The Story of an Hour and a Sorrowful Woman: the Plight of Women

The Story of an Hour and A Sorrowful Woman: the plight of women From time to time, marriage is not always bring happiness to a couple, also makes a couple to be imprisoners with the commitment. The marital bonds of intimacy, respect, and trust must be developed, nurtured and enforced. When this fails, most couples are given a chance to make important changes. In a sorrowful woman, character of a woman is center around the idea of marriage, motherhood and housewife. As the author begins actually with an epigram emphasizing with the ironic of the plot â€Å"once upon a time, there was a wife and mother one too many†.The secluded woman had already the fulfillment of being married and having a child, but was now at the point of not wanting that kind of life anymore. The woman is unhappy with her marriage and isolates herself from her family. She is being so sad and depressing. The loneliness and solitude was that she had wanted out of her family member role throughout the story. S he was placed to bed the first night and was given a sleeping draught that was guaranteed to put her to rest swiftly after informing her husband that she wanted to be away and out of the sight of him and their little boy.She could not any longer fulfill her role of being a mother to her child. She did not know how to be a loving mother to him anymore. For many days straight the wife remained there alone and only appears to wonder throughout the house aimlessly a few short times when the house was vacant. She seems to be a very selfish and self-centered person who cares only for herself. It seems like the end of her world. I mean she doesn’t want to improve or fix her relationship with her husband and also she ends up her duty with her child. In contrast, I see that the woman, Mrs.Mallard, in the story of an hour has a different moment from the wife in sorrowful woman story. She is a normal housewife who depends on her husband. The news of her husband's death gives her freedom and sets her free from restraints, marriage and a lifetime of dependency. After she knew about her husband’s death, she locks herself in her room. She thinks about what life is going to be like from now on.. She concealed her happiness. In the story, As Mrs. Mallard is sitting in her chair whispering over and over â€Å"Free body and Sole free†.This shows her experience of a freedom. For probably the first time in a long time she feels truly happy, happy that she is now free from her husband and the life they once shared together. Her death is due to shattered dreams brought on with shock. The doctors announce that she had died of heart disease â€Å"- of joy that kills†. This concluding line is probably the most interesting. The reader knows, through the limited omniscient narrator, the true sentiments of Mrs. Mallard and the irony lays in the fact that she could not endure the confines of her superficial marriage.From these two authors, from different time pe riods, A sorrowful woman and The story of an hour are both similar pieces of literary work in that both stories offers a revealing glimpse of extremely unhappy marriages. They are so unhappy with the lives they lead. For female protagonist in â€Å"A sorrowful woman†, her marriage was a torment. Both of women are imprisoned in their own marriages and even more so in their own minds, which eventually lead them to death. It shows that marriage does not always bring happiness they expect like a fairytale.

The Development of Housing Finance in the Changing Business Scenario

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING FINANCE IN THE CHANGING BUSINESS SCENARIO Mr. P. S. Ravindra** ABSTRACT Traditionally in India, most people used to depend on their provident fund and gratuity amounts received after retirement while considering buying a home. However, with the emergence of housing finance as a major business in the country, an increasingly large number of people are going for housing loans. The housing sector in India is facing an estimated shortage of 4. 1 crore houses and according to the Ninth Plan, the demand-supply gap in urban housing is 3. 3 crore houses. The industry comprises of nearly 383 housing finance companies although disbursements from only the leading 26 institutions are eligible for re-finance from National Housing Bank, which is the regulatory body for these companies. These Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) constitute nearly 95 % of the total disbursement by the industry . The tax exemption on the interest paid on housing loans has also been extended up to the year 2003. This move will benefit the salaried employees, especially the middle-class populace. A dream of providing 25 lakh rural houses has been envisaged in the budget. Out of these, 12 lakh houses will be built under the ‘India Awas Yojana’ and another one-lakh houses would be provided under the ‘Credit-cum-Subsidy’ scheme for families with an annual income below Rs. 32,000. Moreover, around 1. 5 lakh houses to be constructed under the ‘Golden Jubilee Rural Housing Finance Scheme’ will be eligible for refinance from the NHB. The industry is witnessing a boom at present boosted by the generous budget sops and rock bottom real estate prices. The demand is a result of genuine individual needs for housing. The prospects of the industry would be further strengthened on the amendments to the Rent Control Act and repealing of the controversial Urban Land Ceiling Act. This research paper focuses on the Demand for Housing sector, Market Profile, Market Trends, Price Sensitivity factors and outlook of Development of Housing Finance in the changing Business scenario. ____________________________________________________________ ____________ _________________nd Ceiling Act. _________________________________________________________ THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING FINANCE IN THE CHANGING BUSINESS SCENARIO Mr. P. S. Ravindra** Introduction Roti, Kapada aur Makaan are the three basic necessities of human beings. Traditionally in India, most people used to depend on their provident fund and gratuity amounts received after retirement while considering buying a home. However, with the emergence of housing finance as a major business in the country, an increasingly large number of people are going for housing loans. Incomes of families are rising and their purchasing capacity as well as loan repaying capacities is going up. Property prices are more or less on a stabilizing trend. A large number of home loan options are available. HFCs are becoming increasingly liberal. Interest rates have been progressively falling. The Government of India has been giving substantial encouragement to the housing sector. The social structure of the Indian families is going through a sea change as the joint family is fast giving way to the nuclear family concept. The pressure to have one’s own home is high among these families. Highlights †¢ Significantly, there has been no dearth of demand for housing and consequently for finances for the same have been abundant. †¢ Market dynamics play a pivotal role in determining the lending rates. Considering the same, the housing finance industry has been in a slump in recent times. †¢ The entry of banks into the housing finance sector has posed a serious threat to already existent players in the field. †¢ The housing sector is witnessing a clash between major players. Foremost amongst this is the ICICI and HDFC imbroglio. The later is giving sleepless nights to HDFC. †¢ Tax sops provided by the Government of India is a significant step towards upholding the future prospects of this industry. Sector Comments Nearly 25 lakh houses are built every year in India. However, the nation’s requirement is around 65 lakh houses per annum. The housing sector in India is facing an estimated shortage of 4. 1 crore houses and according to the Ninth Plan, the demand-supply gap in urban housing is 3. 3 crore houses. In case, all these urban housing dwellings were to be built, it would require an investment of Rs. 150,370 crore. Traditionally, the housing finance business has been yielding a margin of around 2 per cent. The skill of the players is in converting their advances that have a maturity period of 15-30 years with the deposits that mature within three years. Though, the National Housing Bank (NHB) refinances housing loan up to Rs. lakh disbursed to the lower income group, this is just a negligible proportion of advances to the major players. The primary sources of funds are fixed deposits, debentures, private placement of bonds and borrowings from banks and financial institutions. Thus, efficient financial management has a key role to play in this industry. Lending rates are predominantly market-driven and in view o f the same, the housing finance industry has been in a slump in recent times with there being low demand from builders and investors alike. Furthermore, the entry of banks into the housing finance sector has also not augured well for the industry. Most housing finance companies cater mainly to the higher income group having reasonably assured creditworthiness. In a scenario marked with the absence of speedy foreclosure regulations, most companies prefer to stay away from rural and the Low-Income Group   (LIG). However, it must be noted that demand for housing in the Middle-Income Group and High Income Group segments has also recorded a steady rise lately. Market profile The Indian housing finance sector is crowded with players of all sizes and nature: government organisations, insurance companies, banks, housing finance companies and co-operative organisations like HUDCO and NHB. Major players in the Industry are HDFC, LIC Housing Finance, Dewan Housing, Can Fin Homes, SBI Home Finance and Gujarat Rural Housing. The youngest entrant into the Industry, which is penetrating rapidly, is ICICI. Interestingly, both Can Fin Homes Limited and its parent Canara Bank are into housing finance. It is the same with quite a few banks, for example, SBI and SBI Home Finance Limited, Bank of Baroda and BOB Finance, Vysa Bank and Vysyabank Housing. Though HDFC and ICICI also have their banking arms, they compete with each other in personal loans, but not housing loans. The industry comprises of nearly 383 housing finance companies although disbursements from only the leading 26 institutions are eligible for re-finance from National Housing Bank, which is the regulatory body for these companies. These Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) constitute nearly 95 % of the total disbursement by the industry. However, owing to the slump in real estate market over the last few years, the industry posted a fairly low disbursement growth. Market trends The housing sector is witnessing a clash between major players. HDFC had ruled this sector with a lion’s stranglehold. It was smooth sailing for HDFC all these years and it seemed that its monopoly was there to stay forever. However, out of the blue emerged ICICI Home Loans, when this financial institution decided to clash arms with HDFC on its home front. Within a year of its launch, ICICI Home Loans is giving the industry leader, HDFC, sleepless nights. Undercutting in the interest rates is all in the game and so is every other trick in the book. HDFC is gathering its wits to beat its competitor at its own game. It launched an aggressive hoarding campaign designed in the style of ‘follow the leader’. HDFC has launched its website propertymartindia. com as a joint venture with the Mahindras. Following suit, ICICI too, launched its home portal indiahomeseek. com. So the war rages on both at the retail level and also in the form of a cyber war. ICICI has lowered its prime lending rates on short and medium term loans from 13 per cent to 12. 5 per cent. Thus, bringing the interest on housing loans at par with the foreign exchange loans. HDFC also reduced the interest rates on its housing loans from 13. 25 per cent to 13 per cent. It went an extra mile to woo the borrowers of loans up to Rs. crore by allowing them the facility to either opt for a fixed interest rate of 13 per cent or a floating interest rate of 12. 5 per cent. As the name indicates, a borrower opting for the first choice will have to repay the loan at an interest rate of 13 per cent irrespective of any future hike or cut in the rates. Those choosing the second option would be subject to the vagaries of the interest mar ket and may gain or lose in the bargain. The company has also reduced the interest on loans borrowed by non-resident Indians. These loans repayable within five years will attract an interest rate of 11. 5 per cent per annum while loans ith a term of 6-10 years will be charged interest at 12. 5 per cent. The above rates are under the fixed interest rate option. Similar floating rate loans would be charged at 5 per cent less interest. Originally, only the commercial banks offered housing loans on floating interest rates, now that HDFC is offering loans at a 12 per cent floating rate, ICICI also has a floating rate home loan in the pipeline. Price sensitivity factors †¢ Noteworthy fact here is that NHB refinance to the HFCs comprises a mere 7% of the loans disbursed. In other words, most HFCs have to arrange for a major part of the disbursals from their own resources. Thus, low spreads, mismatched asset and liability, competition posed by banks with recent regulations requiring commercial banks to invest 40 per cent of their advances towards the priority sector, etc. pose problems for the lending division. †¢ The first housing finance company to cut down its interest rate after RBI slashed the PPF interest rate by 1 per cent on January 14, 2000 was HUDCO. When the National Housing Bank, the refinancing agency of all housing finance companies, slashed its rates by up to 50 basis points, it triggered off a virtual interest war in the industry. HDFC, ICICI, LIC Housing Finance, PNB Housing Finance Limited and a host of others followed suit. In a game of one-upmanship, the companies have been vying with one another to offer the best deal in a rapidly growing market. †¢ CRISIL has forecast an increase in the interest rates in the second half of this year. This will be due to the demand of funds by the Centre and also the corporates exceeding the supply. The Central Government has projected a Rs. 31,000 crore higher borrowing this year than last year’s figure of Rs. 86,000 crore. The State Government borrowings would add up to a further Rs. 7,500 crore and the corporate demand would be higher by Rs. 11,000 crore. As compared with the supply, CRISIL expects the short fall to be around Rs. 15,800 crore. To make up this short fall, even if there is a 1 per cent cut in CRR, interest rates are still bound to increase. †¢ The Union Budget 2000-01 has given a shot in the arm to the industry by raising the exemption a pplicable to individual borrowers on the interest paid on housing loans to Rs. 1 lakh. The existing tax rebate of 20 per cent under section 88 of the Income tax Act of 1961, covered repayment of housing loans, subject to a maximum of Rs. 0,000. The same has now been doubled to Rs. 20,000. This, coupled with the lowering of the interest rate would enable a borrower to enjoy tax exemption upto a loan of Rs. 7. 5 lakh for a 15-year term. He can now have access to better tax planning options on account of the exemption and a lower Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) due to longer term of repayment. Furthermore, individuals who already own a house can now invest in a new house and yet claim exemption from capital gains on the sale of the asset. The tax exemption on the interest paid on housing loans has also been extended up to the year 2003. This move will benefit the salaried employees, especially the middle-class populace. A dream of providing 25 lakh rural houses has been envisaged in the budget. Out of these, 12 lakh houses will be built under the ‘India Awas Yojana’ and another one-lakh houses would be provided under the ‘Credit-cum-Subsidy’ scheme for families with an annual income below Rs. 32,000. Moreover, around 1. 5 lakh houses to be constructed under the ‘Golden Jubilee Rural Housing Finance Scheme’ will be eligible for refinance from the NHB. The industry has found new avenues such as securitisation, which are expected to be launched in the market very soon. This mechanism would require a pool of assets (mortgages), which would be sold by the HFCs to NHB. These assets in turn would act as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and would be sold as pass through certificates to investors, which initially would be from groups earning pension funds, mutual funds, financial institu tions, commercial banks and other trusts or institution which require monthly fixed income. The mortgages would be for loans up to a period of 10 years, on which HFCs would earn 16 % from borrowers. The spread is to be passed back to the concerned HFCs in the form of premium at purchase of mortgages or service charge over a period of time. It is expected that with the success of securitisation the circulation of funds would increase coupled with cash flows generated by these funds. Furthermore, a secondary market for mortgages would become feasible for HFCs. Outlook The industry is witnessing a boom at present boosted by the generous budget sops and rock bottom real estate prices. The demand is a result of genuine individual needs for housing. The prospects of the industry would be further strengthened on the amendments to the Rent Control Act and repealing of the controversial Urban Land Ceiling Act. Thus, the housing finance industry is on solid ground and has interesting prospects ahead. As for the small players, they will have to take the harsh decision to either exit the industry or merge with bigger entities. It is also amply clear that in the future, industry leader HDFC will have to share the spoils with the aggressive young turk – ICICI. Notwithstanding the competition, the customer has nothing to lose as he can choose the best loan scheme from the ICICI and HDFC fold, with minimum interest and a nil processing fee. Conclusion Despite the abovementioned factors, several bottlenecks still exist in the industry, which have to be taken care of before any of the above can bring about an improvement in the prospects of the industry. From an overall viewpoint demand for housing is ever rising and the same would be reflected on the demand for funds. Hence, the profitability of the industry should commence on the positive track in the future. Now housing finance products are at par with other consumer goods, where use of all marketing mix has become necessary for the banks to attract and retain customers. References 1. Basu D. N and Mehta V. K. , 1993. Housing Finance System India, Urban India, XIII, (1) January-June: 36-50. 2. Manoj P. K. 2004. Dynamics of housing finance in India, 3. Vora P. P 2002. The Indian housing finance system, Housing Finance Investment. 15(Jan): 18-25. 4. Nambirajan, R, 2001. Home Loans and Tax benefits, Indian Infrastructure, May, pp. 42-43. http://www. indianloans. com http://www. indiainvest. com http://www. lichousing. com * * * * *

