Forward the Foundation Chapter 5

12 For days thereafter Hari Seldon neglected his departmental duties to use his computer in its news-gathering mode. There were not many computers capable of handling the daily news from twenty-five million worlds. There were a number of them at Imperial headquarters, where they were absolutely necessary. Some of the larger Outer World capitals had them as well, though most were satisfied with hyperconnection to the Central Newspost on Trantor. A computer at an important Mathematics Department could, if it were sufficiently advanced, be modified as an independent news source and Seldon had been careful to do that with his computer. It was, after all, necessary for his work on psychohistory, though the computer's capabilities were carefully ascribed to other, exceedingly plausible reasons. Ideally the computer would report anything that was out of the ordinary on any world of the Empire. A coded and unobtrusive warning light would make itself evident and Seldon could track it down easily. Such a light rarely showed, for the definition of â€Å"out of the ordinary† was tight and intense and dealt with large-scale and rare upheavals. What one did in its absence was to ring in various worlds at random-not all twenty-five million, of course, but some dozens. It was a depressing and even debilitating task, for there were no worlds that didn't have their daily relatively minor catastrophes. A volcanic eruption here, a flood there, an economic collapse of one sort or another yonder, and, of course, riots. There had not been a day in the last thousand years that there had not been riots over something or other on each of a hundred or more different worlds. Naturally such things had to be discounted. One could scarcely worry about riots any more than one could about volcanic eruptions when both were constants on inhabited worlds. Rather, if a day should come in which not one riot was reported anywhere, that might be a sign of something so unusual as to warrant the gravest concern. Concern was what Seldon could not make himself feel. The Outer Worlds, with all their disorders and misfortunes, were like a great ocean on a peaceful day, with a gentle swell and minor heavings-but no more. He found no evidence of any overall situation that clearly showed a decline in the last eight years or even in the last eighty. Yet Demerzel (in Demerzel's absence, Seldon could no longer think of him as Daneel) said the decline was continuing and he had his finger on the Empire's pulse from day to day in ways that Seldon could not duplicate-until such time as he would have the guiding power of psychohistory at his disposal. It could be that the decline was so small that it was unnoticeable till some crucial point was reached-like a domicile that slowly wears out and deteriorates, showing no signs of that deterioration until one night when the roof collapses. When would the roof collapse? That was the problem and Seldon had no answer. And on occasion, Seldon would check on Trantor itself. There, the news was always considerably more substantial. For one thing, Trantor was the most highly populated of all the worlds, with its forty billion people. For another, its eight hundred sectors formed a mini-Empire all its own. For a third, there were the tedious rounds of governmental functions and the doings of the Imperial family to follow. What struck Seldon's eyes, however, was in the Dahl Sector. The elections for the Dahl Sector Council had placed five Joranumites into office. This was the first time, according to the commentary, that Joranumites had achieved sector office. It was not surprising. Dahl was a Joranumite stronghold if any sector was, but Seldon found it a disturbing indication of the progress being made by the demagogue. He ordered a microchip of the item and took it home with him that evening. Raych looked up from his computer as Seldon entered and apparently felt the need to explain himself. â€Å"I'm helping Mom on some reference material she needs,† he said. â€Å"What about your own work?† â€Å"Done, Dad. All done.† â€Å"Good. Look at this.† He showed Raych the chip in his hand before slipping it into the microprojector. Raych glanced at the news item hanging in the air before his eyes and said, â€Å"Yes, I know.† â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Sure. I usually keep track of Dahl. You know, home sector and all.† â€Å"And what do you think about it?† â€Å"I'm not surprised. Are you? The rest of Trantor treats Dahl like dirt. Why shouldn't they go for Joranum's views?† â€Å"Do you go for them also?† â€Å"Well-† Raych twisted his face thoughtfully. â€Å"I got to admit some things he says appeal to me. He says he wants equality for all people. What's wrong with that?† â€Å"Nothing at all-if he means it. If he's sincere. If he isn't just using it as a ploy to get votes.† â€Å"True enough, Dad, but most Dahlites probably figure: What's there to lose? We don't have equality now, though the laws say we do.† â€Å"It's a hard thing to legislate.† â€Å"That's not something to cool you off when you're sweating to death.† Seldon was thinking rapidly. He had been thinking since he had come across this item. He said, â€Å"Raych, you haven't been in Dahl since your mother and I took you out of the sector, have you?† â€Å"Sure I was, when I went with you to Dahl five years ago on your visit there.† â€Å"Yes yes†-Seldon waved a hand in dismissal-â€Å"but that doesn't count. We stayed at an intersector hotel, which was not Dahlite in the least, and, as I recall, Dors never once let you out on the streets alone. After all, you were only fifteen. How would you like to visit Dahl now, alone, in charge of yourself-now that you're fully twenty?† Raych chuckled. â€Å"Mom would never allow that.† â€Å"I don't say that I enjoy the prospect of facing her with it, but I don't intend to ask her permission. The question is: Would you be willing to do this for me?† â€Å"Out of curiosity? Sure. I'd like to see what's happened to the old place.† â€Å"Can you spare the time from your studies?† â€Å"Sure. I'll never miss a week or so. Besides, you can tape the lectures and I'll catch up when I get back. I can get permission. After all, my old man's on the faculty-unless you've been fired, Dad.† â€Å"Not yet. But I'm not thinking of this as a fun vacation.† â€Å"I'd be surprised if you did. I don't think you know what a fun vacation is, Dad. I'm surprised you know the phrase.† â€Å"Don't be impertinent. When you go there, I want you to meet with Laskin Joranum.† Raych looked startled. â€Å"How do I do that? I don't know where he's gonna be.† â€Å"He's going to be in Dahl. He's been asked to speak to the Dahl Sector Council with its new Joranumite members. We'll find out the exact day and you can go a few days earlier.† â€Å"And how do I get to see him, Dad? I don't figure he keeps open house.† â€Å"I don't, either, but I'll leave that up to you. You would have known how to do it when you were twelve. I hope your keen edge hasn't blunted too badly in the intervening years.† Raych smiled. â€Å"I hope not. But suppose I do see him. What then?† â€Å"Well, find out what you can. What's he's really planning. What he's really thinking.† â€Å"Do you really think he's gonna tell me?† â€Å"I wouldn't be surprised if he does. You have the trick of inspiring confidence, you miserable youngster. Let's talk about it.† And so they did. Several times. Seldon's thoughts were painful. He was not sure where all this was leading to, but he dared not consult Yugo Amaryl or Demerzel or (most of all) Dors. They might stop him. They might prove to him that his idea was a poor one and he didn't want that proof. What he planned seemed the only gateway to salvation and he didn't want it blocked. But did the gateway exist at all? Raych was the only one, it seemed to Seldon, who could possibly manage to worm himself into Joranum's confidence, but was Raych the proper tool for the purpose? He was a Dahlite and sympathetic to Joranum. How far could Seldon trust him? Horrible? Raych was his son-and Seldon had never had occasion to mistrust Raych before. 13 If Seldon doubted the efficacy of his notion, if he feared that it might explode matters prematurely or move them desperately in the wrong direction, if he was filled with an agonizing doubt as to whether Raych could be entirely trusted to fulfill his part suitably, he nevertheless had no doubt-no doubt whatever-as to what Dors's reaction would be when presented with the fait accompli. And he was not disappointed-if that was quite the word to express his emotion. Yet, in a manner, he was disappointed, for Dors did not raise her voice in horror as he had somehow thought she would, as he had prepared himself to withstand. But how was he to know? She was not as other women were and he had never seen her truly angry. Perhaps it was not in her to be truly angry-or what he would consider to be truly angry. She was merely cold-eyed and spoke with low-voiced bitter disapproval. â€Å"You sent him to Dahl? Alone?† Very softly. Questioningly. For a moment Seldon quailed at the quiet voice. Then he said firmly, â€Å"I had to. It was necessary.† â€Å"Let me understand. You sent him to that den of thieves, that haunt of assassins, that conglomeration of all that is criminal?† â€Å"Dors! You anger me when you speak like that. I would expect only a bigot to use those stereotypes.† â€Å"You deny that Dahl is as I have described?† â€Å"Of course. There are criminals and slums in Dahl. I know that very well. We both know that. But not all of Dahl is like that. And there are criminals and slums in every sector, even in the Imperial Sector and in Streeling.† â€Å"There are degrees, are there not? One is not ten. If all the worlds are crime-ridden, if all the sectors are crime-ridden, Dahl is among the worst, is it not? You have the computer. Check the statistics.† â€Å"I don't have to. Dahl is the poorest sector on Trantor and there is a positive correlation between poverty, misery, and crime. I grant you that.† â€Å"You grant me that! And you sent him alone? You might have gone with him, or asked me to go with him, or sent half a dozen of his schoolmates with him. They would have welcomed a respite from their work, I'm sure.† â€Å"What I need him for requires that he be alone.† â€Å"And what do you need him for?† But Seldon was stubbornly silent about that. Dors said, â€Å"Has it come to this? You don't trust me?† â€Å"It's a gamble. I alone dare take the risk. I can't involve you or anyone else.† â€Å"But it's not you taking the risk. It's poor Raych.† â€Å"He's not taking any risk,† said Seldon impatiently. â€Å"He's twenty years old, young and vigorous and as sturdy as a tree-and I don't mean the saplings we have here under glass on Trantor. I'm talking about a good solid tree in the Heliconian forests. And he's a twister, which the Dahlites aren't.† â€Å"You and your twisting,† said Dors, her coldness not thawing one whit. â€Å"You think that's the answer to everything. The Dahlites carry knives. Every one of them. Blasters, too, I'm sure.† â€Å"I don't know about blasters. The laws are pretty strict when it comes to blasters. As for knives, I'm positive Raych carries one. He even carries a knife on campus here, where it's strictly against the law. Do you think he won't have one in Dahl?† Dors remained silent. Seldon was also silent for a few minutes, then decided it might be time to placate her. He said, â€Å"Look, I'll tell you this much. I'm hoping he'll see Joranum, who will be visiting Dahl.