Monday, September 30, 2019
A Case Analysis of the Workings of a Third Party Logistics Industry Essay
Introduction            The relevance of Third Party Logistics (3PL) Providers need not be overemphasized. The logistics industry provides a very good opportunity for industries to focus more on their core competencies and significantly reduce their spending while at the same time improving their systems and customer service aspects. Since most of the 3PL companies have all the resources that are necessary for effective logistics function on top of their human capital it is always the case that companies will definitely gain a good experience on top of learning a lot of new strategies in dealing with this type of service.            This paper will provide the basic theories on Logistics and Third Party Logistics. Consequently, it will relate such theories to actual experiences of a particular 3PL Industry leader: Ryder Systems Inc. The paper will be discussing its core services, values and take into close analysis two of the services that they have provided on two of their major clients. Similarly, the discussion of some of the risk factors that are inevitable for the company will also be taken into account. See more: The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay Objectives of the Study            First amongst of the few objectives of the study will be the student’s capability to communicate the concepts that are relevant in the industry that he or she is working in. Second would be to show how big and relevant the market for the logistics industry is. In relation with this is to illustrate how the company which the author works in (i.e. Ryder Systems Inc) is able to have a significant share in this industry.  Part of such objective would be explaining its book of business, products and services and basic corporate values. There should also be direct examples to illustrate how is the company is able to maintain its top clients. Significance of the Study            It is necessary to provide a scholarly study on the area of logistics because there has not been a lot of studies are conducted in this type of industry. Most of the researches that the author have encountered are primarily brief case studies and basic theories that mainly based on the specific corporations that are doing such type of businesses. Having such, most of the literatures are one sided, that is discussing only the good experiences that were encountered in dealing with specific clients. It is the author’s endeavor to bring out a research paper that is based on a holistic perspective so that there would be a thorough discussion of both of the positive and negative areas within the logistics industry. Review of Related Literature Logistics Logistics is the process of administering and controlling the course of goods, energy, information and other resources namely products, services and people from a particular company.  It would be very hard to imagine a particular company without proper logistical function or support. The very rationale of a logistics support primarily lies on proper â€Å"geographical positioning of raw materials, works in process, and finish inventories†at the most reasonable cost, this information is taken from Wikipedia’s introduction part, titled â€Å"Logistics†. Taken from the same reference, Wikipedia categorizes logistics into three types: military, business and production logistics. Military logistics Providing logistical support to the military is more of a matter of life and death. It is very crucial that soldiers’ supplies of food, fuel and ammunition be delivered in the fastest and safest possible manner if not, such would lead to very serious implications. Good examples of such cases are the US-Iraq war, American War of Independence and the Second World War. Business Logistics There are two different focuses in which logistics function in businesses: the internal focus and the external focus which â€Å"covers the flow from originating supplier to end-user†. Part of the business is the assurance of the proper â€Å"coordination of resources in an organization†.  Two forms of logistics in business that are fundamental for the smooth run of the business are the â€Å"steady flow of material through a network of transport links and storage nodes; and also the sequence of resources to carry out projects†. Production Logistics The relevance of logistics within an industry need not be over emphasized. As industries are constantly changing their machines to achieve â€Å"capital efficiency†and â€Å"customer response†, it is very necessary to make more efficient the logistics function. For existing plants, the management often find themselves replacing parts ad even machines in order to ensure the quality and rate of productivity. Hence it is not only the case that timeliness of transporting these parts should be taken into consideration but also the cautiousness that is necessary to guarantee that by the time the machine or parts get to the production site, it is still on a perfect working condition. For the purpose of this paper, the author will concentrate specifically on two types of logistics function, i.e. the business and the production logistics. Third Party Logistics It would be more cost-effective for companies which don’t have a particular specialization on transportation and logistics to outsource using 3PL or third Party Logistics Provider.            3PL is a specialized vendor which takes care of the â€Å"supply management function†of a particular company’s integrated warehousing and transportation, and other services that could be â€Å"made according to customer’s needs prior on market condition and the demands and delivery service requirements for their products and materials.†Few of these services are inventory, material handling and packaging.            According to Hertz, and Alfredsson in their article â€Å"Strategic development of third party logistics providers, Industrial Marketing Management†there are four categories of 3PL providers: Standard 3PL provider: this is the most basic form of a 3PL provider. They would perform activities such as, pick and pack, warehousing, and distribution (business) – the most basic functions of logistics. For a majority of these firms, the 3PL function is not their main activity. Service developer: this type of 3PL provider will offer their customers advanced value-added services such as: tracking and tracing, cross-docking, specific packaging, or providing a unique security system. A solid IT foundation and a focus on economies of scale and scope will enable this type of 3PL provider to perform these types of tasks. The customer adapter: this type of 3PL provider comes in at the request of the customer and essentially takes over complete control of the company’s logistics activities. The 3PL provider improves the logistics dramatically, but do not develop a new service. The customer base for this type of 3PL provider is typically quite small. The customer developer: this is the highest level that a 3PL provider can attain with respect to its processes and activities. This occurs when the 3PL provider integrates itself with the customer and takes over their entire logistics function. These providers will have few customers, but will perform extensive and detailed tasks for them.   Ryder System Inc Company Overview Headed by their Chairman and CEO Gregory T. Swienton, Ryder System Inc is one of the best and leading industries in terms of providing logistics, supply chain management and solutions all over the world. It has been featured in Fortune 500 and has received numerous commendations from its clients and peers within the industry. Few of its customer awards are from Toyota (Best Business Partner of the Year), Mazda (Carrier of the Year), Xerox (Delivery Carrier of the Year), Whirlpool (Gold and Bronze Quality Awards), Alcan (Distribution Supplier of the Year), ARCO (Category 1, Supplier Status), Bombay (Carrier of the Year), Copperweld (Outstanding Supplier of the Year), Domino’s Pizza (Supplier of the Year), etc. Similarly, few of its industry awards came from Forbes, Beacon Council, The Miami Herald, Commercial Carrier Journal, Hispanic Magazine, Logistics Management, Mercer Management Consulting, Internet Week, E Week, Information Week, Centro de Estudos em Logica, Consumer Goods Technology, CIO, National Safety Council, Latina Style, Information Week 500, Business Week, Inbound Logistics Magazine and B to B Magazine. Also, the company has been included in Calvert Social Index since 1990, KLD Research & Analytics: Domini 400 Social Index (DSI), United States Environmental Protection Agency and South Florida Commuter Services: Best Workplaces for Commuters, Governance Metrics International (GMI): Highest Global Rating, Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR): Above and Beyond Award, Network Miami, and World Trade.  