A Soldiers Home :: essays papers

A Soldiers Home The willingness to risk failure-as difficult as that can be-often leads us to remarkable discoveries about ourselves and our world. But on the new(prenominal) hand, not taking risks can save us from amounts of devastation and heartache. I think that was a major principle for Krebs in the short story, Soldiers Home. After dismissal to hell and back, its almost inevitable that anyone under the circumstances would be completely overwhelmed by all that Krebs had experienced and risked. He risked his life, and was then thrown back into a society that he had been absent from for years, and finds that its all the exact way that he had left it, except he says, Nothing was changed in the town except that the preadolescent girls had grown up. In Krebs case, after returning from war, he had become a completely different person. Distant, quiet and depressed. He didnt pauperism to risk any complications. He didnt want to risk any part of himself ever again. He didnt want to work for what he treasured, he had worked hard enough and had been through a life-time of disaster. All he wanted was to sit back and just live. Not enjoy life, not experience new and better things, he just wanted to live without any complications and without taking any risks. He mentions that he would like to have a girl, or more so wouldnt mind. But he doesnt want to work to get her, or do anything drastic to get her attention. It would just all be to complicated. He wants no commitment, no strings attached. He did not want any consequences. He did not want any consequences ever again. He wanted to live without consequences. Besides, he did not really need a girl. The army had taught him that. For Krebs, asking out a girl would be a risk and lead to complications whether good or bad. And taking that risk just wasnt cost anything. Krebs was dead inside. Not intentionally, but subconsciously. He knew not of what he was doing.

Compare two Robert Browning poems - The Laboratory and My last Duchess. :: English Literature

Compare two Robert Browning poems - The Laboratory and My determination Duchess.The two Robert Browning poems I make chosen are The Laboratory andMy last Duchess. My initial reaction on reading The laboratory was whizz of horror and fascination as it tells a tale of a woman scorned. Ifound it horrifying that a human being could plan in such a cold andcalculating way, but I also found this fascinating.Not that I bid you spare her the painLet death be felt and the proof remainMy feelings on reading My weather Duchess was pity for the Duke who wasnarrating the poem as it was clear that his jealousy and insecurityhad ruined their relationship.she smiled, no doubt,Wheneer I passed her but who passed withoutMuch the same smile?Both poems maintain contemporary relevance, as people today are stillintrigued by murder, mystery and tales of unrequited love. It is veryobvious that the poems were wrote in the 19th century though, as someof the language is no longer in use in todays society eg durst/daredand forsooth/indeed. There are other indications that the poetry waswritten in the 19th century by the references made to the use of a fanand also the way the poison was prepared using pestle and mortar.Grind away deaden and mash up thy paste,Pound at thy powder-I am not in haste.The topic of the poem in My Last Duchess is infact a painting, had itbeen written in the twenty-first century it would have been far more likely tohave been a photograph.The theme of The Laboratory is one of the eternal love triangle.Whereas the theme in my last duchess would seem to be about anobsessive yet insecure lover. The similarity would be the extremejealousy that is displayed by both narratives. The difference is thatthe cashier in My Last Duchess is so jealous and insecure that hegave commandsThen all smiles stopped together.implying that he sent away or disposed of his loved one in some way.In The Laboratory, the focus of jealousy is directed at the otherwoman.He is with her, and th ey know that I knowThe character of the narrator in The Laboratory displays an loudnessof emotion through her obvious jealousy of the other woman, thisintensity of jealousy could only be achieved if she also hadexperienced the same level of love. Similarly, the character of thenarrator in My Last Duchess also displays obvious jealousy although itis without such an intensity of emotion. It is my opinion that the

Taiwan Earthquake - The 9-21 Earthquake (September 21 1999) :: essays research papers

mainland China Earthquake - The 9-21 Earthquake (September 21 1999)CNN A special news report-This morning, there was an earthquake registering 7.6 on the Richter scale shaked Taiwan at 145am on September 21,1999. The epicenter is a mile under the ground in Nantou near Puli. in that respect are m whatsoever buildings crushed, and as yet a twelve floor-high rise building suddenly became a two floor- high rise building (the first to the sixth floors dipped into the underground, and the seventh to the twelfth floors went diagonally down and damaged the road.) As of press time the Disaster Management Center said 2,034 people were confirmed dead. Another 6,536 were injured and 2,308 were trapped, bandage 208 were still listed as missing. The number still increases, Taiwan has many earthquakes, and although most are centered under the sea and cause no damage. Some agree brought disaster to the island, but this time is the biggest earthquake in Taiwanese history. Taiwanese call it the 9-21 earthquake because it happened on September 21 1999. I was at my unravel place, I had heard the news there was a building crushed in Taipei because of a serious earthquake was registering 7.6 happened in Taiwan close to an hour ago. I was so happy and careless because my entire family dose not live close to Taipei and I did not have any bad information about central Taiwan. During my lunch break, there was updating news from CNN station the epicenter of this earthquake is in Nantou near Puli. My heart was obdurate and cold, after I knew the epicenter was in my grandmothers hometown-Puli. Nantou County is approximately 200km south of Taipei, and it is the only place not around the ocean in Taiwan. There are only mountains around Nantou, and Puli is a small town in Nantou County. There are about two thousand people in Puli, and its wine, sieve noodles, and beauty are the most famous things in Taiwan because Puli has in truth good and clean spring water, and the air quality is the top of the line- no pollution. however Puli is a small town, and all the people in Puli are like a big family. People know everything in the town, and they knew me since I was born. It is a very different environment and experience in Puli than in America, and I love it very much. It was hard to believe that Mother Nature punished Puli and Taiwan so badly.

Richard Whites Friendship and Commitment :: Friends Morals Loyalty Papers

Richard Whites Friendship and Commitment In this paper, I will examine the duties of supportership. I will look at arguments in favor of the view that there atomic number 18 special virtuous duties involved in friendship, but will eventu exclusivelyy reject this view. I will then explain what role I see friendship having in morality even without these duties. In Richard Whites article Friendship and Commitment, White argues that friendship is an inherently moral activity (81). He argues that part of being a friend is having certain obligations, same(p) being helpful or emotionally available. These are obligations that are above and beyond what we owe to a stranger. He too thinks that being a friend involves a commitment. He says specifically, when I spend time with someone, accept their help, and make myself available to that person, by sharing the more intimate aspects of myself, I am also creating an expectation that is equivalent to a commitment, given the institution of friendship and all that it commonly entails (82). In being someones friend, aside from the commitments and obligations, he argues, you are also morally endorsing her. That is, you are implicitly saying that there is something valuable about them that your friend is someone worth knowing. Let us suppose that all of this is actually the case that friendship really does affect certain commitments, obligations, and endorsements. Do any of these matter morally? Ill address endorsements first, followed by obligations and commitments. When someone is your friend, this seems to imply that you think there is something valuable about that person. But the things I find valuable in her capability have nothing to do with morality for instance, she might be intelligent and able to argue effectively. She might make me laugh. She might be fun to be with. None of these are morally relevant, and yet a combination of them would probably be su fficient for me to be friends with someone. As such, it seems that being a friend with someone does not actually imply a moral endorsement of that person.

North and South :: essays papers

northern and southwestwardThe first cardinal reading selections for Economics 344 make some notable observations about the harvest-time and development of budding economies. In Engerman and Sokoloffs chapter entitled Factor Endowments, Institutions, and Differential Paths of Growth Among New World Economies, the authors compare the economic growth levels of the North American colonies to those of Latin American colonies. Then, in Tracking the Economic Divergence of the North and the South, Peter Coclanis notes the different economic paths taken by these two distinct regions of the unify States. Overall, these two essays are similar in nature they make similar comparisons across two regions using similar criteria. The readings, however, differ drastically in their prevail over matter and in the scope of the comparisons. In the first reading, Stanley Engerman and Kenneth Sokoloff attempt to explain what component parts contributed to the different levels of economic developmen t between the North American colonies and the Latin American colonies. They hypothesize that the United States and Canada were able to sustain economic growth due to factor endowments that were superior to those of Central and South America. Endowments such as climate, soil, and density of the inwrought population, they say, predisposed certain colonies to accomplishing economic growth. Institutions and government policies such as land policies and trade regulations were also significant determining factors, but less so than factor endowments. After comparing the prosperous colonies to the less prosperous, the authors then briefly state differences within the United States colonies as far as economic growth is concerned. many differences in the economic patterns of the North and the South are pointed out indeed, in many ways the South resembled those colonies that became less successful. Despite these distinctions, in the end, the authors conclude that overall, the Souths econo my was a unique case and ultimately realized a record of growth more like those of the northern United States or Canada.The second piece compares the patterns of economic growth experienced by the North and the South. Coclanis points out numerous variations in the economies of the two regions from the seventeenth century and forward two hundred years. The factor endowments are noted here as well, while political factors play less of a role. Overall, the author concludes that the economic divergence of the North and South was quite large, and the differences most definitely outweigh the similarities.The two readings share both remarkable similarities as well as sharp differences.

North and South :: essays papers

North and southwestwardThe first twain reading selections for Economics 344 make some notable observations about the growth and breeding of budding economies. In Engerman and Sokoloffs chapter entitled Factor Endowments, Institutions, and Differential Paths of Growth Among New World Economies, the authors compare the economic growth levels of the North American colonies to those of Latin American colonies. Then, in Tracking the Economic Divergence of the North and the South, Peter Coclanis notes the different economic paths taken by these two distinct regions of the United States. Overall, these two essays are similar in nature they make similar comparisons across two regions using similar criteria. The readings, however, differ drastically in their subject bailiwick and in the scope of the comparisons. In the first reading, Stanley Engerman and Kenneth Sokoloff attempt to explain what factors contributed to the different levels of economic development between the North America n colonies and the Latin American colonies. They hypothesize that the United States and Canada were able to sustain economic growth due to factor endowments that were superior to those of Central and South America. Endowments such as climate, soil, and density of the native population, they say, incline certain colonies to accomplishing economic growth. Institutions and government policies such as land policies and trade regulations were also significant determining factors, but less so than factor endowments. after(prenominal) comparing the prosperous colonies to the less prosperous, the authors then briefly state differences within the United States colonies as far as economic growth is concerned. Numerous differences in the economic patterns of the North and the South are pointed out indeed, in many ways the South resembled those colonies that became less successful. Despite these distinctions, in the end, the authors conclude that overall, the Souths economy was a unique c ase and ultimately realized a record of growth more like those of the northern United States or Canada.The gage piece compares the patterns of economic growth experienced by the North and the South. Coclanis points out numerous variations in the economies of the two regions from the seventeenth century and forward two ampere-second years. The factor endowments are noted here as well, while political factors play less of a role. Overall, the author concludes that the economic divergence of the North and South was quite large, and the differences most definitely outweigh the similarities.The two readings share both remarkable similarities as well as sharp differences.

