer. Or should I say Lieutenant?† â€Å"Jack is fine. Why don't the two of you fill me in on what happened today?† Dale points toward a waiting chair; the three men take their places; the painful but essentially simple story of Fred, Judy, and Tyler Marshall begins. Fred speaks first, at some length. In his version of the story, a valiant, lionhearted woman, a devoted wife and mother, succumbs to baffling, multifaceted transformations and disorders, and develops mysterious symptoms overlooked by her ignorant, stupid, self-centered husband. She blurts out nonsense words; she writes crazy stuff on sheets of notepaper, rams the papers into her mouth, and tries to swallow them. She sees the tragedy coming in advance, and it unhinges her. Sounds crazy, but the self-centered husband thinks it's the truth. That is, he thinks he thinks it's the truth, because he's been thinking about it since he first talked to Dale, and even though it sounds crazy, it kind of makes sense. Because what other explanation could there be? So that's what he thinks he thinks that his wife started to lose her mind because she knew that the Fisherman was on the way. Things like that are possible, he guesses. For example, the brave afflicted wife knew that her beautiful wonderful son was missing even before the stupid selfish husband, who went to work exactly as if it were a normal day, told her about the bicycle. That pretty much proved what he was talking about. The beautiful little boy went out with his three friends, but only the three friends came back, and Officer Danny Tcheda found the little son's Schwinn bike and one of his poor sneakers on the sidewalk outside Maxton's. â€Å"Danny Cheetah?† asks Jack, who, like Fred Marshall, is beginning to think he thinks a number of alarming things. â€Å"Tcheda,† says Dale, and spells it for him. Dale tells his own, far shorter version of the story. In Dale Gilbertson's story, a boy goes out for a ride on his bicycle and vanishes, perhaps as a result of abduction, from the sidewalk in front of Maxton's. That is all of the story Dale knows, and he trusts that Jack Sawyer will be able to fill in many of the surrounding blanks. Jack Sawyer, at whom both of the other men in the room are staring, takes time to adjust to the three thoughts he now thinks he thinks. The first is not so much a thought as a response that embodies a hidden thought: from the moment Fred Marshall clutched his hand and said â€Å"Boy oh boy,† Jack found himself liking the man, an unanticipated turn in the evening's plot. Fred Marshall strikes him as something like the poster boy for small-town life. If you put his picture on billboards advertising French County real estate, you could sell a lot of second homes to people in Milwaukee and Chicago. Marshall's friendly, good-looking face and slender runner's body are as good as testimonials to responsibility, decency, good manners and good neighborliness, modesty, and a generous heart. The more Fred Marshall accuses himself of selfishness and stupidity, the more Jack likes him. And the more he likes him, the more he sympathizes with his terrible plight, the more he wishes to help t he man. Jack had come to the station expecting that he would respond to Dale's friend like a policeman, but his cop reflexes have rusted from disuse. He is responding like a fellow citizen. Cops, as Jack well knows, seldom view the civilians caught up in the backwash of a crime as fellow citizens, certainly never in the early stages of an investigation. (The thought hidden at the center of Jack's response to the man before him is that Fred Marshall, being what he is, cannot harbor suspicions about anyone with whom he is on good terms.) Jack's second thought is that of both a cop and a fellow citizen, and while he continues his adjustment to the third, which is wholly the product of his rusty yet still accurate cop reflexes, he makes it public. â€Å"The bikes I saw outside belong to Tyler's friends? Is someone questioning them now?† â€Å"Bobby Dulac,† Dale says. â€Å"I talked to them when they came in, but I didn't get anywhere. According to them, they were all together on Chase Street, and Tyler rode off by himself. They claim they didn't see anything. Maybe they didn't.† â€Å"But you think there's more.† â€Å"Honest to God, I do. But I don't know what the dickens it could be, and we have to send them home before their parents get bent out of shape.† â€Å"Who are they, what are their names?† Fred Marshall wraps his fingers together as if around the handle of an invisible baseball bat. â€Å"Ebbie Wexler, T. J. Renniker, and Ronnie Metzger. They're the kids Ty's been hanging around with this summer.† An unspoken judgment hovers about this last sentence. â€Å"It sounds like you don't consider them the best possible company for your son.† â€Å"Well, no,† says Fred, caught between his desire to tell the truth and his innate wish to avoid the appearance of unfairness. â€Å"Not if you put it like that. Ebbie seems like kind of a bully, and the other two are maybe a little on the . . . slow side? I hope . . . or I was hoping . . . that Ty would realize he could do better and spend his free time with kids who are more on, you know . . .