In relation with this, Ryder has also been included in â€Å"InformationWeek 500 of leading business users of information technology and InternetWeek’s top 100 U.S. companies for effectiveness in using the Internet to achieve tangible business benefits†. As enumerated in Ryder’s official website the products that the company offers are: â€Å"Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), which provides leasing, rental and programmed maintenance of trucks, tractors and trailers to commercial customers; Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), which manages the movement of materials and related information from the acquisition of raw materials to the delivery of finished products to end-users; and Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC), which provides a turn-key transportation service that includes vehicles, drivers, routing and scheduling†. Corporate Values One of the secrets of success of Ryder lies on its very strong recognition of the relevance of diversity in the workplace. The company focuses a lot on the relevance of the workforce by proving them a whole array of opportunities regardless of color, gender and age. Fleet Management Solutions According to the 2005 Ryder Annual Report on the Financial Statement Section, Ryder’s Fleet Management Solutions (FMS) accounts to 62% of total annual revenue of the company, that is equivalent to $57 Billion. FMS allows its clients to focus on their central business and direct their capital to other parts of their business process. Ryder provides a whole range of products for leasing, commercial rent and contract maintenance solutions. In relation with this, it also had â€Å"value-added fleet support services†like insurance, vehicle administration, fuel services and a wide selection of used trucks, tractors. FMS caters from small to large scale enterprises. Most of its clients came from the following industries: beverage, newspaper, grocery, lumber, wood products, home finishing and metal. Since FMS is divided to three major regions across the whole United States also adding Puerto Rico, the company holds a huge 137,000 US fleet of commercial trucks, tractors, trailers that are leased or rented. Each major region is segmented into 8-16 Business Units (BU) and consequently, each BU has 7-15 Branch Offices. The BU are pretty much like a one-stop store because not only that it has a maintenance facility or a shop office, it also provides services for refueling, safety inspections and preliminary maintenance checks as well as a place for preventive maintenance and repairs. Through FMS Ryder is able to provide the most cost-effective business logistics solutions on top of timeliness, quality and superior service. Full Service Leasing The full service leasing program that is still based on the 2005 Ryder Annual Report is a custom made program which caters perfectly to any demand or need of a particular enterprise. This particular program helps companies to strategize their fleet management function or upgrade their fleet without necessarily having to allocate a specific percentage of their annual capital. Assessing enterprises’ qualifications would depend in their corporate state of affairs, their company’s size, residual size and a balance sheet treatment. Based on these qualifications, a leasing program will be created. After such would be the leasing of trucks that are â€Å"custom engineered†relative to the needs of the enterprise and normally would last for 3-7 year. The full service lease of Ryder has very good leveraging since the company has a good buying power since it purchases vehicles in bulk. Other related services include contact maintenance which primarily deals with the repairs of vehicles, predictive and preventive assessments based on the type of the truck and driving habits of the enterprise, and also Ryder can replace any truck which temporarily went out of service. Another additional feature of this program is the contact related maintenance which are additional services that are not within the agreed contract but is however needed by the enterprise. Supply Chain Solutions This aspect of the services provided by Ryder pertains to the â€Å"direct movement of international funds and related information from the acquisition of raw materials to the delivery of finished products to end users†. The estimated market for this business is estimated to be $237 Billion and accounts to 29% of the company’s total annual revenue. There are three categories in which Ryder operates in this particular service. The Professional Services provided by the company focuses on the classification, analysis, and improvement of its clients’ supply chain solutions in order to assure the enterprise’s consistency, efficiency and flexibility. This service is comprised of expert consultants who conduct extensive case studies, reviews to create a highly effective supply chain strategy. Another service provided by the company is Distribution Operations wherein few of the services being catered upon are: warehouse facilities, administering the flow of products, coordinating warehousing and transportation for inbound material flows, handling import and export for international shipment, replenishment of component parts for manufacturing and ., and a whole lot more. The transportation services on the other hand take care on almost all of the factors that are necessary for an effective and timely transportation network. From planning and execution, Ryder also makes sure that the shipment consolidation, load scheduling and delivery confirmation are real-time and accurate through the use of various technological and web-based solutions. Ryder has the best transportation consultants who work in partnership with the Freight Brokerage Department. Analysis            Having a discussed a brief background of the necessary foundations of an effective logistics company and having elaborated on the basic workings of Ryder System Inc, the author would like to have a brief case analysis of two of the long-time clients that the company have served for their logistics solutions: Whirlpool and Philips.            In relation with this, the author would also discuss the risk factors that are inevitable in this type of business. Risk Factors            The author would like to discuss some of the things that affect the logistics business at Ryder. One relevant factor would be the financial revenue of the company and its stability. Some changes in market conditions such as the rental or sale of used vehicles, ability to retain customers and maintain appropriate utilization rates. It could also be the case that unstable interest rate and currency exchange rate might cause financial instability. Sometimes occasional labor strikes, sudden changes in fuel prices and fuel shortages could be vital determiners of fluctuations.            It is also a necessity that new growth initiatives in Fleet Management Systems (FMS) Business segment be a constant endeavor for the company. By having the company restructure the operational and sales teams, realigning business processes and organizing management it will be assured that the FMS will still be up to date and will still continue to be the biggest contributor for the company’s annual revenue.            Another risk factor that the company has to deal with is the residual risks on the value of their trucks. If the market for buying used vehicles suddenly declines there would be a sure loss on Ryder. In relation with this would be with regard to SCS revenue. Since a significant portion of SCS revenue came from a small number of customers, many of which are in the automotive industry, it could be possible that failure to retain these clients would result to huge financial loss. One of Ryder’s clients which belong in this category is General Motors Corporation (GM) accounting for 35% of Ryder’s SCS total revenue and 18% of SCS operating revenue.  The loss of any of this customer or a significant reduction in the services provided to on this company could impact Ryder’s domestic and international operations and adversely affect SCS financial results. While the company still focuses on diversifying their customer base both outside and within the automotive industry, the company may not be successful in doing so in the short term. In relation with this is the downward pricing pressure that might come from certain SCS customers could result in low revenues. For instance it could be the case that since all SCS services are provided under contractual arrangements that are based on certain assumptions regarding the scope of services, production volumes, operational efficiencies, productivity and other factors. If, as a result of subsequent changes in our customers’ business needs or operations or market forces that are outside of our control, these assumptions prove to be invalid, Ryder could have lower margins than anticipated.            Attracting and retaining drivers could also be an issue since there has been a really tight competition in terms of their availability. The company could either opt to increase their salaries or let trucks sit idle, utilize lower quality drivers or face difficulty meeting customer demands, all of which could adversely affect growth and profitability. Ryder’s attempt to continue to expand international operations may result in additional risks. Since the company is committed to meeting customers’ global needs by continuing to grow our international operations in Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America and by entering into new markets such as China. The company’s international operations, particularly in Latin America and Asia, are subject to adverse developments in foreign political, governmental and economic conditions, varying competitive factors, foreign currency fluctuations, potential difficulties in identifying and retaining qualified managers and personnel, potential adverse tax consequences and difficulties in protecting intellectual property rights. Since the company operates in a highly competitive industry it is likely the case that the business may suffer if the company will be unable to adequately address potential downward pricing pressures and other competitive factors. Ryder competes with many other transportation and logistics service providers, some of which have greater capital resources than the company does; some of the competitors