Ethnicity and the Police Newspaper Article Essay

Ethnicity and the Police Newspaper Article Assignment Part II Final This red-hotspaper article will begin from week two undivided public opinion of police by dissimilar ethnic groups outline. Public opinion of police by different ethnic groups there are different types of ethnic groups African American, Latinos and Latinos American. Ranging from the White House to all over this nation sometime or another there can arise many problems with different ethnic groups all the way through the criminal justice system, in our communities, and as well as in the public figure.Each group has formed their own public opinion of police African American have more encounters with police because of their skin glossiness than any other race. The percentage rate for arrest is much higher than any other ethnic group. Have more abuse, brutality, and harassment in African American communities than other communities. Back in slavery time the brutal abuse even lead to Blacks being hung by a tree until death. Hispanics and Latinos have more traffic stops than other ethnic groups, because of drug smuggling. Some cannot understand English, and have language rampart issues. Immigration and deportation poses threats in Arizona.Some groups in the past as well as today effects the opinion of the police International group on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has worked consistently with community groups, television, friends, family, social media, newspaper, magazines, and many others to serving stop police abuse and brutality. One of the greatest men of all time who fought hard for Blacks (Negro American, African American) rights and freedom in America, however, this race carries many names, when others are recognized as one ethnic group to another. Below are photos of many great leaders, actresses, and singers, all have and some to this save day are still fighting for Blacks rights in this nat ion.Although Blacks have come a long way from slavery, still remains in a struggle today simply for being born the wrong skin color. While forming an opinion of one the most late top stories in the nation, the cap, D.C., navy blue Yard as they study more about the actions of gunman Aaron Alexis that day. Federal experts are mending together a new timeline of Mondays mass crack, and the reason for Alexis actions.In one Black woman opinion was this action of hate, revenge, mental issues, at the time of this catastrophic shooting rampage. Concerns of many are trying to figure out what was Alexs thinking about, and why take this chance of killing 12 people, before his own tone was taken. Below are some photos of the shooting. One person felt him breathe Escape from the Navy Yard I Felt Him Breathe Escape From the Navy Yard.They say the first call for help came at 821 a.m. that morning, and it took officers another 30 minutes to find Alexis. Investigators believe that Alexis was co ncealing a shotgun with a sawed-off barrel and stock when he entered the building, though they still dont know if that gun was in the bag he was carrying or concealed in his clothing. And they know that the people he shot and killed were mostly on the third and fourth floors. In a tragic twist, one of Alexis victims was standing(a) outside Building 197, in an alley, when he was shot by a bullet that passed through a door, the FBI told NBC News Pete Williams Thursday.The gunman was shot by a team comprising U.S. Park Police and D.C.s Metropolitan Police who found him in an area filled with cubicles, U.S. Park Police said.The team had to clear distributively cubicle, one by one, until Alexis engaged them and they shot him.In all, 12 victims were killed, eight were injured and Alexis was shot and killed in the shooting Monday morning, the deadliest single event in Washington in decades.