† â€Å"More on his level.† â€Å"Right. The trouble is, my son is sort of small for his age, and Ebbie Wexler is . . . um . . .† â€Å"Heavyset and tall for his age,† Jack says. â€Å"The perfect situation for a bully.† â€Å"You're saying you know Ebbie Wexler?† â€Å"No, but I saw him this morning. He was with the other two boys and your son.† Dale jolts upright in his chair, and Fred Marshall drops his invisible bat. â€Å"When was that?† Dale asks. At the same time, Fred Marshall asks, â€Å"Where?† â€Å"Chase Street, about ten past eight. I came in to pick up Henry Ley-den and drive him home. When we were on our way out of town, the boys drove their bikes into the road right in front of me. I got a good look at your son, Mr. Marshall. He seemed like a great kid.† Fred Marshall's widening eyes indicate that some kind of hope, some promise, is taking shape before him; Dale relaxes. â€Å"That pretty much matches their story. It would have been right before Ty took off on his own. If he did.† â€Å"Or they took off and left him,† says Ty's father. â€Å"They were faster on their bikes than Ty, and sometimes they, you know . . . they teased him.† â€Å"By racing ahead and leaving him alone,† Jack says. Fred Marshall's glum nod speaks of boyhood humiliations shared with this sympathetic father. Jack remembers the inflamed, hostile face and raised finger of Ebbie Wexler and wonders if and how the boy might be protecting himself. Dale had said that he smelled the presence of falsity in the boys' story, but why would they lie? Whatever their reasons, the lie almost certainly began with Ebbie Wexler. The other two followed orders. For the moment setting aside the third of his thoughts, Jack says, â€Å"I want to talk to the boys before you send them home. Where are they?† â€Å"The interrogation room, top of the stairs.† Dale aims a finger at the ceiling. â€Å"Tom will take you up.† With its battleship-gray walls, gray metal table, and single window narrow as a slit in a castle wall, the room at the top of the stairs seems designed to elicit confessions through boredom and despair, and when Tom Lund leads Jack through the door, the four inhabitants of the interrogation room appear to have succumbed to its leaden atmosphere. Bobby Dulac looks sideways, stops drumming a pencil on the tabletop, and says, â€Å"Well, hoo-ray for Hollywood. Dale said you were coming down.† Even Bobby gleams a little less conspicuously in this gloom. â€Å"Did you want to interrogate these here hoodlums, Lieutenant?† â€Å"In a minute, maybe.† Two of the three hoodlums on the far side of the table watch Jack move alongside Bobby Dulac as if fearing he will clap them in a cell. The words â€Å"interrogate† and â€Å"Lieutenant† have had the bracing effect of a cold wind from Canada. Ebbie Wexler squints at Jack, trying to look tough, and the boy beside him, Ronnie Metzger, wriggles in his chair, his eyes like dinner plates. The third boy, T. J. Ren-niker, has dropped his head atop his crossed arms and appears to be asleep. â€Å"Wake him up,† Jack says. â€Å"I have something to say, and I want you all to hear it.† In fact, he has nothing to say, but he needs these boys to pay attention to him. He already knows that Dale was right. If they are not lying, they are at least holding something back. That's why his abrupt appearance within their dozy scene frightened them. If Jack had been in charge, he would have separated the boys and questioned them individually, but now he must deal with Bobby Dulac's mistake. He has to treat them collectively, to begin with, and he has to work on their fear. He does not want to terrorize the boys, merely to get their hearts pumping a bit faster; after that, he can separate them. The weakest, guiltiest link has already declared himself. Jack feels no compunction about telling lies to get information. Ronnie Metzger shoves T.J.'s shoulder and says, â€Å"Wake up, bum-dell . . . dumbbell.† The sleeping boy moans, lifts his head from the table, begins to stretch out his arms. His eyes fasten on Jack, and blinking and swallowing he snaps into an upright position. â€Å"Welcome back,† Jack says. â€Å"I want to introduce myself and explain what I am doing here. My name is Jack Sawyer, and I am a lieutenant in the Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. I have an excellent record and a roomful of citations and medals. When I go after a bad guy, I usually wind up arresting him. Three years ago, I came here on a case from Los Angeles. Two weeks later, a man named Thornberg Kinderling was shipped back to L.A. in chains. Because I know this area and have worked with its law enforcement officers, the LAPD asked me to assist your local force in its investigation of the Fisherman murders.† He glances down to see if Bobby Dulac is grinning at this nonsense, but Bobby is staring frozen-faced across the table. â€Å"Your friend Tyler Marshall was with you before he disappeared this morning. Did the Fisherman take him? I hate to say it, but I think he did. Maybe we can get Tyler back, and maybe we can't, but if I am going to stop the Fisherman, I need you to tell me exactly what happened, down to the last detail. You have to be completely honest with me, because if you lie or keep anything secret, you will be guilty of obstruction of justice. Obstruction of justice is a serious, serious crime. Officer Dulac, what is the minimum sentence for that crime in the state of Wisconsin?