periodically reduce their prices to gain business, which may limit the company’s ability to maintain or increase prices. In relation with this, advances in technology may require increased investments to remain competitive, and the company’s customers may not be willing to accept higher prices to cover the cost of these investments. Ryder operates in a highly regulated industry, and costs of compliance with, or liability for violation of, existing or future regulations could significantly increase their costs of doing business. The business is subjected to regulation by various federal, state and foreign governmental entities specifically the U.S. Department of Transportation and various state and federal agencies exercise broad powers over Ryder’s motor carrier operations, safety, and the generation, handling, storage, treatment and disposal of waste materials. The company may also become subject to new or more restrictive regulations imposed by the Department of Transportation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency or other authorities, relating to the hours of service that our drivers may provide in any one-time period, security and other matters. Compliance with these regulations could substantially impair equipment productivity and increase the company’s costs. New regulations governing exhaust emissions could adversely impact the business. The Environmental Protection Agency has issued regulations that require progressive reductions in exhaust emissions from certain diesel engines through 2007. Emissions standards require reductions in the sulfur content of diesel fuel beginning in June 2006 and the introduction of emissions after-treatment devices on newly-manufactured engines and vehicles utilizing engines built after January 1, 2007. Each of these requirements could result in higher prices for tractors, diesel engines and fuel, which are passed on to customers, as well as higher maintenance costs and uncertainty as to reliability, all of which could, overtime, increase costs and adversely affect business and results of operations. Case Studies Whirlpool Corporation The dilemma of Whirlpool Corporation primarily stems out to a highly fragmented warehousing and distribution network. The main warehousing facility of the company is primarily located in La Porte Ind, while having other packaging facilities all over the states. When vendors ship and deliver the parts needed for production, some are directly dropped in the packaging facilities in which is the ideal situation; however a lot of times, the parts are delivered in La Porte which then requires Whirlpool to cross-dock shipments. As result of this, the transportation processes of goods are doubled in addition to repeating the strenuous tasks for inventory. Such a case appears to be ineffective, costly and time consuming because not only that the company is doubling its expenses and is not doing well in terms of time management, but also the primary corporate value which is good customer service is highly compromised. By having late deliveries or goods or merchandise parts, Whirlpool doesn’t appear to stand at its best disposition.            Whirlpool’s Financial Managers are very reluctant in having to invest a lot of their capital in improving their warehousing and logistics solution, however, something must really be done in order to resolve their logistic problems, and hence this is when Ryder came into the picture.            In choosing the right 3PL provider for their logistics solutions, Whirlpool assessed three major logistics provider. They have taken into consideration the contractors’ experience, strategy, capabilities and resources. Out of all the outsourcing companies assessed Ryder was able to get the contract.            The logistics processing service of Ryder to Whirlpool is conducted in this way: Once the bulk shipments from offshore suppliers and onshore suppliers such as Mexico and the United States arrived at the distribution centers, the goods received by the warehouse management systems and have them bar-coded. After which Ryder then performs â€Å"high volume packaging and kitting within the distribution center breaking down shipments such as large cartons containing 500 water pumps into single-item boxes and polybags†. In such a manner, Ryder effectively sorts out the parts and labels them so that it would be easier to identify them once delivered to Whirlpool clients. For the sake of quality and protection of the goods, they are assembled in blister-pack kits together with other components and accessories such as for instance a water pump, two washers and an installation brochure. The process of packaging is very much a holistic process that allows the parts to be ready for delivery.            Once the goods are packed in totes, they are bar-coded and move along the conveyor system. After which they are subjected on the sortation system wherein their bar-codes are matched with the orders entered in the system.            The customers’ orders on the other hand are processed by Whirlpool and enter them into their systems while providing Ryder a nightly file in order to identify and sort out the orders to be delivered the following day.            In order to monitor their performance, Ryder and Whirlpool follow five Key Performance Indicators (KPI); these KPIs are: â€Å"shipment accuracy, inventory accuracy, service performance/fill rates, order cycle time and budget performance†.  In relation with the KPI, Ryder also follows the Net 5 Whirlpool Program which says that â€Å"every division of operation should generate a net of 5% in cost savings.            In sum, by having Ryder took in-charge of the logistics of Whirlpool the company is able to save a net of 7% in their annual logistics operation. Also, as evident, their logistics operations became more proficient and they are able to concentrate on their key competencies which are quality products on top of good customer service. Philips Consumer Electronics of North America The biggest challenge that Philips faced in terms of their logistics functions are in terms of inventory accuracy, the timeliness of product delivery, security in terms of warehousing and delivery and also cross-border delays. In 2001, the company decided to fully outsource their logistics function by having more than 20 contractors bid for the service. Ryder was chosen amongst all of the said 3PL operators because of their relevant past experiences, efficacy in quality control and product management. Consequently, Ryder’s human resource was also taken into relevant consideration because of its diversity and good account of experience. In order to provide a very effective logistics recommendation to Philips, Ryder made an assessment to Philip’s network. Results of such are first the transfer of their Close District Center (DC) in El Paso Texas and replace with a new and larger distribution center at Alliance Park near Dallas Ft. Worth. The reason for such a change would be the bulk of market segments in which high demands of Philips electronics are purchased. By having the new DC inn Alliance Park, not only those products from offshore sources are received within the earliest possible time but also 80% of Philips’ clients were able to receive their products within 2 days. Cross-border traffics that are often caused by customs are significantly minimized as Ryder has already long-standing relationships with various custom offices all over the continent. Ryder has established Philips designated carriers’ pick-up station for the freight which usually came from Juarez Mexico. Sometimes this freight is delivered to the DC at Alliance Park while some are directly delivered to Philips’ customer. The process of dealing with the logistics function of Philips starts with the Electronic Receipt†of shipment delivery which tells Ryder exactly the due date for the delivery of the goods; consequently, the electronic receipt goes straight to the order repository system giving Ryder a 48-hr lead time for the delivery; after such would be the determination of the â€Å"most cost-efficient transportation option that meets the delivery commitment†. Part of the challenge in transporting goods is the diversity of the products that needs to be delivered. From palm sized electronics to wide screen televisions, Ryder has to make sure that on top of optimizing the truck load space, it has also make sure that the goods will be delivered in a very good shape. In relation with this, there are certain products that are in season because of various factors such as strong advertising campaigns, popularity, etc. Hence Ryder has made sure that there should be effective â€Å"slotting analysis†in order to make the flow of goods in and out of the warehouses more efficient. Security concerns such as robbery or smuggling of products due to its high product value are also taken into relevant consideration. Cameras, door alarms, and actual security guards are always in operation. Also, the most expensive products are caged in a special area wherein entrance and exit areas are highly monitored. Employees are also required to pin their IDs all the time specially when entering highly secured areas. Another good thing with Philip’s partnership with Ryder is the immediate feedback provided to Philip’s customer service right after the good is delivered to the customer. Hence such an act provides a real-time inventory and feedback that is very necessary in dealing with customer inquiry and/or complains. Conclusion The logistics industry provides a very good opportunity for industries to focus more on their core competencies and significantly reduce their spending while at the same time improving their systems and customer service aspects. Since most of the 3PL companies have all the resources that are necessary for effective logistics function on top of their human capital it is always the case that companies will definitely gain a good experience on top of learning a lot of new strategies in dealing with this type of service. Logistics is the process of administering and controlling the course of goods, energy, information and other resources namely products, services and people from a particular company.  