The characteristics of customer relationship management in Apple Essay

The qualities of client relationship the board in Apple Company - Essay Example CRM is viewed as the utilization of innovation, yet additionally a technique to study clients' needs and practices so as to create more grounded associations with them (Yu, 2009). Accordingly, it is to a greater degree a business reasoning than a specialized answer for help with managing clients successfully and effectively. By the by, fruitful CRM depends on the utilization of innovation. In such manner, Shanmugasundaram (2008) has noticed that so far as the innovative design of CRM is concerned, it is comprehensively ordered into 3 kinds which are as per the following: Operational Analytical Collaborative Also, Bergeron (2002) has been of the assessment that CRM is an innovation; and that it is fundamentally a procedure that encourages firms to make â€Å"consistent, repeatable and quantifiable results†. In this manner the plain dependence of CRM on innovation is encouraged through the different researchers who have noticed how much innovation is a facilitator in CRM. Shanmu gasundaram (2008) has been of the assessment that there are different average highlights of any great CRM program. CRM is essentially connected to the corporate level methodology of the association and imagines the foundation just as the support of durable connections among the clients and the firm. In any case, it is consistently hard to execute a fruitful CRM methodology. Bergeron (2008) has expressed that plainly mechanically dependent CRM strategies may not generally end up being electronically doable. The creator further notes that different mechanical issues just as different issues emerge while executing an in any case sound CRM strategy plan on paper enthusiastically. Besides, among the other serious issues that emerge is that the firm might not have a significant level of innovative aptitude and the absence of such mechanical mastery may result in the firm’s redistributing of the CRM execution parts. This thus makes the significant information of the firm powerless t o the expected danger of the information falling in the possession of untouchables also. Additionally, Bergeron (2002) states that innovation is an indispensable piece of the general CRM process. In such manner, once more, security and protection can posture to be issues that may end up being difficult to sift through during the usage stage. Most definitely, it is viewed as the computerization of on a level plane incorporated business forms including front office client contact focuses by means of different, interconnected conveyance channels (Peelen, 2003). Consequently the domain of CRM spreads across different significant elements of systematic promoting, deals, administration just as help. Given the span of CRM or so far as that is concerned the most recent idea of utilizing CRM from a key perspective, it turns out to be critical to guarantee that legitimate consideration is taken so as to guarantee appropriate arranging also usage of CRM approaches inside the association. With regards to the current examination, it is basic that the firm viable has in reality left a permanent imprint as of late given the practices in retail promoting versus client relationship the executives. Hence the investigation visualizes diving profound into the zone of client relationship the board when all is said in done and that of the Apple organization specifically so as to concoct bits of knowledge just as discoveries with respect to the

The Place of Strategic Dialogue in Collaborative Learning :: Peer Tutoring Tutor Tutors Essays

The Place of Strategic Dialog in Collaborative Learning The instructional exercise cooperation recorded as a hard copy communities gives starting essayists a basic component not found in different kinds of understudy assistant collaboration. Not at all like the standard colloquium that happens in many study halls, mentoring offers a one-on-one setting whereby an understudy can straightforwardly talk with, examine, and go to an accomplished friend for help with however many strides of the creative cycle as would be prudent. This exceptional setting offers an opportunity for guides to address students’ singular needs utilizing vital discourse. Kenneth A. Bruffee discusses the significant features distributed exchange brings to the instructional exercise setting. In his paper, Peer Tutoring and the ‘Conversation of Mankind,’ he talks about discussion and its place inside the setting of â€Å"collaborative learning.† Bruffee contends that â€Å"thought and composing are unique ancient rarities grounded in discussion. Accordingly, both are encouraged by training that stresses conversational trade among peers† (Intro, 3). He accepts that idea starts in discussion. When all is said in done, discussion is a social antiquity that can be disguised to support thought. Bruffee values peer coaching such a great amount of in light of the fact that, as he stated, it gives a social setting where understudies can understanding and practice the sorts of discussion that scholastics most value† (7). The exchange that happens among coach and understudy encourages this sort of intriguing discussion. The cooper ation is exceptional on the grounds that it gives a novel setting whereby â€Å"status approaches, or peers† (Bruffee, 8) can talk about issues that are intently at the core of the creative cycle. Emily Meyer and Louise Z. Smith, journalists of The Practical Tutor, concur with Bruffee on the exceptional commitment distributed mentoring awards to the way toward composing. In their section called ‘Engaging in Dialogue,’ Meyer and Smith support Bruffee when they state, the instructional exercise meeting is a perfect arrangement for such incitement since it is really dialogical† (28). This viewpoint is remarkable in two different ways in that first, it gives the essential one-on-one segment that starting essayists don’t get when they sit in class among a few other unpracticed authors. Second and progressively significant, the discourse that happens among guide and tutee invigorates felt that is begun in discussion. As indicated by Bruffee, â€Å"The sort of discussion peer mentors take part in with their tutees can be sincerely included, mentally and meaningfully engaged, and by and by unbiased (7). Discussion, in this sense, turns into a perfect route b y which unpracticed essayists can let out their musings, sentiments, and emotions on a given point.

More About Reading

More About Reading I was planning an another entry on the reading process, and since many pertinent questions were asked in the last entry, I figured Id base this entry on those questions (a formal Questions Omnibus will follow in a few days). Sendie asked, Hrm how many apps do you usually evaluate per day? It depends on the reader. In our process, the more experienced admissions officers generally read an application in 20-25 minutes (remember, were professionals); newer readers might take 30-45 minutes to fully evaluate and summarize a folder. Were expected to read applications at least 4 full days each week (including weekends), in addition to the other non-reading work were responsible for. Sirius asked, How many early actions are you expecting? Its still unclear exactly how things will shake out, but I expect well be up slightly from last years ~2800. Ill post an official number when I can. Oren asked, Im assuming you start with the applications that have had all the components processed already, right? We evaluate the applications on a rolling basis: that is to say, yes, we start with the applications that are complete. As each new application becomes complete, it goes to the staff to be read. For applications that are still missing, say, a teacher evaluation, well wait a bit longer and read the folder when it becomes complete (we know you cant help this, so it is not held against you). It does not matter on what date your application is read; all applications are read in the same way with the same guidelines. Ultimately, we do not admit anyone until all of the applications have been evaluated. That will happen during Selection in early December; stay tuned. Mike asked, Is each admission officer assigned applications from a certain geographical region? Or are they random? I mean, will officer A only read applications from Texas, and officer B only from California? Unlike many schools, MIT is not regionalized in its admissions process. Each applicant is evaluated individually, within their own context (which does include geography, among other things). We do not admit by state, or region, or city, or high school. We admit individual students in an individualized process. Ej wrote, I love it that iTunes is playing in the background [of the stack of applications]. I need my music. Some readers need absolute quiet when evaluating folders; I need some good tunes. Let me tell you what I was listening to today so, this morning, I went with some friends for dim sum at China Pearl in Chinatown, and afterwards I spied a CD store that was having an amazing going-out-of-business sale. On Erics recommendation, I picked up albums by S.H.E and Jay Chou. In total, I picked up 4 of their CDs for only $10! Afterwards, I returned to the office with a full stomach and proceeded to work on applications for most of the rest of the day, listening to my new music. Tomorrow? I dont know yet And Sirius asked, Would you detail your process and include us into the adventure too? :) Thats what the blogs are for! More soon

The Protestant Reformation - 912 Words

The Protestant Reformation particularly was the 16th century religious, political, scholarly and very definitely social change that separated Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and convictions that would for the most part essentially characterize the landmass in the cutting edge time in a subtle way in a subtle way. In northern and focal Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII tested ecclesiastical power and scrutinized the Catholic Church s capacity to actually essentially characterize Christian practice, which definitely definitely is quite significant, particularly contrary to popular belief. They particularly contended for a kind of general basically religious and political redistribution of force under the control of Bible-and flyer perusing ministers and sovereigns, which really is fairly significant in a fairly major way. The disturbance activated wars, oppressions and the alleged Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church s postponed yet intense reaction to the Protestants.The Protestant Reformation changed basically basically many things like for all intents and purposes generally religious freedom and the separation of church and state, or so they definitely thought. The first for all intents and purposes definitely major impact on our basically very modern society that actually was created by the reformers kind of for all intents and purposes is really fairly religious freedom.The definition of generally really religiousShow MoreRelatedThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesThe Protestant Reformation Why the Protestant Reformation is considered a significant development in the Christian Church. The Protestant Reformation was an event which occurred within the Catholic Church during the 16th century. This Reformation was prompted by Martin Luther’s ‘95 theses’ which were a list of 95 criticisms towards the church. The Reformation formed another branch of Christianity called Protestantism which is comprised of many different Christian denominations including AnglicanRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation871 Words   |  4 PagesThe Protestant Reformation was a pivotal time of European history that occurred during the 16th century. The Protestant Reformation was comprised of people called â€Å"reformers† that challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to define Christian practice (â€Å"The Reformation†). The Protestant Reformation was revolutionary due to the fact that the reformers preached against everything the Catholic Church had been teaching. Some famous reformers are John Calvin an d Martin LutherRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation916 Words   |  4 PagesThe Protestant Reformation took place in the 16th century and was a major European movement whose goal was to reform the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. This movement led to people worshipping God as they wanted and no longer relying on the Catholic Church for guidance with religious matters. Even though people were doing what they believed, the Protestant Reformation brought many conflicts. Religious disagreements caused bloody conflicts all over Europe. The principal figureRead MoreThe Reformation Of The Protestant Reformation798 Words   |  4 Pagesyour way to heaven sounds nice does it not? During the time period of the Protestant Reformation you were able to do just that. When most people think of the Protestant Reformation it is often associated with a time of crisis for the Catholic Church. This specific time period challenges and characterizes the new directi on that would be taken in Western Europe. A specific moment in the beginning of the Protestant Reformation would soon lead to the development of early modern Europe, that moment wasRead MoreThe Reformation And The Protestant Reformation876 Words   |  4 Pages The 16th century reformation is also known as the Protestant reformation. There are a various number of causes for the Protestant reformation. The causes of the reformation will be analyzed from two different perspectives: Germany s causes and Europe s causes. The results of reformation will be examined. Major contributors such as Martin Luther and John Calvin s perspectives and contributions will also be analyzed and the impact they had during their time period.  People in Europe during theRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation1619 Words   |  7 Pagesany better when multiple wars are started because of a disagreement in how to worship. The Protestant Reformation was a widespread epidemic that started with Martin Luther noticing severe problems in the way the Roman Catholic Church was running, and that there were simple and more holy methods and worshipping God, leading to the creation of Lutheranism. There was an uproar in Germany over this new reformation, and it caught the attention of John Calvin who then strove to create Calvinism with theRead MoreProtestant Reformation And The Reformation1727 Words   |  7 PagesHI 101 Essay 3 Zhenli Xu Protestant Reformation Protestant Reformation is admittedly one of the most important schisms in the history of Christianity. It started with Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Catholic Church in Germany in 1517, and ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The Reformation was a religious movement triggered by the rise of humanism during the Renaissance and the general corruption of the Roman Catholic Church that eventually led to theRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation971 Words   |  4 PagesCatholic Church: the English Reformation. The English Reformation wasn’t the only movement that led to the separation from the Catholic Church, though. The Protestant Reformation, starting only ten years before the English Reformation did, first recognized the corruption of the Catholic Church. The English Reformation noticed the corruptions of the Catholic Church, but was more focused on creating new political and religious authority. Both of these refo rmations relate to one another greatlyRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation Essay1978 Words   |  8 PagesFrom the time Christianity began to the time of the Protestant Reformation, for about a millennium and a half, there was only one sect of Christianity: Catholicism. After the Protestant Reformation, however, different Christian denominations sprang up in many parts of Europe. The Protestant Reformation’s beginning is most commonly associated with Martin Luther’s beliefs and his protest of the wrongdoings of the Catholic Church. Before the Reformation, the Catholic Church was more interested in raisingRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation Essay1879 Words   |  8 PagesThe Protestant Reformation was the time in the 16th century when the Roman Catholic Church, which had dominated Europe for over a thousand years, split into new factions of Christianity. There were a number of political, social and religious causes for the reform ation. It was because of the ideals of significant figures such as Martin Luther that these protests were successful and led to major changes. Before the Protestant Reformation, almost all Christians in Europe were roman catholic. The roman