† â€Å"Oh? And what do you expect Raych to do? Fill him with bitter regrets over his wicked politics and send him back to Mycogen?† â€Å"Come. Really. If you're going to take this sardonic attitude, there's no use discussing it.† He looked away from her, out the window at the blue-gray sky under the dome. â€Å"What I expect him to do†-and his voice faltered for a moment â€Å"is save the Empire.† â€Å"To be sure. That would be much easier.† Seldon's voice firmed. â€Å"It's what I expect. You have no solution. Demerzel himself has no solution. He as much as said that the solution rests with me. That's what I'm striving for and that's what I need Raych for in Dahl. After all, you know that ability of his to inspire affection. It worked with us and I'm convinced it will work with Joranum. If I am right, all may be well.† Dors's eyes widened a trifle. â€Å"Are you now going to tell me that you are being guided by psychohistory?† â€Å"No. I'm not going to lie to you. I have not reached the point where I can be guided in any way by psychohistory, but Yugo is constantly talking about intuition-and I have mine.† â€Å"Intuition! What's that? Define it!† â€Å"Easily. Intuition is the art, peculiar to the human mind, of working out the correct answer from data that is, in itself, incomplete or even, perhaps, misleading.† â€Å"And you've done it.† And Seldon said with firm conviction, â€Å"Yes, I have.† But to himself, he thought what he dared not share with Dors. What if Raych's charm were gone? Or, worse, what if the consciousness of being a Dahlite became too strong for him? 14 Billibotton was Billibotton-dirty, sprawling, dark, sinuous Billibotton-exuding decay and yet full of a vitality that Raych was convinced was to be found nowhere else on Trantor. Perhaps it was to be found nowhere else in the Empire, though Raych knew nothing, firsthand, of any world but Trantor. He had last seen Billibotton when he was not much more than twelve, but even the people seemed to be the same; still a mixture of the hangdog and the irreverent; filled with a synthetic pride and a grumbling resentment; the men marked by their dark rich mustaches and the women by their sacklike dresses that now looked tremendously slatternly to Raych's older and more worldly wise eyes. How could women with dresses like that attract men? But it was a foolish question. Even when he was twelve, he had had a pretty clear idea of how easily and quickly they could be removed. So he stood there, lost in thought and memory, passing along a street of store windows and trying to convince himself that he remembered this particular place or that and wondering if, among them all, there were people he did remember who were now eight years older. Those, perhaps, who had been his boyhood friends-and he thought uneasily of the fact that, while he remembered some of the nicknames they had pinned on each other, he could not remember any real names. In fact, the gaps in his memory were enormous. It was not that eight years was such a long time, but it was two fifths of the lifetime of a twenty-year-old and his life since leaving Billibotton had been so different that all before it had faded like a misty dream. But the smells were there. He stopped outside a bakery, low and dingy, and smelled the coconut icing that reeked through the air-that he had never quite smelled elsewhere. Even when he had stopped to buy tarts with coconut icing, even when they were advertised as â€Å"Dahl-style,† they had been faint imitations-no more. He felt strongly tempted. Well, why not? He had the credits and Dors was not there to wrinkle her nose and wonder aloud how clean-or, more likely, not clean-the place might be. Who worried about clean in the old days? The shop was dim and it took a while for Raych's eyes to acclimate. There were a few low tables in the place, with a couple of rather insubstantial chairs at each, undoubtedly where people might have a light repast, the equivalent of moka and tarts. A young man sat at one of the tables, an empty cup before him, wearing a once-white T-shirt that probably would have looked even dirtier in a better light. The baker or, in any case, a server stepped out from a room in the rear and said in a rather surly fashion, â€Å"What'll ya have?† â€Å"A coke-icer,† said Raych in just as surly a fashion (he would not be a Billibottoner if he displayed courtesy), using the slang term he remembered well from the old days. The term was still current, for the server handed him the correct item, using his bare fingers. The boy, Raych, would have taken that for granted, but now the man, Raych, felt taken slightly aback. â€Å"You want a bag?† â€Å"No,† said Raych, â€Å"I'll eat it here.† He paid the server and took the coke-icer from the other's hand and bit into its richness, his eyes half closing as he did so. It had been a rare treat in his boyhood-sometimes when he had scrounged the necessary credit to buy one with, sometimes when he had received a bite from a temporarily wealthy friend, most often when he had lifted one when nobody was watching. Now he could buy as many as he wished. â€Å"Hey,† said a voice. Raych opened his eyes. It was the man at the table, scowling at him. Raych said gently, â€Å"Are you speaking to me, bub?† â€Å"Yeah. What'chuh Join'?† â€Å"Eatin' a coke-icer. What's it to ya?† Automatically he had assumed the Billibotton way of talking. It was no strain at all. â€Å"What'chuh doin' in Billibotton?† â€Å"Born here. Raised here. In a bed. Not in a street, like you.† The insult came easily, as though he had never left home. â€Å"That so? You dress pretty good for a Billibottoner. Pretty fancy-dancy. Got a perfume stink about ya.† And he held up a little finger to imply effeminacy. â€Å"I won't talk about your stink. I went up in the world.† â€Å"Up in the world? La-dee-da. † Two other men stepped into the bakery. Raych frowned slightly, for he wasn't sure whether they had been summoned or not. The man at the table said to the newcomers, â€Å"This guy's gone up in the world. Says he's a Billibottoner.† One of the two newcomers shambled a mock salute and grinned with no appearance of amiability. His teeth were discolored. â€Å"Ain't that nice? It's always good to see a Billibottoner go up in the world. Gives 'em a chance to help their poor unfor'chnit sector people. Like, credits. You can always spare a credit or two for the poor, hey?† â€Å"How many you got, mister?† said the other, the grin disappearing. â€Å"Hey,† said the man behind the counter. â€Å"All you guys get out of my store. I don't want no trouble in here.† â€Å"There'll be no trouble,† said Raych. â€Å"I'm leaving.† He made to go, but the seated man put a leg in his way. â€Å"Don't go, pal. We'd miss yer company.† (The man behind the counter, clearly fearing the worst, disappeared into the rear.) Raych smiled. He said, â€Å"One time when I was in Billibotton, guys, I was with my old man and old lady and there were ten guys who stopped us. Ten. I counted them. We had to take care of them.† â€Å"Yeah?† said the one who had been speaking. â€Å"Yer old man took care of ten?† â€Å"My old man? Nah. He wouldn't waste his time. My old lady did. And I can do it better than she can. And there are only three of you. So, if you don't mind, out of the way.† â€Å"Sure. Just leave all your credits. Some of your clothes, too.† The man at the table rose to his feet. There was a knife in his hand. â€Å"There you are,† said Raych. â€Å"Now you're going to waste my time.† He had finished his coke-icer and he half-turned. Then, as quickly as thought, he anchored himself to the table, while his right leg shot out and the point of his toe landed unerringly in the groin of the man with the knife. Down he went with a loud cry. Up went the table, driving the second man toward the wall and keeping him there, while Raych's right arm flashed out, with the edge of the palm striking hard against the larynx of the third, who coughed and went down. It had taken two seconds and Raych now stood there with a knife in each hand and said, â€Å"Now which one of you wants to move?† They glared at him but remained frozen in place and Raych said, â€Å"In that case, I will now leave.† But the server, who had retreated to the back room, must have summoned help, for three more men had now entered the store, while the server screeched, â€Å"Troublemakers! Nothing but troublemakers!† The newcomers were dressed alike in what was obviously a uniform-but one that Raych had never seen. Trousers were tucked into boots, loose green T-shirts were belted, and odd semispherical hats that looked vaguely comic were perched on top of their heads. On the front of the left shoulder of each T-shirt were the letters Jo.** They had the Dahlite look about them but not quite the Dahlite mustache. The mustaches were black and thick, but they were carefully trimmed at lip level and were kept from luxuriating too widely. Raych allowed himself an internal sneer. They lacked the vigor of his own wild mustache, but he had to admit they looked neat and clean. The leader of these three men said, â€Å"I'm Corporal Quinber. What's been going on here?† The defeated Billibottoners were scrambling to their feet, clearly the worse for wear. One was still doubled over, one was rubbing his throat, and the third acted as though one of his shoulders had been wrenched. The corporal stared at them with a philosophic eye, while his two men blocked the door. He turned to Raych-the one man who seemed untouched. â€Å"Are you a Billibottoner, boy?† â€Å"Born and bred, but I've lived elsewhere for eight years.† He let the Billibotton accent recede, but it was still there, at least to the extent that it existed in the corporal's speech as well. There were other parts of Dahl aside from Billibotton and some parts with considerable aspirations to gentility. Raych said, â€Å"Are you security officers? I don't seem to recall the uniform you're-â€Å" â€Å"We're not security officers. You won't find security officers in Billibotton much. We're the Joranum Guard and we keep the peace here. We know these three and they've been warned. We'll take care of them. You're our problem, buster. Name. Reference number.† Raych told them. â€Å"And what happened here?† Raych told them. â€Å"And your business here?† Raych said, â€Å"Look here. Do you have the right to question me? If you're not security officers-â€Å" â€Å"Listen,† said the corporal in a hard voice, â€Å"don't you question rights. We're all there is in Billibotton and we have the right because we take the right. You say you beat up these three men and I believe you. But you won't beat us up. We're not allowed to carry blasters-† And with that, the corporal slowly pulled out a blaster. â€Å"Now tell me your business here.† Raych sighed. If he had gone directly to a sector hall, as he should have done-if he had not stopped to drown himself in nostalgia for Billibotton and coke-icers- He said, â€Å"I have come on important business to see Mr. Joranum, and since you seem to be part of his organi-â€Å" â€Å"To see the leader?† â€Å"Yes, Corporal.† â€Å"With two knives on you?† â€Å"For self-defense. I wasn't going to have them on me when I saw Mr. Joranum.† â€Å"So you say. We're taking you into custody, mister. We'll get to the bottom of this. It may take time, but we will.† â€Å"But you don't have the right. You're not the legally const-â€Å" â€Å"Well, find someone to complain to. Till then, you're ours.† And the knives were confiscated and Raych was taken into custody.