Specifically, 3PL is a specialized vendor which takes care of the â€Å"supply management function†of a particular company’s integrated warehousing and transportation, and other services that could be â€Å"made according to customer’s needs prior on market condition and the demands and delivery service requirements for their products and materials.†Few of these services are inventory, material handling and packaging. The research focused on one of the leading providers of logistics function which is Ryder Systems Inc. The company is one of the best and leading industries in terms of providing logistics, supply chain management and solutions all over the world. It has been featured in Fortune 500 and has received numerous commendations from its clients and peers within the industry. As enumerated in Ryder’s official website the products that the company offers are: â€Å"Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), which provides leasing, rental and programmed maintenance of trucks, tractors and trailers to commercial customers; Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), which manages the movement of materials and related information from the acquisition of raw materials to the delivery of finished products to end-users; and Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC), which provides a turn-key transportation service that includes vehicles, drivers, routing and scheduling†.            The research has also discussed the various risk factors that are inevitable in dealing with a third party logistics company. These are the financial revenue of the company and its stability, the need for restructuring the operational and sales teams, realigning business processes and organizing management, residual risks on the value of trucks, SCS revenue, downward pricing pressure that might come from certain SCS customers, attracting and retaining drivers, expand international operations, regulations governing exhaust emissions etc.            Similarly, the research discussed two case studies in which 3PL specifically Ryder has done long-term business with such as Whirlpool and Philips. Literature Cited Hertz, S., & Alfredsson, M., (2003), Strategic development of third party logistics providers, Industrial Marketing Management, (32), 139-149. Sangam VK. (2006). Implementing Third Party Logistics. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from About.com Website: http://logistics.about.com/od/thirdparty/a/uc041805a.htm Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-party_logistics Third Party Logistics. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Wikipedia. Org Website. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3PL About Us. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://www.ryder.com/aboutus_home.shtml Management Team. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://www.ryder.com/aboutus_cinfo_mt.shtml Customer Awards. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://www.ryder.com/aboutus_cinfo_car.shtml Industry Awards. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://www.ryder.com/aboutus_cinfo_iar.shtml Product Line Brochures. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://www.ryder.com/aboutus_cinfo_brochures.shtml Diversity at Ryder. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://www.ryder.com/aboutus_diversity.shtml Investor Relations Home. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from Ryder.Com Website: http://investors.ryder.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=108468&p=irol-irhome
Sunday, September 29, 2019
The Death of King Tut
Tutankhamun’s tomb is the only royal tomb in Egypt to have escaped the discovery of looters and was discovered by archeologist Howard Carter. The death of Tutankhamun was a sudden tragedy that til this day has yet to be solved. The cause of the famous teenage king’s death has been a long drawn out mystery with a range of theories as to how he met his end. There are no historical records explaining the cause or circumstances of his death, nor is there no positive evidence to suggest how he died. However, there are several theories and many of which have changed over the years.One theory suggests that King Tut was murdered. During an xray of the mummy in 1968, scientists found â€Å"bone fragments in King Tut’s skull prompting this theory†. Another theory as to what caused King Tut’s death was a genetic disorder known as gynecomastia, a hormone imbalance which gives males a female appearance. The final theory was that he died from a â€Å"break in th e bone just above his left knee. †Technology showed that this happened while he was still alive and was probably the result of falling from a chariot and developed an infection in the wound.Furthermore, after many speculations and testing performed on the mummy to find the cause of death, it still remains a mystery. Although there is evidence to potentially prove each of these theories to be true, I believe there are two reasons why he died. While he was alive, he fractured a thigh bone which had gotten infected. This infection spread throughout his body and eventually killed him. The CT scan showed a thin coating of embalming resin around the leg break which suggested that he broke his leg just before he died. The resin â€Å"flowed through the wound and got into direct contact with the fracture and became solidified. There was no evidence or signs of healing of the bone and that is most likely what had killed him. There were no antibiotics 3,000 years ago, and according to Ashraf Selim, a radiologist at Kasr Eleini Teaching Hospital at Cairo University in Egypt, â€Å"the probability of a severe infection resulting from such a break would be quite high. †In addition, the authors led by Dr. Zahi Hawass from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, results suggest â€Å"avascular bone necrosis (condition in which the poor blood supply to the bone leads to weakening or destruction of an area of bone) in conjunction ith the malarial infection†was most likely the cause of death in Tutankhamun. In conclusion, there has not yet been a definite cause of death for King Tut, but studies and tests performed on the mummy body mostly point to infection as his cause of death. He died at a very young age, however the medications and technology was not there like it is today. There will continue to be studies and testing done, but there will always only be speculation because he died so long ago.Resources Alleyne, Richard. (February 16, 2010). Kin g Tut Died of Malaria and Bone Condition, Says New Research. http://www. elegraph. co. uk/science/science-news/7251320/King-Tut-died-of-malaria-and-bone-condition-says-new-research. html Hasan, Lama. Crystal Phend (February 16, 2010). How King Tut Died Revealed in New Study. http://abcnews. go. com/Health/LivingLonger/king-tut-died-revealed-study/story? id=9853119 Lovgren, Stefan. (December 1, 2006). King Tut Died From Broken Leg, Not Murder, Scienctists Conclude. http://news. nationalgeographic. com/news/2006/12/061201-king-tut. html. Sayre, Henry. (2011). The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change. The Stability of Ancient Egypt. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Challenges Facing Multinational Organizations Transferring Knowledge Between Subsidiaries Management Essay
Challenges Facing Multinational Organizations Transferring Knowledge Between Subsidiaries Management Essay Multinational organizations (MNCs) have presented in academic debate since the globalization and intensified transnational competition has led to the introduction of a variety of new organizational practices. As the organizations expand globally, their organizational structures and behavior tend to become increasingly more complex. Especially for MNCs, although the attention of cost management may no longer directly affect company performance, the strategies of MNCs involve other managerial skills such as an interest in developing organizational structures and highly performing employees (Jacoby 2005; Dobbin 2005). Moreover, those firms that compete in the global marketplace typically face several types of competitive pressures, cost reductions and local responsiveness, conflicting demands on the MNCs. Making global strategies should emphasize how the MNC can gain competitive advantages through market efficient in order to achieve its goal. Those advantages may come from using resou rces endowments, economies of scale, information and communication technologies (ICT), allocation of resources, training and learning programs from human resources management, and productive capacity (Malnight 1996). By achieving those advantages MNC can managerially well of their flexibility by altering their resource configuration and how they structures and manages in global market (Bartlett Porter 1986; Prahalad Myerson 1982). The second factor is multiculturalism. It refers to the extent of supply and demand factors those diverse cultural backgrounds and coordinates the business activities in order to achieve competitive advantages and productive efficiency.