Analysis Of The Health Care Industry - 1088 Words

The health care industry has the highest percentage of occupational hazards of any workforce industry (SIC division structure, 2015). To control these numbers, several state and federal agencies were established to regulate risks to health and personal safety. (OSHA) is one such agency was established to cover all workforce industries, including health services and insurance. The regulatory authority of OSHA is ranged to cover many types of occupational hazards and hazard communication. OSHA procedures are intended to be carried out quickly and decisively in order to ensure and maintain the safest possible working environment and to expose and halt any activities which cause risk. OSHA established in 1970, monitor safety workers and the†¦show more content†¦In addition to the medical professionals healthcare facilities often employ a variety of employees in trades that have associated risks. Trades such as housekeeping, food service, mechanical, building, and grounds maintenance, and administration, each with their own unique set of risks (SIC division structure, 2015). A Brooklyn medical facility experienced OSHA firsthand as they were investigated in 2014 for failing to adequately protect against workplace violence. During their investigation, OSHA found that between the dates of February 7th and April 12, 2014, around 40 individual incidents of workplace violence had occurred, the most serious of which resulted in brain injuries sustained by a nurse who was attacked by a patient. All of the incidents involved staff members being verbally and physically attacked by patients and visitors, or staff members being injured when breaking up fights between patients. A witness for the investigation stated that the administration was aware of the violence and threats, but did nothing to improve the effectiveness of its ineffective workplace violence program or to increase security for employees. The medical center was found to have committed willful violation of OSHA workplace safety regulation and fined $78,000. The medical facility was given fifteen days after receiving theShow MoreRelatedFinancial Analysis On The Health Care Industry791 Words   |  4 PagesIn the modern world of the health care industry, it is vital that organization’s financial statement analyzes be kept up to date and reported accurately within their company. A financial analysis is an evaluative method of determining the past, current and projected performance of a company (Investopedia.com). Collectively, individual patients seek for superior quality of health care services and integrity from professionals who work in the hospitals with patients while serving the communities worldwideRead MoreBusiness Analysis : Health Care Industry2160 Words   |  9 Pagesarrow button. Click one of the styles under Manual Table of Contents, and then type the entries manually.î ¿ ¾ Executive Summary Health-care industry needs several reforms, especially in cost management strategies, in order to survive in a bruised-economy of 21st century. Particularly, information in health-care industry has become more ubiquitous; patients want to receive customized, personalized, on-demand information about their healthcare decisions. Innovations in technologyRead MoreTraining Needs Analysis, And The Health Care Industry2327 Words   |  10 Pages Training Needs Analysis, and the Health care industry Raymond Williams OMM 640 Dr: Katie Thiry October 12, 2014 â€Æ' Abstract The health care industry is in constant flux, continually incorporating the most current laws and regulations, up to date technology, and procedures while maintaining patent safety. This research paper will utilize a literary review to analyze the benefits of a continuous training needs analysis (TNA). The research utilized is based in the analysis of a TNA and/or resultsRead MorePost Merger Analysis On The Health Care Industry2165 Words   |  9 Pages Post-Merger Analysis The future of the health care industry is dominated by many uncertainties as it is feeling the heat of both regulatory and economic fronts. The health care industry is one of the most regulated in the United States and organizations are required to comply with a number of federal and state laws and regulations. There are financial drivers that would likely cause health care organizations to merge which means the underlying thought processes behind why two firms would expectRead MoreBusiness Environment, Innovation And Entrepreneurship : Health Care Industry Swot Analysis1695 Words   |  7 Pages Business Environment, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Health Care Industry SWOT Analysis Laurene Foley Southern New Hampshire University  Partners Health Care is a non profit company made up of multiple top notch hospitals and organizations. Partners strives to provide patient first mentality which focuses on serving the community in Boston and suburbs the best quality of care. Partners Health Care was founded back in 1994 by two of the top hospitals in Boston: MassachusettsRead MoreSummary Of Loan Request And Borrower Relationship1398 Words   |  6 Pagesgeographical distance of the company, BUSINESS / INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: Business Evaluation: . Almost Family is an industry leader in the home health care industry. Strength’s of Almost Family include its personal and management, experience (time established in this industry), and its financial strength (see attached spreadsheet with financial statements and ratios). The company has two divisions, home health care and healthcare innovations. The home health care division has two reportable divisions, visitingRead MoreKey Factors That Promote M A In Health Care Service.1285 Words   |  6 PagesKey factors that promote M A in health care service In economic theory, M A is created by a defensive firm to make another firm more vulnerable. From a theorectical perspective, there are factors that arrive at mergers and acquisition. One major factor is to increase and maximize shareholders wealth and value. However, practitioners of U.S health care system do not follow this theory. So, what is driving health care mergers? From my perspective, I think many factors are responsible for takeoverRead MoreEconomic Tool and Concepts1121 Words   |  5 PagesEconomic Tool and Concepts The health care industry has been experience for many century the shortage of nurses. It is perceive by the health care industry the shortage of nursing supply than the demand across the country. The demand for nurses in every health care organization growth in a daily basic as the technology advance. The consumers are always demanding for more personalize and quality of health care services at the time they are seeking for health care delivery creating nurses supplyRead MoreBiotechnology Industry Analysis1121 Words   |  5 PagesBiotechnology  industry Analysis BACKGROUND The health care industry Provides health products and service which involved the leading technology of life science. It is a fast-growing industry and will continue to grow in the future because of the increasing request to the advanced medical care. The Global Industry Analysis (GIA,2009) predicted that the prescription drug market is value around $897 billion in world economy in 2015, and Asia-Pacific region is expected to have highest growth in prescriptionRead MoreCase Analysis : Systems Acquisition1220 Words   |  5 Pages The Case Analysis: Systems Acquisition Courtney Givler MHA 616 Health Care Management Information Systems Instructor Deborah Bertsch May 9, 2016 The Case Analysis: Systems Acquisition For several years, the healthcare industry has focused on information technology for advancements. Now many health care leaders are seeking more complex information management processes. Information technology has advanced health care from a paper-based industry to a virtual enterprise. Providers are

Victim by Oliver Smithfield Free Essays

In this essay I intend to explore the narrative conventions and values, which Oliver Smithfield presents in the short story Victim. The short story positions the reader to have negative and sympathetic opinion on the issues presented. Such as power, identity and bullying. We will write a custom essay sample on Victim by Oliver Smithfield or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example Mickey the young boy is having issues facing his identity. It could be argued that finding your identity may have the individual stuck trying to fit in with upon two groups. The main character Mickey is represented as valuing the outcasts of society. He is at an age where identity is important to find and seeking power to prove he can fit in. The issues facing this character have values and attitudes reflecting his actions. Another essential feature of an example is showing the Mickey is trying to prove he is strong, but not tough enough to harm another person so he uses his anger to think about making an irrational decision. â€Å"I – I – I’m gonna k – k – kill it! He cried. † This example shows how Mickey is unsure of his decision. As a main character presented we as readers feel sympathy toward him because he is forced to act in a certain way that others will accept him. Power is defined as an ability to do or act; it represents strength, control and position of authority. Victim is based on identity and how power can have conflicts in certain groups of people, in more in depth a culture. Benda is another main character that represents physical power. This is shown through the way he looks and acts towards other people. â€Å"Butch, sensing Mickey’s uncertainty snarled, â€Å"You’re such a reject. They began to close in on him pushing and laughing. † Butch is described as â€Å"a muscly, thick-set boy with a shaved head. † Ras is a character who is also an outcast but has the ability to show he is not afraid to say what he thinks or feels. â€Å"Michael†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Ras softly, â€Å"It is not the way. † Mickey is a character who struggles with power and doesn’ t know how to show the ability of self-control. These individual characters show different qualities of power and give the reader the ideas of how power can be shown. Narrative conventions are used through out this short story. The main narrative conventions used are setting, theme, descriptive language and conflict. The setting is based in a school ground, which represents innocents of youth. The theme represents society and power, the power between characters and finding our identity in society. Descriptive language is used through out the short story to help us feel sympathetic towards the outcasts in this instance we feel for Mickey and Ras. The conflict in this short story is about man vs man, man vs society and man vs self. Man vs man is portrayed through the bullies and Mickey, man vs society is struggling with identity and man vs self is the struggle with inner self power. Narrative conventions have been used to position the reader to respond sympathetic and have the view on how identity also power are important for one’s self. The issues presented in Victim are shown through Mickey wanting to fit in by killing a creature smaller than himself. I believe Mickey has found his identity by not killing the creature because he shows self control and has qualities which others maybe intimidated by using descriptive language it positions the reader to not only think deeper in the short story but possibly reflect upon themselves. I believe this short story has made me think how others are affected when people do not accept them for whom they are. As a young person it is important to feel wanted and accepted in society. Victim has shown as a light view on how hard it is to fit in society now days because people are still scared of what and who is different. This essay explored the narrative conventions and values, which is represented in Oliver Smithfield’s short story, Victim. We learn the influence of others may find us wanting to have a different identity and can inflict one’s self on how we interoperate the power we have. It can be seen that more than these issues can lead to not only wanting to find identity but the issues of power. I believe reading Victim, it has not only presented certain issues of power and identity but has shown society in a negative light. As I have argued though out this essay I believe identity is an aspect of showing who you are. How to cite Victim by Oliver Smithfield, Essay examples