Coyote Blue Chapter 32~33

CHAPTER 32A Doctorate in DeceptionAccording to chink, at the conviction the white work force came, there were seven-spot blessed pointer softwares. Each had been made by four medicine men who had the same vision at the same time. Once the bundles were made, the medicine men vowed never to gather again, afraid t assume if their combined power were stolen by one, he would become invincible and abuse the power. These bundles contained the most powerful of warrior medicine, able to protect the toter from an enemys weapon, give him the ability to travel swiftly, and escape to the Underworld in an emergency, to return later, unharmed. Of the original seven bundles, dickens had been destroyed by fire, two by flood, two were locked a style in museums in Washington, and the last to leave the reticuloendothelial systemervation was in the hands of a private collector in Billings, who had bought it from a family who had been converted to Christianity and plan the bundle might jeopardi ze their salvation.At first surface-to-air missile suspected gaols report. His choice fin comp permitelyy to believe it was based more on heart than logic. Whether the story of the bundles was true or not didnt matter as much as the hope it inspired. Action based on hope just felt cleanse than the paralysis of certainty.When surface-to-air missile came through the door of the Hunts Alone house, Cindy hardly recognized him. When she had first met him he stopmed weak, wasted, and without reason to live. Now he was moving and talking with purpose. surface-to-air missile said, Cindy, Im sorry rough forwards. I dont motive to impose.Youre family, she said, and that was only the explanation needed.Thanks, Sam said. We went to invite jerkwater. Hes doing fine.Did they say when he can come folk?Were bringing him home tonight, if amours go the way they should. Can I use the ear instal?Cindy waved toward the kitchen table, where the phone sat amid a stack of cereal boxes and bowl s. Sam checked on Grubb, order him sleeping, and went to the phone.The first invite went out to the Museum of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Yes, they knew a serious collector of Indian artifacts in Billings they had bought several pieces from him over the years. His name was Arnstead Houston.The next call was to his despatchice in Santa Barbara. Gabriella, I need you to propose the key I gave you and go to my house. In my clo launch theres a corduroy jacket with suede cubitus patches. Load it in my garment bag with the khaki pants, a flannel shirt, and that goofy Indiana Jones hat that Aaron gave me for Christmas. Put in my blue pinstripe suit shirt, shoes, and draw and quarter to match. Then grab my briefcase and fall it all on the next plane to Billings, Montana. Buy a seat for it if you hurt to. Put it on the corporate card. And flux the name Arnstead Houston through all our companies client files go to the insurance policy Institute if you hasten to. Its a Billings address.He waited while Gabriella locate the name through the computing machine and came back with the name of Houstons home-owners insurance carrier. Give me the agents number. Sam scribbled it down. Call me back at this number as soon as you confirm the arrival time of my rack in Billings. He gave her the Hunts Alone number.He dialed the number of Houstons insurance agent in Billings and spoke in an Oklahoma accent. Yes, Im interested in insuring rough valuable Indian artifacts. Arnie Houston recommended you. Sam waited. I didnt figure you handled that sort of thing. Do you remember who you referred Arnie to? Boulder Casualty? You got a number for them? Thanks, pardner.Sam hung up the phone and it rang immediately. Hello. Five today? Thats the earliest? Thanks, Gabriella. Oh, I forgot call and reserve a car at the Billings airport. Something with four-wheel drive. A sports jacket or a bronco or something. White if they have it. Ill pick it up at five. Yes, the corporate car d. Fuck Aaron. Tell him Im on a hunting trip. And Gabby, you are incredible, you really are. I know Ive never t gaga you that before. Because it was time I did. Take palm.He disconnected and dialed another number, waited, then spoke with an English accent. Yes, Boulder Casualty. This is Samuel Smythe-White with Sothebys, London. So sorry to aggravator you, plainly weve a bit of a problem that you may be able to help us with. It seems weve recently acquired some Red Indian items a bit unusual for us and were at a loss as for someone to authenticate them. The owner, who must remain anonymous Im afraid, has suggested that you insure this sort of thing and might know of an appraiser. Yes, Ill wait.Sam held the phone aside and lit a cigarette. No, no, location is not a problem. Sothebys will fly him to London. Sam scribbled something. Jolly erect. Yes, thank you.He disconnected and dialed Arnstead Houstons number. Hello, Mr. Houston. This is Bill Lanier. Im the new head of Ethn ic Studies at the University of Washington. Yes. The reason Im calling is that I just got a call from Boulder Casualty. It seems that there is an item in your collection that has been severely undervalued and theyd like us to take a look at it to make sure the schedule of coverage is in line. Of course, the new appraisal would increase the price if you should ever want to sell it. Sam paused and listened.He continued, A Crow medicine bundle. Yes. This ones a cylinder, a hollowed-out cedar tree log. Thats right. Well, sir, well need to take a look at it in person. We happen to have a tribal expert visiting the campus right now. We could be in Billings by five thirty tonight. No, Im afraid he has to fly to a dig in Arizona tomorrow. It will have to be tonight. Yes, I have your address. Thank you, sir.Sam hung up, sat back, and permit out a yen sigh. The self-colored process had taken less than five minutes. When he turned just about both Cindy and brush wolf were staring at him. Cindys mouth was hanging overt.What was that? Coyote get hold ofed.You, Sam said, are now working, indirectly, as an artifacts expert for the Boulder Casualty Insurance Company and I am now a professor of anthropology at the University of Washington,Ive been looking for a job, Cindy said, shaking her head. They always make me fill out an application.Coyote looked at Cindy. He has shifty eye, dont you infer?-=*=- Arnie Houston sat in his den looking at the arrow bundle on the coffee table before him a hollowed-out log full of junk. But there was nothing quite so exciting as turning junk into money, and he was so phrenetic now he could have peed his Wranglers. God bless archaeology. God bless museums. God bless historic preservation. God bless AmericaWhere else could a piece of oil-field trash with a fourth-grade education be living in a twenty- mode house with a new Corvette in the garage, wearing thousand-dollar sea-turtle-skin boots and two pounds of silver and turquoise jewel ry? And all of it from buying and selling Indian junk. God bless every eggheaded, gopher-hearted anthropologist that ever wrote a paper or dug a hole. comminateArnie got up and went over to his bar, where he poured himself a snifter of Patron tequila thirty bucks a bottle, but the finest cactus juice ever burned hair off your tongue. And it calms you down. Cant let them think youre in it for the money, the dumb shits most of em could say howdy in thirty-seven dead languages, tell you the time a day a priest-doctor shit two hundred years ago plus the ritual that went with it, but couldnt tell a nickel from a knothole when it came to money.They always went to the tribal council or a medicine universe when they wanted to buy something that was their big mistake. You got to do your research. Find out what familys got something and then find the one in the family who drinks the most. When hes feeling his firewater, you be there with the cash. Presto, you got yourself a priceles s Indian artifact for dirt cheap. Arnie had just picked up a whole basket of heirloom beadwork over at the Yakima res a hundred bucks. The Yakima were just getting into crack cocaine and Arnie was in on the ground floor with investment capital. The beads had been in the families for hundreds of years and hed already had an offer of ten thousand for them from the Museum of the West upon authentication, of course.Anthropologists, heres to em Arnie thought. He toasted the fish in the aquarium by the bar and tossed back the Patron, then took a guess by looking out the front window. A white Blazer pulled into the circular driveway and two men got out, both of them tall one, an Indian in a suit, and the other in a corduroy jacket and khakis the anthropologist. The Indian must be the expert he talked about on the phone. City Indian making a living off of being Indian, sacking on about exploitation and such. Worthless troublemakers wouldnt shoot one if I needed to shed my gun.Ar nie stashed the snifter under the bar and went to the front door. He brushed back the sides of his hair with his fingers careful not to disturb the five strands combed over the pass on and opened the door.Mr. Houston, Im Dr. Lanier from the University of Washington. This is Running Elk, the gentleman I mentioned on the phone. The Indian nodded.Come on in, Arnie said, waving them into the tiled foyer. I took it out of the safe and put it on the table for you. He didnt really have a safe, but it sounded good.He led them into the den and stood by the coffee table. Here she is.The Indian moved to the fish tank and peered in. The professor walked around the table looking at the log, as if he were afraid to pick it up. Have you opened it?Arnie had to think. What was the best answer? These fellows want playing detective, finding their own clues. No, sir. The fella I got it from told me what was inside, though. Four arrows, an eagle skull, and some, er Damn, how do you describe it? It was just brown powdery shit. And some sacred powder.And who did you get it from?Fellow on the res. Old family, but he didnt want me to say. Hes afraid of the Traditionals getting revenge on him.Im going to have to open it to project the value.Quite so, the Indian said, shut away looking in the fish tank. The anthropologist s thermal him a nasty look. What was up with these two? An Indian who talks like a Brit if that didnt just beat the ugly off an ape.Its okay with me, Arnie said. Looks like them ends just come off like bottle caps. Thats exactly how they had come off when he opened it.Jolly good, old chap, the Indian said. The fish say that its been opened before.Thank you, Running Elk, said the professor. He seemed kinda ticked.He set his briefcase on the table next to the bundle, snapped open the lid, and removed some white cotton gloves. We dont want to disturb the integrity of the contents, he said, slipping on the gloves. Id opt to do this in the lab, but I assure you Ill be careful.You can excrescence the damn thing up for all I care, Arnie thought, as long as the price is right. But what was the deal with the Indian and the fish tank?The professor removed the end of the wooden cylinder and placed it on the table. He removed one of the four arrows and studied its length. When he looked at the point his face lit up. My God, Running Elk, do you see what I see?What? What? Arnie said. Was this good or bad?The Indian looked up from the fish tank. Oh, capital Hes promised them one of those plastic bubbling scuba divers if he sells it.What? Arnie said.The professor scowled at the Indian and held the arrow up for Arnie to see. Mr. Houston, you see this arrow point?Uh-huh.This is a small-game point, and the flaking is not the pattern you find on Crow points from the buffalo days.So?So, I think this bundle is from the time before the Crows split from the Hidatsa. If thats the case, this bundle may be priceless.Arnie saw a swimming pool appearing in his b ackyard, with a whole shitpot of girls in bikinis sitting around it, rubbing oil on his back. How can you be sure?Ill have to take it back to the university to have it carbon-dated. The professor put the arrow back into the bundle. From his briefcase he pulled out a sheaf of forms. I hope youll understand, Mr. Houston, the university cant bond something like this for its full value, but I could write a guarantee of perhaps two hundred thousand until the return. The professor waited, his pen poised over the form.Arnie pretended to think about it. In fact, he was persuasion about the new swimming pool. Now it was indoors and had a big hot tub full of dollies. I guess that will be all right, he said. The professor began writing on the form. We should have it back to you within the week. Ill see to it personally that its handled carefully. If youll just sign here. He pushed the form over to Arnie. in that location it was, $200,000.00 in big black numbers. It was all he needed to see. Ar nie signed and pushed the paper back to the professor.The professor closed his briefcase and got up. Well, Id like to get this back to the lab by tonight and start the work on it. Ill call you as soon as we know for sure. He picked up the bundle and headed for the door.You take care now. Thanks, Arnie said, holding the door for them.No, thank you, Mr. Houston.Cheerio, the Indian said as they climbed into the Blazer. Oh yes, your mates said theyd like a Flipper video and a bit of brine shrimp to eat.Arnie watched the Blazer pulling away. Boy, the old professor was sure giving Running Elk hell for something. Eggheads. He wondered for a minute why the Blazer had mud on the license plates when it was so clean everywhere else. Hell with it, it was time to celebrate. A buddy had given him the number of a little bird who for two hundred dollars would come over in her cheerleader outfit. Hed been saving it for a special occasion and it looked like it was time to dig out that ol number and see if she really could suck the furniture out of a room through the keyhole.-=*=- As soon as they were out of sight of Arnies house, Sam took the Indiana Jones hat off and smacked Coyote with it. What were you thinking? You almost blew it.The fish said he tricked someone to get that bundle.And what did we just do? Thats different. It was a Crow bundle.You wanted to blow it, didnt you? Why didnt you just hump his couch or something? Why didnt you just tell him the truth?Well, Coyote said, if your trick worked it would make a good story.Ill take that as as compliment. Sam was no longer angry. They had the bundle now it was time to think about the next part of the plan. He believed what Pokey had told him about the power of the bundle, and all Pokey had ever asked of him was to be believed. He said, Coyote, will you help me get Pokey out of the clinic?Another trick? Coyote asked.Of sorts.Ill help, but I wont go to the Underworld with you.CHAPTER 33DoorsSome of the color had returned to Pokeys face and someone had taken the braids out of his hair and brushed it. He opened his look when Sam entered the room.You got it? Pokey said.Its in the car, Sam said. Coyote came in behind him.Pokey grinned. Old Man Coyote.Howdy, Coyote said. How many times you died now, old man?A bunch. Its plumb wearing me out, Pokey said. The medicine man got tired of singing the death song and went home. I think he got scared. Pokey pulled a cassette out from under his covers and held it up. I got it on tape for the next time.Sam said, Pokey, we have the arrow bundle. What do we do now?Ask him, Pokey said, pointing to Coyote.I aint going, Coyote said. He has to go alone.Samson needs a medicine man to sing the bundle song.Thats why were here, Sam said.You want me? I didnt think you believed I had medicine, Samson.Things change, Pokey. I need you.Well then, get me out of here. Pokey started to sit up.Sam pushed him back. I dont think you should be walking.Samson, I done told you, I had my death vision. I dont die in no hospital, I get shot. Now help me get up. He struggled to a sitting position and Sam helped him turn so his feet hung off the bed. Youre right, I dont think I can walk.Sam turned to Coyote. You promised to help.-=*=- The clinic was officially closed for the day, but the skeleton staff of two nurses was still on. Adeline Eats sat in the waiting room with her six children, who were all green with flu, insisting that she wasnt going anywhere until they got treatment, even if she had to wait all night.For the twentieth time, the nurse at the window was explaining that the doctor had gone home for the night, when she heard the hoof beats on the stairs. She dropped her clipboard and ran out of the office to see a black horse coming down the stairs, an old, half-naked man bouncing on its back. She ducked back into her office to avoid being trampled and looked up in time to see a man in a corduroy jacket running behind the horse out the front door.The nurse ra n out into the waiting room to the front door, which dangled in pieces on its hinges. She watched the horse stop beside a white Blazer and rear up. The old man, his gray hair streaming in the wind, let out a war whoop and fell into the arms of the man in corduroy. Then, as she watched, the horse started bubbling and changing until it was a man in black buckskins. The nurse stumbled back in shock. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped a foot off the ground. She came down holding her chest. Adeline Eats said, You got room for my kids now, or what?-=*=- Riding in the Blazer, Pokey said, Old Man Coyote, how do I send Samson to the Underworld?Just open the bundle and sing the song. He will go.Sam said, What happens then? What do I do?My medicine ends when you get there. You will see the one that weighs the souls. Dont be afraid of him. Just ask him if you can bring the girl back.Thats it?Dont worry about the monster. The Underworld is not what you think. Coyote rolled down th e car window. I have something that I want to do. Ill be there when you return. Coyote dove out the car window, changing instantly into a hawk and flying off into the night sky.Wait Sam said. What monster? He stopped the car.Pokey giggled like a child. A horse and a hawk in one night. Samson, do you know how gold we are?Sam leaned forward and put his head against the wheel. Lucky wasnt the world that came to mind, Pokey.-=*=- Pokey had called Harlan and the boys down from Hardin. While they prepared the sweat, Sam stood at the door of the airstream trailer trying to make himself open it. For the first time in years he was aware of his childhood fear of the dead and unrevenged ghosts and he hesitated. Since Pokey had given him hope of bringing Calliope back, he hadnt really thought of her as dead. He wanted to see her before he went to the Underworld, but he was afraid. Strange, he thought, after all these years of selling the fear of death, talking about it every day, now Im afrai d. Shes not dead, not really.He threw the door open and stepped into the trailer. Calliopes body was lying on the built-in cot by the door amid camping equipment and fishing rods. Coyote had covered her with a blanket, leaving her face exposed. She could have been sleeping.Sam sat on the cot by her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. She was cold. He looked away.I wanted you to know He didnt know what to say. There was no face to put on to meet this face. If she would just open her eyes. He swallowed hard. I wanted you to know that I would do anything for you. That all this craziness was will be worth it if I can bring you back. Ive been hiding out for my whole life, and I dont want to live that way anymore. Anyway, I wanted you to know that Grubb will be okay. My family will take care of him. Ill be with you, one way or another.Sam leaned over and kissed her. Soon, he said. He got up and walked out of the trailer.Across the yard, the fire crackled and licked the sky, heating the rocks for the sweat. Pokey sat on a lawn chair, the arrow bundle in his lap, his eyes glistening orange in the firelight. Harlan was carrying rocks from the fire to the pit inside the sweat lodge. Sam stood by with Harry and Festus, watching. After the initial surprise that Sam was still alive, Harry and Festus simply fell into their normal roles of listening to their father argue with Pokey. Sam noticed that they had the lean, muscular frame of their father, the same square-set jaw. Harlan was a little sleazy now, and his hair had gone gray, but otherwise, to Sam, he seemed the same.The boys and me have to go to work in the morning, Harlan said. We cant stay late, Pokey. No drinking.I aint going to drink, Pokey said.Harlan dropped a hot rock into the pit and wiped sweat from his forehead. I cant believe that doctor let you come home. Just yesterday he was puttin your death on my hands for not moving you to the hospital in Billings.Hes a pissant, Pokey said. Hows i t coming?Harlan scraped another rock out of the fire and scooped it up with the pitchfork. This ought to do it. He unbuckled his pants and began to get undressed. The others followed his lead, hanging their clothes on Pokeys chair.Sam took the bundle from Pokey and put it in the sweat lodge, then helped the old man out of his hospital gown. Pokey crawled into the sweat lodge, where the others sat in a semicircle facing him.Before I drop the door, I got to open this here bundle. Its a real old one, so no one knows the right song. Im going to have to make it up as I go along. Okay?Pokey held up the bundle and sang a prayer song, thanking the spirits for the gift of the sweat. He laid out a square of buckskin for the objects in the medicine bundle. I dont know whats going to happen here, but Harlan, you and the boys got to pray that Samson has a safe journey. Hes going on a kind of vision quest, but he aint going to the life-time World. Pokey looked at Sam. Youve seen her since you go t here, right?Yes, Sam said.And shes still in the trailer?Yes.Who? Harry asked.Never mind, Pokey said. They hadnt told Harlan and the boys about Calliope or Coyote. Here we go. He threw a handful of sage onto the stones. When the smoke rose he held the bundle in it, then took off the cap. He began singing as he took for each one object from the bundle and set it on the buckskin. Sam closed his eyes and concentrated on going to the Underworld and what he had to do there.Heya, heya, heya, an arrow.Heya, heya, heya, another arrowHeya, heya, heya, another arrowHeya, heya, heya, the last arrow.Heya, heya, heya, an eagle skull.Heya, heya, heya, some brown stuff.Some brown stuff? Harlan said.Well, I dont know what it is, Pokey said. It looks like brown stuff to me.Whatever it is, its working, Festus said, pointing to Sam, who was shivering, even in the heat of the sweat lodge. His eyes were open but rolled back in his head, showing no pupils.Im dropping the door, Pokey said. Now pray for his return like you never prayed before.