Friday, September 27, 2019
War in Darfur Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
War in Darfur - Article Example They are given complete impunity for looting and destruction as long as they ensure the government’s interests in Darfur. The main interest of the government is the land in Darfur. The Darfur natives identify Ali Kosheib as the commander of the Janjaweed unit which is responsible for looting and burning their properties. He calls himself the government and uses the government machinery like weapons and vehicles when he goes looting. The government allows the militia to smuggle gum Arabic as part of their compensation. It also helps them extort resources from the public by organizing Government-sponsored â€Å"reconciliation conferences†where the Janjaweed militia demands huge payoffs to prevent further attacks. The Darfur conflict intensifies more with attempted peace efforts. There have not been proposed peace efforts addressing the main issues which cause war in Darfur and this leads to rejection of such proposals. International initiatives of peace in Sudan are disconnected from Darfur and instead they are concentrated in other areas which allow the militia to divide and conquer minimizing the chances of peace in Darfur. Peace in Darfur can only be propagated by internationally-backed peace initiatives which will address the core issues and resolve the conflict once and for all. Otherwise, some population of Darfur will continue to be wiped out as their land is taken and their property destroyed while nothing is being done about it. In my opinion, this article presented the accurate situation on the ground of what is happening in Darfur. Despite reports from the UN that the war in Darfur is no more; their citizens continue to flee their country in search for peaceful places to stay in other countries as refugees. This article also gives evidence of interviewed nationals who have witnessed the militia loot, burn and kill people while using government vehicles. I totally agree with the author of
Thursday, September 26, 2019
E-goverment in angola Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words
E-goverment in angola - Dissertation Example One aspect of change is e-governance. Though existing literature has outlined the possibility of e-governance spiraling economic lives of citizens, little has been done to unravel understanding of the prospects, challenges, and practices of e-governance in improving literacy levels, championing the values of democracy, increasing economic transactions, and improving government administrative functions. This report seeks to explore the prospects of E-governance in Angola, assess the challenges facing implementation of e-governance, and ultimately establish best practices that have effectively promoted the governance in Angola. A survey will help gather qualitative data to be analyzed using descriptive statistics. The target population will be government departments, businesses, citizens, and government employees. This study will help guide the government of Angola to determine how e-governance has and will help in service delivery, know sections of the population not reached or utiliz ing the services and promote effective inter-ministerial or departmental communication in the nation of Angola. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 1.0 Introduction 5 2.0 Literature Review 6 2.2.1Government and Governance 7 2.2.2 E-Government and E-Governance 8 2.2.3 Components of E-Government 8 2.2.4 E-governance 9 2.3 E-Government in Angola 10 2.3.1 Overview of Angola 10 2.3.2 Demography 11 2.4.3 Telecommunications Infrastructure 14 2.4.4 Human Development (Human Index in Angola) 16 2.6 Opportunity 18 2.6.1 Quality of Public Services to Citizen 18 2.6.3 Encourage Use of ICT Africa 20 2.7.1 Angola: Country Profile 21 2.7.2 Demography 22 2.7.3 Economy 22 2.7.4 Governance 24 2.7.5 Description 26 2.7.6 Specific Objectives 27 3.1 Sample size 30 1.0 Introduction This study intends to analyze the role of e-governance in fostering democracy in Africa by critically assessing its contribution on the Angolan governance and how these aspects have contributed to effective service delivery and improved the standards of living of Angolan people. It outlines how to subdue the challenges of instituting e-governance and further inform the knowledge bank of the Angolan government on the current and new challenges likely to be faced in implementation. 1.1 Research Question To what extent has e-governance influenced democracy and good governance in Africa? 1.2 Objectives: 1. Explore the prospects of e-governance in Africa. 2. Assess the challenges facing implementation of e-governance in Africa. 3. Establish best practices that have effectively promoted democracy and good governance in Africa. 2.0 Literature Review 2. 1 Introduction In 1990s, the IMF imposed structural adjustment programs meant to ease Africa’s economic hardships and act as an avenue for developing good use of public resources and promotion of accountability by governments to citizens. In order to meet the donor demands and increased pressure by citizens to have their governments perform, Afr ican countries gradually began to appreciate the use of internet, PCs, mobile phones, and other gadgets to deliver government services online. E-government is taunted as the most efficient way of streamlining public sector reforms and citizen involvement in administration and governance of public affairs. Though the process of e-governance is highly admired, there are many challenges, facing its implementation.