5 Student Hurdles and How To Overcome Them

1.I’m Never Going to Find a Job This is something a lot of third year and post graduate students start to think about as the end of university approaches. It might seem that unless you did a degree in Engineering, Medicine or Law – where it’s quite obvious what roles you might move into – the post-graduation job search could be difficult. Your degree might not provide an obvious indication to how you might use what you have been studying. But the truth is – many graduate schemes and employers look for graduates from a range of degrees because studying and getting a degree alone shows that you have the capacity to research, reason, write, debate and perform under pressure. 2. My Dissertation isn’t good enough It’s quite common for students to start to feel like their dissertation is way off track; after all, you’ve been performing self-guided study, research and writing for the last few months – it would be easy to feel a bit lost without your lecturers guidance. However, many tutors are more than happy to offer advice and insight into your work and will offer their time to answer any questions or fears you might have. If you would like some help making sure your dissertation gets a passing grade, then our site offer dissertation writing and editing services. 3.I’m all alone When the pressure is on with rent due, deadlines looming and – for many students – being far away from home – it can start to feel like you are very isolated from anyone who can help you. However, there are loads of services around that are designed for students who feel like this – many universities offer free counselling services where you can drop in and speak to a qualified professional. If you are feeling isolated with your studies, websites like our site can really help support you in your academic research and writing concerns. 4.I don’t know how to meet people and make friends One of the hardest challenges of being a student and going to a new city or place is meeting people. This is a problem felt by a lot of international students who have travelled from overseas to study. There are lots of things you can do if you are struggling to make new friends – join a sports club or society, or do some volunteer work with a local charity. All of these activities are great ways to meet like-minded people, and they also look great on your CV – double bonus! 5.I can’t stay healthy while I’m a student! Many students often complain that the cost of eating healthy is too much – after all a Pot Noodle costs a lot less than a big mixed salad! However, you shouldn’t ever compromise on your diet or exchange healthy food for quick snacks and – more commonly in the case of students – beer! Manage your finances more carefully, shop at more affordable supermarkets, and do not put drinking alcohol ahead of a healthy diet! 5 Student Hurdles and How To Overcome Them 1.I’m Never Going to Find a Job This is something a lot of third year and post graduate students start to think about as the end of university approaches. It might seem that unless you did a degree in Engineering, Medicine or Law – where it’s quite obvious what roles you might move into – the post-graduation job search could be difficult. Your degree might not provide an obvious indication to how you might use what you have been studying. But the truth is – many graduate schemes and employers look for graduates from a range of degrees because studying and getting a degree alone shows that you have the capacity to research, reason, write, debate and perform under pressure. 2. My Dissertation isn’t good enough It’s quite common for students to start to feel like their dissertation is way off track; after all, you’ve been performing self-guided study, research and writing for the last few months – it would be easy to feel a bit lost without your lecturers guidance. However, many tutors are more than happy to offer advice and insight into your work and will offer their time to answer any questions or fears you might have. If you would like some help making sure your dissertation gets a passing grade, then our site offer dissertation writing and editing services. 3.I’m all alone When the pressure is on with rent due, deadlines looming and – for many students – being far away from home – it can start to feel like you are very isolated from anyone who can help you. However, there are loads of services around that are designed for students who feel like this – many universities offer free counselling services where you can drop in and speak to a qualified professional. If you are feeling isolated with your studies, websites like our site can really help support you in your academic research and writing concerns. 4.I don’t know how to meet people and make friends One of the hardest challenges of being a student and going to a new city or place is meeting people. This is a problem felt by a lot of international students who have travelled from overseas to study. There are lots of things you can do if you are struggling to make new friends – join a sports club or society, or do some volunteer work with a local charity. All of these activities are great ways to meet like-minded people, and they also look great on your CV – double bonus! 5.I can’t stay healthy while I’m a student! Many students often complain that the cost of eating healthy is too much – after all a Pot Noodle costs a lot less than a big mixed salad! However, you shouldn’t ever compromise on your diet or exchange healthy food for quick snacks and – more commonly in the case of students – beer! Manage your finances more carefully, shop at more affordable supermarkets, and do not put drinking alcohol ahead of a healthy diet!

Inditex(Zara) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Inditex(Zara) - Case Study Example The United States of America is acknowledged to be a graveyard for European retailers. Everyone who goes there is believed to have struggled with comparisons to Laura Ashley’s shutting down and Benetton’s declining. The US is believed to be a complex market as shopping malls are located in the middle of nowhere while the real fashionistas live around the East and West coasts. In addition, everyone nowadays is dressing in Wal-Mart, the Gap and T. J. Maxx. If one is to open a successful fashion retail stores in the US, they would have to open at least 300 and focus all their energy into it to make it work. Another problem causing the inability of Inditex (Zara) to break the US market is a matter of size. For starters, the store is European which means it makes European style clothes. The clothes just would not fit in the US fashion where most of the clothes are for small bodied people. Therefore, Inditex would have to ask themselves why make production more complex? More money would have to go into producing new clothes that fit the US market. Inditex is a pioneer in the fashion industry essentially imitating the latest fashion trends and speed the cheaper imitated versions into stores. Badia (2009) Every one of their brands follow the Zara brand: trendy, decent but inexpensive products sold to people in beautiful, high-end stores. Zara has similar prices to the Gap with coats going for $200, T-shirts at $30 and sweaters for $70. Inditex now makes 840 million clothes every year and has around 5,900 stores located in 85 different countries. Arnarsson (2009) stated those numbers keep changing as in recent years, the company has already been opening more than one store a day or about 500 every year. Recently, there are around 4400 stores located in Europe and about 2000 Spain only. The company’s roots go back in 1963 when the railway worker’s son, Ortega, started a company making robes and housecoats in La Coruna. Oshea (2012) reveals he opened his