North West Case Essay

Executive Summary North West Company will move towards a â€Å"pull strategy† within its supply chain. Pull production is based on actual or consumed demand and individual store managers will monitor this. The benefit of localization for North West will be a higher inventory turnover rate. The benefit for customers will be a more customized shopping experience based on their community. The potential risks are there are high costs involved in implementing a new database system and procurement decisions will be divided between category managers and store managers. We will implement a new database system and train store managers to purchase inventory based on local and regional needs. This system will allow stores to be a part of their community and customer needs can be better met. Issue Identification These are the following issues that must be addressed: Forecasting and Procurement – Low Inventory Turnover Rate Product Receiving and Shipping – Reducing Cycle Time Merchandising and Selling – Interorganizational Information Systems Store Managers – Preference Implications Environment and Root Cause Analysis Environment North West Company has a lower inventory turnover rate than most of its competitors and that is due to the use of a â€Å"push strategy† within the supply chain. Customer demands are not taken into consideration and they often have to shop at competitors to meet their needs. Issue Identification Forecasting and Procurement – Low Inventory Turnover Rate Forecasting and procurement use a â€Å"push strategy† where production decisions are based on long term historical forecasting. Category managers look at past trends and base their buying decisions on past sales. Purchase orders are submitted at least 4 months prior to the intended selling period. This does not allow for a response to changes in demand. This can lead to overstocking inventory, which is what causes the low turnover rate. The relationship with suppliers is streamlined because orders are placed in large batches and way ahead of time. The lack of customization allows suppliers to respond quickly and production is ahead of schedule. Product Receiving and Shipping – Reducing Cycle Time Products arrive at the distribution center approximately two months prior to the selling period. Inventory is separated between temporary and regular on two floors. Space is optimized because of the tight managing schedule or receiving and shipping however the lead-time to distribute the merchandise is too long. Excess merchandise is â€Å"pushed† to stores and eventually ends up being marked down. Merchandising and Selling – Interorganizational Information Systems Once merchandise arrives to the stores it is immediately put on display. Rural stores often sell out of popular items and customers are left with no choice but to shop at a competitor or substitute for other items. Demand for particular stores is not forecasted and this is an opportunity cost. The product assortment is kept fresh throughout the selling period by splitting up shipments throughout the period. There is a lack of information between stores and what each store/region requires. Store Managers – Preference Implications Category managers currently make all procurement decisions. Individual  stores have no say in what they will be selling and cannot combat customer demands. Although a costly process, if managers are given the ability to customize their inventory stores will be able to cater to their specific communities. Alternatives and Options Forecasting and Procurement – Inventory Turnover Pro: Forecasting and procurement is a fairly simple process because orders are placed in large batches and way ahead of time based on historical data. Con: It takes longer to respond to changes in demand, which results in overstocking. Alternative: Dividing inventory into two categories – General and Seasonal/Customized. General merchandise with consistent sales will maintain the â€Å"push strategy† as the process is less costly and decisions are based on data. Seasonal/Customized inventory will adopt a â€Å"pull strategy† where store managers will have the opportunity to make decisions based on their immediate environment. Product Receiving and Shipping – Reducing Cycle Time Pro: The distribution center is already divided into two floors – one for immediate shipping and the other for storage. This makes for easy access to what needs to be shipped right away and what does not. Con: Two months is a long time to be housing inventory that is projected for a specific period. Demands can change in this time frame and the distribution center is left with no choice other than to â€Å"push† inventory to store warehouses. This is what leads to unnecessary markdowns. Alternative: Placing orders with suppliers at a later date will reduce the time inventory sits at the distribution center. The center already runs  smoothly and on schedule so pushing back shipments should not be a problem. This will allow orders to go in at a later date where inventory demands might change. Merchandising and Selling – Interorganizational Information Systems Pro: Merchandise is immediately put on display so stores do not have to stock inventory. Con: If a store runs out of certain products they cannot meet demand. Similarly, if a product does not sell it will eventually go into clearance. Alternative: Creating a database between stores that shows inventory of each store will allow inventory to move easily from one location to the next. Stores should hold some general merchandise in order to allow a continuous flow of turnover. Store Managers – Preference Implications Pro: Store managers can customize orders based on customer needs and local trends. There is opportunity to have higher inventory turnover because of localization. Con: Manager’s preferences can be biased and oppose that of the company as a whole. Alternative: Store managers should be given proper training and a guideline of what they can purchase. Managers are limited to â€Å"OTB† dollars. Recommendations The following is a summary of my recommendations: Categorize inventory into two sections: General and Seasonal/Customized Maintain the current system for General merchandise  Seasonal/Customized inventory to move to a â€Å"pull system† Within the â€Å"pull system†, seasonal/customized inventory is ordered at a later date to reduce storage time at distribution center Create storage space within individual stores for General merchandise Implementing a database for all stores to view on hand inventory Training store managers to use the database Developing an allowance for store managers to purchase products for their individual stores Implementation The first step is to categorize inventory between general and seasonal/customized. This will be appointed to category managers. General inventory will maintain the system that is already in place and will be consistent for all 147 stores. Once seasonal/customized inventory is identified, forecasting should be done two months prior to purchasing period. This responsibility will be that of the store manager. Cycle time will be reduced as the distribution center will now only be a gathering point for incoming shipments rather than a storage facility. Individual stores should allow for some storage space for General inventory and overstock. North West will need to invest at least $10 million to develop a database. The database will take a month to implement and we should consider up to two months for training of store managers. The category managers will determine the allowance that each store manager is given. We can look at data to determine which stores are most successful and calculate an allowance based on individual store inventory turnover. The entire plan should take no longer than six months to implement. Monitor and Control Timely checks should be made to see if the implementation plan is successful. Once inventory has been categorized and a database has been developed, category managers should measure the store managers’ performance. This includes examining if inventory turnover has gone up. Customers can be given surveys to measure whether or not their needs are being met. The  reduction in markdowns should be measured as well in order to determine whether or not this is a feasible system.

To Be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

To Be Determined - Essay Example ed can come of the pure love (or lust) that these two men (the Duke and the Lover) seemed to want to shower on the two women who are the subjects (and objects) of these poems. These are apparently two women who had the men in their lives so afraid of losing their love that they killed to keep them where they wanted them, to control them or at least to control the moment, whether it was in the frame of a portrait or on the bed or couch that the two lovers last shared with one another. One of them even sat up and waited all night for God to come get him for the sin and the crime. If Porphyria’s lover was waiting for God to react to his selfish deed with punishment of some kind, (presumably with a bolt of lightning strategically placed to his left temple for the commission of the act of murder) why did he not just go ahead and kill himself, too? The main overall theme of both Robert Browning poems â€Å"My Last Duchess† (hereafter known as â€Å"Duchess†) and â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† (hereafter known as â€Å"Lover†) is jealousy; as in jealousy mixed with contempt for beautiful women, all the way to the point of literal physical death. The relationship between Porphyria and her lover is positive and has a strong bond. This is why it appears that he (the Lover) could not deal with the thought of being without her. In â€Å"Duchess,† the woman that is the target of the Duke’s affection (worship nearly) has already passed on and all he has left of her is the painting on the wall, to which he, the narrator of the poem, refers at the very beginning. In â€Å"Lover,† the script is flipped. It is the object of the speaker’s discussion (the lady Porphyria) who nearly worships her man instead. He says this directly. (Browning, ll’s 32 and 33 â€Å"Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshippd me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). It is with these 10 words that the narrator of the story tells us that he realizes how far she had come to tell him of her love, and he then reveals to us, the

The Attitude of the American Soldiers during and after World War Two Essay

The Attitude of the American Soldiers during and after World War Two - Essay Example It looked as if there would no peace in the near future. There was a difference of twenty years between the First World War and the Second World War. Adolf Hitler who had made Germany unstable by his cruel targets in mind signed deals with Italy and Japan. He was a fanatic who had the aim of world domination in his mind and to him signing this deal would help him to a greater access to other countries of the world and help him achieve his aim of ruling the world. At the time Germany took over Poland, subsequently Britain and France declared war on Germany and they all fell in to a serious war with high casualties on both sides. The main reason the war broke out was, that there were a lot of unresolved issues from the first war. Countries still nursed injuries and had grudges against each other. America at first had shown its support for the allied forces but had never physically participated in the war. They had offered all kind of support to the allied forces and had said that if ne ed arises they would surely help them out (Terkel, 1984). The soldiers were at a calm and peaceful state, they were aware there was a war going on and they were like sleeping partners in it. It was amazing that despite being a part of Allied forces, there was no sense of fear or tension in the American soldiers. They all thought that life was normal and would continue to do so. Only if some terrible news from the Allied army reached to them then the atmosphere would become somber. A soldier from the world war two said that, now as he thinks back he feels that it was like a serene and peaceful state, like calm before the storm. The soldiers went about their normal drills and there were no special drills or any other guerilla activities being conducted at the American camps. They were providing assistance to the Allied forces in the form of weapons and other arms. They were also providing assistance in the form of other material helps. It was a much sidelined place that they had in wa r earlier. They were psychologically at a stage of calmness and felt that they would not be harmed and they were at ease. There was a sense of security that the soldiers had, they felt as they were not attacking and physically harming any country they will not also face anything. No one will attack them and they can get through this war without any casualties. The Americans had lost a lot of people in the world war one and therefore they had quite much insecurity with sending their men again to a war. Although there was a sense of security in the minds of people and as well as soldiers, because many people assumed it as a false sense of security, because they felt, even if the soldiers are not participating in the war physically, there is proxy war by providing ammunitions and declaring your support for the cause. It was a matter of time before the American soldiers also got involved in the war. The soldiers on the other hand were at some point estimating that they might have to go in for physical combat or t some point they thought that they might get dragged into it. Whatever they though and felt, they were not prepared yet. They had a lot of things to be done and theirs bases were as and as peaceful as they would during the time of no war (Adams, 2000). While the whole world war is going in the backdrop the participation of Americans was limited to the table talks, cutting of trade ties and helping out by political conferences and maneuvers. This type of attitude made the soldiers believe that