The Great Gatsby Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4
The Great Gatsby - Essay Example He has moved from the Midwest, where his family is wealthy and prominent, to become a bond salesman in New York. He is the quintessential lone representative of a bucolic bourgeois patriarchy, â€Å"making his name†in an urban area. This is not to say that Nick is alone on West Egg- his second cousin, Daisy, lives nearby with her overbearing, snobbish husband, Tom. Tom, who went to Yale and has all the trappings of class, displays a vulgar sort of vacuity that is actually rather disturbing. Nick visits the couple and assays in his laid-back narrative the tense and precarious situation of the household: the hulking Tom is immersed in half-baked racist theories, and Daisy seems to float around in an ephemeral haze of blasà © affectation which briefly disperses to reveal a still center of affected innocence. Nick meets Jordan Baker, a sophisticated and attractive golf champion who is visiting the Buchanan household, and the two begin what evolves into a casual romance. There is nothing obsessive about their offhanded relationship. farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens†(Fitzgerald 27). Though many critics posit that Myrtle Wilson is a positive, down-to-earth character just because of the colors of her clothing, one could also believe that Fitzgerald intends to characterize her in terms of her class. Counterpoised against the monied world of the Buchanans and the distantly wry, self-deprecating objectivity of Carraway’s detached affluence, Myrtle seems to be a rather simplified representative of a middle-class agog with the glamour of the wealthy elite. This behavior is irritating to Tom, who in a fit of rage behaves awfully and betrays his base nature, breaking Myrtle’s Nose when she presses the issue of Daisy’s cognizance. The pathetic, servile figure of George, Myrtle’s Daisy to visit him (Nick) while Gatsby â€Å"stops by.†After the two are finally together, the complicated
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The Visconti Book of Hours Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
The Visconti Book of Hours - Essay Example In addition, a large number of mistakes used to be included. Saying so, 'The Visconti Book of Hours' does present a startling revelation of form and structure. And its illuminated teachings make raise question on whether such manuscripts, by way of their rich representation can help us understand the important aspects of the reader's response to a text, its contents and whether such manuscripts did help publisher's cater to the concept of a wider market that profited out of the phenomenon of easy acceptability of the masses. If the liturgy used enormous paintings to affect the reader's mind instantly, then the printing press too, tried to imbibe such helpful aspects, but not after much later. The Visconti Hours is a 14th century book of hours. "A Book of Hours is a compendium of devotional texts that takes its name from its one essential text, the Hours of the Virgin, or more properly the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is called an 'Hours,' or Horae in Latin, because it is subdivided into eight parts, one for each of the 'hours' of the liturgical day - Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline". The manuscript actually divided was into two separate volumes. They were the Biblioteca Nazionale, Florence, under the cataloguing numbers Banco Rari 397 and Landau Finaly 22. Illuminated by two quite different artists, Giovannino dei Grassi who painted the first folios for Giangaleazzo Visconti, despot of Milan., and after Giangaleazzo's death in 1402 it was resumed by Belbello da Pavia for Giangaleazzo's son, Filippo Maria, after he became Duke in 1412. Book of Hours refers to Giangaleazzo as Count and was supposedly written before his coronation in 1395. His concern for the acceptance of his authority is quite clear from the way he displays his heraldic devices and mottoes abound the prayer book made primarily for private use. In addition, Giangaleazzo himself is represented three times along with the Duke of Berry, who also insisted on being portrayed in his Book of Hours. While Giangaleazzo does not appear in the prayer before the Virgin or a saint, his head alone is depicted in a medallion unrelated to the religious scenes. Judging from all these one ma conclude that the latent forces of secularity or a subtle contest between religious and the secula r (Divine Right of the king) has come into play, which may be a new idiosyncrasy of the printing age of the Renaissance, when human values were coming to the fore and man was the centre of celebration. Between 1385 until 1402, Giangaleazzo devoted himself primarily to the expansion of his political power and his chief interest in sports like hunting wild animals, did not escape the autobiographical mention in the Visconti Hours too. Trained birds of pray populate the borders, while his profile is framed with a hunting dog and a stag in Folio 115, thereby bringing David the hunter from the psalm join the king's passion. From helping build a library of illuminated books in Palvia, he shared his love for nature and animals by serving as a patron of such illustrated manuscripts devoted to plants and animals, which did not escape his Visconti Hours too. Here we see a dedicated involvement with religious teaching along with a worldly touch that bespeaks of an era where man
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Karma-Yoga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Karma-Yoga - Essay Example The action path proposed in Bhagavad-Gita teaches someone how to remain in the world, doing their duties and still get qualification for the spiritual life. It is in contrary to the common opinion that people should go to the forest, renounce their worldly belongings, away from the community like a cave and do meditation or tapas to achieve self-realization. According to Hindu, Karma operates both in a lifetime and across lifetimes; the actions results may only get experienced after the life in the present. Virtuous or good actions, harmony actions with dharma, will get good responses or reactions while bad actions, those that are against dharma will get the opposite consequences. Krishna explains that actions bind people to their subject and impact them to their karma. Though, it does not mean that non-action or inaction is a solution to karma problem. It is clear that none of the actions, non-action, wrong action and right action, give individuals freedom by renouncing work or abstaining from work. It is because one cannot remain inactive as the gunas drive each one helplessly in performing actions physically and mentally. Right action is when one who know the truth about functions and qualities of their functions, understanding gunas as senses and tend to move between them as the sense-objects. A wrong action is when a person deluded by egoism describes the Self with the mind, body, the senses, and life-forces, ascribing to the Self every body’s attributes and the senses (Sargeant 5).