† â€Å"Five years, I'm pretty sure,† Bobby Dulac says. Ebbie Wexler bites the inside of his cheek; Ronnie Metzger looks away and frowns at the table; T. J. Renniker dully contemplates the narrow window. Jack sits down beside Bobby Dulac. â€Å"Incidentally, I was the guy in the pickup one of you gave the finger to this morning. I can't say I'm thrilled to see you again.† Two heads swivel toward Ebbie, who squints ferociously, trying to solve this brand-new problem. â€Å"I did not,† he says, having settled on outright denial. â€Å"Maybe it looked like I did, but I didn't.† â€Å"You're lying, and we haven't even started to talk about Tyler Marshall yet. I'll give you one more chance. Tell me the truth.† Ebbie smirks. â€Å"I don't go around flipping the bird at people I don't know.† â€Å"Stand up,† Jack says. Ebbie glances from side to side, but his friends are unable to meet his gaze. He shoves back his chair and stands up, uncertainly. â€Å"Officer Dulac,† Jack says, â€Å"take this boy outside and hold him there.† Bobby Dulac performs his role perfectly. He uncoils from his chair and keeps his eyes on Ebbie as he glides toward him. He resembles a panther on the way to a sumptuous meal. Ebbie Wexler jumps back and tries to stay Bobby with a raised palm. â€Å"No, don't I take it back I did it, okay?† â€Å"Too late,† Jack says. He watches as Bobby grasps the boy's elbow and pulls him toward the door. Red-faced and sweating, Ebbie plants his feet on the floor, and the forward pressure applied to his arm folds him over the bulge of his stomach. He staggers forward, yelping and scattering tears. Bobbie Dulac opens the door and hauls him into the bleak second-floor corridor. The door slams shut and cuts off a wail of fear. The two remaining boys have turned the color of skim milk and seem incapable of movement. â€Å"Don't worry about him,† Jack says. â€Å"He'll be fine. In fifteen, twenty minutes, you'll be free to go home. I didn't think there was any point in talking to someone who lies from the git-go, that's all. Remember: even lousy cops know when they're being lied to and I am a great cop. So this is what we are going to do now. We're going to talk about what happened this morning, about what Tyler was doing, the way you separated from him, where you were, what you did afterward, anyone you might have seen, that kind of thing.† He leans back and flattens his hands on the table. â€Å"Go on, tell me what happened.† Ronnie and T.J. look at each other. T.J. inserts his right index finger into his mouth and begins to worry the nail with his front teeth. â€Å"Ebbie flipped you,† Ronnie says. â€Å"No kidding. After that.† â€Å"Uh, Ty said he hadda go someplace.† â€Å"He hadda go someplace,† T.J. chimes in. â€Å"Where were you right then?† â€Å"Uh . . . outside the Allsorts Pomorium.† â€Å"Emporium,† T.J. says. â€Å"It's not a pomorium, mushhead, it's a em-poree-um.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"And Ty said † Ronnie glances at T.J. â€Å"Ty said he hadda go somewhere.† â€Å"Which way did he go, east or west?† The boys treat this question as though it were asked in a foreign language, by puzzling over it, mutely. â€Å"Toward the river, or away from the river?† They consult each other again. The question has been asked in English, but no proper answer exists. Finally, Ronnie says, â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"How about you, T.J.? Do you know?† T.J. shakes his head. â€Å"Good. That's honest. You don't know because you didn't see him leave, did you? And he didn't really say he had to go somewhere, did he? I bet Ebbie made that up.† T.J. wriggles, and Ronnie gazes at Jack with wondering awe. He has just revealed himself to be Sherlock Holmes. â€Å"Remember when I drove past in my truck?† They nod in unison. â€Å"Tyler was with you.† They nod again. â€Å"You'd already left the sidewalk in front of the Allsorts Emporium, and you were riding east on Chase Street away from the river. I saw you in my rearview mirror. Ebbie was pedaling very fast. The two of you could almost keep up with him. Tyler was smaller than the rest of you, and he fell behind. So I know he didn't go off on his own. He couldn't keep up.† Ronnie Metzger wails, â€Å"And he got way, way behind, and the Misherfun came out and grabbed him.† He promptly bursts into tears. Jack leans forward. â€Å"Did you see it happen? Either one of you?† â€Å"Noooaa,† Ronnie sobs. T.J. slowly shakes his head. â€Å"You didn't see anyone talking with Ty, or a car stopping, or him going into a shop, or anything like that?† The boys utter an incoherent, overlapping babble to the effect that they saw nothing. â€Å"When did you realize he was gone?† T.J. opens his mouth, then closes it. Ronnie says, â€Å"When we were having the Slurpees.