Comparison of Wesley and Whitfield on grace and predestination Essay

Comparison of Wesley and Whitfield on grace and predestination - Essay Example Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.13 V. Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 I. Introduction Three prominent religious members lay behind the evangelical movement that arose in English Christianity within the 1730s when Charles, John, and Wesley came together as Methodists. George Whitefield was a Calvinist while John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley can be considered as Arminians. The reasons for Whitefield’s dedicated attitude can partly be linked to his close friendships with American evangelicals, which led into deeper comprehension of Puritan theology and its significance to evangelism and revivals. The pa per explores the views of Wesley and Whitefield on the theology of grace and predestination. II. Background Prior to his departure, Whitefield’s sermon dwelling on â€Å"On the Nature and Necessity of Our Regeneration or New Birth in Christ Jesus† based on 2 Corinthians 5: 17 â€Å"if any man be in Christ he is a new creature.† In his sermon of 1737, â€Å"the doctrine of our generation, new birth in Christ Jesus† can be regarded as one of the most fundamental. ... agreed wholly with the Wesley that â€Å"nothing but a guarantee that people are born again that all are members of Christ united to Him by one and to the Holy Spirit that He was actuated† can fulfill the heart of man.2 The three also concurred on the nature and degree of the sanctification started through the work of the Holy Spirit within regeneration. When George Whitefield left England in 1739, he was appreciated as a leader of the evangelical awakening. Whitefield handed over his followers to John Wesley’s; nevertheless, when he returned in 1741, Whitefield found that a majority of his spiritual children were hostile to the extent that they sent threatening messages to him that God will speedily destroy him. This emanated from by the fact that, on Whitefield’s departure, Wesley had published a sermon titled â€Å"Free Grace,† which professed to be founded upon, Roman 8:32. John Wesley’s sermon, published in August 1739 and attempted to demonstr ate how God’s Grace is â€Å"free in all and free for all.† Wesley’s message was a robust critique of the doctrine of predestination and election. Wesley believed such a doctrine was a precarious one and that it blasphemed the very person and nature of God. Election represents God’s choosing whom to save and it is unconditional, given that there is no condition man must satisfy before God chooses to save him. Calvinists concur that humankind must meet the condition of faith in Christ so as to inherit eternal life; however, faith is not a condition for election, but rather election is a condition of faith. Whitefield and Wesley could not find a common ground, which split the movement between the adherents of Wesley and those of Whitefield.3 The division arose from the fact that Whitefield and Wesley did not share the

Developing leadership challenges and solutions interviewing questions Assignment

Developing leadership challenges and solutions interviewing questions - Assignment Example One thing noted during the initial days after getting into the country that was quite different from UAE is that people stick to their families and do not even know who most of their neighbors are. They just choose to live isolated and do not care about the neighbor across the street unless the neighborhood is of a low-income level or middle-class. Not all middle-class neighborhoods appreciate people who come to knock at their doors but they also choose their favorites with whom they associate with greatly. In the event that the neighborhood is closely knit, the people will be inviting each other for barbeques and parties, and the neighbors always come with drinks and are ready to assist where they can to make the party a big event. The people here care about each other and are mainly divided by class. The level of participation in events in the country imply a great level of understanding that allows them to make good use of their skills as a way of creating the best moment in their lives that will remained etched into their minds until something else happens. In the UAE, the only life people have depends on the family values. Some families will have their extended families stay with them and the sharing of meals and events define their fun moments. In the US, the extended family mainly comes together once a year during thanksgiving and any more visits will be preplanned (Besamusca, 2011). In the UAE, families maintain close links with each other and define the importance of developing their ties further, appreciating what they do together. The children are also raised liberally, and that is different from what is practiced in the UAE. Children in the U.S. have a lot of freedom and some do not even listen to their parents because of the freedom accorded to them. They go to parties without their parents’ presence and some even indulge while at those parties. In the U.A.E., it is quite different. Strict discipline is used to raise children to be

Exporting healthy drink from Austria to Canada Term Paper

Exporting healthy drink from Austria to Canada - Term Paper Example These are the reasons why several companies have chosen to position their product in the foreign market. Others also cited that they preferred to export their products in order to survive in the saturated domestic market and remained competitive. However, before a certain company considered the idea of exporting, it must have all the needed resources (strategic and financial), and more importantly is to have a higher level of commitment to compete in the international market. According to Zou, Kim, and Cavusgil, in order for companies to be successful they â€Å"need to conduct a careful assessment of their readiness to export, go through the learning process of internationalization, develop effective export marketing strategies that suit for foreign markets, and implement the strategies effectively† (2). Trading Ltd. is an Austrian based company that is very determined to introduce BioDrink in the Canadian market. The main purpose of this paper is to design the international marketing strategy of Trading Ltd. targeting the Canadians as their final consumers considering all the necessary information. To measure the readiness of the company to export BioDrink in the Canadian market, it must have all the necessary resources. Among the necessary resources are strategic and financial resources, management commitment, and human resources. â€Å"A common mistake made by some companies is to become involved in exporting without adequate preparation and assessment of their readiness to export† (Zou, Kim, and Cavusgil 9). New Customers and Markets. It would be an advantage for the exporting company to have a strong home market position before going into exporting because international market is full of competitors. Canada as the prospect overseas market is a good choice in terms of its economic stability being one of the world’s wealthiest nations. Also, the demand of beverage industry in the country is increasing and the record of exporting is high. Trading

Small Business Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Small Business Enterprise - Essay Example The next part describes the strategies of the business, like the pull and push factors used. Then the project tries to explore the future prospects of the business. It identifies the areas in which the small business could venture and provides reasons for its success in those areas. It tries to identify the market that should be the main target of the business. Lastly, the project makes an analysis of the managerial strategy that should be employed for the success of the business Small Businesses Small businesses are essentially required in an economy as they support and enhance industrialisation of the nation. They help to acquire competitive gains and catalyse the process of development. These organisations primarily focus on research and development which results in the production of new and innovative products and the use of new and superior technologies (Berte, Rodrigues & Almeida, 2010, p.1). The workforce remains low as compared to the large enterprises. These businesses gener ally employ less than 500 employees (Headd, 2000, p.1). However, these firms are characterised by shortage of resources. Resource shortage influences their strategy formulation, especially the marketing and positioning strategies. Small businesses are often the young firms and are likely to be located in the rural areas. They are predominantly present in industries â€Å"with lower economies of scale† (Headd, 2000, p.1). The educational requirement for such firms remains different from the large ones. A large percentage of the employees have degrees below the level of graduation. Very few of them are said to have reached beyond the graduation level. These businesses are generally risk averters and their possibilities if failures due to taking risks also remain high. They also tend to be short sighted and aim to gain in the short term (Trevisan, 2009, p.3). History and Background of the Business The wood processing enterprise was set up in the Ondo state which is a place where a number of small enterprises have been established. The wood based small enterprises accounts for 44% of the total labour force in this rural region. The common characteristics of these enterprises are that they are extremely small and heavily reliant on the entrepreneurs and family labour. The operations are also carried out using simple and common technology. Logging, furniture and carpentry were among the predominant and commonest professions in the place. This provided the basis on which the wood processing enterprise was set up (Adedokun, Oyun & Adetogun, 2005, p.2). The place is also characterised by the presence of a large market where the large scale forest industries are unable to reach. This increases the requirement of the small businesses and consequently creates a large market for them. For a long time the small industries in the region were neglected. The world was undergoing industrialisation aggressively and the major focus was on the large enterprises. However, no w the situation has changed. The attention has now shifted towards the wood based enterprises in the rural regions. This is the reason why this particular enterprise was chosen to be established in the area. Brief Information about the Business Because of the increase in

Interview for selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview for selection - Essay Example The available data on the subject was analyzed and interpreted to briefly explain the details and technicalities which are used in conducting these resources and later on through the course of this report, two types of interviews that are most popular amongst organizations are discussed and explained. Their advantages and disadvantages of the usage of these two interview types are discusses along with a compare and contrast of the latter. Because of the physical presence of the candidate, job interviews tend to be the best way for communication. A candidate’s body language, confidence level, expressions, and communication skills can be most visible in his/her physical presence, it is believed that job interviews can play a major role in helping the organization to decide whether the employee can be a good fit for the organization or not. Interviews can either be conducted in a structured way with questions framed prior to the interview by the interview, or in an unstructured way where questions are asked according to the course of the conversation. Different types of Interviews are The Screening Interview, which are used to filter-out the best possible candidates based on general attributes such as confidence, stress management, previous work experience, adaptability etc. Then, Stress interviews are used to gauge how much stress can a person tolerate. Then comes behavioral interviews what gauge the past behavior of the employees. Meal-time interviews are held for positions which involve frequent interaction with the organization’s stakeholders to see how a candidate would act as a host and a guest (Dessler 2003). Group interviews are also used later in the Selection Process to get a complete picture of the personality and abilities of the candidates. Discussed following, are the compare and contrast, and adva ntages and disadvantages of Group Discussion Interviews and Group Panel Interviews that are

Interaction with a Group of Students from UAE Assignment

Interaction with a Group of Students from UAE - Assignment Example Though the young guys from the UAE did respond, they seemed to be a bit hesitant and restrained. It appeared that something was holding them back. In retrospect, now that I have accrued a little cultural literacy, I think that being from UAE, which is a nation with a high Uncertainty Avoidance Index, my initiating a conversation in a spontaneous and abrupt manner made them feel a little ambiguous and anxious (Geert Hofstede 2). In consonance with a their cultural dimensions, our friends from the UAE must have been a little startled to be accosted by a group of young strangers, who were trying to interact with them as if they were long lost friends. However, as our interaction proceeded, things became a little more relaxed and comfortable. We learnt that the young people were students from a reputed business school located at Abu Dhabi and the two mature gentlemen accompanying them were their professors. We showed a great interest in knowing as to how they found the academic environment at Abu Dhabi, the subjects they liked and the careers they intended to pursue after finishing their degree in business. They warmly responded to our curiosity and proceeded to talk about the topics they found really interesting. In the meantime, my friend Steven, who was also pursuing an MBA, asked one of the professors about his opinion regarding an international business issue. The professor proceeded to talk about the issue with a smile. However, as he was talking, Steven interrupted him and candidly contradicted the gentleman regarding a specific aspect of the topic being discussed. Suddenly we felt that a foreboding sense of seriousness too k over the entire group from the UAE. The professors seemed a bit irked and disturbed. Today, I think, UAE being a country with a very high Power Distance Index, the instance of Steven discernibly contradicting a senior professor, must have seemed disrespectful to our Arab friends (Geert Hofstede 2).