Summary of America's 1 percent problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of America's 1 percent problem - Essay Example vel of inequality in the American society is evident in the income of CEOs vis-a-vis the income of the average worker which stood at a ratio of 243: 1 in 2010 (Stiglitz, 2012, 3). While the top one percent are growing richer by the day, the poor are getting poorer even as the middle class continues to shrink. The problem is so grave that the middle class and the poor are driven toward living in poverty and without a safety net. Furthermore, the level of inequality is so great that economic insecurity even among workers is a reality. While many people believe that the U.S. is a land of opportunities to the extent that poverty is foreign to it, this is not the case according to Stiglitz (2012). He notes that apart from the levels of unemployment, poverty, and economic insecurity being high in the U.S., the standard of living is, in fact, on a decline (14). While several countries including Brazil have made strides to bridge the gap of inequality, the U.S. has done nothing in to reverse the

The Membership of the European Union and Employment in the UK Essay

The Membership of the European Union and Employment in the UK - Essay Example However in late Britain tends to understand and respect its long-standing membership with such a potential body like the European Union (Euromove, 2011). In the current era, United Kingdom is thus making every endeavor to help resolve conflicts pertaining to ideologies through holding open discussion forums with the members of the European Union (Perth and Hope, 2011). The employment relation policies followed in the European Union can be understood as follows. Firstly the European Union requires the employer bodies in the different member states to encourage its members to actively participate in the formation of trade unions. In that, the employees are rendered the right to collectively bargain for their right in cases where they are deprived of such and also can hold strikes as a sign to protest against the decisions of the employer body. Secondly, the employment relation policies followed by the European Union also require the employers to form collective agreements with the employees or representative bodies of the employees in regards to issues on compensation systems, leave policies and working hours and conditions in the concern. These policies of the European Union are found to be active whether in regards to a single employer or a group of employers in regards to a specific business or diversified business categories (Business Link, n.d.) . In the third case, the European Union body also requires the different employers belonging to the companies in the member nations to openly consult and share potential information with the different employees or employee groups. This policy tends to enhance the level of transparency in regards to the employer-employee relationships in the member countries. Fourthly the employer bodies pertaining to the member nations are strictly required to have a word with the representative bodies of the employees in the light of working out a redundancy plan. Herein, the employer bodies are required to effectively state as to how many numbers of people they require to be made redundant with also stating the need for planning of such action. Further, the employer bodies are also required to state plans through which the company would tend to reemploy the redundant employees or help them gain a suitable position in the future.   The employers are also required to state in what manner they have calculated and arrived at the number of employees they require to be turned off and therein must also reflect on the pattern taken to effectively compensate such people. Similarly, in the fifth case, the European Union body also requires the employer bodies pertaining to the companies operating in the member countries to rightly inform the staff in cases of any change or transfer of ownership into new hands. Sixthly the European Union also requires the employer or the management team of the companies operating inside its member countries and possessing an employee base of around 20 to continually inform them about the economic and employment status of the concern. In that, the employers are also required to inform the internal people about any substantial changes that the employers consider to bring about in the near future.   However, the general legislation brought about by the European Union in regards to employment relations must also be effectively dealt with country or regi on-specific circumstances to help enhance its due efficacy.

Responding to Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Responding to Memo - Essay Example The consequence was that the company suffered a land attack which subsequently forced our networks into a "ping of death" (Liu, Yu, and Jing, 2005). This means that the network was forced into the continued and repetitive transmission of packages which exceeded the allowable size. As you may well recall, the DoS attack paralyzed our systems and cost us in excess of $150,000. Attacks which exploit security holes in hardware and software systems are quite common. Apart from the above described incident, the company was subjected to a second attack as a direct outcome of a security hole in its Cisco IOS router. This, the most popular corporate router, had a serious security flaw which the company only identified after the release of the router and even then did not inform users about (Zetter, 2006). Consequently, our company, just like countless others was attacked through this security hole. In the second place, our identity renders us the target of attacks. It is unlikely that any hacker would deliberately target your daughter's computer and infect it with a Trojan Horse but where we are concerned, the issue is quite different. As a profit-making organization, we represent potentially financially lucrative information (Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, and Strassberg, 2003). We are targeted by professional hackers who seek out security flaws in our system for the explicit purpose of infecting us, either in order to access our data or to bring our networks to a halt (Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, and Strassberg, 2003). The fact of the matter is that our department has protected our networks as much as is possible. The fact that we send out malware alerts or often engage in the cleaning up of the system is quite simply because we cannot afford any viruses on our networks. Malware could undermine the integrity of our data and, therefore, we often resort to the exercise of extreme precaution. Indeed, it is quite probable that your daughter's computer has some malware on it but that she is not able to identify it. We, on the other hand, identify and remove all malware. Lastly, Windows OS is ore vulnerable to malware than is Macintosh OS. This is because of security holes in the latter which are not present in the former and because hackers target Windows much more than they do Macintosh (Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, and Strassberg, 2003). Migrating to Macintosh, however, is not an option both because it would be too costly and because it does not have the software range that we need. P2P Memo To: Salamanika Giorgiopolis, Corporate Counsel From: CISO Date: 05/18/2007 Re: Peer to Peer and Piracy Irrespective of the popularity of Peer to Peer Networks and regardless of the fact that everyone is doing it,' company employees are explicitly prohibited from running P2P programs on company computers or from using the company's network connection to download files through these programs. Apart from the aforementioned being explicitly forbidden under company policies and regulations, it comprises an immoral and illegal violation of copyright laws which the company is not going to abide by. Copyright laws are very precise, leaving little room for manoeuvring or interpretation. As Paradise (1999) clarifies, this body of legislature, determines the fortification of

Discuss the pros and cons of floating against fixed exchange rate Essay

Discuss the pros and cons of floating against fixed exchange rate regime using the Mundell-Fleming and the Dornbusch models - Essay Example With increased supply of money, people will transform that non interest-bearing asset, money into interest bearing assets, bonds. Therefore, the demand for bonds will rise. That will lead to an increase in bond price. (Obstfeld and Rogoff, 1984) Due to the inverse relationship between bond price and market rate of interest, the market rate of interest will fall. This fall in market rate of interest will be followed by a huge capital outflow. Now, same amount of domestic money will run after less amount of foreign currency resulting in domestic currency depreciation. To maintain the domestic currency at a fixed level, the central bank will have to sell its foreign currency reserve in exchange of domestic money. This phenomenon will lead to a contraction in money supply and it will continue till the market rate of interest rises to its initial level, that is, till the initial expansionary monetary policy gets fully crowded out. (Obstfeld, 2000) From the above, it is clear that the monetary policy will be fully ineffective under fixed exchange rate regime. Now, if the government chooses a fiscal expansion through a rise in government expenditure, then income rises. With a rise in income, transaction demand for money increases. With a rise in transaction demand for money, people will sell bonds in order to meet that increased transaction demand. So, bond supply will rise, bond price will fall and market rate of interest will rise. With the increase in market rate of interest a huge capital inflow will occur, resulting in a currency appreciation. In order to maintain the fixed exchange rate the central bank will purchase that extra supply of foreign exchange. It will result in an increase in money supply, increasing the demand for bond, which will eventually lower the initial rise in interest rate to its initial level. However income will be higher than the initial level. So fiscal policy will

Strategic Mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Mangement - Essay Example Basically, the company has witnessed a steady growth in the Australian Wine Industry and is one of the leading export industries especially to the United States. 2. Yellow Tail operates in an environment where there are also competitors who offer the same products and in this case, a SWOT analysis is more appropriate for this task of analysing the environmental factors that affect the organisation’s operations. It defines the relationship between the internal and external environmental factors that can affect an organisation in a bid to deal with its strategic analysis (Robinson 1997). Basically, SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses which represent the internal environment of the firm while opportunities and threats are external environmental factors. The major strengths of the company include the following: The name is unique and interesting, the packaging depicts the famous kangaroo and the pricing is low among other factors. The company is able to offer satisfactory products to its customers abroad as well. Its weaknesses are; it heavily relies on export market, it has limited brands and cannot continue attracting customers over a long period and the fact that it uses limited advertisements is another major weakness which can negatively impact on the organisation. There are different opportunities for the company. The distribution pattern in global markets is a very big opportunity for the company compared to other locally based players in the industry. Using new technology in brewing wine is another opportunity for the company. The other opportunity is the need for adoption of new information and communication technology tools such as the internet to effectively market its products. It can utilize the internet to reach the customers who are beyond the local markets. Through specially designed websites, it can also be possible to market other products that are not found in the local stores. However, one notable threat to Yellow Tail is the

Why minorties lagging behind in healthcare management professions PowerPoint Presentation

Why minorties lagging behind in healthcare management professions - PowerPoint Presentation Example Among the other reasons are a lack of diversity in healthcare leadership and workforce. Minorities are only a small portion of the healthcare professionals, though they are a substantial portion of the population (over a quarter of it!). The lack of diversity causes rigidity and lack of flexibility in terms of methods used and changes to the program of healthcare. This leads to bad communication between officials and the minorities, and also in a system which is poorly designed for minorities, meaning that they arent receiving as much individual attention as they should (Betancourt, 2002). The way to improve this situation is to pay attention to the special needs of minorities, be aware of their differences from others and develop unique healthcare programs which put an emphasis on what they need, instead of incorporating them in the population. This could mean putting focus on diseases which are more prevalent in different minorities. This could also mean taking a step back and examining the fallacies of the healthcare system and see how it is possible to change the current situation and apply new, more innovative techniques and approaches of dealing with minorities, whether it is by education doctors more about special communities concerns and needs, encouraging more people that are minorities to work in this profession or any other way possible (Medige, 2002; Koberg, Boss, Sengem & Goodman,