Supply Chain Management Global Market

Question: Discuss about theSupply Chain Managementfor Global Market. Answer: Introduction: Supply chain management focuses on analysing movement of products for ensuring all the requirements of the market fulfilled in an appropriate manner (Christopher, 2016). With the increasing competition in the global market, organizations have focused on formulating logistic management strategies for sustaining its position in the market. In this study, the focus would be one of the prime computer hardware providing organizations namely Supermicro. The study will focus on evaluating entire order management procedure of Supermicrofor fulfilling the requirements of the customers. The study would also analyze the investment management procedure of the organization to reduce issues associated with the waste management procedure. Background of the Organization: Charles Liang founded Supermicro in the year of 1993 with the focus of providing superior types of computer hardware products across the globe. Supermicroalso has enhanced its specialization in providing power supplies, networking and storage system equipments for grabbing the major share of the market. Presently, headquarter of Supermicrois based on San Jose California of USA (supermicro.com, 2017). From the beginning, Supermicrohas always tried to initiate effective strategies for achieving competitive advantage in the market. Presently, Supermicrohas to face immense competition from the organizations like Concurrent computers, Cray Inc, Fitbit Inc and Omnicell Inc in sustaining its position in the global market. For that reason, it has also has tried to include advance technology solutions for providing maximum support to the customers. Moreover, organizations like Apple and HP has able to set the trend in the computer hardware equipments globally. Therefore, Supermicrois to estab lish its presence in the global market, it has focused on developing effective supply management strategies. In fact, Supermicro also have focused on evaluating different departments including production, marketing and financial department for handling all the business activities appropriately. It has also focused on developing specific strategies related to inventory management for minimizing the possibility of waste in the operational process. The Interfaces: According to Islam et al. (2013), using pattern of supply chain network also can influence business activities of other departments as well. Specifically, globalization has made supply chain process of the organizations extremely complex, which also has influenced other departments like production, marketing and finance to change their activity accordingly. The impacts of Supermicros supply chain management on other departments are as follows: Production: As per the article by Stadtler (2015), efficient use of supply chain management can ensure required amount of raw materials reach to all the production facilities consistently. Now, Supermicro produce networking and computer hardware equipments that require specific superior quality of raw materials. Otherwise, the provided quality of the hardware or networking products will not able to satisfy the customers effectively. Furthermore, effective supply chain management would allow organizations to maintain the quality of raw materials, as it would develop strong relationship with distributors. As a result, it would help production unit of Supermicro in maintaining its produced quality continuously. On the other hand, supply chain management can create direct impact on the distribution cost. Therefore, if Supermicro can able to reduce the distribution cost, it would allow manufacturing unit to reduce direct sales and overhead cost in a major way. It has been assessed that Supermicro tri ed to utilize advance technologies for reducing the required lead-time in a major way (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014). Furthermore, effective utilization of supply chain require well-developed organizational structure, which would also help production unit to maintain strong coordination with other departments. For that reason, it has helped Supermicro to fulfil all the business activities within the given timeframe. Marketing: As highlighted by Fawcett, Ellram and Ogden (2014) supply chain management can also have huge impact on the marketing activities of the organizations. It has been assessed that effective utilization of supply chain management can allow organizations to provide required amount of products at the desired destination effectively. As a result, it helps organizations to increase the convenience level of the customers. On the other hand, one of the prime objectives of marketing department is to increase the sales volume of the provided products and services in a major way. Now, higher convenience will increase the satisfaction level of the customers, which will eventually create positive impact on the overall sales volume. Therefore, if Supermicro can able to initiate proper logistics management strategies, it would definitely help marketing team in fulfilling their aims and objectives. Moreover, supply chain network also play crucial role in returning diffective products from the customer s in a short period of time (Schnsleben, 2016). Therefore, if Supermicro can able to reduce the required time for providing the right product to the right customers, it will help to enhance the sales volume in a major way. Thus, effective utilization of supply chain management is necessary for providing assistance to the marketing department in fulfilling their goals and objectives. Finance and Accounting: As opined by Mangan, Lalwani and Lalwani (2016) logistics and supply chain management also can have major impact on the financial performance of the organizations. It has been assessed that effective utilization of supply chain management will allow Supermicro to provide optimum amount of products to the customers. As a result, it would help Supermicro to reduce the waiting the time of the customers in a major way. Moreover, effective use of supply chain management will allow Supermicro to eliminate all the intermediaries in an effective way. As a result, it would help financial department to keep track of all the activities associated with supply chain procedure in a much easier way. Order Cycle: It has been assessed that organizations like Supermicro will have to deal with huge number of customers for fulfilling all the business objectives effectively. For that reason, it had to systematic order supply process for providing right amount of products to the right place at the right time. Now, order supply process of Supermicro desired as follows: Figure 1: Order cycle (Source: Fernie Sparks, 2014) From the above figure, it can be assessed that supply chain management process of Supermicro can has three components including manufactures, retailers and distributors. It has been assessed that distributors and manufacturers of Supermicro collaborate to fulfil the requirements of each placed orders. However, the logistic chain begins from supply of raw materials for developing proper computer hardware and networking products. Supermicro has focused on developing long-term relationship with all the suppliers in order to maintain the quality of raw materials at the desired order (Tayur, Ganeshan Magazine, 2012). Moreover, it also has focused on providing specific benefits to all the suppliers for ensuring the required amount of raw materials are present at all the time. As highlighted by Dyckhoff, Lackes and Reese (2013) ordering cycle of Supermicro has different steps, which allow organizations to fulfil all the requirements effectively. Firstly, order cycle of Supermicro focuses on tracking the placement of orders from the different geographical areas. It allow Supermicro to assess the amount of product need to be delivered at different locations. Moreover, it also helps Supermicro to assess the present trend of the market regarding specific products and services. Secondly, Supermicro focuses on receiving the orders from customers. This step is essential for confirming the sales of that particular unit. Moreover, confirmation provides customers to become more relax, as they will receive the desired product within the given timeframe. Thirdly, Supermicro focuses on processing the order from inventory department for ensuring right amount product would be provided at the given period of time. For that reason, Supermicro has tried to develop strong li nk up between inventory department and distributors so that it do not have to wait for processing the products. Thus, it actually would help Supermicro to reduce the required lead-time in an appropriate manner. Fourthly, credit department focuses on verifying the processed products in order to ensure right products will be delivered to right destination. Moreover, it also focuses on assessing the amount of products have to be delivered within near future (Coyle et al., 2016). As a result, it allows organization to manufacture required amount of products in an effective manner. Fifthly, Supermicro focuses on shipping the products to specific retail outlets so that customers can purchase without facing any difficulties. As a global organization, Supermicro has tried to utilize different transportation tools for ensuring required amount of products has been delivered to the desired destination. Finally, Supermicro also has focused on collecting back the products from the customers in c ase of any complaints regarding improper functioning. Here, Supermicro try to provide replacement to the customers with 24 hours time limit so that satisfaction level of the customers remain at the optimum level. Inventory Management: As per the article by Waters and Rinsler (2014) effective utilization of inventory management strategies are crucial for maintaining the profit level at the desired rate. For that reason, Supermicro has focused on developing inventory management strategies carefully so that it can fulfil all the business objectives. For instance, it has focused on reducing the amount of obsolete products in order to ensure the cost required for operational process remains at the optimum level. For that reason, it has focused on introducing new advanced technologies warehousing management system in the inventory management procedure. Supermicro also has used all these advanced technologies to maintain continues track of all the products. It has also focused on developing strong relationship with the distributors so that they select right product to take out from the inventory process. For that reason, it has allowed Supermicro to achieve success in maintaining the profit level at the desired rate. Mor eover, it has also focused on utilizing requirements planning for handling all the challenges associated with the inventory management procedure. It has been assessed that Supermicro has made a conscious effort in managing the inventory level effectively. However, there is still scope for improvement for Supermicro, which will allow the organization to achieve competitive advantage in the market. For instance, Supermicro can focus on using systematic procedure for handling all the responsibilities associated with inventory management. Firstly, Supermicro would have to focus on fastening the supplier lead-time, which will help to reduce cost related inventory process. Moreover, it would also help Supermicro to follow quick replenishment model. Secondly, Supermicro needs to focus on eliminating all the obsolete products from the stock. As a result, it would help Supermicro to simplify inventory management procedure in an effective manner. It has been assessed that with time different networking and computer hardware products become defected or obsolete (Sarkis, 2012). Therefore, keeping track of all these defected products will not add value to the inventory management procedure. For that reason, it is necessary to eliminate all the obsolete products immediately. Thirdly, Supermicro will have to focus on optimizing order size and frequency of purchase in order to have an idea about the future demand. Therefore, it would help Supermicro in formulating strategies for handling all the future challenges related to inventory management. Fourthly, Supermicro needs to focus on centralizing the inventory control so that it can handle all the requirements effectively (Beske, 2012). Now, advanced technologies are required for utilizing centralized system in dealing with inventory management perspective. Now, Supermicro has already initiated different software applications for handling inventory activities. Thus, it needs to focus on multi-echelon planning models for handling all the requirements in an efficient way. Conclusion: The above discussion has highlighted the fact that supply chain management plays an important role in providing higher profit level to the organizations. The study has highlighted the fact that Supermicro has focused on covering all possible aspect related to supply chain procedure for delivering right product at the right time. It has also highlighted the fact that effective utilization of supply chain concept can also help organizations to provide support to other business departments. Specifically, supply chain management can help production, marketing and finance department to fulfil their objectives in an effective way. Moreover, it has also highlighted the significance of maintaining proper inventory management procedure for fulfilling all the requirements related supply chain concept. References: Beske, P. (2012). Dynamic capabilities and sustainable supply chain management.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management,42(4), 372-387. Christopher, M. (2016).Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK. Coyle, J. J., Langley, C. J., Novack, R. A., Gibson, B. (2016).Supply chain management: a logistics perspective. Nelson Education. Dyckhoff, H., Lackes, R., Reese, J. (Eds.). (2013).Supply chain management and reverse logistics. Springer Science Business Media. Fawcett, S. E., Ellram, L. M., Ogden, J. A. (2014).Supply chain management: from vision to implementation. London: Pearson. Fernie, J., Sparks, L. (2014).Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan Page Publishers. Islam, D. M. Z., Meier, J. F., Aditjandra, P. T., Zunder, T. H., Pace, G. (2013). Logistics and supply chain management.Research in Transportation Economics,41(1), 3-16. Mangan, J., Lalwani, C., Lalwani, C. L. (2016).Global logistics and supply chain management. John Wiley Sons. Ross, D. F. (2013).Competing through supply chain management: creating market-winning strategies through supply chain partnerships. Springer Science Business Media. Sarkis, J. (2012). A boundaries and flows perspective of green supply chain management.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,17(2), 202-216. Schnsleben, P. (2016).Integral logistics management: operations and supply chain management within and across companies. CRC Press. Stadtler, H. (2015). Supply chain management: An overview. InSupply chain management and advanced planning(pp. 3-28). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. supermicro.com. (2017).Supermicro.com. Retrieved 13 February 2017, from https://www.supermicro.com Tayur, S., Ganeshan, R., Magazine, M. (Eds.). (2012).Quantitative models for supply chain management(Vol. 17). Springer Science Business Media. Waters, D., Rinsler, S. (2014).Global logistics: New directions in supply chain management. Kogan Page Publishers. Wisner, J. D., Tan, K. C., Leong, G. K. (2014).Principles of supply chain management: A balanced approach. Cengage Learning.