Monday, September 23, 2019
7 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
7 questions - Essay Example In question 2, Jasmine can disaffirm the earrings, tickets to a concert and down payment for the used car due to her age. The case would not be any different if the items were used or she waited for a period of one month before returning them as long as the time agreed on the contract did not elapse. For instance, she could return the tickets to the concert after the one month provided that they had not expired. In question 3, the contract can be ratified through Jasmine writing or starting to confirm that she intends to be bound by the terms of the contract. Moreover, the action of her continuing to make the monthly payments can be termed as ratification of the contract. Her mother would be liable for the contract if Jasmine fails to adhere to its terms and the court proves that she failed to supervise her daughter properly; a factor that caused her to expose others to unreasonable risk of harm. In 4 (a), the contract is not enforceable because it exceeds the legal maximum interest rates which are set to facilitate business transactions while keeping the economy healthy. In 4 (b), in most States gambling is illegal because it might run afoul some applicable criminal laws hence any contract involving it is unenforceable. This factor renders the purchase of the slot machine to be used for gambling unenforceable. In 4 (c), the contract is enforceable because it involves revenue generation but the contractor would be expected to pay fine for working without a license. In 4 (d), the contract is unenforceable because it compromises the safety standards that are set to protect the health of the users. In question 5, Alex can make use of the substantive unconscionability as a legal defense in arguing that the contract with his former employer provided unfair benefits. He would term the contract to have had prevented achievement of equal benefits for both him and his former employer. In question 6, exculpatory clause is a legal provision that releases
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Bharti Enterprises Essay Example for Free
Bharti Enterprises Essay Ensuring that the look and feel of the store is as per guidelines/standards Ensuring/ reporting Inventory and Stock availability as per the norms to prevent stock-outs Provide suggestions /feedback to improve store productivity People Development / Team Management: Acting as a mentor and trainer for store staff To ensure daily roistering briefing to inbound outbound store staff Customer Experience: Manage staff allocation based on demand at point in time Personally step in to handle demanding customers Provide suggestions for improvements in CE 4. A. On Diversity and Cultural spread in Africa, As Africa consists of 53 countries, to operate successfully it is important to understand the dynamics of each country, including differences in culture, language and especially regulations. Bharti would do well to put in place as few expatriates as possible and have most of its top management from Africa. b. On Infrastructure sharing and cost / capital issues, The biggest driver of network sharing will be the shift in approach of the biggest operators, who had been unwilling to share network to sustain competitive advantage. There is visible network sharing in the markets of Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, and that this is likely to pick up in other markets. c. On Bharti Airtel’s Minute Factor Model, Network sharing and IT outsourcing would help operators bring down costs. While costs could trend down, however they will be higher than in India because of some of the structural costs caused by power shortage and poor infrastructure. 5. Bharti Airtel has a history of making first moves and emerging as the winner just because of that. This is what built the company’s success in India, where it remains the top MNO and second-largest fixed-line operator. In fact, thanks to the massive market it serves at home, at the time it acquired the Zain portfolio in March 2010 Airtel was reckoned to be the fifth largest mobile operator in the world on a proportional subscriber basis, putting it behind the likes of China Mobile, Vodafone Group, American Movil and Telefonica, but ahead of China Unicom. As has been widely covered for over a year now, Airtel has been looking at Africa as a new growth market. While it has a deal with Vodafone for the Channel Islands, Africa is the only other territory outside the Indian subcontinent (including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) that the company has entered. The commonalities are compelling: similar markets, needs and infrastructure. The realities on the ground are somewhat more challenging: logistics, legislative compliance and serious local competition being foremost. The logistics of infrastructure in Africa are an equal challenge for all MNOs. That is a given. Where Airtel might have been overly optimistic is in hoping its Africa model would run similarly to its success in India, based on a first-to-market approach and having some leverage to overcome legislative obstacles. Unfortunately, while Airtel has a 30-year history of being first in India (with pushbutton phones, cordless phones and then mobile), they were not first in Africa. There were major EU, Middle East and South African players there ahead of them. In fact, Airtel’s African expansion is largely thanks to its takeover of Kuwait’s Zain mobile operations in 15 countries. This was a beachhead, not a conquest. Zain only held dominant market share in a few countries. Going up against market leaders such as MTN of South Africa, Airtel applied a strategy of extensive cost cutting. This followed on what it achieved in India, cutting a deal with Ericsson for per-minute fees (rather than upfront payment) that enabled very low-cost call rates from the outset. Airtel has an all-Africa, five-year deal in place with Ericsson for network management that offers similar advantages. Elsewhere, Airtel is engaged with Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei, not keeping all its eggs in one basket, of course. As a Plan B, possibly following on the indecisive outcome of Airtel’s low-cost invasion, the company has previously been negotiating a takeover of or (maybe) a joint venture with MTN itself. How this putative deal is described depends on which company is talking. This has been going on for some four years without a definitive ending. Even if it never happens, it is a signpost of just what Airtel would consider to get its Africa operations truly established.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Relationship Between Teacher And Students
Relationship Between Teacher And Students Similarly according to Moloi et al. (as cited in Mtika Gates, 2010), group work is one of the strategies that can be useful in student-centered approaches. It does not only help students to discuss and share ideas with each other, but it also helps to improve students understanding of some concepts and develop their communication skills. In the student-centered classroom, the teacher has to think of students needs and the classroom is considered as a place where students work together, in groups and as individuals by encouraging them to take part in the learning process all the time (Jones, 2007). In the student-centered classroom, the teacher should know about their students background. Teachers should consider what they may know or do not know about their students because it helps to create the classroom conditions that are responsive to the learning needs of the students (Hodson, 2002). Furthermore, in social constructivist classrooms the relationship between teacher and students are much more dynamically involved, so that the teachers role is much more demanding to allow and actively promote recognition, evaluation, and reconstruction (Gunstone and Northfield as cited in Hand et al., 1997).      The size for effective student-centered classrooms can be organized into large group (class with 25-30 students), medium size (5-8 students), small group (3-5 students), pair group (2 students) and a teacher and a student (only in special condition) (MoEYS, 2002a). Furthermore, classroom arrangements, especially classroom space and resources like chairs and tables for large group activities are also important because appropriate resources helps to support the effectiveness and efficiency of instruction to the students. 2. 4 Definition of the Student-Centered Approaches to Learning       The terms student-centered approaches and learner-centered approaches to learning are the same and whilst some articles used the term student-centered approaches and other articles used the term learner-centered approaches, the two terms were used interchangeably. Both terms focus on the needs of students who as learners are actively involved in the learning process (Utecht, 2003). The term student-centered approaches is used in this study because this term is formally applied in Cambodian curriculum and ministry educational literature. Moreover, the student-centered approaches are broader for example, a student can be defined as learner, but a learner may not be defined as student. For example, a man wants to know about the educational law in Cambodia, so the man can go to library or search in the MoEYS website to read and learn about the law. The man therefore is not a student, but he is a learner.       The student-centered approaches to learning are defined as teaching methodologies associated with an approach to learning where students are the main characters in the learning process, and actively learn in a socially interactive way (Brush Saye, 2000). The student-centered approaches are designed to assist students to learn best from meaningful life experiences, social interactions, and scientific experimentation (Pedersen Liu, 2003).       