CNN And FOX News Essay Example for Free

CNN And FOX News Essay I chose to view CNN and Fox news to investigate the difference between how they relay information to the public. I have read that CNN publishes real news and that Fox is just an informational entertainment station filled with opinions about the news. Immediately it is seen that CNN is very detailed in their broadcasts. Upon watching several stories from both channels, I have found that they basically convey the same exact news stories, just in different ways. CNN was only a 30 minute segment but they thoroughly covered the most important world events. Fox News was an hour long segment and briefed the world news events. This is understandable since Fox news is a local station, they had to spend a majority of the air time on local news. Both stations do however relay the news in a bias manner. For example, both channels discussed the recent Teacher strike in Chicago. CNN spent about 4 or 5 minutes on the story stating that the teachers have come to an agreement and the children will be able to return to school on Wednesday. A 2 hour meeting with about 800 union officers and delegates concluded with a contractual agreement which would need to be ratified by the teachers and support staff and union members. The Chicago Mayor Emanuel was pleased with the results stating that it was an honest compromise. The students will suffer with a longer school day but they will be returning to school, which in turn will allow the parents and care givers to return to work. The coverage of this story on Fox news was minimal, lasting about 2 minutes. It was just brief details stating that the teachers and union members had reached and agreement and that the students would be returning to school after missing a full 7 days of class. Also, a topic of the news that was presented on both channels was the horrible situation in Afghanistan. CNN had an extensive small segment on the things that were transpiring as well as a short interview with some of the people in Afghanistan. The segment lasted about 5 minutes on CNN it was stated that the U.S. coalition is gradually transferring control to Afghan  authorities but as of now the war is not over. There are still tens of thousands of American forces there dealing with what they call â€Å"green† and â€Å"blue violence. There were a total of 6 U.S troops killed last week by Afghan allies. There were also 6 jets destroyed. When this story was aired on Fox News there wasn’t that much detail. The segment only lasted about 3 minutes on Fox News. It was only stated that there were four troops killed on Sunday and 2 more killed on Friday of last week. Fox also stated that there was a raid on a military base by 15 insurgents and six jets were destroyed. Four teen of those 15 insurgents were killed. President Obama’s job in the White House thus far was also a topic discussed on both channels. CNN spoke on this topic for about 9 minutes and commented on how the President is quickly making progress towards recovering the U.S., and has a big agenda for the future already planned compared with past presidents. The news reporter described this facet as â€Å"breath taking† and â€Å"stunning.† Fox news discussed the president and the upcoming election for about 5 minutes, and as could be expected, completely had the opposite view on this. They maintained that the President is taking on way too many different tasks at once per his quote, and that it is absolutely crazy for him to think he will get everything completed in two terms should he be re-elected. The news reporter said that he should stop misleading the American people and pick one or two big issues to cover in his agenda, and just maybe he will be able to address those in a believable manner. Fox News also spoke of the uproar that comments made by Romney about â€Å"47% of Americans being dependent upon the government backing the President† No comments were made about this video on CNN. I have never actually watched various news channels like this. I usually catch the local news on Fox and then the world news on ABC. I enjoyed the CNN broadcast. If was much more informative and it not only covered the large world stories but it touched on some of the smaller things happening in the world as well.

Macroeconomics, Airline Industry Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomics, Airline Industry Essay Economical can be one of the major factors for the airline industry. Due to the rate of war and terrorist event, the growth rate of economy dramatic slowdown, capacity demand, which gains the low yield to the airline industry. Moreover, oil prices increase also affect their profits. The social sector, which are strongly from employment perspective and safety. The technology in airline industry is fast moving, however it’s very costly. Alliance gives the opportunity to the major airline to offer customer global route coverage. Ecological factor consists of recycling, the level of pollution and attitudes to the environment. For the airline industry, pollution tends to be very important. Legislation fior the airline consist of employment laws, company law, tax law and their regulation. Redundancy, landing right, health and safety, which are all the airlines, should be considered as a legal factor. Airline industry recovered and it become more attractive for investor. Economical and political factor has always been and continues to be the two major external environmental drivers influencing the airline industry. Read more:Â  Essay on Airline Industry A low cost carrier (also known as a no-frills or discount carrier) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. The model represented by the (LCC) or low cost carrier is not an innovation, some of the LCC are linked to major and traditional airlines companies, but its evolution has quickly become the dominant management model and through the development of the Internet has experienced the most growth. Though many airlines offer fares at a reduced rate on one or more of their routes at particular times, the simple act of offering cheap fares does not necessarily make them a LCC. Low cost carrier with the specific aim of operating with a lower cost structure than traditional operators in order to create lower fares. Greater efficiency and cost savings have been achieved in a variety of ways, most notably through increased aircraft and crew utilization aided by the use of aircraft operated in a single class with more seats than would be possible with business class. LCC tend to operate a single type of aircraft, a strategy that produces economies of scope in aircraft maintenance and flexibility in the use of crew. Savings is achieved by selling tickets directly to customers (often through Internet and call centre ticket sales) and therefore by-passing travel agents distribution channels, re-engineered business processes and negotiation to gain reductions in airport charges. Tourists such as business passengers with a need for frequent scheduling, inter-flight flexibility with differentiation being offered through personal space and comfort on-board, in flight entertainment and free food and alcoholic drinks, frequent flier programmes, free airport lounges and use of major city airports (typically with higher landing charges). All these features raise seat costs.