Venezula Essays - Socialist International, Rmulo Betancourt

Venezula Venezuela The history of Venezuela has been a long and often turbulent one. It is filled with exploration, religion, and shifts of government. But, the movement from dictatorship to democracy is the most significant. The move from dictatorship to democracy is the most significant point in Venezuela's history because of the people's extreme opposition of the dictators, the time period when the first election of a democratic president, and the election of Romulo Betancourt. If the people of a country are opposed to the government, it will not be successful. A main reason why dictatorship didn't work was because of the people's hate of the form of government and the dictators that run it. Between 1908 and 1935, General Juan Gomez ruled by repression and terror. The government had been a dictatorship since the 19th century (?Gomez died in 1935. Venezuelans danced in the streets when they heard of his death.? Johan Kohen Winter, 24). Nineteen thirty-six through 1948 marked the first time the country of Venezuela was ruled democratically. These years were times of political unrest. Then from 1950 to 1958 another dictator, General Marcos Perez Jimenez, came into power. His term is remembered by corruption and brutal suppression of the opposition as well as taking a step back in the progress toward democracy. This is great because it marked the first time that the people began to organize to oppose and try to change the government (?For the first time, between the 1930's and 50's the people began to organize themselves into unions and political parties, uniting in opposition to Jimenez.? Marion Morrison, 48). The election of Romulo Betancourt was the most important move toward democracy. This set the stage for democratic presidents as well as the countries' first major political party, Accion Democratica. This party, along with the Christian Democratic party, are the only political parties that have ever had candidates elected. Despite a coup in government (military takeover) in 1948, the Accion Democratica had one of its candidates in office for the next ten years (?This was a significant point in Venezuelan history. For the first time, a political party-Accion Democratica-was in government, together with a group of military officers and backed by the support of the Venezuelan people.? Morrison, 48). The history of Venezuela has been long and hard. Through it all, though, democracy came through. When a government has the backing of the people, it works and is successful. This is just another instance of the tried-and-true government idea of democracy. American History Essays

Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet Timeline

Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet Timeline Zheng He is justly famous as the commander in chief of seven voyages of Ming Chinas treasure fleet, between 1405 and 1433. The great Muslim eunuch admiral spread the word of Chinas wealth and power as far as Africa and brought countless emissaries and exotic goods back to China. Timeline June 11, 1360- Zhu Di born, fourth son of future Ming Dynasty founder. Jan. 23, 1368- Ming Dynasty founded. 1371- Zheng He born to Hui Muslim family in Yunnan, under birth name of Ma He. 1380- Zhu Di made Prince of Yan, sent to Beijing. 1381- Ming forces conquer Yunnan, kill Ma Hes father (who was still loyal to the Yuan Dynasty) and capture the boy. 1384- Ma He is castrated and sent to serve as a eunuch in the Prince of Yans household. June 30, 1398-July 13, 1402- Reign of the Jianwen Emperor. August 1399- Prince of Yan rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor. 1399- Eunuch Ma He leads Prince of Yans forces to victory at Zheng Dike, Beijing. July 1402- Prince of Yan captures Nanjing; the Jianwen Emperor (probably) dies in palace fire. July 17, 1402- The Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, becomes the Yongle Emperor. 1402-1405- Ma He serves as Director of Palace Servants, the highest eunuch post. 1403- Yongle Emperor orders the construction of a huge fleet of treasure junks at Nanjing. Feb. 11, 1404- Yongle Emperor awards Ma He the honorific name Zheng He. July 11, 1405-Oct. 2 1407- First voyage of the Treasure Fleet, led by Admiral Zheng He, to Calicut, India. 1407- Treasure Fleet defeats pirate Chen Zuyi at Straights of Malacca; Zheng He takes pirates to Nanjing for execution. 1407-1409- Second Voyage of Treasure Fleet, again to Calicut. 1409-1410- Yongle Emperor and Ming army battle the Mongols. 1409-July 6, 1411- Third Voyage of Treasure Fleet to Calicut. Zheng He intervenes in a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) succession dispute. Dec. 18, 1412-August 12, 1415- Fourth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet to the Straits of Hormuz, on the Arabian Peninsula. Capture of the pretender Sekandar in Semudera (Sumatra) on return trip. 1413-1416- Yongle Emperors second campaign against the Mongols. May 16, 1417- Yongle Emperor enters the new capital city at Beijing, leaves Nanjing forever. 1417-August 8, 1419- Fifth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet, to Arabia and East Africa. 1421-Sept. 3, 1422- Sixth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet, to East Africa again. 1422-1424- Series of campaigns against the Mongols, led by the Yongle Emperor. Aug. 12, 1424- Yongle Emperor suddenly dies of a possible stroke while fighting the Mongols. Sept. 7, 1424- Zhu Gaozhi, the eldest son of the Yongle Emperor, becomes the Hongxi Emperor. Orders a stop to the Treasure Fleet voyages. May 29, 1425- The Hongxi Emperor dies. His son Zhu Zhanji becomes the Xuande Emperor. June 29, 1429- The Xuande Emperor orders Zheng He to take one more voyage. 1430-1433- Seventh and final Voyage of the Treasure Fleet travels to Arabia and East Africa. 1433, Exact date unknown- Zheng He dies and is buried at sea on the return leg of the seventh and  final voyage. 1433-1436- Zheng Hes companions Ma Huan, Gong Zhen and Fei Xin publish accounts of their travels.

Discuss the importance of passion and love Essay

Discuss the importance of passion and love - Essay Example In line 2 of the poem, he states, â€Å"Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,† of which he is talking about his passion for writing, meaning before he has written anything that he can gather from the flood of thoughts in his head. In the last 4 lines of the poem, lines 9 through 12, he extends his fear to also include the potential loss of his love. However, in the last 2 lines, it seems he has come to terms with his fears and recognizes an unimportance of love, in the last line he says, â€Å"Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.† In â€Å"The Eve of St. Agnes,† by Keats, he takes the opposite perspective on love. He describes a character who is propelled into a situation, specifically a house, which contains noted dangers, â€Å"Hyena foemen, and hot-blooded lords,† to rescue an old, frail woman, out of love, â€Å"Save one old beldame, weak in body and soul.† Lord Byron’s poems, â€Å"When We Two Parted† and â€Å"She Wa lks in Beauty,† are poems that discuss love in past-tense; it has been experienced, and has since vanished. He is talking about it in the present, reminiscing about his history. One example of past and present in â€Å"When We Two Parted,† is in stanza 2, â€Å"The dew of the morning sunk chill on my brow—it felt like the warning of what I feel now.† By this, he is referring to how he felt in the past, compared to the same feeling in the present.

Love your enemy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Love your enemy - Essay Example I was on my way to school and came across a group of young men sited on a bench talking animatedly. As I was passing by, one of them shouted offensively at me, making it seem like everyone of my kind was part of the ISIS militia group. The recent killings and beheadings in Syria and the Arab world were making it difficult for ethnical compatibility especially in the United States, which has suffered in the hands of terror groups. The society has turned to condemning anyone looking like a Muslim making them feel unwelcome. Before passing by this group of guys, I had not realized that which was happening in the Middle East was having a ripple effect across the world. I ignored them and walked away without giving it a second thought. However, I remembered that a friend of mine had told me of a similar incident and this all started to add up. We were an enemy even if we were not related to ISIS’s actions in any way. We were labeled terrorists even if people had no evidence to thei r claims. Examining why most of the people were joining such radical groups, I realized it was partly because of what the society was doing to innocent people. The labeling theory was taking shape at the expense of the togetherness expected within the society. Despite the religious animosity across many parts of the world, it is quite simple to make good use of the situation at hand, and this implies having to deal with clouded emotions with sobriety. It will not be easy, but it is worthwhile. If the society did this often, the religious wars and crimes in the neighborhood would be minimized. Like the Holy Book commands, it is critical to be a witness of fair dealings even when people hate you for it. Despite one’s religion, it is easy to extend an olive branch to the other party and feel happy for doing such. I learned that my reactions after this incident would determine whether I could look at my enemies and consider them as my friends. The brewing hatred is