† His face pursed with tension, T.J. nods in agreement. Two more questions reveal that they had enjoyed the Slurpees at the 7-Eleven, where they also purchased Magic cards, and that it had probably taken them no more than a couple of minutes to notice Tyler Marshall's absence. â€Å"Ebbie said Ty would buy us some more cards,† helpful Ronnie adds. They have reached the moment for which Jack has been waiting. Whatever the secret may be, it took place soon after the boys came out of the 7-Eleven and saw that Tyler had still not joined them. And the secret is T.J.'s alone. The kid is practically sweating blood, while the memory of the Slurpees and Magic cards has calmed down his friend to a remarkable degree. There is only one more question he wishes to ask the two of them. â€Å"So Ebbie wanted to find Tyler. Did you all get on your bikes and search around, or did Ebbie send just one of you?† â€Å"Huh?† Ronnie says. T.J. drops his chin and crosses his arms on the top of his head, as if to ward off a blow. â€Å"Tyler went somewheres,† Ronnie says. â€Å"We didn't look for him, we went to the park. To trade the Magic cards.† â€Å"I see,† Jack says. â€Å"Ronnie, thank you. You have been very helpful. I'd like you to go outside and stay with Ebbie and Officer Dulac while I have a short conversation with T.J. It shouldn't take more than five minutes, if that.† â€Å"I can go?† At Jack's nod, Ronnie moves hesitantly out of his chair. When he reaches the door, T.J. emits a whimper. Then Ronnie is gone, and T.J. jerks backward into his chair and tries to become as small as possible while staring at Jack with eyes that have become shiny, flat, and perfectly round. â€Å"T.J.,† Jack says, â€Å"you have nothing to worry about, I promise you.† Now that he is alone with the boy who had declared his guilt by falling asleep in the interrogation room, Jack Sawyer wants above all to absolve him of that guilt. He knows T.J.'s secret, and the secret is nothing; it is useless. â€Å"No matter what you tell me, I'm not going to arrest you. That's a promise, too. You're not in any trouble, son. In fact, I'm glad you and your friends could come down here and help us straighten things out.† He goes on in this vein for another three or four minutes, in the course of which T. J. Renniker, formerly condemned to death by firing squad, gradually comprehends that his pardon has come through and his release from what his buddy Ronnie would call vurance dile is imminent. A little color returns to his face. He returns to his former size, and his eyes lose their horror-stricken glaze. â€Å"Tell me what Ebbie did,† Jack says. â€Å"Just between you and me. I won't tell him anything. Honest. I won't rat you out.† â€Å"He wanted Ty to buy more Magic cards,† T.J. says, feeling his way through unknown territory. â€Å"If Ty was there, he woulda. Ebbie can get kind of mean. So . . . so he told me, go downstreet and get the slowpoke, or I'll give you an Indian burn.† â€Å"You got on your bike and rode back down Chase Street.† â€Å"Uh-huh. I looked, but I didn't see Ty anywheres. I thought I would, you know? Because where else could he be?† â€Å"And . . . ?† Jack reels in the answer he knows is coming by winding his hand through the air. â€Å"And I still didn't see him. And I got to Queen Street, where the old folks' home is, with the big hedge out front. And, um, I saw his bike there. On the sidewalk in front of the hedge. His sneaker was there, too. And some leaves off the hedge.† There it is, the worthless secret. Maybe not entirely worthless: it gives them a pretty accurate fix on the time of the boy's disappearance: 8:15, say, or 8:20. The bike lay on the sidewalk next to the sneaker for something like four hours before Danny Tcheda spotted them. Maxton's takes up just about all the land on that section of Queen Street, and no one was showing up for the Strawberry Fest until noon. T.J. describes being afraid if the Fisherman pulled Ty into that hedge, maybe he'd come back for more! In answer to Jack's final question, the boy says, â€Å"Ebbie told us to say Ty rode away from in front of the Allsorts, so people wouldn't, like, blame us. In case he was killed. Ty isn't really killed, is he? Kids like Ty don't get killed.† â€Å"I hope not,† Jack says. â€Å"Me, too.† T.J. snuffles and wipes his nose on his arm. â€Å"Let's get you on your way home,† Jack says, leaving his chair. T.J. stands up and begins to move along the side of the table. â€Å"Oh! I just remembered!† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I saw feathers on the sidewalk.† The floor beneath Jack's feet seems to roll left, then right, like the deck of a ship. He steadies himself by grasping the back of a chair. â€Å"Really.† He takes care to compose himself before turning to the boy. â€Å"What do you mean, feathers?† â€Å"Black ones. Big. They looked like they came off a crow. One was next to the bike, and the other was in the sneaker.