The traditional engineering

The traditional engineering Introduction Traditional engineering relies mainly on a sequential procedure wherein the various tasks involved in the design and manufacturing of a product are performed in a pre defined and set order. This leads to certain drawbacks wherein there is a loss of flexibility in the entire process and this may also lead to severe alterations or even scrap in the later stages of the product development life cycle. Traditionally, the product design has been considered as a cycle of PDCA (plan-do-check-act). However, the advent of Concurrent engineering, which focuses on working interactively between the various processes in the product development, is relatively new. It is a relatively recent process which employs cross functional cooperation to facilitate the creation of products which are cheaper, better and have a reduced time to market. It is not an isolated concept and encompasses almost all the functions like engineering, designing, support, marketing, accounting, and others. Customer satisfaction is a key factor behind this method. The basic premise for concurrent engineering revolves around two concepts. The first is that the entire product life cycle needs to be taken into consideration in the initial stage of the cycle. This would include functionality, producitibility, assembly, testability, maintenance issues, environmental impact and finally disposal and recycling. The second concept talks about the concurrency of the various functions. This flexibility is of immense importance to the success of the process given the fact that it allows for error correction and redesigns to be incorporated in the early design phase without having an adverse effect on the costs, efforts and timelines of the project. In effect, this improves the productivity ,the product quality and offers substantial cost benefits. In a concurrent engineering process, there is no freezing of a particular task and so moving back is not a constraint. It allows design and analysis to take place at the same time and focuses on the collaboration between the teams. The teams are multidisciplinary in approach and composition and allow the employees flexibility to work collaboratively on the various aspects of the project through the life stage of the same. The need for Concurrent Engineering is especially high in todays world. Businesses must be able to react to the changing market needs rapidly, effectively and responsively. They must be able to reduce their time to market and adapt to the changing environments faster than competitors. Decisions must be made quickly and they must be done right the first time out. Corporations can no longer waste time repeating tasks, which increases the time it takes to bring new products to market. Therefore, concurrent engineering has emerged as way of bringing rapid solutions to product design and development process. Concurrent Engineering has many advantages and provides benefits such as a reduction in the product development time and the time to market, reduced design rework, reduced product development cost and improved integration in the teams through efficient and effective communications. There are many companies which employ the Concurrent Engineering techniques in the product development life cycle. These firms have shown a significant increase in overall quality, 30-40% reduction in project times and costs, and around 60-80% reductions in design changes after release. However, there also are times and situations wherein concurrent engineering is not preferred. Some of these can be as stated under: Concurrent engineering practices are not favoured in case of simple products or in cases where there is only an incremantal improvement in margin by the application of the technique. When implementing the Concurrent engineering involves major changes in the company culture and also leads to a significant administrative and/or communication overhead. These are the cases where it becomes difficult to implement the process in the teams. In such cases, unnecessarily and forciably applying these concepts may not yield advantages. Rather, it may prove to be an unsuccessful approach on the part of the management. This emphasises on the fact that it is very necessary to meet certain pre-requisite conditions in order for the concurrent engineering process to give the desired results. In absence of these, there may be confusions and inefficient product development. There are a few measures which companies may initially take in order to be successful with Concurrent Engineering, like Benchmarking: The company should keep a fair check of itself with respect to their best competitors Development of metrics: Proper metrics need to be developed to measure the various parameters to see if right course is being taken Identification of Potential Performance Improvements and Targets: This would help in the continuous improvement and reality check. Development of a clear Vision of the future environment: This would ensure that actions are taken while keeping in mind the long term goals of the organization and to figure out how does Concurrent Engineering fit into the picture. Getting top management support: This becomes very important as a lot depends upon the level of support and confidence shown by the top management for the implementation of a process in a company. Getting cross-functional endorsement: Integrated functionalities and concurrent processing lie at the core of the Concurrent Engineering. Unless there is an acceptance from all the departments and functional units, the chances of success are faint. Developing a clear Strategy to attain the envisioned environment: Without a clear formulation of strategy, it is very difficult to achieve the goals. Developing a detailed implementation plan: Success of Concurrent Engineering would also depend upon how clearly the implementation plan is made. History Concurrent Engineering has been known by various names over the years and across locations. It is known as the iterative development method (or Integrated Product Development, IPD) as it allows for the correction and alteration in the design and other processes through iterations. Continuous feedback mechanism is employed to discover any discrepancy or fault in the model. The rationale behind it is that the sooner the errors are identified, the lesser effort, time and cost is incurred to correct them. The term Simultaneous Engineering has been used since the decade of 1990s. It was based on the idea that the life cycle of the new product must fit in with the pre-existing product program lifecycles. It was in the December 1988 report The Role of Concurrent Engineering in Weapons System Acquisition by the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) that the term Concurrent Engineering was defined . This was an approach which was systematic in nature and focused on the integrated, concurrent design of products and their related processes. This approach is intended to cause the developers, from the outset, to consider all elements of the product life cycle from conception through disposal, including quality, cost, schedule, and user requirements. Need for Integrating Design with Other functions: In early designs and product development, there was a division of labour among individuals who specialized in various functions. There was little opportunity for interaction between the various departmants and functionalities which often lead to confusions and certain discrepancies between the work done. This at times led to customer dissatisfaction. With an increasing level of competition, the role of new manufacturing process and the need to reduce development lead time, concurrent engineering has become more popular. These justifications are discussed below. Increased Competition: This can be quoted as one justification for the rising popularity of concurrent engineering. With the increase in competition, there is all the more a need for competitive advantages and core competencies at firm levels to ensure meeting competition. Concurrent Engineering gives the firms a cost advantage apart from ensuring quality and efficiency in processes. New Production Methods: With the advent of technology, there are various new production methods which come into service. This makes it important to transfer and share the knowledge about this new service to the various functions and departments. This is necessary because this would ultimately have an impact on the resulting product design. This knowledge sharing would ensure that the various people involved in the product development are at the same platform when information about these processes is concerned. Therefore, the situation where new production processes are used will often be an important area for ensuring that design engineers work closely with production engineers. Concurrent Engineering can contribute its bit here. Lead Time: Shorter lead time or the time to market is a competitive advantage to the firms. Reduction in the lead time would decrease the length of the development process and would help bring the product to the market sooner. This would also decrease the inventory holding time and would therefore help in cost reduction (or cost advantage). By implementing the concurrent engineering process, the organization can achieve this advantage over the firms employing the traditional methods (sequential process). Process Concurrent engineeringis a workflow that relies on parallel processing by performing multiple tasks simultaneously instead of carrying out the various tasks in sequence as has been the traditional workflow. Concurrent engineering is not just related to engineering processes but rather focuses on the integrated and concurrent design of product and the related processes. This requires the clear identification and description of all the tasks and processes associated with the design, manufacturing, support and other functions by the developers. The developers need to consider the various elements of the product life cycle end to end, varying from the first stage i.e. conception of the product to the last stage i.e. disposal of the product. The various elements which shall be considered will include almost parameters which have an impact on the development of a product and the associated processes, such as quality, cost, scheduling and user requirement. It is worth noticing that the definition encompasses more than just the manufacturing and design of a product. It does not apply only to domains of engineering but is also widely used in the pharmaceutical, paint, food or sneaker industries. Concurrent Engineering is not limited to the products or goods. Even services can employ concurrent engineering for improvement in productivity and reduction in total time to market. Although this may not lead to reduction in number of employees or the work to be done, the adoption of concurrent engineering would lead to a faster lead time. In the services sector, the concurrent engineering concept applies to insurance sector, banking sector and others. The difference between the conventional product design approach (sometimes also called the waterfall model) and the concurrent product design approach (sometimes also called the simultaneous engineering approach) has been explained below with the help of a diagram. It is this deviation from the standard and traditional waterfall model (which employs and focuses on a pre defined sequence of processes and tasks) to the iterative and integrated development method of concurrent engineering, which is responsible for the huge success of this model. In the waterfall model, first of all, all requirements are gathered so as to facilitate clear definition of the problem at hand. This is both a time consuming and effort consuming task. Unless and until the data gathering is done (which in itself is a tedious task given the level of uncertainty associated with it and the dynamic nature of the information requirement), one cant proceed to the next level. This interdependency wastes a lot of time. Followed by this is the design phase wherein based on the requirements, the design of the product is to be agreed upon. The problem here is that in the absence of an option to move back and make changes to the design phase, at times, it becomes difficult to implement the design and subsequently the design may have to be heavily altered or even scrapped. The Concurrent Engineering is better in this case as being cyclic, all the aspects of the product life cycle has already been taken into consideration, thus allowing the design to take a more evolutionary approach. Then there are the implementation, verification and maintenance phases. All of these suffer from similar problems because of the inflexibility involved in the process. Concurrent Engineering overcomes many of these problems through the approach it employs. The cyclicity allows parallel processing and hence offers flexibility to the system as has been shown in the figure below. The various functions like planning, requirement gathering, analysis design, implementation, testing and evaluation are done simultaneously and hence the name simultaneous engineering. The implementation of concurrent engineering requires the combination of people, technology and business methods. It relies on cross-functional working and teamwork rather than the traditional bureaucratic and hierarchical organizations. Collaboration rather than individual effort is standard, and shared information is the key to success. The role of the leader is to supply the basic foundation and support for change, rather than to tell the other team members what to do. Training addressed at getting people to work together in teams plays an important role in the successful implementation of Concurrent Engineering. The Concurrent engineering process mainly focuses on three aspects, viz. people, process and technology. People are given a wider say, a sense of gratification and ownership of their work in the overall design process taking into account the collaborative nature of simultaneous engineering. The success of concurrent engineering depends to a vast extent on the effectiveness and the efficiency of the organizational teams formed. The three basic attributes which a CE team must have been enumerated as under: Ability to deal with inherent uncertainities associated with innovation A wide range of competencies varying from manufacturing to design to sales to financing Presence of professional knowledge worker The teams formed are Cross-functional team. The team is formed to work on a specific project, and stays together throughout the development of the product. The smaller teams comprise of 5 20 people and employ an efficient technical communication. For the implementation of larger projects, a network of teams is formed (a total of 100 to 1000 people). Larger projects are sliced into smaller projects and measures are taken to ensure the integration of separate pieces into a system solution. Presence of Liaison Personnel facilitates timely and proper transfer of information within the team. Apart from this, job rotation is also an inevitable component of the process. The team members are assigned temporarily or permanently outside of their accustomed functional specialty. This ensures the integration of various knowledge bases without making significant structural changes to the organization. There are certain product design methods in Concurrent Engineering: Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Herein, constraints are imposed by performance and functionality and consequently, the manufacturing information content of a product design is minimized. This deals with minimizing the total number of parts. Minimize the total number of parts, simplifying the design of the other parts and to promote standardization. Design for Quality: Care is taken to minimize the impact of variation i.e. tolerance is improved. Design for Cost: It is necessary to have an effective analysis of product and/or project costs based on the understanding of the various cost items involved. Design for Assembly (DFA) DFA aims at minimizing the cost incurred to assemble the product components. Design for Safety The designer must develop the habit of constantly evaluating the design for safety, considering not only the design itself but the personnel involved in fabricating the product, using the procedure, and in maintaining and repairing the product or system as well as the end user or purchaser. Developing the manufacturing processes as well as the maintenance and operating procedures early during the design process will assist in revealing safety problems at a time when corrective action can be taken at minimum cost. Design for Reliability To ensure successful performance over a given range of conditional range, specific environment. Apart from all these, the technology and tools also play an important role in the success of the Concurrent Engineering. Integrated Computer Analysis is used for modelling the steps required for the development of the manufactured product. Although the Concurrent Engineering Strategy does not necessarily reduce the amount of manpower required for a project, it does drastically reduce lead times and thus time to market. This has been illustrated in the diagram shown as under: The better the collaboration between the various phases, shorter is the time to market and higher is the efficiency. Basic Steps as identified through various studies Compare themselves to their best competitors (i.e. Benchmark) Develop metrics Identify potential performance improvements and targets Analyze the market and know your customers. Develop a clear vision of the future environment Get a strong commitment to from senior management. Get cross-functional endorsement Develop a clear strategy to attain the envisioned environment Get top management support Get cross-functional endorsement Develop a detailed implementation plan Collectively work on all parts of project. Reduce costs and time to market. Complete tasks in parallel. Advantages The practice of following concurrent engineering has numerous advantages such as: Helps in shortening the product development lead time Reducing product development costs associated with getting a product to market Improved Communication Increased efficiency and performance Higher reliability in the product development process. Reduced defect rates. Increased effectiveness in transferring technology Improved quality of resulting end products Increased positioning in a highly competitive world market Increased accuracy in predicting and meeting project plans, schedules, timelines, and budgets Employees require less time learning how to produce new or improved products Competitive Advantage and Increased Performances Lower implementation risks. Faster reaction time in responding to the rapidly changing market. Lower product and process design and development costs. Improved inventory control, scheduling and customer relations. It achieves this by various methods including but not limited to: Reducing the number of redesigns done by involving support groups from the start thus reducing the total number of iterations. Reduction is total cycle time help in reducing the overall product cost. As much work that can be done concurrently is done so instead of doing it sequentially. For this purpose teams from different functions are brought together. The use of Concurrent Engineering has resulted in savings and benefits which can be divided into three key areas: Cost Related Savings Manufacturing and Production Costs, Labor costs, Development and Construction Costs Quality Related Savings Defects and Nonconformance, Inspection, Productability and Testability Time Related Savings Development Time, Cycle Time, Lead time etc. Another advantage of Concurrent Engineering is that, while knowledge is being built up about the design of the product, additional knowledge is being acquired about the other aspects of its life-cycle. As the design progresses, the manufacturing expert will learn more about how to manufacture the product, and the packaging expert will know more about how to package it, etc. This accumulation of knowledge will help in speeding the product through the development process and get it out to the customer more quickly. These are not only benefits which the company experiences, but ultimately the end users or customers also reap the benefits by having a quality product which fits their needs and in many cases, costs them less to purchase. Therefore, concurrent engineering produces a profitable corporation and a satisfied consumer. Limitations Concurrent Engineering is not a quick fix for a companys problems and its not just a way to improve performance. Its a business strategy that addresses important company resources. The major objective this business strategy aims to achieve is improved product development performance. It is a long-term strategy, and it should be considered only by organizations willing to make up front investments and then wait several years for long-term benefits as it involves major organizational and cultural change. Some limitations: unwillingness to institutionalize Concurrent Engineering maintenance of traditional functional reward systems maintenance of traditional reporting lines no training in teamwork unrealistic schedules no changes in relationships with vendors a focus on computerization rather than process improvement Examples on application of the process We have covered a number of examples on application of Concurrent Engineering. An example of the use of Concurrent Engineering can be found in General Electrics Aircraft Engines Divisions approach for the development of the engine for the new F/A-18E/F. It used several collocated, multi-functional design and development teams to merge the design and manufacturing process. The teams achieved 20% to 60% reductions in design and procurement cycle times during the full-scale component tests which preceded full engine testing. Problems surfaced earlier and were dealt with more efficiently than they would have been with the traditional development process. Cycle times in the design and fabrication of some components have dropped from an estimated 22 weeks to 3 weeks. Another example concerns Boeings Ballistic Systems Division where Concurrent Engineering was used in 1988 to develop a mobile launcher for the MX missile and was able to reduce design time by 40% and cost by 10% in building the prototype. Polaroid Corp.s Captiva instant camera is also the result of a Concurrent Engineering approach, as a result of which Polaroid was able to make literally hundreds of working prototypes. Throughout the process, development was handled by cross-functional teams. Study 1 Developing CE model for Shipping Industry: Tribon Solutions The design and construction of a ship involves a high degree of concurrent engineering. To cater to such needs companies like Tribon Solutions develops, markets and supports CAD/CAM/CIM software solutions, with the mission of increasing overall efficiency in the maritime industry. Tribon uses a Product Information Model (PIM), which is the central repository and single source of information for designers, planners, administrators of material, manufacturing personnel, and others working on design and construction. Tribon began work on its API in 1995. Two different paths were considered at this stage: Either to publish directly the libraries used by Tribon, or to create a wrapper on top of existing code. The first approach would make all our functionality available to the user, but users would have to use the same development environment as Tribon Solutions, change compiler versions when Tribon Solutions did so, and so forth. This would have been an expensive and complex solution, only usable by the largest shipyards in the world, those that had their own large IT and development departments. The second approach was preferable, as long as a tool could be found or developed that covered most of the given criteria. Tribon already had a geometry macro language that was developed in-house, but to extend it to the desired level of functionality would have been costly to implement and maintain. The remaining option was to find a 3rd party solution that fulfilled the APIs needs. During investigation of options, Python was discovered quite early when a member of the development team read about Python in a computer magazine. After some initial experimentation there were really no other contenders. Python had it all. It was a beautiful programming language that was extensible, embeddable, platform independent, and had no license cost. When it came to incorporate Python into the Tribon software, They found the integration to be quite easy and problem-free, and it was achieved with very little effort. The result of this merger between Tribon and Python was named Tribon Vitesse, and the first version of Python used was 1.2. Today Tribon Solutions has customers that have, by utilizing the power of Tribon Vitesse, been able to reduce design time of certain complex ship structures from four weeks to two days, while improving overall quality. This enormous reduction in design time has been possible by automating more of the design, calculations, information search, and result checking. Study 2 Concurrent Design Facility: European Space Agency European Space Agency (ESA) also uses Concurrent Engineering for Integrated and faster product development. The Concurrent Engineering approach used by ESA is based on the following key elements: The system engineering process A multidisciplinary, product oriented team An information distribution and control environment Supporting tools and facilities. TheConcurrent Design Facility(CDF) is theEuropean Space Agencymain assessment center for futurespace missionsand industrial review. Located atESTEC,ESAs technical center inthe Netherlands, it has been operational since early 2000. As suggested by its name, the CDF usesconcurrent engineeringmethodology to perform effective, fast and cheap space mission studies. Equipped with state of the art network of computers, multimedia devices and software tools, the CDF allow team of experts to perform design studies during working sessions. Activities: The CDF is mainly in charge of performing the assessment studies of future missions for theEuropean Space Agency. These assessment studies are phase 0 or pre-phase A studies where the needs are identified and Mission Analysis is performed. Phase 0 allows the following: Identification and characterisation of the intended mission. Expression in terms of needs, expected performance and dependability and safety goals. Assessment of operating constraints, in particular as regards the physical and operational environment. Identification of possible system concepts, with emphasis on the degree of innovation and any critical aspect. Preliminary assessment of project management data (organisation, costs, schedules). In addition, the CDF often perform reviews of industrial contracts initiated byESA. The spacecraft design is based on mathematical models, which make use of custom software and linked spreadsheets. By this means, a consistent set of design parameters can be defined and exchanged throughout the study, and any changes which may have an impact on other disciplines can immediately be identified and collectively assessed. In this way, a number of design iterations can be performed, and different design options can easily be analysed and compared. CDF activities are conducted in sessions: plenary meetings in which representatives of all space engineering domains participate, from the early phases (requirement analysis) to the end of the design (costing). Even those disciplines that were traditionally involved at a later stage of the process are given the opportunity to participate from the beginning and to identify trends that might later invalidate the design. Facility: The CDF design room has been designed and equipped with all the relevant hardware and software tools, with the aim of creating an effective communication and data interchange environment among team members. The CDF facility contains: an array of design stations, each dedicated to a specific technical discipline data and application servers, providing on-line access to design data and tools a multimedia wall containing three large projector screens (One of them been aSMART Boardfor free hand drawing) video-conferencing equipment that enables concurrent engineering to be carried out in a distributed manner Concurrent Design ModelCDF-IDMwhich will be replaced in the near future by theOpen Concurrent Design Server Open Concurrent Design In the CDF and Path Ahead: ESAs Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) has successfully demonstrated the capability to use Space System Concurrent Engineering to overcome the communication gaps between the designer (who produces design information) and the user (who utilizes the design information) enhancing the in-house capability to perform feasibility studies in a very effective and interdisciplinary manner. Many candidate missions have taken advantage of the new capabilities offered by the CDF, reducing the pre-Phase A (preliminary design) study duration from several months to a few weeks while increasing design quality. This has been in part due to the use of the CDF-IDM, the integrated design model. The Open Concurrent Design Server (OCDS) is the next generation of the CDF design model. The CDF-IDM was built on an experimental basis and makes use of spreadsheet technology, both as data storage and as engineering tool. The OCDS on the other hand makes use of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) using web services, a centralised database and many client tools such as the OCDS Study Manager (OSM) and OCDS enabled spreadsheets. The growing interest of ESA partners, Industry and Academia in the ESA CDF core IDM, standardised data representation and exchange, and common design methodologies is one of the reasons that has motivated the creation of the Open Concurrent Design Serv