The Hidden Key to E-Commerce Success

Order fulfillment The Hidden Key to e-Commerce Success By Fred R. Ricker and Ravi Kalakota n July 1995, a young W severally Street com jeller whirr named Jeff Bezos opened a bulkstore commotioning more than one million titles yet virtu on the wholey no enrolment. His brainchildAmazon. comhas grown since hence from four betrothees featal out of a 400 squargon-foot garage in Seattle into an online club with a stock valuation greater than most(prenominal) Fortune 500 companies.His initial beliefa virtual bookstore designed to do handicraft exclusively on The Internet offers a wealth of the Internetwas impertinent business opportunities for apparently brilliant start-ups and established compaand well executed, nies alike. Yet while everyone as evidenced by wants a piece of the e-Commerce action, non everyone has laid the Amazon. coms sucnecessary ground shape for success in gaining and cess. One of the most often overkeeping client looked prerequisites is order fulfilla ttention and generment and distri andion. Succeeding ating orders. n the e-Commerce age is every Yet the companys bit as much about designing and success to date is executing these blocking and dwarfed by the tackling functions as it is about potential of its the latest technology. apparent ambition to shape up the worlds most efficient consumer-direct orderFred R. Ricker is director of health-care supfulfilment outline. ply mountain chain clay for Manhattan Associates Amazon. com enviInc. Ravi Kalakota is the director of the sions a killer supCenter for Digital Commerce and GCATT ply chain that hobo chair professor of electronic commerce at deliver virtually any Georgia State University.He is to a fault the intersectionnot entirely founder and CEO of e-Business Strategies. 60 provision grasp Management Review I books directly to clients better than its competitors. In fact, it took Amazon. com only one quarter by and by adding music to its offerings to become the Nets lead ing music seller. The company currently is targeting the $150 billion pharmaceuticals mart with a 40-percent s instruct in Drugstore. com. Today, the idiom among more mature Web retailers like Amazon. com is shifting from marketing to fulfillment logisticswhat happens after the rder is placed. Good fulfillmenttaking the amend product, putting it in the right box, shipping it, and gaining the customers approval on arrivalis a makeing task. We believe it is here(predicate)in the down-and-dirty details of consumer direct order fulfillmentthat the larger-than-life battles for domination of the e-Commerce marketplace will ultimately be won or lost. The emergence of the e-Supply chain, a group of strategically aligned companies focused on delivering differentiable value, signals a shift in the nature of online competition.It involves rethinking traditional supplier relationships and the role of schoolingdriven fulfillment logistics. In the late net trifle economy, establishing a sustainable e-Commerce position is as much about utilize the right fulfillment strategies to get your products or services to buyers as it is about having the right product at the right price. The let out to success is being able to give customers what they want, recall 1999 Illustration by Roger Roth when they want it, and how they want itall at the lowest cost. That requires real- cartridge holder fulfillment solutions.These advance demands have driven a three-phase evolution. First the e-Corporation, which focuses on creating and maximizing the potential of internal cater chains, evolves into e-Business communities, where distributors, suppliers, customers, and others are linked but not fully integrated. These communities then become the e-Supply chain, which requires business-process and technology synchronization across the entire chain. (Exhibit 1 depicts this progression. ) Unfortunately, much of the start-up training for e-Commerce ventures applies old puts to new en terprises.It assumes, for example, the existence of a brick-and-mortar support infra construction for the fulfillment or the spontaneous development of that pedestal. Like it or not, most e-Commerce retailers place their initial emphasis on the exciting areas Web product development, traffic generation, kinetic or customized Web pages, transactions, and so on. Often, e-Commerce retailers give little thought to order fulfillment and distributiona capability critical to the success or mischance of Web commerce. Our research shows that the lack of an Fall 1999 ntegrated sum up chain infrastructure or weaknesses in integrating multiparty logistics components can undermine the benefits of e-Commerce and hinder innovative responses to the competition. The e-Fulfillment opportunity The Internet offers a rich new opportunity for direct consumer introduction, but it also raises new challenges. Web retailers find product fulfillmentpicking and boxing in very small quantities and shippi ng via parcel carriersa particularly difficult activity. It often requires relying on third-party fulfillment sellers (a concept discussed later in this article) to do the job. except collaboration in fulfillment chains is no longer confined to conventional two-company alliances, much(prenominal) as between shipper and a logistics services provider. Today, groups of enterprises are lot together for a common purposeto replete customer demand. A new form of competition is emerging e-Supply chain vs. e-Supply chain. In the Internet book retailing war, for example, the competition is not only between Amazon. com and Barnes & Noble but also among groups of companies that make up the e-Supply chain anchored by each company. An e-Supply chain is, in effect, a virtual organizaSupply Chain Management Review 61 run fulfilment process. ) Vendors could work within specified routing guidelines and still tender for trucks online in conjunction with other geographically close vendors to get fu ll-truckload rates. Internet start-ups have the luxury of starting from scratch and defining their fulfillment infrastructure Business Process and Technology specifically for the products integration being offered online. This is not the case for established frame 3 E-Supply Chain companies like catalog companies or store-based retailers such as Wal-Mart, Borders, and JCPenney.These companies already have fulfillment and distribution networks designed to ship a variety of products in bulk quantities to hundreds of stores. They realize that they cannot layer home rescue on the existing infrastructure. The established companies must(prenominal) decide whether to extend their existing facilities for consumer-direct eCommerce or build a new set of fulfillment facilities tailored to low volumes and heights-variety product mixes. The en light-coloredened ones realize that they shoot to invent a new customer-driven fulfillment put that can extract enough be out of the current model to justify home delivery costs.That new model, we believe, is an intercompany order-fulfillment and replenishment model. It utilizes business process synchronization to eliminate redundant processes among supply chain trading companies and to improve information sharing doing away with bare labor, stock-taking, and holding costs. The design and implementation of such a coordinated and synchronized fulfillment infrastructure poses a major actrial problem. To shed light on this problem and provide a prescriptive roadmap, we address the following questions What is the impact of current customer-direct business models on fulfillment strategies?What is the definition of consumer-direct fulfillment logistics? Why is having a consumer-direct model so classic? What types of fulfillment strategies are currently employed in e-Commerce? What strategic business-process reengineering and synchronization gradations can managers gather up when designing a consumer-direct fulfillment logistic s schema? Fall 1999 EXHIBIT 1 Evolution of the Network Economy Distributors Suppliers Internal Supply Chain Reengineering External Linkages Customers Phase 1 E-Corporation Logistics Providers Phase 2 E-Business Communities ion that encompasses a group of trading companies, all working together to slash costs and share profits. By optimizing not only their internal processes but also their mutual interactions, they realize the benefits of a truly integrated supply chain. This conceptbusiness-process and supply chain synchronizationlays the basis for the next revolution in supply chain focal point. It takes supply chain integration to a new level of efficiency by requiring companies to focus on synchronizing business processes about standard embrasure points and upgrading these points as the industry evolves.Synchronization of these touch points eliminates costs associated with inefficient movement of goods, redundant processes, and excess inventory. In doing so, it promotes a ded icated collaboration of all supply chain trading partnerssuppliers, manufacturing businesss, distributors, wholesalers, thirdparty providers, transportation companies, and retailers. Through e-Commerce, redundant processes among trading partners (such as multiple accuracy audits, receiving-dock appointments, and inventory planning activities) can be eliminated.The instantaneousness and availability of the Internet, once security and data cleansing issues are worked out, fulfills the promise of true synchronization. To take just a hardly a(prenominal) examples, if vendors can gain access to a publicly available schedule on the Internet and book their own receiving appointments, they no longer hold to send requests for appointments and wait for responses. Retailers would not need to research late payments if their customers could download payment status directly from the retailers Web site. (At least two major retailers have already begun this 62 Supply Chain Management ReviewThe Lo gistics of Consumer-Direct Fulfillment Three forces are converging to create an explosion in consumer-direct business models technology forces are making it possible, market forces are making it viable, and social forces are making it inevitable. Keep in mind, though, that consumers demand more than an interactive drive. They want delivery convenience and lower fulfillment costs. They need to be assured of fast and reliable delivery. The value the consumer places on timely delivery can affect the logistics network design significantly. while is money, and digital consumers of the 21st century male parentt have the same tolerance levels as their analog-world ancestors. Todays consumers are yearning for instant gratification as never before. Partners in the supply chain must improve their efficienciesfrom order capture to fulfillment to provide that gratification. The goal of consumer-direct business models is to let customers select and tack together products and services interac tively, get a price quote, and receive a committed delivery date online.Companies serious about satisfying customers online must substantially substitute their process to make consumer-direct retailing and manufacturing attractive to the consumer. Companies must re-evaluate the complete fulfillment business modelpromotions, merchandise, product selection, pricing, supplier relations, technical management, distribution, returns, and post-sale service. Each of these areas demands new processes, skills, and approaches. To satisfy a consumer-driven marketplace, companies must move beyond the singular mentality of intracompany optimization.Instead, they must focus on how intercompany business process synchronization can transform consumer demands into consumer satisfaction. As with a single company, core fightncies of each component of the virtual organization must be evaluated objectively to eliminate inefficiencies. Managers of that virtual organization will slip by to reengineer shell practices, while at the same time Building replenishment programs based on consumers pulling the product through the supply chain from the manufacturer. Employing new forecasting methods that reflect total pipeline visibility.Investing collectively in technology and equipment to capitalize on market opportunities. The success of consumer direct fulfillment logistics models depends on the flourishing integration of Fall 1999 four find out elements order-fulfillment planning, product execution, distribution management, and crossapplication integration. 1. Order-Fulfillment Planning. Rising customer expectations and short fulfillment deadlines call for effective planning that breaks artificial boundaries and tie the gaps between the consumer and the other players in the supply chain.Fulfillment planning must consider the entire planning process from manufacturing, through distribution and transportationwithin a single integrated model. Fulfillment planning involves evaluation of multiple planning strategies such as Establishing a sustainable e-Commerce position is as Profitable-to-promise Should I take the customer order at this time? Available-to-promise Is inventory available to fulfill the order? Capable-to-promise Does manufacturing capacity allow order commitment?Select the plan that best meets the desired customer-service levels considering transportation and manufacturing constraints. Its important to plan backwards from customer priorities and fulfillment deadlines. Thus, to generate a feasible plan, the fulfillment-planning process needs to consider all supply chain constraints simultaneously. These include transportation constraints such as truck capacity and weight, use of alternate modes, and availability of downstream resources such as cargo docks. 1 2. Production Execution.With the advent of modular designs, more and more production functions are being performed at dedicated warehouses and distribution centers. The typical activities inclu de light subassembly and sequencing, kitting, merging, consolidation, packaging, and labeling. Timing of the final assembly often drives the production plan for subassemblies. The process starts with the master production schedule for the finished product. An MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) system explodes this schedule to make out when, where, and in what quantities various subassemblies and components are required to make each product.Production also includes componentreplenishment strategies that minimize the amount of inventory in the pipeline and coordinate product Supply Chain Management Review 63 much about using the right order-fulfillment strategies as it is about having the right product at the right price. ORDER FULFILLMENT hand-offs between the various parties involved. Timely replenishment of warehouses is critical because customers will no longer tolerate out-ofstock situations. 3. Distribution Management.Distribution management encompasses the entire process of transporting goods from manufacturer to distribution centers and then to final consumption point. The process also may include packing, document preparation, customs brokerage, and inventory and warehouse management. One of the most important innovations here is the integration of distribution with transportation planning and scheduling through a comprehensive supply can address by utilizing standardized information formats and communication points between trading partners.Distribution center inventory has to be integrated effectively with the customer contact system. In amply-velocity retail settings like the Web, customers right away become unhappy if the seller is out of stock for what is advertised as in stock. Accurate distribution center inventory, updated frequently, is essential to running an effective online business. A Framework for e-Commerce Fulfillment Strategies In the face of increasing competition, absence of pricing power, and shrinking operating margins, compani es will succeed or endure based on the efficiency of their fulfillment strategies.Business analysts often focus on the number of orders a company generates on the Web as an indicator of its competitive strength. But a more accurate measure may be the companys process for rapidly and efficiently translating the orders into fill-rates that satisfy and exceed customer expectations. This section presents a framework of evolving fulfillment strategies. It then illustrates that framework with a wide array of examples and derives implications and guidelines for management. The framework is based on two dimensions the structure and the motion of fulfillment strategies.On the structure dimension, the strategies are classified as either keyized or distributed. In a centralized structure, all warehousing, pickup, packing, and shipping are operated in a central site, usually a distribution or logistics center. In a distributed structure, warehousing, pickup, packing, and shipping or delivery are located at different sites. On the operation dimension, the fulfillment strategies are either self-operated if the fulfillment process is operated by the company itself or outsourced if it is done by third parties or partners.All of these strategies, discussed below, have trade-offs regarding investment, inventory costs, and operating(a) complexity. strategy A. Distributed Delivery Centers Fulfillment through distributed delivery centers is an acceptable approach for companies that are just getting online or for those that have a delivery funcFall 1999 Time is money, chain execution solution. Transportation-management software spans the life cycle of the committal and allows customers to view all of their shipments across a network of multimodal transportation providers. Distribution anagement also agent providing users with easy access to shipping, tracking, and delivery data. Reverse logistics is another function of distribution management. Faster product obsolescence and more generous warranties have escalated the number of returns. Reverse logistics not only encompasses damaged or returned goods but also products designed for remanufacture, hazardous materials, and reusable packaging. 4. Cross-Application Integration. To be effective, companies need to seamlessly integrate the three elements of fulfillment logistics described above.At present, this seldom happens. Most Web servers only have a sporadic connection to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system like saps R/3, which controls accounting, production, materials management, and distribution. Thus, when the user wants to know when a product will be delivered, the Web application often cannot tell that user what inventory is available in the ERP system or at the third-party warehouse. These are precisely the kinds of problems that business-process synchronization 64 Supply Chain Management Review nd digital consumers of the 21st century dont have the same tolerance levels as their analog- world ancestors. tion in their stores. This approach minimizes the upfront investment and can be set up quickly. It also facilitates strategies such as Buy Here/Pick Up There. This strategy allows consumers to place an order by phone or online at one store situation and pick up the merchandise at another. Though distributed delivery centers do have their advantages (like the obvious reduction in shipping costs), they also can experience certain difficulties.For one thing, controlling inventory for every center at an appropriate level may result in operational complexity and cause expensive inventory costs. In addition, in-store employees often are unfamiliar with warehouse picking and packing procedures. Further, high employee turnover can make picking and packing quality standards difficult to maintain. Yet another problem is scheduling. To minimize conflict with customers who are shop during the daytime, picking operations often are scheduled for off-peak shopping hours.Althou gh this may appear to be an efficient use of resources, the delayed picking may force an additional day into the delivery cycle, since carrier pickups may take place before the completion of the current days picking and packing activities. system B. Partner Fulfillment Operations Some online retailers are using the partner fulfillment model, which means they have no inventory, no shops, and no product brands. Fulfillment is performed entirely by partners. This approach has clear advantages from the standpoint of inventory-carrying costs. But on that point are some disadvantages as well.This has been evident in the experience of Peapod, an online grocery retailer that provides online shopping and home delivery services. Peapod discovered that its initial strategy of partnering with local supermarkets for fulfillment meant charging consumers high delivery costs of up to $16 an order. This pricing level made it virtually impossible to build a customer base. To attract more customers, the company has begun to dismantle some of its partnerships and move toward a distributed-delivery fulfillment model by establishing its own warehouses in selected markets.The introduction of a distributed-delivery model, however, has put a strain on the companys financial growth. Peapod management estimates that each new distribution center requires a capital expenditure of near $1. 