From the Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free

From the Madding Crowd Essay However, when he first met Bathsheba he called her names like lady and miss. The way that Troy treats Fanny after his relationship with Bathsheba shows that in retrospect, Troy did in some ways love Fanny. Ironically, we see this the most after Fannys death when Troy gets a tombstone for Fanny and plants flowers on her grave, but the fact that the water from the gargoyle could wash away the flowers so easily, could signify how fickle Troy is and how easily his affections for Fanny were also washed away. Earlier on in the novel when Fanny comes to see Troy at the barracks, Troy does not realise that it is Fanny, his fianci standing outside his window: 5What girl are you? , He 6doesnt quite recollect that he promised Fanny they would marry, even though he said lots of times that he would marry her. This shows how he doesnt think of the penalty of his words. Fannys terrible relationship with Troy could have been used to predict the consequences of his relationship with Bathsheba. Similarly, the fact that in the few times that Fanny appears in the novel, she is in a gloomy and dreary atmosphere which was dooming her to death with descriptions like 7A heavy unbroken crust of cloud stretched across the sky, shutting out every speck of heaven;. Her appearance in these depressing environments was a prediction to her passing away. Secondly, she is used to show the true nature of Troys character, and highlight this as he is in a relationship with Bathsheba until Bathsheba herself realizes Troys true nature in finding Fanny. Once her role has been fulfilled for Hardy, he kills her off because she has reached the characters limitation and isnt needed in the story any more. This same meeting also exposes Troys cowardice and shallowness, and is a turning point in the novel, as if he had at this point admitted to Bathsheba his connection with Fanny or even that this woman was Fanny Robin, Bathshebas missing servant, then Fannys death and the following events could have been avoided. Thirdly, Fanny is also involved with the character of Gabriel Oak and brought his character out in the way Fanny borrows money of him and Gabriel gives it to her, she brings out generosity in him and that he is caring. Hardy then shows Gabriel to be kind from the heart to the character Fanny and others when he rubs off and child off the coffin lid, this is so we can see that Gabriel cares about Bathsheba being happy with Troy and tries to protect her from the truth. Her life is controlled by fate and chance and this shows how her function for Hardy extends beyond the plot and the development of other characters. Fate plays a big part and is a key part of the storyline in the role of Far From the Madding Crowd. The first time she is included as a fate icon is when Boldwood reads Fannys letter but it was intended for Gabriel this fate causes a description of Troy and the bringing together of the two rivals over Bathsheba, who are Gabriel and Boldwood but dont realize they are both in love with the same person. It is also fate that Fanny confuses the two churches so Troy doesnt marry her and it is by chance that she meets him outside the church and he replys to her plead to forgive her with You fool, for so fooling me! But say no more. But if he really loved her he would forgive her. Once again there is more fate involved with the character Fanny Robin where Troy has been looking for Fanny but re-encounters her when its too late and Troy has married Bathsheba. The chance has been enrolled in Fannys role, this is when Troy keeps a lock of Fannys hair and Bathsheba finds it by chance and she gets jealous, this causes extreme arguments between Bathsheba and Troy and gives Bathsheba a clue to Fannys identity. Hardy seems to evoke pity when he describes Fannys last journey (her death from child birth) with a description of a hostile background and a dog that is helping her, this is her only friend but even that gets stoned off and adds more pity to fannys case. Her death is also to go with the contrast of a melodramatic death of troy. The irony to her death is that she has more effect on the characters than when she was alive. Fanny Robin has a minor role in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd however the sense cannot be said about the significance of the character Fanny Robin. The reason for why Hardy introduced this character is to have impact on various main characters. She is a pivot in the novel and she causes the main key storyline changes. Yet she has a deeper role in the novel as a symbol for Hardys statement about the 19th century men and how they treated the working class girls. It is only when the question What is the significance of the character, Fanny Robin in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd? is viewed from a variety of angles that there is a true answer presented. If Fanny were not in the novel, it would be more difficult for Hardy to emphasise the discrimination against women at the time, as well as creating tension and suspense in the plot and highlighting the true nature of other characters, especially Troy. Therefore, a reader would not be as aware of the irony surrounding her role and so would not realise how her presence in the novel helped Hardy to show all these parts. 1 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd Penguin Publications, 1985, (Page 135) 2 Ibid, (Page 54 55) 3 Ibid, (Page 336) 4 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd Penguin Publications, 1985, (Page 366) 5 Ibid, (Page 137) 6 Ibid, (Page 137) 7 Ibid, (Page 322 ) 1 Jordan Daniels 11. 5 Matthew Moss high School.

Impact of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Impact of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a historic point sacred law instance of the US Supreme Court. It maintained state racial segregation laws for open offices under the tenet of Separate but equal. Separate but equal stayed standard teaching in U.S. law until its disavowal in the 1954 Supreme Court choice Brown v. Board of Education. After the Supreme Court administering, the New Orleans Committee of Citizens, which had brought the suit and had orchestrated Homer Plessys capture in the act of crime to test Louisianas segregation law, expressed, We, as freemen, still believe that we were correct and our cause is sacred. The choice was passed on by a vote of 7 to 1 with the dominant part feeling composed by Justice Henry Billings Brown and the dissent composed by Justice John Marshall Harlan.   Ã‚   In summary of the Opinion of the Court, Justice Brown proclaimed, We consider the underlying fallacy of the plaintiffs argument to consist in the assumption that the enforced separation of the two races stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority. If this be so, it is not because of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction upon it. Justice Brown additionally referred to a Boston case maintaining segregation based schools. While the Court did not discover a distinction in quality between the whites-just and blacks-just railroad trains, this was plainly untrue because most other separate offices, for example, open toilets, bistros, and government funded schools, where the offices assigned for blacks were reliably of lesser quality than those for whites. Justice John Marshall Harlan disagreed from the larger part sentiment. In an assessment that later got to be distinctly vital in the Brown v. Board of Education cases (1954), he contended that segregationist enactment, like the Louisiana law for this situation, depended on the presumption that colored residents are so second-class and debased that they cant be permitted to sit in public coaches involved by white individuals. These laws advanced and sustained the conviction that African Americans were mediocre compared to whites, as per Justice Harlan. They should be struck down, he contended, since the legislature proved unable allow the seeds of race hate to be planted under the authority of the law. Justice Harlan trusted that the constitution must be colorblind, and that it could permit no superior, overwhelming decision class of citizens. Because segregation had the impact of making such classes, he judged, it was unlawful. Plessy addressed the state laws setting up racial segregation in the South and gave a driving force to further segregation laws. It additionally addresses laws in the North requiring racial segregation as in the Boston school segregation case noted by Justice Brown as he would see it. Administrative achievements won amid the Reconstruction Era were eradicated through methods for the separate but equal teaching. The regulation had been fortified likewise by a 1875 Supreme Court choice that restricted the central governments capacity to mediate in state undertakings, ensuring to Congress just the power to control states from demonstrations of racial separation and segregation. The decision essentially allowed states administrative resistance when managing inquiries of race, ensuring the states entitlement to execute racially isolate foundations, requiring them just to be equal. I believe this was the correct choice made by the Supreme Court, since this case prompted Martin Luther King Jrs. development for equality, unity, safety and well-being for all individuals in the United States, and Brown v. Leading group of instruction, permitting colored and white students to reside in the same schools. Railroad car for whites vs colored: Justice Harlan The Great Dissenter: Sources used: http://landmarkcases.org/en/Page/436/Summary_of_the_Decision http://sageamericanhistory.net/reconstruction/documents/Harlan.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/supreme-court-rules-in-plessy-v-ferguson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plessy_v._Ferguson