† â€Å"That's funny,† says Jack, buying time until he ceases to reverberate from the unexpected appearance of feathers in his conversation with T. J. Renniker. That he should respond at all is ridiculous; that he should have felt, even for a second, that he was likely to faint is grotesque. T.J.'s feathers were real crow feathers on a real sidewalk. His were dream feathers, feathers from unreal robins, illusory as everything else in a dream. Jack tells himself a number of helpful things like this, and soon he does feel normal once again, but we should be aware that, for the rest of the night and much of the next day, the word feathers floats, surrounded by an aura as charged as an electrical storm, beneath and through his thoughts, now and then surfacing with the sizzling crackle of a lightning bolt. â€Å"It's weird,† T.J. says. â€Å"Like, how did a feather get in his sneaker?† â€Å"Maybe the wind blew it there,† Jack says, conveniently ignoring the nonexistence of wind this day. Reassured by the stability of the floor, he waves T.J. into the hallway, then follows him out. Ebbie Wexler pushes himself off the wall and stamps up alongside Bobby Dulac. Still in character, Bobby might have been carved from a block of marble. Ronnie Metzger sidles away. â€Å"We can send these boys home,† Jack says. â€Å"They've done their duty.† â€Å"T.J., what did you say?† Ebbie asks, glowering. â€Å"He made it clear that you know nothing about your friend's disappearance,† Jack says. Ebbie relaxes, though not without distributing scowls all around. The final and most malignant scowl is for Jack, who raises his eyebrows. â€Å"I didn't cry,† Ebbie says. â€Å"I was scared, but I didn't cry.† â€Å"You were scared, all right,† Jack says. â€Å"Next time, don't lie to me. You had your chance to help the police, and you blew it.† Ebbie struggles with this notion and succeeds, at least partially, in absorbing it. â€Å"Okay, but I wasn't really flippin' at you. It was the stupid music.† â€Å"I hated it, too. The guy who was with me insisted on playing it. You know who he was?† In the face of Ebbie's suspicious glower, Jack says, â€Å"George Rathbun.† It is like saying â€Å"Superman,† or â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger†; Ebbie's suspicion evaporates, and his face transforms. Innocent wonder fills his small, close-set eyes. â€Å"You know George Rathbun?† â€Å"He's one of my best friends,† Jack says, not adding that most of his other best friends are, in a sense, also George Rathbun. â€Å"Cool,† Ebbie says. In the background, T.J. and Ronnie echo, â€Å"Cool.† â€Å"George is pretty cool,† Jack says. â€Å"I'll tell him you said that. Let's go downstairs and get you kids on your bikes.† Still wrapped in the glory of having gazed upon the great, the tremendous George Rathbun, the boys mount their bicycles, pedal away down Sumner Street, and swerve off onto Second. Bobby Dulac says, â€Å"That was a good trick, what you said about George Rathbun. Sent them away happy.† â€Å"It wasn't a trick.† So startled that he jostles back into the station house side by side with Jack, Bobby says, â€Å"George Rathbun is a friend of yours?† â€Å"Yep,† Jack says. â€Å"And sometimes, he can be a real pain in the ass.† Dale and Fred Marshall look up as Jack enters the office, Dale with a cautious expectancy, Fred Marshall with what Jack sees, heartbreakingly, as hope. â€Å"Well?† Dale says. ( feathers) â€Å"You were right, they were hiding something, but it isn't much.† Fred Marshall slumps against the back of his chair, letting some of his belief in a future hope leak out of him like air from a punctured tire. â€Å"Not long after they got to the 7-Eleven, the Wexler boy sent T.J. down the street to look for your son,† Jack says. â€Å"When T.J. got to Queen Street, he saw the bike and the sneaker lying on the sidewalk. Of course, they all thought of the Fisherman. Ebbie Wexler figured they might get blamed for leaving him behind, and he came up with the story you heard that Tyler left them, instead of the other way around.† â€Å"If you saw all four boys around ten past eight, that means Tyler disappeared only a few minutes later. What does this guy do, lurk in hedges?† â€Å"Maybe he does exactly that,† Jack says. â€Å"Did you have people check out that hedge?† ( feathers) â€Å"The staties went over it, through it, and under it. Leaves and dirt, that's what they came up with.† As if driving a spike with his hand, Fred Marshall bangs his fist down onto the desk. â€Å"My son was gone for four hours before anyone noticed his bike. Now it's almost seven-thirty! He's been missing for most of the day! I shouldn't be sitting here, I should be driving around, looking for him.† â€Å"Everybody is looking for your son, Fred,† Dale says. â€Å"My guys, the staties, even the FBI.† â€Å"I have no faith in them,† Fred says. â€Å"They haven't found Irma Freneau, have they? Why should they find my son? As far as I can see, I've got one chance here.† When he looks at Jack, emotion turns his eyes into lamps. â€Å"That chance is you, Lieutenant. Will you help me?† Jack's third and most troubling thought, withheld until now and purely that of an experienced policeman, causes him to say, â€Å"I'd like to talk to your wife. If you're planning on visiting her tomorrow, would you mind if I came along?† Dale blinks and says, â€Å"Maybe we should talk about this.† â€Å"Do you think it would do some good?† â€Å"It might,† Jack says. â€Å"Seeing you might do her some good, anyhow,† Fred says. â€Å"Don't you live in Norway Valley? That's on the way to Arden. I can pick you up about nine.