The Chimney Sweeper | Analysis

The Chimney Sweeper | Analysis William Blake was a famous writer of the Romantic Age which took place in 1832. William Blake wrote two poems called The Chimney Sweeper. The first poem had to do with innocence. The second Chimney Sweeper poem by William Blake had to do with experience. Even though both poems have the same title doesnt necessarily mean that theyre the same. They have a few things in common, but also have a plethora of items that are different. In both poems called The Chimney Sweeper, they share similarities and differences between narration, rhyme scheme, tone, and theme. Blake also shows how both poems are influenced Romantically, he gives the reader a visual and represents many symbols that are used in todays society. As far as rhyme scheme, they both have words that rhyme at the end of each line and stanza. The boy says When my mother dies I was very young, and my father sold me while yet my tongue. (lines 1-2 p. 85) In songs of experience, Blake writes A little black thing among the snow Crying weep, weep, in notes of woe! (lines 1-2 p90) Both poems are also expressed romantically in a few ways. In the Romantic days, writers felt there was a new literature being birthed. The poetry had to do a lot with humanity and nature. Poets tended toward emotion and child like perspective. Poets also showed much regard for the natural scenes and used words like child, imagination, and nature because they thought they were popular. (Mellown p. 1) In Songs of Innocence the young boy tells his story. The boy is about six or seven years old. Much of the imaginative power of the poem comes from the tension between the childs naivetà © and the subtlety of Blakes own vision. (Mellown p.1) In the first stanza, he talks about his way of life. He talks about how his mother dies. He was sold as an apprentice by his father. His present life revolves around working, calling through the streets for more work, and at the end of the day sleeping on soot, a realistic detail since the boys did indeed make their beds on bags of soot they had swept from the chimneys. (Mellown p.1) The second stanza introduces a young boy named Tom Dacre, who comes to join the workers and is initiated into his new life by a haircut. Tom cries as he gets his hair cut off, but the speaker makes him feel better by saying Hush, Tom! Never mind it, for when your heads bare, you know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair (lines 6-7 p. 85). What that means is all of the dirt from sweeping chimneys wont get in his hair. Tom takes the advice and goes to sleep happily. (Mellown p. 2) The next three stanzas give the substance of the dream. Tom dreams that thousands of sweepers locked in coffins are released by an angel. Suddenly, they find themselves in a pastoral landscape where, freed from their burdens, they bathe in a river and then rise up to the clouds. There, the angel tells Tom, if hed be a good boy, / Hed have God for his father never want joy. The dream is an obvious instance of wish fulfillment, and its pathos rests on the fat that while it reveals the childs longing to escape, the opening and closing of the poem make it clear that his only ways of escape are dreams and death. (Mellown p. 2) What this means for Tom is that maybe when he is dreaming he can escape what he goes thorough in life and just be happy. The last quatrain opens with a brutal contrast. Having dreamed of playing in the sun, Tom awakes, and the sweepers begin their days work, a day to be spent in the total darkness of the cramped chimneys. Yet, restored by his dream, Tom is happy, and the poem ends with the pious moral, akin to the angels speech, So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm. (Mellown p. 2) So he goes through the rest of his life knowing that heaven was in his future as long as he was good. In The Chimney Sweeper, songs of experience, Blake talks about some of the things a little black boy goes through. Using the same rhyme scheme as songs of innocence he says A little black thing among the snow crying weep, weep in notes of woe! Where are thy father and mother? Say? They are both gone up to the church to pray. (lines 1-4 p. 90) In the next stanza Blake describes how his parents are at church praying for him because he is so happy on the outside but not showing his true pain. He sings and dances because he is happy and his parents think that everything is ok and no damage has been done. He says And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King, who make up a heaven of our misery. (lines 11-12 p.90) Blake could have possibly used a bit of sarcasm in songs of experience. In songs of innocence some themes and symbols were the bags, abandoned in the dream and picked up again with the brushes the next morning. This says that the terrible burden of the childs life, which is the good indicates the corruption of a society that uses and abuses him. The coffins are like a symbol of death. They represent the chimneys that he sweeps and the actual death to which he will soon come. In contrast, the sun, river, and plain express the joys that should be natural to childhood, which is also a symbol of the way nature is appreciated in the romantic age. Yet, even symbols associated with happiness intensify the harsh facts of existence. The bright key recalls imprisonment; the harmony of the leaping boys emphasizes their isolation in the chimneys; and the lamb, whose curling fleece Toms hair resembles, is often, as is the sweeper, a helpless victim. (Mellown p. 2)