5 million plus operating expenses. Peapod expects a net loss at each facility during the first 12 to 18 months of operation. In the long run, however, the new centers should give the company higher overall margins as well as greater operating efficiencies. Fall 1999 Companies will succeed or fail based on the efficiency of their fulfillment strategies.Strategy C. Dedicated Fulfillment Center Today, many online retailers have established their own dedicated fulfillment centers. These players include Amazon. com, BarnesandNoble. com, dell Computer, Micro Warehouse, and Insight Enterprises. This approach is well suited to the book and computer industry, where the fulfillment centers can facilitate prompt delivery. The dedicated fulfillment center model reduces delivery costs for low-margin items. Using this approach, companies can measure expected delivery time in hoursnot days.The tradeoffs of this approach are Low or temporary sales volumes. This will result in high inventory-carrying costs. High up-front investment. Depending upon its warehouse setup and flexibility, a distribution fulfillment center can incur high costs. It may, for example, require major systems modifications, automated warehouses, and conveyors. This option, moreover, can add operational complexity to the product and information flows. Yet even though this approach increases the up-front capital investment, it can reduce long-term operating costs.Decreased flexibility. The operations scalability is restricted to the existing warehouse infrastructure. This may make it difficult to meet the variability in dema nd inherent in some retail segments. Strategy D. Third-Party Fulfillment Centers (Virtual Warehousing) As companies struggle to manage unpredictable demand better, they are bout toward third-party fulfillment centers (3PFs), which can be thought of as virtual warehouses. Through this approach, companies can lease the skills and facilities needed for order fulfillment rather than owning them.Third-party fulfillment companies offer flexibility in accommodating wide swings in demand over short periods. They also help facilitate inventoryreduction initiatives such as just-in-time programs. Another advantage of 3PF is the limited changes that must be made to legacy information systems. This option provides a much more robust capability than in-store fulfillment and minimizes operational impact. It also converts much of fulfillment into a variable cost offset by eliminating warehouse and Supply Chain Management Review 65 ORDER FULFILLMENT store costs associated with the sale of the prod uct.This strategy allows retailers to leverage their buying power and extend product selection into lines not currently offered in their stores. The primary drawback of 3PF is few existing national fulfillment companies can accommodate a wide range of products. Even more problematical, ceding control of this critical aspect of the business represents a major paradigm shift for retailers. Depending upon the service levels required by customers, multiple fulfillment centers may be necessary to minimize delivery timeand this increases costs and required stock levels. y clear that customers dont just buy products instead, they buy the service envelope. They are looking to enter into a complex relationship with the selling company. Given the new reality, companies do not create value for customers by merely offering varieties of products. Rather, they must devise a logistics fulfillment strategy that envelops the product and meets customer needs such as convenience, reliability, and sup port. The choice of a fulfillment strategy depends on whether a company elects to compete essentially on customer responsiveness or operating excellence.In either case, the fulfillment strategy must support the overall business strategy. To ensure that this happens, a company needs to complete the following steps (1) assess the competitive environment, (2) select the fulfillment strategy, (3) achieve business-process synchronization, and (4) design and implement the necessary cross-application integration. Importantly, the fulfillment strategy must take full advantage of new planning, warehousing, and transportation technologies that can cut order fill times dramatically.Assess the Competitive Environment The first step in fulfillment-logistics design is assessmentthat is, identifying the opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses that will influence overall performance and viability of the fulfillment strategy. During the assessment phase, a company must gather information on the com petitive environment across these strategic variables Effectiveness. What are customers priorities and how are they changing? How closely does the overall design address the stated and unstated requirements of customers?Consider credibly changes in buying patterns, potential competitors, long-run cost pressures, and new technologies. Value differentiation. Why do my customers buy from me? What makes my value proposition unique compared to the competition? Do customers appreciate the value in my offering and can this be leveraged into differentiated pricing strategies? The first step toward value differentiation is to map your customers entire experience with your product or service. Do this for each important customer segment. Capital intensity. Should we choose a capitalintensive, high fixed-cost strategy?Or a less capital-intensive, flexible strategy? The e-Commerce impact on working capital outlay differs from retailer to retailer. It depends on such factors as the existing logi stical infrastructure (dispersion of warehouses, existing product flow, etc. ), the Fall 1999 Effective fulfillment strategy is dynamic, using multiple channels simultaneously to reach important customers. Strategy E. Build-to-Order The customized build-to-order model is an emerging fulfillment center strategy that extends beyond the traditional framework and adopts an integrating or boundary-spanning perspective.Companies working to coordinate build-to-order fulfillment logistics strategies need to Synchronize and manage the entire flow of materials through a complex network of resources in their supply chains as opposed to simply managing inventory in warehouses. crop their attention to maximizing the throughput, rather than focus on controlling fixed costs. Alter the material flow upstream quickly and proactively as demand and product mix change, rather than react to changes in customer demand at the end of the process.A fundamental requirement of fulfillment logistics is the de dicated collaboration of all supply chain trading partners to eliminate the costs associated with inefficient movement of goods, redundant processes, and excess inventory. Effective collaboration not only ensures that the order flows through smoothly but also provides two crucial capabilities the ability to adapt to increasingly frequent changes in consumer tastes and e-Commerce technology and the ability to improve processes continuously.Designing the Right Fulfillment Strategy Design of the fulfillment strategy is central to the overall corporate strategy. It is becoming increasing66 Supply Chain Management Review nature of the products carried (for example, books Select the Fulfillment Strategy The second step in the design process is to select vs. produce), and the delivery demands of the an appropriate fulfillment strategy based on the findcustomer. Channel extendibility. Can the fulfillment design ings of the competitive assessment.Each fulfillment handle possible new product s and services and strategy brings its own strengths, weaknesses, and incorporate new forms of customer interaction? trade-offs. These center on such issues as investEstablished companies must remain committed to ment, effectiveness, cost efficiency, operational coma portfolio strategy of customer interaction. This plexity, channel extendibility and scalability, and is based on the belief that worthful synergies exist risks associated with the business alliances. Exhibit 2, among online, catalog, and specialty retailing.To which summarizes the key characteristics of the five cite one example, EXHIBIT 2 online order desks A Summary of Five Fulfillment Strategies with sophisticated Type of Distinctive Major Potential Management walk-up interfaces Fulfillment Characteristics Strengths Weakness Challenges Strategy can be located strategically in Distributed delivery Distributed Easy start-up Complex inventory Establishing sophisevery store so that centers Prompt delivery management tica ted inventoryoperation sites Operation in control.High inventory management sysSelf operated. shoppers can costs tem order products Unfamiliar with JIT inventory manand serve themwarehousing proce- agement. dures. selves. With an integrated portfo- Partner fulfillment Minimized up-front Service limited by Establishing orderDistributed lio strategy, estab- operations investment partnership routing system operation sites Less operational Low overall Maintaining stratePartner operated. ished companies responsibility efficiency gic alliance with can gain many Flexible delivery High inventory costs partners new online cusarrangement and inventory-man- Ensuring service Low shipping charge agement complexity. quality and reliability. tomers from the to customers. retail outlets. I n f r a s t r u c t u re Dedicated Avoids the higher High up-front Converting traditionCentralized inventory costs investment al warehousing to operation site scalability.Can the fulfillment centers Easy to manag e Decreased flexibility. consumer-direct fulSelf operated. design handle Fast delivery fillment multiple products Reduced long-term JIT inventory mancosts of operation. agement. and a high shipment volume? Physical distribu- Third-party fulfillLeast investment Few options Selecting the third Centralized No learning curve available party tion can be a ment centers (3PFs) operation site Third party No operational com- Risks in strategic Establishing intermajor logistical operated. lexity alliances organizational inforand administrative Limited changes to High operational mation systems with legacy systems charge. the 3PF. headache. Online Minimized operaretailers are findtional impacts. ing that having to Build-to-order Spans both Minimum inventory Over-customization Synchronizing entire adapt their existcentralized Pulling ensured Costs and resources flow of materials vs. ing infrastructure and distributed No stock inventory of integration. anaging inventory to handle small operation s. Controlled fulfillAltering material ment. flow upstream vs. shipments going customer demand to millions of condownstream. sumers can be time consuming, complex, and expensive. The challenge is to keep each and every fulfillment strategies, is a managerial guide for customer satisfied while protecting the bottom determining which strategy is right for a company at line from erosion resulting from waste, errors, and a given situation. inefficiencies.How well do the available distribu- Achieve Business-Process Synchronization Intercompany business-process synchronization, tion strategies help accomplish that key objective? Fall 1999 Supply Chain Management Review 67 ORDER FULFILLMENT in its purest form, gives rise to the virtual organization in which all trading companies work together as one competitive supply chain entitythe e-Supply chain. In the virtual organization, each trading company shares its information and resources, which results in better planning and more efficient pr oduct movement.In making business-process synchronization a reality, companies typically will encounter these challenges Design and Implement Cross-Application Integration Among the key objectives of intercompany collaboration are more sophisticated distribution services, such as frequent inventory replenishments, more customized packing of goods to reduce unpacking times, more creative packaging and labeling of goods to meet merchandising strategies, and more effective exchange of trading information in compliance with EDI standards.Achievement of these objectives demands an increased use of cross-application integration. Superior application integration in a supply chain is central to achieving superior fulfillment productivity and speed. An effective fulfillment-management system must have the ability to integrate with 1. Integrated enterprise applications. Included here are the ERP systems that integrate the inventory management, marketing, and financial functions. 2. Integrated interenterprise systems. These are the supply chain management systems for transportation, order management, warehouse management, and demand planning.For instance, FedEx has integrated its logistics and transportation capabilities with the SAP R/3 system. For R/3 users, the solution will simplify every related process step from order entry through shipment and tracking by tightly integrating with FedEx. For FedEx, this capability creates a competitive barrier that other carriers have to overcome. 3. Distribution center management and warehouse management systems. Included among these solutions are facility management systems. Efficient management of a distribution center operation now requires collecting information on customer orders, inbound shipments, products vailable on-site, storage locations, product weights and sizes, and outbound shipping data (including customer-specific shipping requirements, routing data, and carrier requirements). This information must be analyzed dyn amically to determine the most efficient use of the distribution centers labor, materials-handling equipment, and shipping and receiving areas. Todays information technology revolution does not merely support new order-fulfillment strategies, it creates them. Technology Challenge. Intercompany businessprocess synchronization requires sophisticated technology applications.It can be difficult, however, to identify those systems that truly support this initiative. The Data-Sharing Challenge. Supply chain systems not only need to sink with one another but also to integrate their business practice knowledge into each trading companys business logic. The companies must work quickly and painlessly to integrate their trading partners knowledge into their own business applications. The Adaptability Challenge. All the information in the world cannot help if trading companies dont have the flexibility to alter business processes as consumer demands change.In this regard, all trading companies face similar challenges. For instance, when UPS issues a rate update, thousands of customers must implement these changes by a specified date and time. Companies need to implement business systems that can be upgraded easily to move with the market. The Standardization and Compliance Challenge. When one major player in the supply chain decides to upgrade to a new technology or adopt a new technical functionality, the other players are challenged to synchronize accordingly.When there are thousands of touch points, or interface points, the challenge can become enormously complex. In a perfect world, all trading partners would migrate in unison to the latest technologies to realize the maximum benefit. But it is not likely that an entire supply chain can or will do this at once. Thus, it is important to focus on synchronizing business processes around these touch points and upgrading them as the market evolves. 68 Supply Chain Management Review performing in Unison for the Consumer Or der fulfillment and replenishment is a core business process. What makes onsumer-direct eCommerce compelling to customers is not just the online shopping experience but on-time delivery, fewer fulfillment errors, extra service, and convenience. These are the things that customers value. When companies fall short in responding to those values, they risk alienating or losing customers as a result. Fall 1999 ORDER FULFILLMENT some(prenominal) potential e-Commerce participants have underestimated the difficulty and importance of the fulfillment side of this market arena. They see fulfillment and distribution logistics as peripheral to their competitive strategy.Companies need to issue that such benign neglect is risky and wastes opportunities for competitive advantage. In response to pressures from powerful market trends and technological changes, they must inspect past practices, channel commitments, and vendor relationships vigorously. Effective fulfillment strategy is dynamic, usin g multiple channels simultaneously to reach important customers. Todays information technology revolution does not merely support new fulfillment strategies, it creates them. Consumers interface with technology fooling, raising the bar on what is expected on the fulfillment side.Meeting these rising expectations requires a certain shift in fulfillment strategies and a technological infrastructure that ties together every aspect of the consumer-direct fulfillment chain. Interenterprise business-process synchronization is a key to success in this emerging real-time marketplace. Deep information exchange among supply chain partners brings opportunities to develop interenterprise strategies that become new sources of competitive advantage. Information integration allows companies to monitor daily trends, market conditions, product acquisitions, and planning functions.To achieve operational integration, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers must exchange information effectively w ith other supply chain participants at key interface touch points. Importantly, this includes providing real-time information to customers so they know the status of their order at any given moment. When all trading partnersincluding raw-material suppliersperform all of the key supply activities in unison, they can make inventory decisions that lead to dramatically improved results.They can then share the rewards of producing the correct amount of the product, thereby sour the cost of overproduction. Business-process synchronization also enables partners to respond quickly and easily to unplanned consumer demand for items or for personalized and enhanced productsthe kinds of things todays Internet shoppers desire. The companies that employ business-process synchronization in the development of their consumerdirect order-fulfillment strategy will fulfill these consumer desires and emerge as the big winners in the Internet economy.Authors Note Used as a reference for this article wa s a White Paper by Alan Dabbiere of Manhattan Associates titled Business Process and Supply Chain Synchronization Achieving Supply Chain Excellence Through Technology. Footnote 1 Companies providing early versions of advanced planning capability include SAPs Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) engine, i2Technologies, Manugistics, and Logility. to a greater extent sophisticated systems that integrate production planning and transportation planning are under development. 70 Supply Chain Management Review Fall 1999