† â€Å"Jack,† Dale says. â€Å"See you at nine,† Jack says, ignoring the signals of mingled distress and anger emanating from his friend, also the little voice that whispers ( feather). â€Å"Amazing,† says Henry Leyden. â€Å"I don't know whether to thank you or congratulate you. Both, I suppose. It's too late in the game to make ‘bitchrod,' like me, but I think you could have a shot at ‘dope.' â€Å" â€Å"Don't lose your head. The only reason I went down there was to keep the boy's father from coming to my house.† â€Å"That wasn't the only reason.† â€Å"You're right. I was feeling sort of edgy and hemmed in. I felt like getting out, changing the scenery.† â€Å"But there was also another reason.† â€Å"Henry, you are hip-deep in pigshit, do you know that? You want to think I acted out of civic duty, or honor, or compassion, or altruism, or something, but I didn't. I don't like having to say this, but I'm a lot less good-hearted and responsible than you think I am.† † ‘Hip-deep in pigshit'? Man, you are absolutely on the money. I have been hip-deep in pigshit, not to mention chest-deep and even chin-deep in pigshit, most of my life.† â€Å"Nice of you to admit it.† â€Å"However, you misunderstand me. You're right, I do think you are a good, decent person. I don't just think it, I know it. You're modest, you're compassionate, you're honorable, you're responsible no matter what you think of yourself right now. But that wasn't what I was talking about.† â€Å"What did you mean, then?† â€Å"The other reason you decided to go to the police station is connected to this problem, this concern, whatever it is, that's been bugging you for the past couple of weeks. It's like you've been walking around under a shadow.† â€Å"Huh,† Jack said. â€Å"This problem, this secret of yours, takes up half your attention, so you're only half present; the rest of you is somewhere else. Sweetie, don't you think I can tell when you're worried and preoccupied? I might be blind, but I can see.† â€Å"Okay. Let's suppose that something has been on my mind lately. What could that have to do with going to the station house?† â€Å"There are two possibilities. Either you were going off to confront it, or you were fleeing from it.† Jack does not speak. â€Å"All of which suggests that this problem has to do with your life as a policeman. It could be some old case coming back to haunt you. Maybe a psychotic thug you put in jail was released and is threatening to kill you. Or, hell, I'm completely full of shit and you found out you have liver cancer and a life expectancy of three months.† â€Å"I don't have cancer, at least as far as I know, and no ex-con wants to kill me. All of my old cases, most of them, anyway, are safely asleep in the records warehouse of the LAPD. Of course, something has been bothering me lately, and I should have expected you to see that. But I didn't want to, I don't know, burden you with it until I managed to figure it out for myself.† â€Å"Tell me one thing, will you? Were you going toward it, or running away?† â€Å"There's no answer to that question.† â€Å"We shall see. Isn't the food ready by now? I'm starving, literally starving. You cook too slow. I would have been done ten minutes ago.† â€Å"Hold your horses,† Jack says. â€Å"Coming right up. The problem is this crazy kitchen of yours.† â€Å"Most rational kitchen in America. Maybe in the world.† After ducking out of the police station quickly enough to avoid a useless conversation with Dale, Jack had yielded to impulse and called Henry with the offer of making dinner for both of them. A couple of good steaks, a nice bottle of wine, grilled mushrooms, a big salad. He could pick up everything they needed in French Landing. Jack had cooked for Henry on three or four previous occasions, and Henry had prepared one stupendously bizarre dinner for Jack. (The housekeeper had taken all the herbs and spices off their rack to wash it, and she had put everything back in the wrong place.) What was he doing in French Landing? He'd explain that when he got there. At eight-thirty he had pulled up before Henry's roomy white farmhouse, greeted Henry, and carried the groceries and his copy of Bleak House into the kitchen. He had tossed the book to the far end of the table, opened the wine, poured a glass for his host and one for himself, and started cooking. He'd had to spend several minutes r eacquainting himself with the eccentricities of Henry's kitchen, in which objects were not located by kind pans with pans, knives with knives, pots with pots but according to what sort of meal required their usage. If Henry wanted to whip up a grilled trout and some new potatoes, he had only to open the proper cabinet to find all the necessary utensils. These were arranged in four basic groups (meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables), with many subgroups and subsubgroups within each category. The filing system confounded Jack, who often had to peer into several widely separated realms before coming upon the frying pan or spatula he was looking for. As Jack chopped, wandered the shelves, and cooked, Henry had laid the table in the kitchen with plates and silverware and sat down to quiz his troubled friend. Now the steaks, rare, are transported to the plates, the mushrooms arrayed around them, and the enormous wooden salad bowl installed on the center of the table. Henry pronounces the meal delicious, takes a sip of his wine, and says, â€Å"If you still won't talk about your trouble, whatever it is, you'd better at least tell me what happened at the station. I suppose there's very little doubt that another child was snatched.