Succubus Revealed Chapter 12

My brief conversation with Kayla tormented me for the rest of the evening as I corralled kids at the mall. I couldn't shake the image of her eyes as she told me about â€Å"the Darkness.† It was one of those times I both blessed and cursed her psychic abilities. If she hadn't had them at all, I never would've known anything was amiss in the Mortensen household. But with her imprecise understanding of her powers, I was left with too many questions about what she might have sensed. Erik would've known instantly. There was another thing for me to worry about. Erik. Murdered because of me. And if we were operating on the assumption that Hell had directly acted against him, then what was I supposed to think about Kayla? In the past, any unusual supernatural activity in the area had been the result of rogue forces outside of the Heaven and Hell system. After all, Heaven and Hell had certain rules they were supposed to follow. Milton was proof, however, that Hell wasn't above breaking those. So was it possible someone from my own side had been visiting Andrea Mortensen – coincidentally during the times her condition worsened? And if so, why? That, as Roman had pointed out, was a question with an answer that would crack all of this wide open. My only pause in ruminating on immortal affairs came when I tried to coax Walter into doing a house call to the Mortensens. Two mothers had gotten in a fight in line, so we were all on an impromptu break while mall security sorted matters out. â€Å"Santa doesn't do house calls,† Walter told me. â€Å"Last time I checked, that's exactly what Santa does,† I countered. â€Å"Every Christmas Eve.† â€Å"Santa can't just be hired out for entertainment. Children must either wait until Christmas morning or come visit the retail wonderland Santa's gazebo is in. Those are the rules.† â€Å"Of course you can be hired out,† I said. â€Å"It's why you're working here to begin with! Come on, I'll pay you. I'll buy you a drink. Both, if you want. These are little girls who need to see Santa. Their mother has cancer, for God's sake. How can you not be moved by that?† He peered at me through his spectacles. â€Å"I'm very sorry for their plight, but I can't do it. Taking on this role is a commitment for the holiday season, a vow to stay true to the spirit of Santa. If I'm outside this mall while playing this role, and Bob is here playing the same role, then what does that say to the children?† I stared at him incredulously. â€Å"Well, unless these children are capable of breaking the rules of time and space, none of them would know there's a Santa here, in Lake Forest Park, or in any of the other thousands of malls in this country.† â€Å"I would know. I can't be Santa while Bob is playing Santa. It would break our sacred pact.† † ‘Sacred pact?' It's just a job!† I was seriously considering breaking the drinking rule. If I got him tipsy enough, surely he'd agree to what I wanted. â€Å"Not to us, it isn't,† he told me solemnly. Security finished up their intervention, and the line began moving again, bringing the discussion to a halt before I could point out that last I'd checked, liters of whiskey weren't part of the â€Å"spirit of Santa† either. I might as well have been Grumpy for the rest of my shift. I appreciated Walter's dedication to the role, but honestly, it was kind of pushing absurdity. I stayed at Seth's place that night, in spite of my earlier plans to talk to Roman about what Kayla had told me. But when I called Seth on my way home, there was just something so sad and strained in his voice that I knew it was more important to be with him. Andrea's worsening condition had hit him hard. He and I spent the night chastely, but there was a desperation in the way he held me, a sense that I was all that was keeping him going in this madness. â€Å"Oh, Thetis,† he whispered, kissing my cheek as we snuggled in bed. â€Å"What am I going to do without you?† â€Å"Don't worry about it,† I said automatically. â€Å"I'm still here for a while.† â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"But then . . .† Silence. My heart lurched. â€Å"I know,† I said at last. â€Å"I know you can't leave them. It's okay.† â€Å"At least until she gets better. . . .† His words faltered for a moment. I could guess his emotions because I shared them. We were both worried about that looming, unspoken fear. That maybe Andrea wouldn't get better. And the really, really awful thing was that if she didn't, then eventually, Seth might be able to come to me in Las Vegas. But how could I live with myself knowing what the price of my happiness was? He finally managed to find his words again. â€Å"I understand why you get so frustrated with the universe,† he said. â€Å"I've never wanted anything so much as I've wanted to be with you. I finally got you . . . and now this happens. People talk about throwing everything away for love, but reality doesn't work out that way. And honestly, if I was the kind of guy who could ignore his family for his own selfish wants . . . well, then, I don't think I'd be worthy of you. So here we are.† â€Å"It's okay,† I repeated, forcing more bravery than I felt. â€Å"We'll be fine. They need you. Do what you have to do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Seth.† I brushed my lips against his. â€Å"This is more important right now.† â€Å"Than us?† he asked. It took me a long time to answer. But I did. â€Å"Yes.† The next day I had an early shift at the mall, working with Bob. I attempted the same bargain I had with Walter, in the hopes of arranging a visit to the Mortensen girls, only to be met with the same response. I'd kind of hoped that since Bob wasn't a blatant alcoholic, he'd be more reasonable. No such luck. He was full of the same nonsense about the magic and integrity of the Santa role. Fortunately, things improved when I found Roman at home afterward. We had bowling practice that night, but I'd wanted to talk to him in private. My other immortal friends could be coaxed on board with a lot, but as Hell's hand became more obvious in all of this, I was hesitant to get them involved. Roman didn't face the same repercussions, and I didn't mind exposing myself to the wrath of my employers. I was less excited about subjecting my immortal friends to that same wrath on my behalf. â€Å"Did she say anything else about this ‘Darkness'?† Roman wanted to know, once I'd recapped everything for him. â€Å"Greater immortal, lesser immortal, outside deity?† â€Å"She doesn't understand what any of that is,† I said. â€Å"She's only four. Five now, I guess.† â€Å"She needs to understand it,† he said darkly. â€Å"You should train her up.† â€Å"With everything else going on in her life? I think that's the last thing she needs.† â€Å"Not if some supernatural creature is making her mom sick!† Roman perched on the edge of the couch, his sea green eyes both thoughtful and angry. â€Å"And let's face it, Georgina. If something is, I really can't imagine it's because the powers that be have singled out that family by random. If something's targeting Andrea Mortensen, it's because of her connection to you.† I felt ill. More consequences, laid at my feet. â€Å"So Andrea suffers because of me,† I said, sinking into a chair. â€Å"Wonderful.† â€Å"It's Hell,† said Roman. â€Å"What do you expect? If they want back at you for something, then they're going to find creative ways to do it.† â€Å"Seems like there are more direct ways to make me ‘pay,' † I noted. â€Å"Especially seeing as they own the contract on my soul. We're assuming a lot that this is Hell.† Roman shrugged. â€Å"Not really. We already know they're interfering with your life. And healing and injuring are specific powers given to angels and demons.† â€Å"Do you think Carter could tell what visited her?† I asked. â€Å"If he looked at Andrea?† â€Å"I think he could.† Roman considered for a few moments. â€Å"The question is if he would get involved with it at all. You know how he is. Heaven, at least, makes a pretense of playing by the rules.† I nodded slowly, remembering my last conversation and how reluctant Carter had been to intervene. â€Å"True,† I murmured. â€Å"Well,† said Roman, straightening. â€Å"You can ask him right now.† â€Å"Huh? How?† â€Å"He's coming to practice. I overheard him and Jerome talking about it yesterday.† Apparently, Seth wasn't the only one with a perverse interest in watching Jerome's misfits bowl for his honor. I stood up as well. â€Å"Then let's go. I'll drive.† As we headed downstairs, I gave Roman a sidelong look. â€Å"Have you ever wondered how you'd look in a white beard and Santa hat?† Roman returned my look warily. â€Å"No, I have not.† I quickly explained how the Mortensen girls hadn't seen Santa yet this year. He was already shaking his head before I finished the story. â€Å"Come on, Roman. They need to see Santa. And I know you don't have any of those hang-ups like Walter does about multiple Santas existing together.† â€Å"Nope,† agreed Roman. â€Å"My hang-up is about preserving my dignity, no matter how good the cause. Besides, I don't feel that guilty. If you really wanted them to see Santa, you could shape-shift and put us all to shame.† I scowled. It was annoying because it was true. Roman and I were the last to arrive at the bowling alley, much to my dismay. I'd hoped to speak with Carter privately, but he and Jerome were already deep in conversation (and in their cups). The rest of the Unholy Rollers were waiting anxiously for their leader and gave me no end of grief for not wearing my shirt. â€Å"I forgot,† I said. â€Å"It's no big deal. I'll wear it for the real game.† Peter sighed. â€Å"But it helps build team solidarity now. And that sense of bonding and closeness will make us better.† â€Å"Actually,† said Jerome, â€Å"hitting more pins would make you better.† â€Å"Look,† I told Peter. â€Å"If I have to use the bathroom at some point, I'll shape-shift the shirt on.† â€Å"It's not the same,† he grumbled. Fortunately, Jerome's impatience allowed little time for further debate on the matter. He hadn't seen how our last practice had ended and was anxious to know if we'd improved. We had, to be fair, but I think Jerome was expecting us to all be throwing strikes every time. When it was clear that wasn't the case, he grew impatient and angry. â€Å"How can you do that?† he demanded, after Cody made an impressive 9-1 spare. â€Å"Why can't you just hit them all the first time?† He glared at Roman. â€Å"Do something.† Roman eyed his father irritably, not liking his teaching skills questioned, especially since Cody was the best of us. â€Å"Why don't you? Why don't you give it a shot, Pop?† Jerome had been up pacing by the lane but wouldn't deign to actually touch a ball himself. â€Å"Because it's not my job,† Jerome retorted. Roman rolled his eyes. â€Å"Then let me do mine.† While they bickered, I leaned over to Carter. â€Å"I need to talk to you. In private. Can you stick around after this?† Carter had been watching the father?Cson exchange, but his eyes flicked briefly toward me when I spoke. He gave a small, barely perceptible nod. And when Jerome returned to his seat a few moments later, saying he wanted to leave and drink off his annoyance at the Cellar, Carter declined the offer. â€Å"Nah,† he said lazily, stretching. â€Å"I think I'll see how this pans out. There's no way Peter can keep throwing splits like that every time. It defies all the rules of physics.† Peter looked torn on whether he should be flattered or not by that. â€Å"Fine,† said Jerome. â€Å"If you've got any miracles you can work to help them, now's the time to cash them in.† â€Å"Noted,† said Carter, waving as Jerome left. My lesser immortal friends were agitated by our boss's disapproval, so I focused on the game and didn't bring anything up with Carter until we finished our practice. Jerome could criticize all he wanted, but Roman really was a good teacher. I think our greatest triumph was when Peter went four frames in a row without a split, thus returning the laws of physics back to their rightful state. True, he didn't get any strikes or spares either, but by that point, we were all so exhausted that we were willing to take what victories we could. Roman, Carter, and I let the others leave ahead of us – once I'd promised I would definitely wear my team shirt next time, of course. As soon as we had relative privacy, I explained my problem to Carter. His face grew graver and graver as he listened. â€Å"Daughter of Lilith,† he said when I was done, â€Å"you know I can't interfere.† â€Å"I'm not asking you to,† I said. â€Å"Not exactly. I just want to know if you could tell if someone – like a demon – had made Andrea Mortensen sick.† Carter's gray eyes were unreadable. â€Å"Yes. I can tell.† â€Å"Will you go see her with me and tell me what you sense? That's it. I'm not asking you to break any rules.† Well, I didn't think I was. Honestly, I didn't understand half of these â€Å"rules† he was always talking about. â€Å"I just need the information.† â€Å"Okay,† he said, after what felt like forever. â€Å"I'll go with you. Giving you that information doesn't violate anything.† â€Å"I don't suppose,† said Roman, â€Å"that telling us why Hell would do this wouldn't violate anything either?† I answered before Carter could. â€Å"We already know. To get to me. I've pissed somebody off, and they're going to make me suffer by making those I love suffer.† â€Å"Yeah, but why Andrea?† asked Roman. â€Å"I mean, no offense, but there are other ways to hurt you more. Why not make Seth suffer?† I couldn't help but scoff. â€Å"Well. With this transfer, I kind of feel like he already – † I came to a screeching halt, once I realized what I'd been about to say. Roman was sitting opposite me in one of the worn leather chairs, and from the rabid look in his eyes, I thought he was going to reach over and shake me. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"What did you just think of?† â€Å"Andrea's sickness is terrible,† I said slowly. â€Å"A horrible, unfair thing that could hurt her whole family. But there's something else. As long as she's sick, as long as the whole family needs help . . . Seth has to stay with them. He can't go to Las Vegas with me.† â€Å"And there it is,† said Roman, wonder lighting his eyes. â€Å"That's what this transfer is about. To get you out of Seattle, away from Seth, and to make sure he can't follow.† â€Å"Eventually . . .† My stomach was twisting again, just like it always did when I thought of people being affected because of me. â€Å"Eventually he'd be able to. Andrea will either get better, or . . . or she won't.† â€Å"Yes, but how long?† demanded Roman. â€Å"How long will that take? Long enough for you to fall even more in love with your picture-perfect scenario – the one that they handcrafted for you? Long enough for you to move on with some other artsy introverted mortal? By the time he's free, it won't matter.† I was staring off at Roman but not really seeing him. Jerome had always been annoyed at my relationship with Seth, chastising me for being too attached to a mortal and letting it affect my job. Carter himself had said I was doing something that Hell didn't like. Was it possible this was it? That all of these forces were moving to keep Seth and me apart? â€Å"If Hell wants me away from Seth, then why not just forbid it?† I asked. â€Å"Jerome's given me a hard time before. Or why not just drop me somewhere . . . anywhere . . . that isn't here? Why should they care that it's a place I'll fall in love with?† â€Å"So that you'll forget him,† said Roman. â€Å"So that you won't look back. If they ordered you apart, a teenage forbidden romance complex would kick in like that.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"You'd never stop pining for him. But this . . . this is more subtle. And effective.† â€Å"It is,† I agreed, still reeling. â€Å"Even after all of Jerome's criticism, I never thought . . . I never thought Hell would be this upset over me being with a human.† Roman had no answer for me but lifted his eyes to Carter. â€Å"You're being awfully quiet.† Carter shrugged, face neutral. â€Å"You two have plenty to say. No need for me to chime in.† â€Å"Are we right?† I asked the angel. â€Å"Of course we are,† said Roman. â€Å"You've always known Hell thought you were too distracted by Seth. This explains everything.† â€Å"Doesn't explain Erik,† I said. â€Å"Are you sure you have nothing to add?† asked Roman, gaze still on Carter. â€Å"I think we should get to the Mortensens' before it gets much later,† said Carter mildly. â€Å"I'm sure those girls have respectable bedtimes.† I stood up, knowing we'd get nothing else from him. â€Å"I have to drop Roman off at home first. Then we can go over there.† â€Å"How are you going to get me in to see her?† asked Carter. â€Å"It'll be a little weird bringing in a stranger to a sick woman's bedroom. Do you want me to go invisibly?† I'd been about to suggest that very thing when a new idea struck me. I gave Carter a once-over. â€Å"Have you ever wanted to put on a Santa suit?† â€Å"I have always wanted to do that,† said Carter gravely. Roman groaned. Once I explained the situation to Carter, however, he was totally on board. In fact, he told me not to worry about the costume arrangements and promised to meet me at Terry's in an hour, once I'd had a chance to drop Roman off. As soon as we were in the privacy of the parking lot, Carter vanished into thin air. â€Å"I hope he doesn't get an outfit from wherever it is he normally does his shopping,† I mused to Roman as we drove. â€Å"We don't want a hobo Santa. Although, if Ian's there, he'd probably approve and say we were breaking out of the mainstream's iron grip.