Tourism PESTEL Analysis | Canary Islands

Tourism PESTEL Analysis | Canary Islands PESTEL PESTEL as acronym stands for political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors, which influence the processes within a n organization. It is an analysis, which concentrate on the environmental factors that influence the operational firm. Therefore, it is a mandatory and helping tool for managers to have better insights about the threats and opportunities and understand its majority that exist in a running business, which are affected by such factors. This analysis thus, provides a greater vision for managers for current and future purposes to compete on the market completely and effectively. The understanding of the environment that influences the business is crucial to have an overview and control of the organization to manage the plans with environmental effects. The firm, which does neglect the forces of environmental changes, hardly succeeds and survives the competition. The right apprehension of Pestel also provides a great strategy to managers about th e existing external forces that affecting the business environment. (P)olitical factors The political environment that exists in a nation can have tremendous impacts on the execution of a business including the lodging business. Governmental issues influence the day-by-day lives of numerous subjects all over the Canary Islands and companies it is a must to develop ways to adjust to the political circumstances in the nation. The political methodology received by a nation influences the quantity of nearby guests and their capacity to go around the nation. The hotel industry of Canary Islands is highly dependent on the local and international visitors. Year by year, the Canary Islands has been captivates a great amount of tourist from abroad. Canary Islands are Autonomous groups of Spain with a membership as well in the European Union. In the Council Decision of 20 June 2002 (2002/546/EC), taken on the basis of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, the Kingdom of Spain was authorised from 1 January 2002 until 31 December 2011 to exempt or reduce partially from the AIEM tax (Arbitrio sobre las Importaciones y Entregas de Mercancias en las islas Canarias) some products produced locally in the Canary Islands. The AIEM tax is generally imposed on products imported into or obtained in the Canary Islands. In the annex to the Council Decision is the list of products to which the above mentioned special measure applies. The difference in taxation between goods taxed on a regular basis and those to which is applied an exemption or partial reduction cannot be higher then 5%, 15% or 25% depending on the product. In the Council Decision of 20 June 2002 the reasons underlying the adoption of the special arrangements were presented. The main sources of the problems faced by the Canary Islands are isolation and fragmentation of the market. This causes various difficulties mainly connected with higher production costs (transport, energy, supplies of raw materials, treatment of waste, etc). It also contributes to the low diversification of the economy which is weaker and more susceptible to negative changes than European and global markets. In other words the special measures were introduced to counter disadvantages faced by the Canary Islands and thereby allowing the economy of the Islands to develop. They were especially targeted at strengthening domestic industry by increasing its competitive position, which is disadvantaged because of the location, structure and size of the market. Also, they are unable to benefit from globalisation. The AIEM aims at reducing those disadvantages of the market of the Canary Islands. Data provided by the Spanish Government shows that positive effects were observed after the special measures were introduced, however the problems underlying the special tax scheme continue to exist. Therefore continuation of special measures is justified. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:777c256b-adfe-11e3-86f9-01aa75ed71a1.0002.01/DOC_1format=PDF (E)conomic factors The second factor, which influences the working process and the accomplishment of Hotel Costa Calero is the economic ones. GDP growth forecast for 2015 and 2016 to 3.3% and 3.0% respectively. Overall, the greater economic dynamism encourages the creation of more than 60 000 jobs in the biennium 2015- 2016. the consolidation of the price of a barrel of oil at relatively low levels compared to the average of 2014 can be a significant boost to the Islands economy in 2015 and 2016 the European Central Bank surprised with a policy of quantitative expansion of higher volume than expected, and has left open the date of termination of the program. These actions will promote a reduction in financing costs to the private sector, especially in economies such as Spanish where fragmentation of the European financial system resulted in higher interest rates for households and firms in other eurozone countries. This will support growth in new credit operations and enhance the good performance of domestic demand. Depreciation of the euro against the dollar, that will put the exchange rate around $ 1.1 / â‚ ¬ 2015 on average BBVA Research estimates suggest that this depreciation of the euro 20% of its value in 2014 could boost the 0.8 pp Islands economy in 2015, the result of improved export competitiveness Canary faces several challenges, most notably an unemployment rate still above 30%. Return the regional appeal, increase the participation rate of young people and, above all, of those over 54 (see Box 3) and accelerate job creation consistent with increases in productivity must be considered a primary goal for the sake of reverse the divergence of per capita income about major European regions. On the revenue side, the approved budget reflects an increase in non-interest income of 3.5% compared to the initial forecasts of 2014, driven by increased resources Economic and Fiscal Regime of the Canary Islands (REF), which will be helped by the recovery in consumption and changes policy of the Tax on imports and delivery of goods in the Canary Islands (AIEM). The tourism sector is the main engine of the Islands economy (around 30% of GDP ) and, during the last five years, 2014 closed again, posting record figures in the number of visitors. Indeed, the Canaries received 11.4 million foreign tourists, up 8% from the previous year. By country, the UK (4 million) and Germany (2.7 million), remain the main source markets. Moreover, total tourist spending in the region also set a record with more than 14,200 million euros. This represents an increase of 7.1% %, the fall in the average stay (-0.3 days) it is primarily responsible for this development. Also, other factors help explain this phenomenon. Although geographically, the fall of stay has been widespread among the major source markets, this decline has been most pronounced among travelers aged between 45 and 64 years and tourists with high income levels, which added a decrease in daily spending, https://www.bbvaresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Situacion_Canarias_Abr15_Cap31.pdf (S)ocial Factors Canary Islands have a population of 2.104.815 wherefrom Lanzarote dispose of 141.940 inhabitants. Major percentage of this population is from Spaniard origin (109.178 in Lanzarote) and the rest of includes of German, Italian, Romanian, Moroccan, English, Columbian and from Chinese origin (These major nationalities from the population of Lanzarote are noted in the paper by their number of beyond one thousand from the residential nationality origin in 2014 (datosdelanzarote.com, 2014)). http://www.datosdelanzarote.com/itemDetalles.asp?idFamilia=9idItem=6531 This means, that Lanzarote is a culturally multiple island due to its historically and up to present migration into the island/s. The age structure in the Canarias is as follows; the age group from the total population under 16 is 22.2%, in Lanzarote is 27.3%, the working force from age 16 and under 65 is 56.9 in the Canary islands and 63.1% in Lanzarote from the citizens and finally people of age above 65 is 20.9% in the Canarias and 9.6% in Lanzarote (ine.es, 2014 and datosdelanzarote.com, 2014). http://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Datos.htm?t=2853 http://www.datosdelanzarote.com/itemDetalles.asp?idFamilia=6idItem=6648 Education in the Canary Islands is compulsory for children below the age of 16 (gobiernodecanarias.org, 2010), which is a free for this aged population. Primary education is compulsory, however the rate of school leavers is 35% of the population between age 18 and 24, which might be caused the inefficient share of knowledge, demands of skill obtaining, low levels of standard education, however, according to Social and Political Pact, by 2020-2025 85% of the population would be compulsory to dispose a certificate from intermediate education (ec.europa.eu, 2012). http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/rup_migratory/canarias/ex_sum_canary_en.pdf http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/educacion/5/DGOIE/PublicaCE/docsup/Estudiar_en_Canarias_Ingles.pdf (T)echnology Technology is one of the variables that could directly influence the business operations. The use of development in IT helps to maintain a smooth communication and operation in the organization and with customers as well. It largely influences the marketing and promotion of the products, so the say the service. The way of communication is changing to web based techniques. Hotel Costa Calero can be reached through their official website and social media such as Facebook, however their website should develop their channel, because of their discomposing appearance from their disordered outlook. The location of Canary Islands make possible to get around it by plane only. There are eight airports altogether in the Canary Islands and have an extensive network of highways. Numerous airlines established long distance flights to the islands such as its low budget known Ryanair, which is a great opportunity for those visitors who have limited budget for vacations. There are large ferryboats that link islands as well as fast ferries linking most of the islands. The increased use of tablets and smartphones is creating a convergence of e- and m-payments. M-payments are increasing at a rapid pace with non-banks slowly increasing their share of transactions. From 2011-2015, m-payments are expected to grow by 60.8% to 47.0 billion transactions. The mobile payments space is increasingly competitive, with banks and non-banks striving for market dominance and consumer loyalty. The slight slowdown in e-payments growth (from 19.2% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2013, a total of 29.3 billion transactions) has been due to a shift towards m-payments use, driven by increased penetration of smart phones and the internet, advancements in technology, and innovative products and services. Going forward, e-payment transactions are expected to grow in Europe as progress is made on the European Union’s revised Payments Services Directive (PSD II). https://www.worldpaymentsreport.com/The-Convergence-of-E-and-M-Payments The Canary Islands have been able to transfer successfully to their African neighbours their own expertise and technological developments, mainly in the renewable energy and water technology sectors, for providing basic services such as electrification and water supply services to isolated rural communities. The Canary Islands Government is deploying in the region technology parks specialising in adaptive technologies for development. Water treatment:production of 600,000 m3desalinated water per day. The first desalinating plant in Spain was inaugurated in Lanzarote in 1965. Solar energy:more than 2,500 sunlight hours per year, with a radiation of 5-6 KWh/m2per day. Photovoltaic systems operate with the production of more than 1,700 hours. Wind power:constant winds with average speeds of 6 to 8 m/s provide wind farms the equivalent to 3,000-4,000 wind hours. Geothermal energy:there are two projects currently in progress. These renewable energies can be implemented into the hotel industry to Hotel Costa Calero specifically for electricity purposes and to expand and develop it to other firms and association for variant countries. http://www.canaryislandshub.com/en-us/sectors/naturallaboratory.aspx (E)nvironmental factors This factor became important in the last fifteen years because of increasing scarcity of raw material, pollution targets, doing business as an ethical and sustainable company, carbon footprint targets set by government. These are just some of the issues marketers are facing within this sector. More and more consumers are demanding that the products they buy are sources ethically and if possible from a sustainable source. The European Union emphasizes waste management as one of the most important issue of political movement with the elementary factors such as reduction in the volume of waste generated, optimization of recycling, reuse and safe disposal. Waste treatment Waste treatment companies2 , both of urban and non-urban origin, managed 44.9 million tonnes of waste in the year 2012, which is 10.0% more than the previous year. 96.1% of the managed waste corresponded to non-hazardous category, reaching 43.1 million tonnes (10.9% more than in 2011). Conversely, hazardous waste stood at 1.8 million tonnes (8.6% less than in 2011). Of the total waste, 53.6% was sent for recycling, 39.6% for dumping and 6.8% for incineration. In total, 24.1 million tonnes of waste were recycled in 2012, the main categories being Metallic (10.1 million tonnes), Paper and cardboard (4.9 millions) and Animal and plant (2.2 million) waste. In the Canary Islands altogether the population created 44.9 million tonnes of waste in 2012, which is increased compared with the previous year with 10%. 96.1% of the gathered waste complemented to non-hazardous category, which 43.1 million tones from the total. The hazardous waste from the total was 1.8 million tons. From the total waste 53.6 % was processed in recycling mode, 39.6 % was dumped and 6.8% was incinerated. This means, in total 24.1 million tons was recycled in 2012 wherefrom the waste was metallic (10.1 M), paper and cardboard (4.9 M) and animal and plant (2.2 M). (L)egal factor The Canary Islands have extremely transparent fiscal regulations, fully approved by the European Union and Double Treaty Agreements signed by Spain. Recently, several actions have been adopted to combat tax avoidance and offshore tax As an European region, the Canary Islands are subject to the European legal system, and, as an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, all the national regulations are applicable in their territory. The EU legal system has one of the highest standards of international legal security, which results in higher protection for companies based in the Canary Islands in many aspects, including data protection, free competition and financial regulations, evasion by the OECD and the G20 governments. These transparent fiscal regulations , administered by the Economic and Fiscal Regimen of the Canary Islands (REF), benefit companies through legal process cost reductions. Instead of VAT, Canary Islands use IGIC, which is an indirect tax and it makes possible to create and sustain efficient businesses among different countries that dispose with the ease and balance the isolated geographical location of the Canarias. http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/activity/outermost/doc/plan_action_strategique_eu2020_canarias_en.pdf Moreover, currently Costa Calero lacks of the mobile application service, which might be advised to keep up with this technological trend.