† â€Å"Next to none, I'm sorry to say. It's a boy named Tyler Marshall. His father's name is Fred Marshall, and he works out at Goltz's. Do you know him?† â€Å"Been a long time since I bought a combine,† Henry says. â€Å"The first thing that struck me was that Fred Marshall was a very nice guy,† Jack says, and goes on to recount, in great detail and leaving nothing out, the evening's events and revelations, except for one matter, that of his third, his unspoken, thought. â€Å"You actually asked to visit Marshall's wife? In the mental wing at French County Lutheran?† â€Å"Yes, I did,† Jack says. â€Å"I'm going there tomorrow.† â€Å"I don't get it.† Henry eats by hunting the food with his knife, spearing it with his fork, and measuring off a narrow strip of steak. â€Å"Why would you want to see the mother?† â€Å"Because one way or another I think she's involved,† Jack says. â€Å"Oh, come off it. The boy's own mother?† â€Å"I'm not saying she's the Fisherman, because of course she isn't. But according to her husband, Judy Marshall's behavior started to change before Amy St. Pierre disappeared. She got worse and worse as the murders went on, and on the day her son vanished, she flipped out completely. Her husband had to have her committed.† â€Å"Wouldn't you say she had an excellent reason to break down?† â€Å"She flipped out before anyone told her about her son. Her husband thinks she has ESP! He said she saw the murders in advance, she knew the Fisherman was on the way. And she knew her son was gone before they found the bike when Fred Marshall came home, he found her tearing at the walls and talking nonsense. Completely out of control.† â€Å"You hear about lots of cases where a mother is suddenly aware of some threat or injury to her child. A pyschic bond. Sounds like mumbo jumbo, but I guess it happens.† â€Å"I don't believe in ESP, and I don't believe in coincidence.† â€Å"So what are you saying?† â€Å"Judy Marshall knows something, and whatever she knows is a real showstopper. Fred can't see it he's much too close and Dale can't see it, either. You should have heard him talk about her.† â€Å"So what is she supposed to know?† â€Å"I think she may know the doer. I think it has to be someone close to her. Whoever he is, she knows his name, and it's driving her crazy.† Henry frowns and uses his inchworm technique to entrap another piece of steak. â€Å"So you're going to the hospital to open her up,† he finally says. â€Å"Yes. Basically.† A mysterious silence follows this statement. Henry quietly whittles away at the meat, chews what he whittles, and washes it down with Jordan cabernet. â€Å"How did your deejay gig go? Was it okay?† â€Å"It was a thing of beauty. All the adorable old swingers cut loose on the dance floor, even the ones in wheelchairs. One guy sort of rubbed me the wrong way. He was rude to a woman named Alice, and he asked me to play ‘Lady Magowan's Nightmare,' which doesn't exist, as you probably know â€Å" â€Å"It's ‘Lady Magowan's Dream.' Woody Herman.† â€Å"Good boy. The thing was, he had this terrible voice. It sounded like something out of hell! Anyhow, I didn't have the Woody Herman record, and he asked for the Bunny Berigan ‘I Can't Get Started.' Which happened to be Rhoda's favorite record. What with my goofy ear hallucinations and all, it shook me up. I don't know why.† For a few minutes they concentrate on their plates. Jack says, â€Å"What do you think, Henry?† Henry tilts his head, auditing an inner voice. Scowling, he sets down his fork. The inner voice continues to demand his attention. He adjusts his shades and faces Jack. â€Å"In spite of everything you say, you still think like a cop.† Jack bridles at the suspicion that Henry is not paying him a compliment. â€Å"What do you mean by that?† â€Å"Cops see differently than people who aren't cops. When a cop looks at someone, he wonders what he's guilty of. The possibility of innocence never enters his mind. To a longtime cop, a guy who's put in ten years or more, everyone who isn't a cop is guilty. Only most of them haven't been caught yet.† Henry has described the mind-set of dozens of men Jack once worked with. â€Å"Henry, how do you know about that?† â€Å"I can see it in their eyes,† Henry says. â€Å"That's the way policemen approach the world. You are a policeman.† Jack blurts out, â€Å"I am a coppiceman.† Appalled, he blushes. â€Å"Sorry, that stupid phrase has been running around and around in my head, and it just popped out.† â€Å"Why don't we clear the dishes and start on Bleak House?