† â€Å"Goddamned hipsters,† said Roman. He leaned his head against the car's window. â€Å"You're rolling the dice a little with Carter, but something tells me he won't mess this up, not for a bunch of girls with a sick mother. He's an angel, after all. He's got to earn his keep somehow.† â€Å"And thank goodness he doesn't have any hang-ups about Santa being at more than one place at the same time,† I joked. â€Å"No space?Ctime contradictions there.† Roman jerked up so fast, I nearly slammed on the brakes, thinking I was about to hit something. Half a second later, I realized whatever had startled him was in his own head. â€Å"Oh God,† he said. â€Å"What?† I asked, acting like him earlier. â€Å"What did you just think of?† â€Å"I think . . . I think I've figured this out.† There was awe in his voice. â€Å"What? This mystery we've been beating our heads against? We already figured it out.† Roman shook his head, wide-eyed. â€Å"No . . . oh, Jesus. Georgina, if I'm right . . . how do I even prove if I am?† He leaned back in dismay. â€Å"How do I get proof?† â€Å"Tell me what you're thinking,† I demanded. â€Å"No. Not yet. Just drop me off, and we'll talk when you're done. I have to figure this out.† There wasn't much that was more infuriating than that. I hated having the lure of a secret being dangled before me. I hated the â€Å"I'll tell you later† stance. But no matter how much I badgered him, he refused to say any more. With Carter on his way to Terry's, I couldn't linger long over Roman. I had to get to Lake Forest Park first. With much grumbling, I left Roman to his machinations, after first warning him that he'd better be ready to spill when I got home later. When I arrived at the Mortensens' soon thereafter, I was relieved to see that Seth was around and that all the girls were still awake. Recalling Carter's joke, I'd worried on my drive over that it might be past the littler ones' bedtime. Most of them were in their pajamas, but it was clear from their excited reaction to me that sleep was the farthest thing from their mind. Returning their hugs, I couldn't help but imagine their response when the real act showed up. Only Brandy stayed on the couch when the others hugged me. She still smiled and nodded in greeting, but there was a haunted, hollow look that hadn't been there yesterday during our outing. My heart ached for her. After letting her have her night out, they must have told her the truth today about her mom. I sat down on the other end of the couch. â€Å"Did you have fun last night?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said. â€Å"It was okay.† â€Å"Do you want to see the pictures?† asked Kendall excitedly. She nudged Brandy. â€Å"Show her!† Smiling at her sister's enthusiasm, Brandy produced her cell phone and gave it to me to scroll through. It was filled with the kinds of pictures girls her age like to take, group shots of her and her friends crowded in, some with silly faces. I was pleased to see that it looked like any other school dance. I hadn't been sure what to expect from a church. The shots of her in particular were stunning. Margaret had done a good job with the French twist. One picture showed Brandy grinning next to a cute boy with sandy blond hair. He looked like a smart surfer. I glanced over at her and raised a questioning eyebrow. She nodded. â€Å"Nice,† I said. A knock at the door brought everyone's excited chatter to a halt. Terry looked up in surprise from where he'd been leafing through a picture book with McKenna. â€Å"Who on earth is that?† He glanced around the room, as though doing a head count to make sure anyone who might possibly stop by was already here. I suppose with that many daughters, there was always the risk of losing track of one. Ian, Margaret, Seth, and I were also accounted for. There weren't too many others who would drop in unannounced. â€Å"I don't know,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"Seth, why don't you answer the door and see?† Seth immediately picked up on the tone in my voice. He shot me a questioning look but walked over to the door anyway. He turned the knob and leaped back in astonishment when Carter burst in through the door. Well, I was taking it on faith that it was Carter, based on our earlier conversation. Because really, the man who entered the living room looked nothing like the disreputable angel I knew. In fact, he didn't look like any of the Santas I knew. He looked better. There was magic in the way he moved his round frame. His red suit seemed to shimmer, and his rosy cheeks looked like he'd just come in from the North Pole, not a dreary Seattle winter. He had out-Santa'ed Santa. â€Å"Ho ho ho!† he bellowed, in a voice that filled the entire house. â€Å"Merry Christmas!† Dead silence and wide eyes met him for a few moments. Then Kendall and the twins began squealing in delight as they ran over to him. â€Å"Santa! Santa!† â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Kendall. â€Å"You aren't contractually obligated to come here until Christmas Eve.† â€Å"True,† he said in a booming voice that I still couldn't believe was Carter's. â€Å"But I have to find out what you want for Christmas, don't I?† This was met with more oohs and ahhs, and the twins urged him to sit down on the couch. Brandy scrambled out of the way, and Kendall immediately took her turn first, claiming Santa's lap. Margaret and Terry looked like they were going to burst into tears. Ian looked dumbfounded. Seth caught my arm and pulled me to the side. â€Å"Is that one of the guys you work with?† he whispered. I grinned. â€Å"In a manner of speaking. It's Carter.† Seth did a double take, wearing the amazement I'd felt earlier. â€Å"Really? But how . . . I mean . . . even his body . . .† â€Å"Mysterious ways,† I replied. Kendall was rattling off a list of board games and economics books. Nearby, the twins stood quivering with excitement, eager for their turn but too well bred to show bad manners in front of Santa. After a few subscriptions to prominent business magazines and newspapers, Terry gently cut Kendall off and suggested she let her sisters take a turn. Kendall agreed eagerly, but not before throwing her arms around Carter and thanking him. â€Å"Okay,† said Seth, drawing me near. â€Å"This was kind of amazing. Not that I should be surprised by anything you do anymore.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"We definitely have to make the most out of your last month. If we're going to be apart for a long time, then we have to find a way to work around my schedule here.† I started to protest and tell him not to change his plans with the family because of me but stayed silent instead. Some desperate part of me wondered, what did any of it matter? If Hell wanted us apart, then we couldn't stand against that. â€Å"A long time† would become â€Å"never.† Maybe I really should be trying harder to maximize these last precious days. And yet if I did . . . would that make Hell work harder against us? Glancing up, I saw Morgan had now replaced McKenna on Carter's lap. They were having a discussion on the virtues of two different kinds of pony action figures. Morgan wasn't sure what kind she wanted. â€Å"Princess Ponies come in more colors,† she told him seriously. â€Å"True,† he said. â€Å"But some of the Power Prism Ponies are unicorns. And you can do more stuff with their hair.† Across the room, I saw Kayla curled up in a chair, watching Carter raptly but making no moves to talk to him. Slipping away from Seth, I walked over and knelt beside her. â€Å"Are you going to tell Santa what you want?† I asked in a very soft voice. It took Kayla several moments to tear her gaze from him. â€Å"He's not Santa,† she said. I was grateful she spoke as quietly as me. No one else heard. â€Å"Of course he is,† I said. â€Å"Who else would he be?† â€Å"He's not Santa.† She smiled and studied him again. â€Å"He's beautiful. He's more beautiful than anything.† No human could see an angel in his or her true form, unless the angel revealed it. Even then, a human would be destroyed by it. No, Kayla wasn't seeing Carter's true form, not exactly, but she was seeing something. Some piece of his true nature. I felt a moment of envy, wondering what it was she saw, what her senses allowed her that mine didn't. Whatever it was, I'd never know, but the enchanted look on her face made it clear it was wonderful. â€Å"Beautiful,† she repeated. She looked back at me. â€Å"Can he stop the Darkness?† â€Å"He'll try,† I said. Not the entire truth, but it would have to suffice. â€Å"Can you pretend he's Santa? Tell him what you want for Christmas?† She nodded solemnly, just as Morgan finished and Carter beckoned toward us. I walked Kayla over. I helped her onto his lap, and he glanced up at me with twinkling gray eyes. Those, if nothing else, were definitely Carter's. I stepped back and let them talk. Kayla continued staring adoringly at him, but no one except me knew what truly captivated her. She looked like any other child starstruck by Santa as she related her list, making no mention of his beauty or supernatural creatures prowling through her home at night. Leaving them to it, I quietly went upstairs and peered in Andrea's room. She was awake, reading a book. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her face looked gaunter than last time. She nonetheless gave me a cheery smile. â€Å"Georgina,† she said. â€Å"I should've known you were the source of all that commotion.† I laughed. â€Å"Not all of that. A friend of mine is here, playing Santa for the girls. He's taking their Christmas orders right now.† Her expression softened, resembling the near tears I'd seen on the others' faces. â€Å"That's very sweet of him. And of you.† â€Å"Would you like to meet him before he leaves?† I asked. Andrea grimaced and absentmindedly patted her hair. â€Å"Yes, in theory . . . but Lord. I look terrible.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said. â€Å"He doesn't care.† When I went back downstairs, Kayla had finished, and Carter was trying to get a list out of Brandy who told him point-blank there was no way she was getting on his lap. â€Å"I think you have plenty to work on with their orders,† she told him good-naturedly. â€Å"And there's nothing you want?† he asked in his best echoing Santa voice. â€Å"Nothing you can give, I'm afraid,† she said. Her smile faltered. â€Å"But thanks.† Carter peered at her with that piercing look he sometimes used on me, the one that seemed to look right inside me. â€Å"No,† he agreed. â€Å"You're right. But I can give you all my prayers. And my hopes for the best.† Brandy stared at him, caught up in that gaze, and simply nodded. I don't think she knew what a powerful thing it was, for an angel to offer all of his prayers, but she most certainly sensed the sincerity and intention in his words. â€Å"Thanks,† she repeated. I caught hold of Carter's arm. â€Å"Their mom wants to meet you, Santa.† He stood up and followed me to the stairs. We passed Ian along the way, who watched us condescendingly. â€Å"Aren't you going to ask what I want?† Carter paused and looked him over from head to toe. â€Å"Sorry. My workshop doesn't do shabby chic.† Carter continued following me, despite Ian's protest that his style was â€Å"vintage† and that â€Å"shabby chic is for wannabes.† If Andrea felt insecure at the thought of meeting a stranger, she did a good job of hiding it. Indeed, when Carter walked into her bedroom, a little awe passed over her face, reminding me of Kayla. Andrea couldn't see what her daughter had, but I think she sensed some of Carter's grace. He came to a halt at the foot of her bed and took of his red hat in a genteel style, revealing rows of white curls. â€Å"This is my friend Carter,† I said, after first making sure no one small had followed us. â€Å"Mrs. Mortensen,† he said, dropping the showmanship. â€Å"It's very nice to meet you.† She smiled, and the joy in it made her beautiful, despite her weary state. â€Å"Nice to meet you too. Thank you for coming over and seeing the girls.† Their exchange was brief. He said something nice or funny about each girl, making Andrea's smile grow and grow. She in turn couldn't stop thanking him. When the pleasantries were finally done, I bid her farewell and stepped outside the room with Carter. I closed the door and was about to head downstairs when he caught my hand. â€Å"Did you see what you needed to?† I asked quietly. He nodded, face grave, looking more like Carter than ever. â€Å"You were right. Her condition was made worse – by a demon.† â€Å"Can you tell which demon?† I asked. I knew Jerome didn't have my best interests at heart, but it was a hard thing to think of him purposely harming those I cared about. â€Å"No,† said Carter. â€Å"But it probably wasn't Jerome. It's the kind of dirty work a minor demon would do. I can also tell you that her illness, originally, was natural. Nothing gave this to her.† â€Å"They just made her relapse when she was starting to get better.† To get to me. To keep Seth busy. Carter nodded. â€Å"Okay. Thank you for coming here tonight. I appreciate it.† I started to turn, and he again stopped me. â€Å"Georgina . . .† There was an odd, troubled note in his voice, one I didn't usually associate with confident, laconic Carter. â€Å"Georgina, I've told you over and over that there are rules about what I can and can't do, how much I can be involved. As a general rule, I'm really not supposed to do too much active interference in mortal lives.† â€Å"I understand,† I said. â€Å"But what happened to her . . .† He frowned slightly. â€Å"That was another breaking of the rules, something that shouldn't have happened. And in this situation, two wrongs can make a right.† I stared up at him in amazement. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"I'm saying that I can heal her. I can't completely eradicate the cancer, but I can take it back to the level it was at before she was harmed this week. I can undo what they did to her and clean the slate.† My jaw wanted to drop. â€Å"That . . . that would be amazing !† Carter still looked sad, and I couldn't figure out why. Did he feel like he was violating a rule, even if he was righting a wrong? â€Å"What's the matter?† He sighed. â€Å"What you and Roman said earlier . . . about Hell wanting to keep you and Seth apart? About how her condition keeps him here? Well . . . it's possible, this is exactly what they want. She got better, then they made her worse again. Then, if she gets better on her own – or because of me – then everyone gets hopeful again, until they come back and make her worse. I'm not saying they will come back. But that they could. A limbo state like this ensures Seth stays around. If I heal her now – and I will if you want – I might be perpetuating that.† There were two key things I pulled out of that. One was a very, very subtle acknowledgment that Roman and I were right. Oh, Carter wasn't saying for sure that Hell was after Seth and me, but he certainly wasn't denying it either. It was all part of that careful angel way of his. The other thing – the most startling one – was the implication that thwarting Hell meant keeping Andrea out of the limbo they wanted her in. Seth would always be tied to his family if she moved in and out of health. If she completely recovered, he would be free. And if she died . . . â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It doesn't matter. Heal her. I don't care if he stays here forever, so long as it keeps her alive.† Carter nodded, and something shone in his eyes, something a little like pride . . . and sadness. â€Å"I thought you'd say that.† He knocked gently on Andrea's door before stepping back inside. â€Å"Sorry to bother you,† he said. â€Å"But I forgot to ask what you wanted for Christmas.† Andrea laughed, eventually degenerating into coughing. Reaching for a glass of water beside her bed, she finally recovered herself. â€Å"That's nice of you, but I'm too old.† â€Å"Never,† said Carter. â€Å"There must be something.† Andrea was still smiling, but it grew a little wistful. â€Å"There is something,† she said. I wondered if she'd ask to be cured, which was obviously what Brandy had wanted as well. â€Å"I want . . . I want my girls to be happy. No matter what happens to me, I want them looked after and cared for.† Carter-as-Santa studied her with that soul-searching gaze, and it was as though something passed between them, something I wasn't part of. At long last, he said, â€Å"I swear, it will be so.† He walked over to her bedside and extended his hand to her. A chill ran down my spine as he did. I swear. Those weren't words an angel could say lightly. I'd thought what he'd said earlier to Brandy was powerful, but it was nothing compared to this. Tentatively, Andrea took Carter's hand. I saw nothing blatant, no blinding flash of light or anything like that. I didn't even feel anything with my immortal senses. But Andrea's face transformed, growing radiant and dreamy, as though she were seeing and hearing the most beautiful things in the world. When Carter released her hand, she smiled at him and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep. â€Å"You healed her?† I asked, deciding not to mention the promise. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"She won't remember much of my visit.† â€Å"Probably just as – â€Å" My cell phone rang, and I hurried out of the room to answer it before Andrea woke up. It was Roman. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Hey, are you still with the Mortensens?† â€Å"Yeah, why?† â€Å"Because I think I've figured out how to prove my theory,† he said, voice stern and strained. â€Å"I still don't even know what your theory is,† I said. â€Å"You will soon enough. Ask Seth how he feels about hypnosis.†