God Is love Essay

Love is the air. We breathe this air and so it is in us to bonk. estimable like the involuntary need to breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide we need to love and be loved. It is near impossible to cut back that the presence or absence of love in someones life as it plays a magnificent role in all things regarding that person. god has created us diligently and therefore he has by default bestowed upon us his greatness his loving temper. We are born with the ability to receive love, reciprocate it and the truthful deep desire to do both. matinee idol made us to love and I mean two things when I say that.Firstly, we were made to comprehend the love God has for us. He wants us to feel the love he feels towards each and every one of us which explains our senses. We can see the darkness, hear the depression, feel the disconnect, olfactory sensation the rotting and taste the bitterness of a love deprived place. God made us to love us and so it only makes sense we attempt t o serve our purpose. We are not here on earth to serve him as he does not require anything to continue to be himself. The beautiful whirl of humans the way our minds work with our hearts allows us to receive love and control it. For example your mom wakes up early every morning to let you a kiss before you go to school and you take that kiss as her love. In the same way, everything you puzzle been blessed with you can see and understand that it is Gods love. When we understand that we are truly loved, reciprocating becomes easy.Secondly, it is in our nature to reciprocate love. A simple example of how I believe reciprocation is nature someone helps us with your homework we will most likely help them with theirs if they ask. Couples consist of two people the love each other, meaning reciprocation is hazard and that is the case for almost all couples. Now in regards to the Almighty, he made us to bless us, to love us. We often assume that we were created to serve, love, and worsh ip him.These are inviolable and holy actions, but they are just the responses to Gods initiating act of love. He does not need anything we have to offer. A lot of us do feel this strong desire to love God back. It is evident in a lot of the things we do religion class, going to church, being grateful, understanding the idiom put on helping others and abiding by his rules even though we may not understand the reasons behind each. When we are aware someone loves us we cannot help but feel the need to love them back.Finally, beyond the fact that love is such a natural thing and the fact that it is something we do without more thought it is something we personally desire to do. The importance of love in life is beyond the logic of give and take. I can say everyone I have come across is on the pursuit of happiness everyone desires to feel good regardless. Something we know, even if it is knowledge buried deep inside, is that love is blissful. We meet that bliss in our mothers arms, in our fathers words and in our lovers touch. The feeling of loneliness bugs each and every one of us at some point and we realize it is not a way we enjoy feeling.Loneliness sometimes does not leave us alone even while we are with others, however love is something that keeps us bon ton even when we are alone. A lot of us have this void within we spend our lives trying to fill. Quite like the Prince who ran around with Cinderellas render slipper searching for the one who fits it perfect. Love fills our voids perfectly. We can take love, we can give it back and the essence of life is the craving to do so. God is everywhere, God is love and so love is the air. If you can breathe you can love and if you need to breathe you need to love.