Eulogy for Grandmother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Grandmother With the little things. It's the little things that make up a year, and the years which make up a life. It's the little things that make up the memories. And I have an abundance of those. Sitting on the green couch listening to stories. Stories from her childhood, from the war years and beyond. Stories of playing with mice in the attic of the house -- her refuge as none of her siblings would go up there, stories of being tied up and gagged with a pickle in the mouth and shoved behind a cupboard by an exasperated older brother. Stories of shooting peas at the women in her father's factory. Of being found awake too early by her father one Christmas morning and being punished by having the presents taken away. Only she cried so much she was allowed to keep the doll. Of having some painful ailment and being carried kicking and screaming into the ocean by Sally because "Salt water will cure it." Of playing on a raft and having it sink. Everyone got off except May. They stood on the bank and watched it sink with May stubbornly repeating "I'm not going to swim". Grandma always laughed so much telling that story! Stories of the war. Protecting the patients from bombs by putting them under the stairs. But the mothers and newborn babies went under their beds. Of bringing corn back after a visit back home and carrying the two pieces round the wards so every soldier could have a bite. Of working with blind children. Of going out into streets full of rubble. ("Were you scared, Grandma?" "No. I was always too busy looking after others to be scared.") Of meeting an Australian soldier during a dance in England. Of getting married. I was fascinated by those stories. She told them so well. Over and over. She never seemed to get tired of me asking. Christmas time. Luke, Grandma and I, then later Chloà « and Laura. Lying in front of the fire writing letters to Santa and "posting" them up the chimney then racing outside to see the charred remains carried away by the breeze. Snooping around trying to find the Christmas stockings she made out of old orange bags. Pouring boiling water over almonds then "shooting" them out of their skins. They used to go all over the kitchen! Eulogy for Grandmother :: Eulogies Eulogy Eulogy for Grandmother With the little things. It's the little things that make up a year, and the years which make up a life. It's the little things that make up the memories. And I have an abundance of those. Sitting on the green couch listening to stories. Stories from her childhood, from the war years and beyond. Stories of playing with mice in the attic of the house -- her refuge as none of her siblings would go up there, stories of being tied up and gagged with a pickle in the mouth and shoved behind a cupboard by an exasperated older brother. Stories of shooting peas at the women in her father's factory. Of being found awake too early by her father one Christmas morning and being punished by having the presents taken away. Only she cried so much she was allowed to keep the doll. Of having some painful ailment and being carried kicking and screaming into the ocean by Sally because "Salt water will cure it." Of playing on a raft and having it sink. Everyone got off except May. They stood on the bank and watched it sink with May stubbornly repeating "I'm not going to swim". Grandma always laughed so much telling that story! Stories of the war. Protecting the patients from bombs by putting them under the stairs. But the mothers and newborn babies went under their beds. Of bringing corn back after a visit back home and carrying the two pieces round the wards so every soldier could have a bite. Of working with blind children. Of going out into streets full of rubble. ("Were you scared, Grandma?" "No. I was always too busy looking after others to be scared.") Of meeting an Australian soldier during a dance in England. Of getting married. I was fascinated by those stories. She told them so well. Over and over. She never seemed to get tired of me asking. Christmas time. Luke, Grandma and I, then later Chloà « and Laura. Lying in front of the fire writing letters to Santa and "posting" them up the chimney then racing outside to see the charred remains carried away by the breeze. Snooping around trying to find the Christmas stockings she made out of old orange bags. Pouring boiling water over almonds then "shooting" them out of their skins. They used to go all over the kitchen!

William Shakespeares The Winters Tale Essay -- William Shakespeare W

William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale In Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, the playwright introduces his audience to a world blending natural imagery with that of ancient religion. Appearing as nature’s child, Perdita fails to realize her own identity and does not recognize that the flowers she describes mimic her own image. Just as gillyvors are a result of crossbreeding, the shepherdess is essentially one of nature’s bastards since she eventually discovers Porrus has been an adoptive father for her, and Leontes is her biological father. Perdita not only shares her natural image with the goddess Proserpina, but also shares in the goddess’ fate as a lost daughter. Much like Proserpina who represents the springtime, Perdita exemplifies the natural growth and prosperity that accompanies the season. When Antigonus agrees to take up Perdita and leave her to chance, he understands that she is nature’s child since â€Å"Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens / To be thy nurses. Wolves and bears, they say, / Casting their savageness aside, have done / Like offices of pity† (II.iii.185-8). Nature then raises the infant as her own when Perdita takes on natural attributes uncommon among humankind. Before Antigonus abandons the infant Perdita in accordance with Leontes’ orders, he addresses the babe, â€Å"Blossom, speed thee well† (III.iii.45), as though Perdita resembles a flower in full bloom. As Perdita grows older, the shepherdess imparts her â€Å"blossoming† image on others, particularly on the courtiers who greet her in the country. After asking Dorcas to â€Å"Give [her] those flowers there,† she distributes â€Å"rosemary and rue [which] keep / Seeming and savor all the winter long† (IV.iv.73-5). The flowers ... ...u might well enjoy her† (V.i.214-5). Perdita’s beauty surpasses her lowly stature to the point where she is not regarded as a shepherdess to Leontes, but rather as a higher power. Perdita ultimately takes on the natural image of Proserpina as well as her role as a lost daughter. Through the flowers Perdita mentions, she effectively manages to describe not only her own identity, but that of the goddess. Even though Antigones abandons the shepherdess at birth, Perdita’s missing person and questionable identity causes others to also lose the ones they love and opportunities they could have had. Because the loss of Perdita creates significant loss for others, it is as though the maiden has a hand in others’ lives, much like the gods. Thus her indirect intervention, image, and role as a lost daughter all play a key part in her representation of Proserpina.

Equal But Different Essay -- essays research papers

For centuries blacks have suffered discrimination from the white society. They were thought to be uncivilized because of their dark skin color. Today, discrimination against skin color no longer exists legally in the United States. Public schools and workplaces are mixed with a variety colors and races from different countries. Though, it may seem that skin color doesn’t matter in society, the majority of society only make close friends or marry someone from their own race. Most of these feelings towards another of a different skin color are deeply rooted in our minds from previous generations. Their mentality prevents them from behaving the same. Difference in behavior from a multicolored society is evident in schools, in society, and in television. Most teenagers only hang around people from their own race. There is evidence of this in the school cafeteria. The cafeteria is split up in two parts. On one side, black teenagers eat with their same-colored friends. On the other side, whites and latinos sit separately in their own tables. Someone might say, â€Å"Well, that group sits apart from the other because they don’t speak the same language as the other group†. You mean to tell me that no black or latino can speak English. If skin color doesn’t matter then why doesn’t everyone sit together at lunch? When everyone is growing up they imagine themselves getting married to someone perfect with their skin-color. With a few exceptions, the majority of the population marries someo...