BP SWOT Analysis and future action plan

The business was started in 1909 by one of the mega merger of Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It was renamed as British Petroleum in 1954. The head office is located in the city of Westminster, United Kingdom. It operates throughout the globe and owns approximately 93,000 employees. Today there are BP 2go, BP Castrol, BP Express, BP Shop, BP Connect and BP Travel Center. The business has diversified intensively across its core business.BP (British Petroleum) is one of the prevalent vertically integrated conglomerates in oil and gas sector. It explores and produces crude oil and different gases. The colossal business also participates in trading and marketing of power resources, liquid and natural gases. Research and Markets (2010) conducted the SWOT Analysis of British Petroleum as follows: Strength: †¢ Prior to the oil spill catastrophe, the business owned leadership position in oil and gas sector and performed vertically integrated business operations †¢ The business has well established plants which are widened geographically†¢ It performs business worldwide and has collaborated with retail brands and subsidiaries like AMPM, AMOCO, Burmah Castrol, ARCO, BP travel center, Express, Connect and many more †¢ In 2007 the net profit improved by 83% due to the increase in oil and petroleum prices †¢ It owns loyal and committed customers Weakness: †¢ Over the past years the production of natural gas and crude oil has been reduced †¢ Other than the oil spill disaster the business is faced with lots of internal criticism and controversies †¢ The launch of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline resulted into large numbers of controversies†¢ In 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas resulted into 15 deaths and 100 injuries †¢ The 2006 oil spill of 250 gallons in Alaskan Tundra has imposed different criminal charges †¢ BP faced immense crisis of poor management due to toxic spill of about 2000 gallon of methanol in Prudhoe bay †¢ The Alaskan oil well operations got seized †¢ The business formulated unsound policies related to environment †¢ Brand image might get worsened due to the recent oil spill crisis †¢ The business lacks contingency plan in order to overcome major issues Opportunity: †¢ Natural gas stipulation in North America has amplified†¢ Recently petrochemicals and refined product requirements has increased in China †¢ Due to prevailing environmental issues more and more businesses are investing in alternative sources of energy †¢ To a greater extent gas and oil exploration plants are being established specifically in developed countries †¢ The business has decided to invest USD 8 billion in alternative energy comprising of hydrogen gas, solar power, wind energy and natural gas †¢ It has decided to further expand in Post Soviet areas and acquire plants in North Sea †¢ Flexible pricing policy will enable the business to compete with major rivalsThr eat: †¢ Environmental regulations have imposed one of the chief threat on diverse business operations †¢ In North sea alone resource has reduced to a major extent †¢ Majority of the oil exploration and production areas have been faced with ups and downs †¢ Major competitors like Chevron and Shell might adversely affect the business †¢ USA government has filed major lawsuit against one of the recent BP oil spill crisis Action Plan for British Petroleum: A novel route: The business presentation reveals that it has adapted to changing environment and opted for sustainable future strategy.The top most priority highlighted includes reliability and safety and the business aims that the future business operations will specifically focus on personal safety. The 2015 forecast reveals immense opportunities in deepwater operations, gigantic fields and producing alternative energy sources. In contrary to this, although BP is not the only player responsible for the probl em, even then numerous issues have been surfaced and political influence has further threatened the operation by imposing strict regulations and control.It has incurred increase in cost due to political influence from USA and Brazil and safety measures criteria. It can be said that business itself destabilized, demoralized and weakened its future directions. Prior to this it was a world class corporation with premium brands and strong customer base and everything changed in three weeks (Rowell, 2010). Future growth strategy: Macalister (2010) states that the business has to recompense USD 20 billion as a liability for the oil spill issue.Nevertheless the business opted for the betterment and claimed that it will be establishing exploration and production plants in Libya, Egypt and Azerbaijan in the imminent years. The business came up with a comprehensive DRP (disaster recovery plan) which involves investigation, bringing changes at management level, looking into group performance a nd opting for future strategy formulation. The business introduced Bob Dudley as new face to clear up the business image. The strategy focuses on rehabilitation and compensation plan and improving the global image of BP and transforming into a good corporate citizenship across all over the globe.In order to gain confidence of stakeholders, the business particularly participated with communities in order to rebuild those areas which have been adversely affected by the crisis. The business stated that the crisis will have an impact on the future strategy in terms of liabilities but it aims in protecting and growth expansion of the business. The corporation collaborated with US agencies in order to pay off all the legitimate claims and deploy massive systems for the purpose of environmental restitution. About more than 15, 000 volunteers participated and committed to the appropriate strategy.Lesson learned as a future contingency plan: Winston (2010) analyzed philosophical, geopolitica l and corporate level strategy of BP and highlighted key learning points: †¢ The conventional fossil fuel technology is disastrous for species, business and overall society. Rather than investing in carbon emitting fossil fuels the business must look into safety and minimizing risk. †¢ Everything never goes right and there exist an element of uncertainty. The spreadsheet models being used in businesses only resemble positive numbers and they cannot forecast and formulate proactive measures.Oil companies found future success in deepwater oil exploration and they went for it and forget to look into clean up technologies and oil spill shielding measures. †¢ One of the prominent examples was reflected by Johnson & Johnson who called back all the Tylenol medicines and established one of the prominent corporate behavior paradigms. In contrast to this, BP CEO Mr. Hayward always said that it was an insignificant issue in comparison to massive sea and it resulted into awful re sponse in the form of slow actions and took them three months to impede the leakage. Nonetheless Mr. Hayward has learnt a lot for future debacles.†¢ Conventionally risk management was the primary concern however abiding to green provision will result into sustainability and decrease in risk. The poor risk management by BP reveals that it lost USD 70 billion market value within one week of the disaster. However the impact of its products on the overall ocean was massive and unquantifiable which killed precious species. Therefore BP will transform into green leader and further improve its supply chain so that it can perform socially and environmentally in an outclass manner. †¢ Businesses spend decades to build brand equity and it takes small fraction of time for everything to be lost.BP invested in businesses beyond petroleum but major diminution can be highlighted in the case of renewable energy just because of slight decrease in current profits therefore the business must invest in renewable sources in future sustainability. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the business opted for a holistic approach. The demeanor remains with adapting to environmental changes and performing as a good corporate citizen. The business gained vast experience from the disaster and opted for finest outcome. It formulated an aggressive marketing strategy with business expansion in Azerbaijan, Egypt and Libya.Although there are political influences even then the business looked into personal safety and reliability measures. The future remains with deep water exploration and alternative energy resources. The corporation formulated a disaster management plan and worked in order to gain confidence from diverse stakeholders. Some of the lesson engrossed includes investing in renewable resources, including risk management in financial modules, opting for swiftness and responsiveness and taking proactive measures for different business processes and operations. References: Re search and Markets. (2010). British Petroleum Company: Company Analysis.Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/354859/ Rowell, A. (2010). BP’s Long Term Business Strategy in Chaos†¦ Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://priceofoil. org/2010/06/29/bp%E2%80%99s-long-term-business-strategy-in-chaos/ Macalister, T. (2010). BP chief Tony Hayward to outline strategy that restores firm's fortunes. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2010/jul/21/bp-oil-spill-tony-hayward Winston, A. (2010). Five Lessons from the BP Oil Spill. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://blogs. hbr. org/winston/2010/06/the-bp-oil-spill-top-5-lessons. html