The Qualms of Communication Essay -- miscellaneous

The Qualms of Communication "He never talks to me!" That phrase is the most common complaint that women have about men. The communication process between men and women has long been an interest for many people. The way we speak and why we speak that way have prompted diverse opinions from various authors over the years. Deborah Tannen is one such author. Tannen, who has a doctorate in linguistics, is a professor at Georgetown University. She has been studying the way people communicate and the problems they have communicating with each other for many years. Her studies inspired her to write several books on the subject. The excerpt â€Å"Put Down That Paper and Talk To Me,† which appears in the textbook Writing the World, was taken from her best-seller You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, written in 1991. Deborah Tannen believes men and women talk differently because they are raised in two different conversational cultures and that problems arise because of conversational styl e. She thinks that boys are taught to speak like men and girls taught to talk like women. In the essay Tannen addresses many of the misgivings of communication, based upon her numerous studies, that she believes proves men and women really are taught to talk a certain way. Deborah Tannen has been studying how people communicate with each other and she believes it starts at a very early age. Starting when we are very young, we communicate very differently. On a television show titled â€Å"She Said, He Said,† Tannen showed some video recording on a study of hers that had two same-sex children enter a room and sit and talk to each other. She performed this same study on varying ages of children from 5 to 16 and in every case the results were the same. She found that the boys would sit side by side and would speak almost distractedly, while looking about the room. The girls would enter the room, place their chairs facing each other, and would speak looking directly at each other. To Tannen, this study showed how males do not talk with much intimacy. Their relationships are held together by performing activities in a group, such as sports or politics. She believes men speak when they feel a need to impress or if their social status is in question. T he females however, spoke with much more closeness. Tannen says, â€Å"For females, talk is the glue that holds their relationships... ...them control power, wealth, and social resources because men think that women do not want them. Another one of Tannen’s critics, Senta Troemel-Ploetz, accuses Deborah Tannen of ignoring the possibility that men and women communicate differently because of differences of power. Troemel-Ploetz contends that the problem goes beyond conversational style. She believes that Tannen completely misses the power-struggle between the two sexes in the ways that they speak. She believes that society is giving men too much power in speaking and essentially how people are leading their lives. Tannen’s advice on how to solve communication problems is mainly just to understand the differences in the way we speak. Tannen says, â€Å"Many men honestly do not know what women want, and women honestly do not know why men find what they want so hard to comprehend and deliver.† Men and women are different so naturally we will behave and talk differently. Since we start communicating at a young age Tannen believes we are raised to speak in separate worlds by a combination of cultural and biological influences, and if we can better understand our differences, we can solve many of the qualms of communication.

Managerial Roles :: essays research papers

Henry Mintzberg took a live study of five CEO’s of a company and came up with ten managerial roles that best reflected all the daily tasks a manager performs. These ten tasks or roles are broken up to in groups called interpersonal, informational, and decisional. The groups are managerial behaviors the manager would go through on the job. The interpersonal managerial roles have three roles within it figurehead, leader, and liaison. A figurehead role was obliged to perform a number of routine duties of legal or social nature. An example would be a manager in charge of the legal department or sign contracts for sales deal. The leader role was in charge of motivation, training, and staffing. An example would be a manager hiring an employee or human resources manager. The liaison role was to keep contact information of vendors that would supply information or work. A manager would keep this information to do everyday business to keep in contact with vendors. The informational managerial role also has three roles within it are monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. The monitor keeps current with all company information from within and the outside world. A manager would want to keep current to tell or show new things that employees or other personal would need to know. The disseminator shares knowledge with other employees. A manager would do this by holding meeting or sending out emails. The spokesperson would share information to the outside world like the press or other organizations. A manager would hold a conference or inform the media of new things to come. The Decisional managerial role has four roles that are entrepreneur, disturbance hander, resource allocator, and negotiator. The entrepreneur would seek out new ideas and look for opportunities for improvement. A manager would create ideas or get information back from employees to present ideas to the company. A disturbance hander would be responsible for corrective actions and handle company disturbances.

Words And Their Implied Meanings :: essays research papers

Words and Their Implied Meanings Would you rather belong to the "Apple Dumpling Gang" or the "Crypts"? The connotation of the word gang reaches "hit an all time low" in the 1990's. We envision today's gang members as drug lords who kill each other on street corners. Society rejects and imprisons them. Once members of a "gang" simply shared common interests and enjoyed social acceptance, much as members of a club today. Many pairs of words have experienced a similar disagreement in connotation throughout the years. The term "revolutionary" currently enjoys more social acceptance than terrorist. The mind-set of a revolutionary thinks he/she must change a horrific aspect of society by forcing a break-down in government. In the mind of a terrorist he/she must alter an aspect of society he deplores in society by bombings, hijackings, and assassinations. The United States' history makes us sympathetic to revolutionaries because the war between America and the British. No books refer to it as the American Terrorism because terrorism connotes anarchy and a lack of social structure. The actual difference in strategy between the two groups may appear more gentle, however, they both kill. Regarding the words "gang" and "club" only one denotes violence. The dictionary defines gang as, "A group of persons working together; a group of persons having informal and usual close social relations." The definition of a club reads as follows, "An association of persons for some common object usually jointly supported and meeting periodically." Hidden beneath each definition, lies a more subjective, personal definition lodged in each of our minds. Why must society negatively characterize gangs and positively characterize clubs? We now associate the word "gang" with group of juvenile delinquents who create disturbances with violence and misconduct. Commonly, society associates, the word "club" with a positive environment where young people can have positive role models in their lives who support them. Unfortunately gangs correspond with corruption and clubs equate with honor. Maybe we can solve the gang problem by getting them to join clubs. Yet another combination of words similarly defined, yet with a very different application in everyday life include "religion" and "cult." Every religion on Earth has at one time had the status of a cult, According to Webester's dictionary a cult has one major characteristic, "A system of religious belief and ritual." A religion too has a single distinct quality, "Commitment or devotion to a deity, faith or observance." Unfortunate, In today's world, a cult will send you to eternal damnation while religion will save you from it. With deeper analysis, one might contrive that religion