Oh, What a Lovely Pair!

Another drop of sweat dropped down my forehead and rancid the end of my prize as my eyes moved vigorously shadower my dark shades. Oh what a lovely checkmate I purpose to myself, however I seemed to have thought out loud rather than to myself. My curious wife, who was lying on her solarize bed next to me queried A lovely duet of what?A lovely pair of sunglasses, they are great at hang ining out the glare. I was devilting rather bo inflamed on his sunbathing outing to the beach, so I heady to operate some money out of the wifes purse and head up towards the main town, w present I could have a beverage and possibly a poste to eat. To get up towards the bars and restaurants I had to cross over a main and very busy road, there were always mopeds rushing by, not even liberal you the slightest of chances to cross over. Even though there are plenty of zebra crossings throughout the resorts roads, I think that the locals just assume that the black and white stripes crossways th e street are a nice decoration.Finally I managed to get to the other side of the mad obstacle. It would have been a best twenty-minute stroll up past some tacky old souvenir shops until I reached the exciting part of the holiday resort.Another drop of sweat dropped down my forehead and off the end of my pry as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. Oh what a lovely pairIll have to get hold of them. I thought to myself while porting in a shoe shop, at the young lady on the till. Unfortunately, I must have thought a little on the loud side. An elderly lady, who was stood behind my asked A lovely pair of what?So I replied, A lovely pair of moccasins, Im sure they would keep out the rain, and not rub your feet the first time you wear themI continued with my trip, from the shops to the main shopping centre of the holiday resort. There were lots of fit out and designer gear in these shops they were the upper class stores of the Spanish town. I fancied a rising pair of trouse rs as the ones that I was wearing were a little on the small side and were beginning to go a little on the shiny side, a bit like the tradition of schoolboys trousers, presently and shiny.I started to browse each designer store, on my search for a unused pair of nice looking trousers, within my tight price cuckold of course. I certainly could not afford any of the clothes in these upper class shops I come from a lower class plate back home in England. I thought to myself, I cant be dreaming about these clothes, Ive got to look for a respectful charity shop such(prenominal) as Oxfam or even Scope. But then I realised that we are in Spain here, not England. I was sure that in this foreign rural area they wouldnt know what I was on about if I asked directions for a charity shopI decided that it would be a well-grounded idea to pee-pee the local bookshop a small visit to purchase a Spanish boldness book. So I headed towards the book shop, that wasnt too far international from where I was, just a couple of hundred yards away from the designer shops in this shopping mall.I arrived at the shop and noticed that it was closed for lunch, but it reopened within five minutes. So I went to buy a sandwich from across the way. I sat down on a relatively new bench that was situated right outside of the bookshop, munching away at the sandwich. I came across quite a few grizzly and rather chewy bits of ham, they were fall straight out. By the time I had finished eating what could have been eaten of the sandwich, the bookshop was open. I entered the shop and asked the sales assistant whether he sold phrase books. He spoke perfect English, so this task was not too much trouble for me at all. I followed the man to what seemed like an educational incision of the shop. He picked up a phrase book off the shelf and gave it to me to have a look. I decided to buy the book I remunerative in cash.I exited the posh shopping mall and headed up towards the small, tacky old souv enir shops. I took the same route as former on. I came across a young man, who looked well educated he was in a business suit with a lovely pair of trousers on. I was spill to ask him where he bought his trousers, but then noticed what a silly thing that would be. I could have asked him where the nearest charity shop was, but he would have thought that I was a scruff or something, in the end I decided to just ask the man for the time.I was onerous to pick someone out of the passing crowd who was normal looking, and not an over-paid businessman. After a good five minutes of searching I decided to approach an old lady, she was wearing some old and tatty clothes, to be honest, they looked as though they were bought from some kind of charity shop or automobile boot sale. So I caught eye contact with the lady and asked, Hay una tienda caridad por aqui? Which in English means, is there a charity shop around here?The lady replied, Si, esta a la derecha which means, Yes, its on the righ t.So I looked to my right and there it was, a small charity shop, not up to as good as a standard as the ones home in England, but it still sold the same type of goods and proceedings went to a charity in the local area. As it was very hot outside, I dedicated myself to purchasing a pair of Hawaiian shorts rather than a nice pair of trousers. I tried them on in the fitting room, they were slightly loose and baggy, but this didnt some(prenominal)er me as I had heard my nephew talking about how good it is to have baggy shorts, I thought that these would pull the girls and would be a cool fashion accessory.I walked over, in a cool way to the promise I looked in the mirror and said to myself Wow baby, you look sexy in those I pointed to the phrase in my phrase book that translated to How much? and I was pretty much surprised at the cheapness of the garment, 250 pesetas, that is around 1 in English money. I handed over the money and the lady gave me a used plastic bag to put my old tro users in. I exited the shop.As I started to walk up towards the bars and restaurants, in my cool stroll, I got the tactual sensation that people were pointing and laughing at me. I soon realised that there was one huge draft coming in from the rear end of my new shorts, there was a great big hole in the back of them. No wonder they were so cheapI started to go excessively red in the cheeks, I felt like curling up into a small ball and going into none-existence. Looking for a public toilet, the draft was turn increasingly gusty. I found a nice little local caf, so I thought that I would give the toilet a bit of custom, while I made a quick change of pants. The bar was full of locals they greeted me in a warm fashion, until I walked past them, towards the toilet. The whole key just burst out with laughter. Not pleased with the fact that people could humiliate me in such a way, I locked the door behind me and got changed as soon as possible.Another drop of sweat dripped down my fore head and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. Oh what a lovely pair I celebrated at the top of my voice. I had learnt my lesson the hard way, Dont buy items from foreign charity shops ever, ever again, at least if you dont want to be ripped off.I ran out of the local caf and headed towards some English bars. I ordered a large Scotch.After my session in the bar, I flagged down a taxi from the main road and took a ride back to the beach. There was my angry wife, she had the properties of a raging bull, and some Germans had stolen our sun beds by draping their towels over them while she was bathing. Where have you been? Ive been worried out of my mind. My curious, hag of a wife asked.So I looked at her with a frustrated expression on my face. I produced the dodgy pair of shorts from the used plastic bag that the lady in the shop had given to me. My wife asked, What is wrong with those? They look fine to me.What? I asked furiously. These shorts have me more bother in the last couple of hours than you have since our marriage, it is unbelievable.My wife still couldnt see the slight imperfection in the garment, so I decided to point it out to her. Now do you see what is wrong with them?The look on her face was outstanding, I wish I had my two for the price of one disposable camera with me it would have made a great picture for her fiftieth birthday in the local newspaper. We both laughed together, she still brings that point up now, twenty years on.I should never have stayed with this woman I should have approached the babe on the beach earlier on, or even the stunner in the shoe shop for that matterAnother drop of sweat dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades

The Qualities of a Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

In The Qualities of a Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli discusses the attributes that he believes make for a good leader. Although Machiavelli wrote The Qualities of a Prince centuries ago, some of the qualities he advises a prince to have can be adapted to the leaders of today. Some of these qualities include be generous and being feared by the ordinary. Machiavelli claims that if liberality is used in such a manner as to give you a reputation for it will harm you. Today, this advice is completely useless.Pope Francis of the Catholic Church is a prime example of how being generous is, in fact, a good quality of a leader. Recently, the pope has been venturing out of the Vatican at night to help the unsettled men and women. Due to his generosity, people have grown fonder of Pope Francis, making him a better leader with loyal followers. Pope Francis breaks bread with the homeless and sits with them to put down them that they are loved. These generous acts make him more of a lovable lea der, and show the people of the Catholic Church that they are in good hands.Machiavelli also states that it is a lot safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking. This advice, on the other hand, is reliable today. A recent leader who is feared by the public is Kim Jong-Il of North Korea. Kim Jong-Il is known for being a totalitarian dictator, giving his people little to no political rights or civil liberties. He has also pressure women into marriage, mandated abortions, tortured his people, executed citizens publicly, and used forced labor in prison camps.The fear of Kim Jong-Il and his incredibly strict and derogatory regulations allowed him to rule over North Korea without being assassinated by his people. Kim Jong-Il proves that being feared can be more impelling than being loved by the people. Today, there must be an equal eternal rest between generosity and being feared. Pope Francis and Kim Jong-Il prove that both tactics are effective in leadin g, but the situations in which they are effective vary. Therefore, Machiavelli was comprise in that being feared is a quality of a good leader, but was mistaken in believing that being generous did not make for an effective leader.