† When their few dishes have been stacked beside the sink, Jack takes the book from the far side of the table and follows Henry toward the living room, pausing on the way to glance, as he always does, at his friend's studio. A door with a large glass insert opens into a small, soundproofed chamber bristling with electronic equipment: the microphone and turntable back from Maxton's and reinstalled before Henry's well-padded, swiveling chair; a disc changer and matching digital-analog converter mount, close at hand, beside a mixing board and a massive tape recorder adjacent to the other, larger window, which looks into the kitchen. When Henry had been planning the studio, Rhoda requested the windows, because, she'd said, she wanted to be able to see him at work. There isn't a wire in sight. The entire studio has the disciplined neatness of the captain's quarters on a ship. â€Å"Looks like you're going to work tonight,† Jack says. â€Å"I want to get two more Henry Shakes ready to send, and I'm working on something for a birthday salute to Lester Young and Charlie Parker.† â€Å"Were they born on the same day?† â€Å"Close enough. August twenty-seventh and twenty-ninth. You know, I can't quite tell if you'll want the lights on or not.† â€Å"Let's turn them on,† Jack says. And so Henry Leyden switches on the two lamps beside the window, and Jack Sawyer moves to the overstuffed chair near the fireplace and turns on the tall lamp at one of its rounded arms and watches as his friend walks unerringly to the light just inside the front door and the ornate fixture alongside his own, his favorite resting place, the Mission-style sofa, clicking first one, then the other into life, then settles down onto the sofa with one leg stretched out along its length. Even, low light pervades the long room and swells into greater brightness around Jack's chair. â€Å"Bleak House, by Charles Dickens,† he says. He clears his throat. â€Å"Okay, Henry, we're off to the races.† â€Å"London. Michaelmas Term lately over,† he reads, and marches into a world made of soot and mud. Muddy dogs, muddy horses, muddy people, a day without light. Soon he has reached the second paragraph: â€Å"Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green aits and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping, and the waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city. Fog on the Essex marshes, fog on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs; fog lying out on the yards, and hovering in the rigging of great ships; fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats.† His voice catches, and his mind temporarily drifts off-focus. What he is reading unhappily reminds him of French Landing, of Sumner Street and Chase Street, of the lights in the window of the Oak Tree Inn, the Thunder Five lurking in Nailhouse Row, and the gray ascent from the river, of Queen Street and Maxton's hedges, the little houses spreading out on grids, all of it choked by unseen fog; which engulfs a battered NO TRESPASSING sign on the highway and swallows the Sand Bar and glides hungry and searching down the valleys. â€Å"Sorry,† he says. â€Å"I was just thinking â€Å" â€Å"I was, too,† Henry says. â€Å"Go on, please.† But for that brief flicker of an old NO TRESPASSING sign completely unaware of the black house he one day will have to enter, Jack concentrates again on the page and continues reading Bleak House. The windows darken as the lamps grow warmer. The case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce grinds through the courts, aided or impeded by attorneys Chizzle, Mizzle, and Drizzle; Lady Dedlock leaves Sir Leicester Dedlock alone at their great estate with its moldy chapel, stagnant river, and â€Å"Ghost's Walk†; Esther Summerson begins to chirp away in the first person. Our friends decide that the appearance of Esther demands a small libation, if they are to get through much more chirping. Henry unfolds from the sofa, sails into the kitchen, and returns with two short, fat glasses one-third filled with Balvenie Doublewood single-malt whiskey, as well as a glass of plain water for the reader. A couple of sips, a few murmurs of appreciation, and Jack resumes. Esther, Esther, Esther, but beneath the water torture of her relentless sunniness the story gathers steam and carries both reader and listener along in its train. Having come to a convenient stopping point, Jack closes the book and yawns. Henry stands up and stretches. They move to the door, and Henry follows Jack outside beneath a vast night sky brilliantly scattered with stars. â€Å"Tell me one thing,† Henry says. â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"When you were in the station house, did you really feel like a cop? Or did you feel like you were pretending to be one?† â€Å"Actually, it was kind of surprising,† Jack says. â€Å"In no time at all, I felt like a cop again.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"Why is that good?† â€Å"Because it means you were running toward that mysterious secret, not away from it.† Shaking his head and smiling, deliberately not giving Henry the satisfaction of a reply, Jack steps up into his vehicle and says good-bye from the slight but distinct elevation of the driver's seat. The engine coughs and churns, his headlights snap into being, and Jack is on his way home.