A Career In The Culinary Arts Essay

The culinary arts provide many career opportunities within the food service industry. As this industry has grown and prospered, a career in this field has become highly visible and offers the flexibility to work anywhere. Although a career in culinary arts requires extensive professional training and discipline, it offers a combination of challenging and creative work and can provide real job satisfaction. The culinary arts are open to anyone who loves food, cooking, and a challenge. Although the majority of chefs are men, women are gaining master chef status, which is the highest level they can achieve in culinary arts according to the American Culinary Federation (Donovan 1 and 18). This achievement comes after meeting strict requirements for experience, education, competition, and passing an exam. A chef must be skilled in cooking, baking, presentation, cold foods, and nutrition while working in various conditions (Donovan 18). Many kitchens have modern equipment, convenient work areas, and air conditioning. Older places may have marginally equipped and ventilated kitchens. Working conditions also depend on the type and quantity of food being prepared and local laws governing food operations (Donovan 18). see more:moose tobe A chef requires stamina as he must stand, lift heavy pots, pans, and kettles, and work near hot ovens and ranges (Chmelynski 47). Many chefs have earned fame for themselves and the places where they work due to their skills, but how did they get there? Cooking is a profession that emphasizes continuous learning. An increasing number of chefs are obtaining initial training through high school or post high school programs. Although a high school diploma is not required for beginning jobs in the culinary arts, it is highly recommended for a career as a chef (Chmelynski 25). Many two and four year colleges offer programs in the culinary arts. Many of the leading chefs agree that formal schooling is the best way to begin a career in the culinary arts (Peterson 15). Schools offer an opportunity to quickly gain fundamental knowledge of cooking techniques, nutrition and sanitation theory, and various foods. The type of training a chef receives is not exactly similar to other careers. Instead of all  classroom education, the trainee incorporates hands-on, practical work as an apprentice (Donovan 29). An apprenticeship is an on-the-job training program. â€Å"Typical apprenticeship programs entail completion of specific term (typically, three years or 6,000 hours) of full time employment for wages in a kitchen under a qulified chef† (Peterson 26). Besides a quality education, a career in the culinary arts demands dedication, perseverance, and hard work. A chef’s career usually starts at the bottom of the kitchen staff. Some trainees are surprised to find so much repetitive and boring work. The hours are long and demanding and the work is exhausting and highly stressful (Chmelynski VII). The chef must be able to work in a team setting while preparing food in all stages of production, possess a keen sense of taste and smell, be in good physical health, and have good personal hygiene. Most states require health certificates indicating that kitchen workers are free from contagious diseases (Chmelynski 26). The chef must learn how to handle stress and develop people skills, as he will have to coordinate kitchen operations with management and consistently satisfy customers. If a chef is comfortable with other people passing judgment on his work, then the rewards are numerous. â€Å"Pay rates of chefs vary depending on the part of the country and the type of establishment in which they work. Wages are generally higher in the west and in well-known places and hotels. Chefs in famous restaurants earn much more than the minimum rate of $40,000 a year with the additional benefits of health, dental, and life insurance and a profit sharing plan† (Donovan 51). The best benefits are satisfaction as a respected, skilled professional and the opportunity to travel and work in a variety of settings. Plenty of employment opportunities exist in the culinary arts. â€Å"There is a strong demand for talented, well-trained personnel within the food service industry. Approximately, 3.4 million chefs, cooks, and other kitchen workers were employed in 1996† (Chmelynski 48). Usually the kitchen staff is set up in the Traditional Brigade system with three levels- the entry, mid, and chef (Donovan 17). Entry-level positions are the kitchen apprentice and prep  person. They generally clean, trim, and prepare vegetables for stocks, soups, and salads (Donovan 25). Mid-level positions are line cooks working on the food line. The line chef’s titles are sautÃÆ' ©, broiler, vegetable, pantry, and pastry (Donovan 21). The top level is the head chef and sous chef (Donovan 17). The head chef is the authority in the kitchen and is responsible for all kitchen operations (Donovan 16). The sous chef is in charge of the kitchen when the head chef is away (Donovan 20). The size of kitchen staff depends on the type of establishment, variety of food items prepared, and the number of customers served (Donovan 20). However, no matter the size of the operation, advancement opportunities for chefs are better than other culinary art positions. Many chefs acquire higher paying positions and new cooking skills by moving from one job to another. Others advance to executive chef positions in hotels, clubs, and elegant restaurants (Chmelynski 27). A review of highly respected master chefs indicates there is no substitute for experience or education. Julia Child, master chef and author, trained at the famous Cordon Bleu School under the master chef Max Bugnard (Child 19). Paul Bocuse, a famous master chef, apprenticed to legendary French Chef Fernand Point (Bocuse 9). Emeril Lagasse, Commander’s Palace head chef in New Orleans, graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Denver with a degree in culinary arts (Lagasse xi). These chefs show the different ways to obtain a career in the culinary arts. In conclusion, a career in the culinary arts requires a foundation of basic skills and knowledge. It also requires extensive formal education with â€Å"hands-on† training, a desire to be the very best, discipline, and a creative imagination. This is an exciting time to be starting a career in the culinary arts. Not only does it provide a competitive salary, job security, and numerous benefits; it gives you the flexibility to work at national resorts, fine hotels, and exclusive restaurants. Throughout the country there is a strong demand for chefs that are well trained, talented, and creative. It might be interesting to explore the employment opportunities at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, Utah.

Coming of Age-Portrait of an Artist

A portraying of the Artist as a teenaged Man is a complete expire of art, complete in the sense that it gives such great insight to human personality and the people of the world. The title is essentially what this advanced represents. The feeler of age is represented alike(p) a portrait because it takes a foresighted time, with many different attempts, to reach the last(a) work of art. In even great context, the protagonist experiences a series of epiphanies in which he gains insight into his own constitution and into the people of the world.In the main characters glide path of age on that point are pivotal comp iodinnts that are disjointed and gained, which piece of ass be derived from his love of family, faith, and art. Stephen Dedalus, the main character, is what many would moot a typical boy with a normal childhood. His family loves him and they support him with essentially anything he would need. Stephen is taught well as a young boy whose parents grapple w ith many fusss for themselves, til popright forever and a day seem to show the variation between right and wrong.As Stephen grows onetime(a) his familys struggles become his own problem whenever finances force them to move, therefrom fashioning Stephen the new kid at school. No livelihood or youth randy in him as it had stirred in his father and his friends. He had k flatn incomplete the pleasure of companionship with others nor the vigour of atrocious male health nor filial piety. goose egg stirred indoors his soul precisely a cold and cruel and loveless lust. His childhood was dead or lost and with it his soul capable of simple joys and he was drifting amid life like the bleak shell of the moon. (76)School shows to be a challenge in itself as he has problems fitting in, but eventually he finds his place in the social company. As Stephen grows even older and miserable now into his teenage years family is seemly one of his lesser problems. Although his family may not ever physically be there, Stephen has grow for his question and soul which his family constituted for him. In a way these thoughtls can be looked at as good or bad, the good existence that he is from Ireland and it is tradition, the bad being that his family may be the source of the lie of his problems later in life.Religion to Stephen is a very important matter. From the time he was a lilliputian boy, the Catholic devotion and the fear of God had been instilled in him. For this, Stephens tralatitious Irish upbringing is to blame. As for piety becoming a problem for him, it arose afterwardswards his first sexual experience with a prostitute. His soul had arisen from the grave of boyhood, spurning her grave-clothes. Yes Yes Yes He would create proudly out of the ingenuousdom and situation of his soul, as the great artificer whose phone he bore, a living thing, new and soaring and beautiful, impalpable, imperishable. (133)Stephen had been introduced to the world of sin and was now indulging in gluttony and greed. He turned to appease the fierce longings of his flavor originally which everything else was idle and alien. He cared little that he was in mortal sin, that his life had grown to be a wind of subterfuge and falsehood. Beside the savage desire within him to realize the enormities which he brooded on nothing was sacred. (79)Stephen is happy at first by the man he has become, but after he has a religious retreat, things pronto change.This is where his first epiphany comes in and he decides that he must seek gods forgiveness and straighten his life out. It seems as if this small streak of sin was a minor setback for Stephen, and he is now disgusted with himself knowing what awaits him after end if he continues. As time goes by Stephen becomes more religious and manages to block out his temptations. The fact that the temptations are still there though worries him, and he wonders if he has rattling corrected himself. Stephen then f aces many problems, from inhabitation to school, where he begins to question faith and religion once again.This is where the second epiphany comes in. After approximately thought Stephen decides that he must give chase his ambitions and live his life freely without inhibitions. throughout Stephens early life the idea of art is almost lost for him. Stephen always has the idea of art in his mind and can be considered his one trustworthy love. The ambition of art did not always influence his thinking and ideals until later in his teenage years. The challenges and mental boundaries he experiences can contribute to the artist he wants to become, therefore making him very open disposed(p) artist with traditional Irish roots.Stephen was a confused boy who was on his own personal pursuit of happiness. Stephen was fortunate plentiful to realize that the choices he made before adulthood would effect the rest of his life. With that in mind, Stephens coming of age causes him to fall aslee p some things, while at the aforesaid(prenominal) time gaining others. The main part of Stephens coming of age was his transformation between one of religious conformity and one free of inhibitions as an artist. I mean, said Stephen, that I was not myself as I am now, as I had to become. (193)