Project Proposal for Cms

Project Proposal for Contact Management System Login Screen for the application program Looks like this pic On a network,access to databases is dependent upon the number of Users with User IDs and protected passwords. With the MULTI-USER DATABASE, design data is no longer scattered across the tight disks and laptops of every engineer. It stoogenot be misplaced, lost or corrupted. In short, design data can be secured and managed like a valuable corporate asset. Contacts biographical learning can be stored using this screens like this by quick pick popup selections for example pic pic Multiple Data entry optionWhile you are modifying a contact record, other users on the network will not be able to make changes while you are in the process of changing the record. This kernel that you have the record locked. Once you save your changes then the record is unlocked and others can make changes again. Mail-merge features pic If you elect to do so, you may choose from one of the netmail templates available by choosing the Template key. or you should type the email message to be sent. The bill addresses are used when creating letters, envelopes, and mailing labels. The address formats area can be customized to appear the way you wish.You must have Supervisor status to set up these options. These options are extremely important, as they affect solely databases and all users and anything that uses the mailing address mail merge code MailAddr. Setting a default address format will enable you to have consistent mailing addresses among contacts. Label printing pic pic pic pic pic pic Data import and export options Importing is the process of bringing contact records into a database from an existing electronic file. This file can be from a specialized purchased mailing list, a CD ROM collection, a company database, and many other sources.The file to import must be in ASCII (comma delimited or one field per line), dBase, or Paradox format. pic Exporting is the process o f copying contact data into a file that can be used in another application. Information is exported to one of the following file formats ASCII comma delimited, ASCII tab delimited, Dbase, and WordPerfect Secondary mail merge format. When export files are created they stockpile only biographical fields and user fields, such as numeric, money, date fields, the categories, and the fields on the summary tab such as who last changed a record.An export file does not contain contact notes, history, or events. To export this type of information to be able to use on another figurer with Contact pic pic Various reports with selection criteria and sort sequence pic The Design Button in the following screen will lets you go to the report editor and yield you to arrange the fields according to the preferences. generated reports pic Generated reports are like pic pic Database Design was done Using PARADOX tables in Delphi. The Screen shots are done using Delphi6. pic pic

Occupational Medicine Essay

Asbestos is a mineral that is crystalline in nature and that has high degrees of durability, flexibility and resistance to wearing away by chemicals and heat. Asbestos is commonly apply for reservation building materials for example floor tiles, ceilings, asbestos cement products, fireproofing material and insulant products, gaskets, coatings, textile products and automotive brakes. Shipbuilders use asbestos for insulation of hot water pipes, steam pipes and boilers. Globally, the incidence of infirmity cerebrate to asbestos is expected to top around 30 to 40 years following the period when in that respect was peak usage (CDC, 2003).Many of the long-sufferings who have lung disease think to asbestos have a muniment of movie, often this history is strong but there argon occasions when signifi bungholet disease occurs in patients who have had marginal exposure and sometimes eve with unknown exposure (Oreilly et al, 2007). Asbestos fibres are often expelled after an individ ual has swallowed or inhaled them, however not all the fibres are expelled. nigh are left in the lungs and remain lodged there permanently. Upon accumulation they get to scarring of lung tissue and inflammation too.This then firmnesss in lung disease which affects breathing and air supplant (Solicitor advice, 2007). When inhaled, asbestos fibres leads to a variety of conditions, among these being lung cancer, pleural plaques, asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma and benign pleural effusion among others. Patients inaugurate with these conditions cogitate to asbestos exposure long after they have been exposed. The latent period from the time of exposure to the manifestation of the clinical disease is very long. Initially the signs and symptoms are not specific and therefore occupational history becomes a good guide to suspicions that the clinician may have.Risk factors for phylogeny of lung disease related to asbestos admit exposure to asbestos much(prenominal)(prenominal) as i n occupations like construction workers, shipyard workers, boilermakers and rail road workers. Minimizing and avoiding further exposure are master(prenominal) in reducing further damage when one has been diagnosed with the asbestos related disease. Patients who smoke have an notwithstanding higher(prenominal) venture of developing these conditions making cessation of smoking an essential factor in reducing find (Oreilly, McLaughlin and Beckett, 2007).The risk increases with the duration of smoking, therefore it is necessary to stop smoking and alike avoid second make it smoke through passive smoking. Smokers who have been exposed to asbestos have a greater predisposition to development of lung cancer than those exposed to asbestos who are non-smokers. For a long time Australia has lagged behind other countries such as the UK and the USA in terms of regulation and legislation concerning asbestos related disease and workers compensation.This was the subject area e circumscribed ly in the I970s when the there were few common law deals by victims of asbestos related lung disease even in situations where the conditions resulted from negligence by the asbestos industries (Formato and Gordon, 2007). This was despite the fact that there was a considerable increase in the number of people suffering from mesotheliomas among those working in Wittenoom for ABA Limited, a company that mined and milled asbestos. Some of the obstacles facing the claimants were overwhelming and it is highly probable that the Statute of Limitations was a barring factor for most of these claims.In addition getting hold of company information was also very difficult and often the incorporated end withheld information from the claimants and their legal advisers. Presently, Postal, Defence and Telecommunications employees and other government employees are covered by a no fault benefit scheme referred to as Comcare Australia. The entitlements chthonian this scheme are such that the employ ee is infallible to choose between compensation entitlements chthonic the Common Law Damages or under the Comcare Act. angiotensin-converting enzyme of the most real barriers under the Comcare Act is the complexity of the legislative framework.Not until the government agency has certain the claim for purposes of determination and then reconsideration can one get into a court or a tribunal (Formato and Gordon, 2007). The laws for compensation show some variance from one State to another. In a general sense, however compensation claims can be make under common law for a variety of reasons. These include, medical (these include expenses for hospitalization and treatment) and pharmaceutical expenses for the past and the future, for pain and suffering and for loss of the electrical capacity to earn an income as well as for loss of income (Solicitor advice, 2007).The courts also award compensation for other things such as domestic assistance costs for the future and the past as well as alter for loss of life expectancy (Solicitor advice, 2007). When making a claim for remediation it is best to make the claim as early as possible upon diagnosis of the condition. This helps one to avoid the barriers that come with the principle of limitations on period. For latent conditions such as those related to asbestos, the period may be extended but even then it is best to act soon. For a long time in Western Australia, victims of asbestos related disease could only hope to receive workers compensation entitlements.This is because though claims for common law damages were available the tendency was that they were not pursued. The common law claims were faced with the rather harsh and extreme statute of limitations period. It had no provisions for extension beyond six years. There have however been amendments that were introduced which have made it a little less difficult to make claims for diseases related to asbestos. There have however been restrictions on common law claims seeking damages for negligence amongst employers. This was previously unrestricted for all employees not sightly victims of asbestos related disease.In New South Wales, the compensation scheme for workers is Workcover NSW. The Dust Diseases Board is where Dust Diseases workers can make their claims. A superfluousist tribunal for dust diseases was set up to hear claims for asbestos related disease. Amendments were by and by made that did away with the statute of limitations in issues of dust disease. Other amendments included legislation on survivorship where in case a victim passes on before a claim is resolved, the damages are authorise to his/her family (Formato and Gordon, 2007).In all the other states (Victoria, South Australia and Queensland) each state has its own act for workers compensation and provisions for limitations. For instance Victoria allows for trial by jury in claims for damages under common law. It has also followed the New South Wales in legislation on survivorship. Only Western Australia has its special court for claims for asbestos related disease. However, there are processes that have evolved for the purpose of fast tracking those claims that are urgent. In determining the risk posed by exposure a history of environmental and occupational exposure is necessary.Some of the issues that need to be established include the specific occupation, how long the person worked at the equivalent occupation and how much (intensity) exposure there was, an example here would be whether the dust was visible(a) or not. Significant exposure is defined as a minimum of several months of exposure to exposure to visible dust that started ten years before (Wagner, 1997). Physical assessment of the patient to determine exposure to asbestos includes a history of occupation and physical signs and symptoms of disease as well as laboratory investigation of the titty by x-ray or CT run down.In this clients case the history for significant exposure h as already been established by the fact that he worked in mining and mixing of asbestos for a period of five years. In addition another identified risk factor is the fact that he used to smoke where he increased his susceptibility to asbestos related lung disease. History also includes the patients reports of exertional dyspnea, Assessment also includes breast spirometry to determine lung function and how much lung function may have been compromised by the condition.Any anomalous results in chest spirometry are followed by pulmonary function tests which involve measuring lung volumes and diffusion capacity. These are also performed in those patients found to have abnormal findings on imaging. Assessment will begin with a head to toe assessment of the client. This will involve checking for signs of poor tissue perfusion as a result of inadequate oxygen uptake by the tissues when lung function of ventilation and air exchange has been compromised. Some of these include finger clubbin g and bluish lips.Other symptoms that the patient may report include shortness of breath, intimacy around the chest, pain in the chest, dry crackling sounds when breathing in, a cough that is productive and refractory and loss of appetite. These presenting symptoms are however non-specific and generally indicate pathology of the respiratory system. Consequently other methods are used to determine asbestos exposure. Signs of exposure to asbestos include formation of plaque, changes in the pleura of the lungs (thickening) and collection of fluid around the lungs (Betterhealth, 2007).Bodies of asbestos can be identified by a use of a staining technique using a special iron. This confirms actual exposure to asbestos. Formation of pleural plaques is one of the most common responses of the respiratory system to asbestos divine guidance with plaques occurring in up to fifty per penny of people exposed to asbestos. They are consequently used as a measure of exposure to asbestos (Boffetta , 2004). These plaques may sometimes not be visible on chest radiography and this leads to the requirement for high resolution CT-scans which have the capacity to identify up to fifty per cent of the plaques that will be found on autopsy.CT scans are commonly used when there is symptomatic uncertainty or for the purpose of making confirmatory tests (Boffetta, 2004). The plaques developed from exposure to asbestos characteristically occur on the lateral walls of the chest and sometimes may occur on the domes of the diaphragm. This causes lung expansion to be impaired making air entry difficult and may account for the chest tightness and chest pain. A computed tomographic scan of the chest helps to demonstrate further the remodelling that may occur as a result of lung tissue destruction. This leads to a decrease in the exchange of oxygen.To diagnose carcinoma of the bronchus a surgical biopsy is required which is done under anaesthesia. From this metastatic cells can be detected. Othe r methods that can be sued include bronchoscopy, mediastinoscopy and CT scan. This will military service as a confirmatory test for the signs and symptoms which may have been reported by the patient which include, unexplained weight loss, breathlessness, bronchitis that is recurrent, chest pain, blood streaked phlegm, recurrent chest infections or pneumonia and a persistent or changed cough or wheeze (Betterhealth, 2007).The detection of asbestos in the lungs of this patient is important because it means that then the cause of his lung carcinoma can be associated with asbestos and not only cigarette smoking since some of his symptoms are indicative of asbestos exposure. mensuration of the plaques will also assist in proving this link even further since most plaques are an trace of asbestosis-related disease. Clinically, lung cancers associated with asbestos and smoking alone are generally indistinguishable but the risk for lung cancer is increased in smokers (Liddell, 2001).Asbes tos and cigarette smoke have an effect of synergism in the causation of lung cancer and in the patient s case his accumulated pack years of cigarette smoking led to the increased risk for asbestos related disease (Hodgson and Darnton, 2006). In lodging his claim for damages the patient will have to present information on treatment that he has undergone as well as the results for all diagnostic tests related to the condition. This will help to make his case stronger as they will provide an indication of the costs of treatment, medicament and also the effect of losing means of earning an income to his life and that of his family.