Roles of Women in the American Civil War

The American Civil War was, as all wars are, affected not only by the men fighting on the battlefield, but by the women who served on the home front, in military hospitals, and occasionally next to men on the battlefield. Just as women influenced the war, the war changed the world in which the women lived. The women’s rights movement began shortly before the Civil War, and continued through the war, growing stronger as women were touched by the war, and longed for rights equal to men. Women supported men by donating supplies to the effort in both the North and the South.Women served as soldiers, worked in military hospitals, and spied to discover valuable information to aid their homeland. Women were a very valuable resource during the war, and the war was very influential on the way women lived their lives in America. Before the Civil War, women’s roles in America were changing. Economic modernization caused the production of items previously made by women to occur out side of the home. In some cases, families needed women to work for wages in or out of the home. [i] In most cases, however, the men left for work while the women stayed at home to tend to the house and raise the children.This caused the existence of â€Å"separate spheres. †[ii] With this shift in production, the purpose of the home changed. Mothers were the source of love and nurturing for the children. When families became more centered on love and affection, midle class families started having fewer children. [iii] This, in turn, caused women to be able to be more active in society, since they were not constantly expecting or nursing a newborn. [iv] In the early and middle 1800s, women moved out of the home and into the public sphere.Many unmarried women had little chance of being planters, and they were not hired in the city. [v] Most commonly, women worked from the home. Occupations that took place outside of their home were traditional feminie roles of seamstress, laund ress, or nanny. Few women were able to acquire jobs in retail, and women with larger homes could open a boardinghouse. [vi] Women (and children) worked in factories for wages and served humanity, and were generally overlooked by others. [vii] In the North, the manufacturing of cloth items such as clothing moved from the home to factories.Northern women increasingly could purchase thred, cloth, and clothing, while the South had fewer factories, so clothing was made in the home. [viii] Southern women did not question their place in society and admired the traditional way of life on their plantations. [ix] With fewer children and much less work at home, families sent their children to school more, and the public education system changed. The school became responsible for education and social skills. Women became more involved in the schooling system, and most teachers were women. Because of this, women needed to be educated, too. x] Women found work as schoolteachers because the enviro nment was safer and more comfortable than a factory. [xi] Other women worked as private music, dance, or art tutors. They did, however, make low salaries. Though women found employment as teachers and in factories and shops, they longed for a traditional family life. [xii] Education was viewed different in the North and in the South. In the North, women were expected by intelligent and independent free thinkers, while Southern women were expected to use their intellect to make polie conversation and support their ladylike character. xiii] Increasingly during the Antebellum period, women learned how to read. More families owned books and taught their children how to read. [xiv] Wealthy families may have had private libraries, from which daughters could read a variety of literature to maintain intellectual abilities. [xv] Though more women learned to read, many Southern women remained illiterate – some white women could not even write their own name. [xvi] Young women often pre ffered romantic novels that described a fantasy life out of her reach, which caused parents to encourage solid, factual literature.Surprisingly, women were interested in learning the things men learned, and yearned for an education equal to that of their husbands and brothers. [xvii] Unfortunately, the advancement of education for Southern women was far behind that for Northern women, and was only available to the rich, leaving poorer girls from farming families feeling more ignorant and belittled. [xviii] Women in the North were becoming increasingly active in the public arena, and hungered for a say in government. Previously, women persuaded their husbands on moral ground and raised moral citizens; now they began taking a tand for themselves, speaking to legislators about their concerns. [xix] The most common way that women participated in society was by serving with churches and joining temperance and antislavery societies. [xx] Some women â€Å"delivered political tirades, deno unced officials, gave advice on military strategy from the lecture platform, or participated in violent public demonstrations;† these were the ones that troubled the public. [xxi] One of the most well-known femal lecturers during the civil war, Anna Dickinson, delivered speeches on the conflict between the Union and Confederacy. xxii] Her skills brought overwhelming popularity, fame, and wealth for some time, but her eccentricity and womanly unawareness of business caused her time in the spotlight to be limited. [xxiii] Since many women spoke against slavery, many men assumed that the emancipation of slaves would pull them from the public eye, and keep them back in the home. [xxiv] Many women, however, quietly expressed their opinions through personal writings and private conversations. The war was a very personal event, so women were individually affected by the choices made by their political leaders.In both the North and the South, women criticized leaders and blamed them f or the heartbreak of the time. [xxv] As women became increasingly aware of and opinionated about national politics, they yearned more and more for a say in the election of governing officials. [xxvi] The first broad attempt to achieve women’s suffrage was at the Seneca Falls convention in 1848. Nearly two hundred Americans gathered here, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to discuss women’s rights. [xxvii] They drafted and approved the Declaration of Sentiments, which outlined faults in the male-dominated American government, and called for a change.Unfortunately, men continued to claim that a woman’s place was in the home, not politics, and no state would make a law allowing women to vote until several decades later. [xxviii] While the women’s rights movement gained speed in the North, the South prided itself on avoiding issues of feminism. Some Southern women visited the North and attended meeting of women’s right activists, and noted that they disli ked the mixing of races and equality of sexes promoted. [xxix] Louisa McCord attacked Northern movement for femal suffrage, claiming that it took away feminity from women.She said women should display their opinion in society only through their male counterparts, not by giving public speeches and voting in elections. McCord stated that â€Å"The true woman . . . preferred caring for her family to tinkering with constitutions. †[xxx] Some women may have agreed with female superiority, but were too scared of change to bring their thoughts forward. [xxxi] Women worked to supply materials to their armies. The United States Sanitary Commission was created only weeks after the beginning of the war by Henry Bellows.He cooperated with Dorothea Dix, who was also working on forming a â€Å"nursing corps,† but Bellows did not want to work with her. Through the course of the war, Northern women worked to provide valuable materials to aid soldiers in war. [xxxii] Some soldiers were accompanied by their wives, who aided soldiers. They worked doing laundry, cooking for soldiers, nursing soldiers in emergency situations, or counseling soldiers during this traumatic time. [xxxiii] These women often cared for the men and boys as if they were her own sons.Many groups of soldiers claimed a woman as its mother figure, and continued to include and honor her long after the war. [xxxiv] While it was easier for a woman to enter the army with a husband and not be questioned too intensely, women who chose to help soldiers independently were often critisized by the public. [xxxv] Many women demonstrated their patriotism by dressing as men and fighting in the army. Even more women thought and wrote, wishing that they could be allowed to fight alongside their male counterparts. xxxvi] Regulations prevented some from attempting to join, others wrote to generals asking permission to volunteer to fight, and there were women who joined battle as a confrontation was occuring, bypa ssing official enlistment altogether. [xxxvii] The physical examination was a barrier for females – while some were not able to join because of this, other doctors lied on women’s behalf to allow them to join. Still others joined without a physical examination or even official enlistment (women may have joined soldiers and began fighting during a skirmish or battle). xxxviii] Women joined for many different reasons: to be with husbands, brothers, or fathers (though some enlisted secretly, against the wishes of relatives); to leave home; for the money or adventure; patriotism; and some, â€Å"to escape the oppresive social restrictions placed on women in that day and age. †[xxxix] While some joined with family members, others risked the end of family communications by joining. When Ellen Goodridge informed her father that she would fight alongside her fiance, her father disowned her. [xl] Young women dreamed of changing the world, of doing something important, an d joining the army could be their chance.They looked up to figures such as Joan of Arc, and wanted to achieve that kind of glory. [xli] The view of people’s enlistment choices varied by gender. While men were looked down upon if they did not fight alongside their brothers, women recieved the same social treatment if they did join the army. [xlii] Women obviously faced difficulties – menstruation, concealing their figure, and the fact of voice and lack of facial hair. To deal with thease complications, women found privacy as many modest men did and posed as adolescent boys, who often made their way into the regiments. xliii] To enhance their masculine reputation, women learned to act like men by playing cards, smoking cigars and chewing tobacco , drinking, and swearing. [xliv] One thing that helped women maintain their disguise was the fact that no soldier expected to find a woman in the ranks; men were not looking for them, so it was easier to remain unnoticed. [xlv] W ounds and hospital treatment was the most common way for a woman’s gender to be discovered. [xlvi] Unfortunately, a woman’s sex was sometimes uncovered before she even set foot on the battlefield – Sarah Collins and Mary Burns, for example. xlvii] Collins, who was of very good health and â€Å"could have easily borne the hardships incident to a soldier’s life,† was an orphaned teenager living in Wisconsin who enlisted with her brother. [xlviii] She was â€Å"detected by the was she put on her shoes and stockings† before being able to support the Union next to her brother. [xlix] Mary Burns, also a Northerner, joined to be with her significant other from Michigan. [l] She was arrested in Detroit, also before fighting next to the man with whome she enlisted. [li]These women fearlessly performed any task asked of them, and fought bravely in a situation where society assumed women would not be able to function, much less fight like the man stand ing next to her. [lii] Women soldiers readily performed any task given to them, just as if they were a male soldier. It was not uncommon that soldiers were pulled off of the field and asked to work in hospitals. [liii] Some women joined for medical service directly. [liv] Volunteers retrieved wounded from the battlefields and nursed patients as they waited for a surgeon. Women were usually untrained, and had to follw strict regulations.Many soldiers died simply from disease caused by new exposure to the ranks, and thousands died on the battlefield after being left unaided. [lv] Across the Confederacy, societies were formed to gether supplies and volunteers that were sent to Virginia to help wounded soldiers. Women learned to dress wounds efficiently, where they may have fainted at the sight before the war. [lvi] Soldiers and generals were hungry for information about the opposing side. Women sometimes gained insight from Federals through casual conversation, but others were sent nor th to spy and bring information to Jefferson Davis or General Robert E.Lee. Women carried notes filled with information hidden in hams or in the folds of their skirts. [lvii] Some hid in conspicuous places and acted as faithful members of the opposing side, others rode out after midnight to deliver information to officials. This was sometimes dangerous work – soldiers shot these women from afar to stop them from delivering secret plans or other information. [lviii] As citizens of America, the war undoubtedly impacted women. With the absence of men not experienced previously in America, women’s roles shifted ramatically, in and out of war. When men left, women took their place, and that change could not be reverted when the war was over. The result of the American Civil War – emancipation – also altered women's home life. ———————– [i] James M. McPherson, Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstructio n (New York: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. , 2001), 19. [ii] McPherson, 19. [iii] McPherson, 20. [iv] McPherson, 20. [v] George C. Rable, Civil Wars: Women and the Crisis of Southern Nationalism (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1989), 26. [vi] Rable, 27. vii] Mary Elizabeth Massey, Women in the Civil War (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1994), 153. [viii] Rable, 27. [ix] Rable, 30. [x] McPherson, 20. [xi] Rable, 28. [xii] Rable, 29. [xiii] Rable, 18-19. [xiv] Rable, 17. [xv] Rable, 17. [xvi] Rable, 18. [xvii] Rable, 17-19. [xviii] Rable, 20-22. [xix] Jeanie Attie, Patriotic Toil: Northern Women and the American Civil War (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1998), 46. [xx] James L. Roark, et al. , The American Promise: A History of United States, 2nd ed. (Boston and New York: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2002), 380. [xxi] Massey, 153. xxii] Massey, 154. [xxiii] Massey, 154-55 [xxiv] Massey, 161. [xxv] Massey, 161. [xxvi] Michael P. Johnson, ed. , Reading the Amer ican Past: Selected Historical Documents, Volume I: To 1877, 3rd ed. (Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005), 225-26. [xxvii] Johnson, 225-26. [xxviii] Roark, 380. [xxix] Rable, 15-16. [xxx] Rable, 16. [xxxi] Rable, 16-17. [xxxii] Attie, 78. [xxxiii] Massey, 78. [xxxiv] Massey, 78. [xxxv] Massey, 78. [xxxvi] DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook, They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War (New York:Vintage Books, 2002), 25 [xxxvii] Blanton, 25-28. xxxviii] Blanton, 25-28. [xxxix] Blanton, 30-32. [xl] Massey, 80. [xli] Massey, 78. [xlii] Blanton, 30. [xliii] Blanton, 46-50. [xliv] Blanton, 52-53. [xlv] Blanton, 57. [xlvi] Massey, 80. [xlvii] Massey, 80. [xlviii] Blanton, 33, 56. [xlix] Massey, 80. [l] Blanton, 31. [li] Blanton, 124. [lii] Francis Butler Simkins and James Welch Patton, The Women of the Confederacy (Richmond and New York: Garrett and Massie, Incorporated, 1936), 80. [liii] Blanton, 65-66. [liv] Blanton, 65-66. [lv] Simkins, 82-83. [lvi] Simki ns, 82-83. [lvii] Simkins, 82-82. [lviii] Simkins, 82-82.