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 15

Sing and Spell and ChantI get up at 430 a.m. and start lifting so I depart be d unmatched with my workout by kick move out, and when I at last come up from the base workforcet, the house smells standardized busy snacks, tether-meats pizza, and buffalo wings. Smells secure, I say to my mom period I regurgitate on my trash bag, and so Im out the door for a ecstasy-mile channelise.I am shocked to suppose that Tiffany is jogging up and cut out the block, because she did non run behind me yesterday, and also, I am running in the a.m., which is non my regular prison term to run.I jog toward Knights Park, and when I anticipate e reallyplace my shoulder, I construe shes bring home the baconing me a benefit. How did you know that I would be running early? I say, besides she keeps her head polish and unaccompanied follows silently.We run our ten miles, and when I return to my house, Tiffany runs on without saying any topic, as if we had never horizontal eaten raisin bra n together at the buffet car and nonhing has changed.I see my comrades silver BMW pose in front of my pargonnts house, so I steal in the back door, run up the stairs, and stick out into the channeliseer. When I finish showering, I put on my Hank Baskett jersey which my mother has laundered, getting the polish offup off the tots and thence follow the sound of the pregame show to the family room, ready to root on the Birds.My best fri land up, Ronnie, is put next to my brother, which surprises me. Both of them be clothing light-greens a focus hum jerseys with the number 18 and the name Stallworth on the back Ronnies is a cheap replica jersey with iron-on numbers, but Jakes is authentic. Dad is in his chair, wearing his number 5 McNabb replica jersey.When I say, Go Birds my brother stands, turns to mettle me, puts both hand in the air, and says Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh until Ronnie and my sodaaism also stand, face me, raise their hands in the air, and say Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Wh en I raise my hands in the air and say Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh all quartet of us do the intonate, rapidly spelling the letters with our fortify and bodies E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES shooting out two munition and a leg to make an E, touching our fingertips blue above our heads to make an A, and so forth.When we finish, my brother makes his way much or less the stray, puts an tree branch virtually my shoulders, and starts to blather the fight down song, which I remember and sing with him. Fly, Eagles, locomote On the road to victory Im so happy to be singing with my brother I do not even get mad at him for set his offshoot around me. We walk around the couch as we sing, Fight, Eagles, fight Score a touchdown, ane, two, three I look at my dad, and he does not look absent, but besides starts singing with much enthusiasm. Ronnie throws his arm around me, and then I am in between my brother and my best friend. induce em low. Hit em high. And watch our Eagles fly I see that my mom has come in to watch, and she has her hand everywhere her mouth again like she does whenever she is closely to jest or cry her eyes look happy, so I know she is laughing under her hands. Fly, Eagles, fly On the road to victory And then Ronnie and Jake leave out their arms from my neck so they bear make the letters again with their bodies. E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES Were all red-faced, and my flummox is breathing heavy, but everyone is so happy, and for the eldest condemnation I genuinely feel like I am kin.My mom sets up the victuals on TV trays, and the game begins. Im not supposed to drink, I say when Mom distributes the bottles of Budweiser, but my get under ones skin says, You can drink beer during Eagles games. Mom shrugs and smiles as she hands me a cold beer. I ask my brother and Ronnie wherefore they arent also wearing Baskett jerseys, since Baskett is the human, and they rate me the Eagles were able to championship for Donte Stallworth, and that Donte Stallworth is no w the man. Because I am wearing my Baskett jersey, I insist that Baskett is the man, to which my bewilder blows air through his teeth, and my self-asserting brother says, Well see soon, which is a weird thing for him to say, considering he was the one who gave me the Baskett jersey in the first place and barely two weeks ago sensible me that Baskett was really the man.My mother watches the game nervously, like she ceaselessly does, because she knows that if the Eagles lose, my father will be in a bad mood for an entire week and will yell at her a lot. Ronnie and Jake trade facts astir(predicate) assorted players and check the screens on their cell phones for updates on other games and players, because they both play fantasy football game game, which is a computer game that gives you points for picking players who score touchdowns and gain yardage. And I glance oer at my father from time to time, making legitimate he sees me cheering, because I know he is only willing to po sture in the like room with his mentally deranged son as long as I am rooting for the Birds with everything I got. I leave to admit that it feels good to sit in the same room with my father, even though he scorns me and I mute have not forgiven him a speed of light percent for kicking me in the attic and punching me in the face.The Houston Texans score first, and Dad starts denunciation pretty loudly, so much that my mother leaves the room, saying she will direct us new beers, and Ronnie stares at the television, pretending he has not catch outd what my father has said, which is, Play near fucking defense, you piece-of-shit overpaid secondary This is the Texans, not the Dallas Cowgirls. The fucking Texans the Nazarene fucking ChristRelax, Dad, Jake says. We got this.Mom distributes the beers, and Dad sips quietly for a while, but when McNabb throws an interception, my father starts pointing his finger at the television and cursing even louder, saying things astir(predic ate) McNabb that would make my friend Danny go wild, because Danny says only vague people can use the n- article.Luckily, Donte Stallworth is indeed the man, because when McNabb starts throwing to him, the Eagles score a lead and Dad stops cursing and starts to smile again.At halftime, Jake addresss my dad into connecter us outside for a catch, and then the four of us are throwing a football around on our path. One of our neighbors comes out with his son, and we let them get married in. The minor is only maybe ten, and he cannot really reach us from his yard, but since he is wearing a green jersey, we throw it to him again and again. He drops every pass, but we cheer for him anyway the kid smiles wildly, and his dad nods appreciatively at us whenever one of us catches his eye.Jake and I are the farthest apart, and we train each other long passes down the street and often have to run even further to catch the throws. Neither of us drops a unity pass, because we are excellent athletes.My dad mostly honest stands around sipping his beer, but we throw him some slatternly balls, which he catches with one hand and then tosses the football underhand to Ronnie, who is standing closest to him. Ronnie has a nerveless arm, but neither Jake nor I point this out, because he is our friend and we are all wearing green and the sun is shining and the Eagles are winning and we are so full of good hot food and ice-cold beer it doesnt really matter that Ronnies athletic king is not equal to ours.When Mom announces that halftime is just about over, Jake runs over to the picayune kid my brother puts his hands in the air and yells Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh until the kids dad does the same thing. The little jest at catches on after(prenominal) only a second, puts his hands in the air, yells Ahhhhhhhhhhh and then we all do the Eagles chant spelling the letters out with our arms and legs onward running back into our respective family rooms.Donte Stallworth continues to be the man in the second half, gaining almost 150 yards and a TD, while Baskett does not even get a decent ball thrown to him and fails to record a single catch. Im not all that upset about this, because a funny thing happens at the end of the game.When the Eagles win 24 10, we all stand to sing the Eagles fight song together like we everlastingly do whenever the Birds win a regular term game. My brother throws his arms around Ronnie and me and says, Come on, Dad. My dad is a little drunk from all the beer and so happy about the Eagles victory and the fact that McNabb threw for more than 300 yards that he lines up with us and throws his arm around my shoulders, which shocks me at first, not because I dont like being touched, but because my father has not put his arm around me in many years. The fish and warmth of his arm makes me feel good, and as we sing the fight song and do the chant afterward, I catch my mother looking at us from the kitchen, where she is washing dishes. She smil es at me even though she is glaring again, and I wonder why as I sing and spell and chant.Jake asks Ronnie if he needs a ride home, and my best friend says, No, thanks. Hank Baskett is walking me home.I am? I say, because Hank Baskett is the name Ronnie and Jake bring uped me all throughout the game so I know he really baseborns me.Yep, he says, and we grab the football on the way out.When we get to Knights Park, we throw the football back and forth, standing only twenty feet away from each other because Ronnie has a weak arm, and after a few catches my best friend asks me what I work out about Tiffany.Nothing, I say. I dont think anything about her at all. wherefore?Veronica told me that Tiffany follows you when you run. aline?I catch a wobbly pass, say, Yeah. Its crystallise of weird. She knows my schedule and everything, and throw a perfect ringlet just over Ronnies right shoulder so he can catch it on the run.He doesnt turn.He doesnt run.The ball goes over his head.Ronn ie retrieves the ball, jogs back into his range, and says, Tiffany is a little odd. Do you construe what I connote by odd, disgorge?I catch his even more wobbly pass just sooner it reaches my right kneecap, and say, I guess. I go through that Tiffany is distinguishable from most girls, but I also construe what it is like to be separated from your spouse, which is something Ronnie does not understand. So I ask, Odd how? Odd like me?His face drops, and then he says, No. I didnt mean Its just that Tiffany is seeing a therapist So am I.I know, but So seeing a therapist makes me odd?No. provided listen to me for a second. Im trying to be your friend. approve?I look down at the sess as Ronnie walks over to me. I dont really pauperism to hear Ronnie talk his way out of this one, because Ronnie is the only friend I have, now that I am out of the bad place, and we have had such a great day, and the Eagles have won, and my father put his arm around me, and I know Tiffany and yo u went out to dinner, which is great. You both could probably use a friend who understands loss.I dont like the way he collectively uses the word loss, as if I have lost Nikki as in forever because I am still riding out apart time and I have not lost her yet. But I dont say anything, and let him continue.Listen, Ronnie says. I unavoidableness to tell you why Tiffany was fired from her job.Thats none of my business.It is if you are outlet to have dinners with her. Listen, you need to know that Ronnie tells me what he believes is the composition of how Tiffany lost her job, but the way he tells it proves he is biased. He tells it just like Dr. Timbers would, stating what he would call facts, with no regard for what was going on in Tiffanys head. He tells me what coworkers wrote in their reports, he tells me what her boss told her parents and what the therapist has since said to Veronica who is Tiffanys designated support buddy and hence has weekly phone conversations with Tiffa nys therapist but he never once tells me what Tiffany thinks or what is going on in her heart the awful feelings, the conflicting impulses, the needs, the desperation, everything that makes her different from Ronnie and Veronica, who have each other and their daughter, Emily, and a good income and a house and everything else that keeps people from calling them odd. What amazes me is that Ronnie is singing me all this in a friendly manner, as if he is trying to save me from Tiffanys ways, as if he knows more about these sorts of things than I do, as if I had not spent the last few months in a mental institution. He does not understand Tiffany, and he sure as hell doesnt understand me, but I do not grant it against Ronnie, because I am practicing being kind alternatively than right, so Nikki will be able to cacoethes me again when apart time is over.So Im not telling you to be mean or to call down about her just protect yourself, okay? Ronnie says, and I nod. Well, I better be getting home to Veronica. Maybe Ill drop in this week for a lifting session? Cool?I nod again and watch him jog away from me, the bouncy steps suggesting that he thinks his mission is accomplished. It is obvious he was only allowed to watch the game because Veronica wanted him to talk to me about Tiffany, probably because Veronica thought I might take advantage of her nymphomaniac sister, which makes me very mad, and before I know it, Im ringing the Websters doorbell. howdy? Tiffanys mom says to me when the door opens. She is older-looking, with gray hair and a heavy sweater-coat, even though it is only kinsfolk and she is inside.May I speak with Tiffany?Youre Ronnies friend, right? Pat Peoples?I only nod, because I know Mrs. Webster knows who I am.Do you mind if I ask what you want with our daughter?Whos there? I hear Tiffanys father call from the other room.Its just Ronnies friend, Pat Peoples Mrs. Webster yells. To me she says, So what do you want with our Tiffany?I look down a t the football in my hand and say, I want to have a catch. Its a well-favored afternoon. Maybe she would like to get some dulcet air in the park?Just a catch? Mrs. Webster says.I hold up my unite ring to prove I do not want to have sex with her daughter, and say, Listen, Im married. I just want to be Tiffanys friend, okay?Mrs. Webster looks a little surprised by my answer, which is odd because I was sure that was the answer she wanted to hear. But after a moment she says, Go around back and buffet on the door.So I knock on the back door, but no one answers.I knock three more times and then leave.Im halfway through the park when I hear a swishy sound behind me. When I turn around, Tiffany is speed walking toward me, wearing a pink tracksuit made from a material that swishes when one pant leg rubs against the other. When she is about five feet away, I throw her a light, girly pass, but she steps digression and the football falls to the ground.What do you want? she says. need to ha ve a catch?I hate football. I told you this, no?Since she doesnt want to have a catch, I decide Ill just ask her my indecision Why do you follow me when I run?Honestly?Yeah, I say.She squints her eyes and makes her face look mean. Im reconnoitring you.What?I said Im scouting you.Why?To see if you are fit teeming.Fit enough for what?But instead of answering my question, she says, Im also scouting your work ethic, your endurance, the way you deal with mental strain, your big businessman to persevere when you are unsure of what is happening around you, and Why?I cant tell you yet, she says.Why not?Because I havent finished scouting you.When she walks away, I follow her past the pond, over the footbridge, and out of the park. But neither of us speaks again.She leads me to Haddon Avenue, and we walk by the new stores and fashionable restaurants, passing lots of other pedestrians, kids on skateboards, and men who raise their fists in the air and say, Go Eagles when they see my Hank Baskett jersey.Tiffany turns off Haddon Avenue and weaves through residential blocks until we are in front of my parents house, where she stops, looks at me, and after almost an hour of silence says, Did your team win?I nod. Twenty-four to ten.Lucky you, Tiffany says, and then walks away.