The student-centered approaches to learning focus on individual students needs and growth, because these approaches are intended to develop the potential of every individual student and encourage their personal growth and interests (Morris, 1996). The student-centered approaches are also considered effective alternatives to the traditional teacher-centered approaches. Similarly according to Courtney (2008), it looks very different from the traditional didactic teaching methods that are widely applied in Cambodia. These traditional teaching methods depend on the direct instruction of the teacher and verbal and written repetition with little emphasis on understanding but strong emphasis on memory and recall. Kember (as cited in ONeill McMahon, 2005) and Hirumi (2002) stated the student-centered approaches are in contrast to the traditional teacher-centered approaches. In the teacher-centered approaches, teachers are at the center of the learning and teaching p rocess and provide instruction to students; the students are the empty vessels into which the teacher pours their knowledge. This view contrasts sharply to that of constructivist theory where we see that students are central to the learning process, they are not viewed as empty vessels but rather actively participate in making knowledge by thinking and solving problems for themselves, and developing their self-esteem that is essential for learning and decision-making throughout life (American Psychological Association, 1993; Hirumi, 2002; MoEYS, 2005).       The core principle of the student-centered learning approaches is that students have different abilities, needs, and interests for how they learn, and they construct knowledge and meaning and learn in different ways (Brady, 2006; Murdoch Wilson, 2008; Hirumi, 2002). The American Psychological Association (1993) stated that students have various capabilities and interests for learning. Individuals are born with and develop unique capabilities and talents and have acquired through learning and social acculturation different preferences for how they like to learn and the pace at which they learn (American Psychological Association, 1993, p. 9). According to Meyer Jones (as cited in Hirumi, 2002), in the class students talk, listen, write, read, and reflect on content, ideas, issues, and concerns in order to construct their own meaning. In student-centered environments, learners are given direct access to the knowledge-base and work individually and in small gr oups to solve authentic problems (Hirumi, 2002, p. 506). Similarly, according to Jones (2007), a student-centered class is a place where students needs are considered, as a group and as individuals, and students are encouraged to participate in the learning process all the time. At different times, students may work alone, in pairs, or in groups.       As a theory of epistemology, constructivism proposes that students bring their existing experiences and beliefs, as well as world views and their cultural histories, into the learning process when they internally build knowledge by interacting with the environment (Yilmaz, 2008). Constructivism is considered as a process that students actively construct their knowledge upon knowledge that they already have (Motschnig-Pitrik Holzinger, 2002). Social constructivist, Vygotsky believed that learning is a social process in which learners developed understanding through interaction with the environment around them (Brush Saye, 2000, p. 5). According to Jonassen; Duffy Jonassen (as cited in Brush Saye, 2000), the need for more student-centered learning activities have been promoted by the supporters of the constructivist epistemology of learning.       In short, the key characteristics of the student-centered approaches to learning emphasize students prior knowledge and experience, developing Bloom Taxonomy thinking skills, especially critical thinking and problem solving, exploring individual learning needs and interests, promoting active student involvement, and developing motivation for life-long learning (American Psychological Association, 1993; Brush Saye, 2000; Hirumi, 2002; Mtika Gates, 2010). However, there is no single strategy that helps students to have effective learning all the time and there is no teaching strategy that is better than others in every circumstance. Each teaching strategy has its strength and weakness, so teachers need to make decisions and chose teaching strategies that help their students to achieve the learning outcomes (Killen, 2003). Similarly according to Hab Em (2003), to choose and effectively apply a teaching strategy the teacher has to judge many times because s electing an appropriate teaching strategy is based on the decision whether we provide knowledge to students through direct instruction (teacher-centered approaches) or indirect facilitation (student-centered approaches). 2. 5 Student-Centered Learning as Adopted by the Cambodian Ministry of Education       2.5.1 Vision of learning and teaching       Learning has many styles such as learning by seeing, listening, writing, reading, watching television, self-experiment, practice, thinking, playing games, study tour and so on. These styles of learning provide knowledge to the learners. However different learning can have different result. Learners may produce different learning outcomes with a different learning style to another student (MoEYS, 2002b). For example, those who learn by listening will forget all or remember a little after several days. Those who just stand and see people swimming cannot swim, but if they learn to swim themselves, they can swim effectively. People therefore can do something when they involve themselves. According to Confucianism, it is believed that If you tell me, I will forget. If you show me, I may remember. But if you involve me, I can do and understand (MoEYS, 2008).       The Cambodian governments vision of the purposes for learning and teaching roles has gradually changed between societies and from one a period of time to another (MoEYS, 2002a). Previous teaching methods considered effective and appropriate was when teachers were considered to be the knowledge providers. Teachers provided knowledge and told students, and students listened to teachers and followed teachers without developing their own ideas or understanding. In this context teachers had the power because they had the knowledge that students needed to be able to progress through the education system. This vision was later officially abandoned because the learning outcomes were considered unsuitable to both the needs of the country for skilled thinkers and they compared poorly to the wider international educational context.       In the following period, another new teaching method was integrated called question and answer method. The teacher raised questions and the students answered. This method was adopted in the belief that it would bring better results for students. The question and answer method was later changed and reformed to what was known as the active method because this method required much relationship between teacher and students. For the last vision, it was believed that creation only relationship between teacher and students was not enough. To have better result for students, relationship between students and students must be created in the teaching and learning process. Teachers have to prepare students to work in groups, so students can exchange their ideas, work cooperatively, and help each other in learning. This last vision is a very important part of student-centered approaches (Hab Em, 2003; Inspector, 2002; Ung, 2008). These approaches to learning and teachin g shifted the power reposition of the teacher from one who held all the knowledge to a more equal one where teachers partner with, sometimes lead, their students into new understanding and knowledge.       2.5.2 Principle and theory       Theories that are applied and relevant to teaching and learning in the current Cambodian school system are: Learning is creating new knowledge Learning is exchanging experience (Inspector, 2002)       The theories of learning above are also clearly identifiable as concepts of constructivism. Although constructivism is not a theory of learning, the principles have been applied by many educators in teaching and learning, especially, but not only, in science education (Han et al., 1997; Yilmaz, 2008). Constructivism emphasizes that knowledge and meaning are constructed by the human mind; in effect learners create links between their existing knowledge and new experience and make new knowledge structures and meaning (Yilmaz, 2008).       The role of teachers and students are changed by the adoption of the student-centered approaches to learning. Students are given greater responsibility for their learning and the teachers roles change where they become more coordinators or facilitators of the learning experiences. Students are encouraged to explore the knowledge by themselves and with other learners and the teachers help the learning process by showing students paths of knowledge. In this new role in the classroom, the teachers become part of the learning process and acts as a guide and a resource for the students (Utecht, 2003). Furthermore, the importance of school is to provide multiple opportunities to students to create knowledge and understanding by themselves through research, real experience and solving problems.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The Protagonist in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry :: Character Analysis
In the Play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†by Lorraine Hansberry there are two main character’s that many people debate upon to be the protagonist of the play. Those two characters are Mama and Walter. The story is about an African American family living in Chicago in the 1950’s. During this time period race was a large issue in that area. The family consists of three generations, Mama being the mother and grandmother has a lot of responsibilities as what I see her to be as the families anchor. The next generation is Walter his wife Ruth and his sister Beneatha. Walter and Ruth have a song Travis who is ten years old at the time of this play. Mama is the moral supporter of the family and believes that everything has a purpose and that things should be done by design. One of the main events in this play is the life insurance settlement check for ten thousand dollars that Mama receives. This being a large amount of money during that time period creates many a rguments between the families about what to do with the money. Walter is the type of guy that believes his family shouldn’t settle like everyone else and believes that they shouldn’t be held back just because they are an African American family living in what is referred to as a â€Å"white man’s world†. I believe that Walter is the protagonist of the play for two main reasons, he isn’t a selfish man, he doesn’t feel the family should be limited because they are African American and he has distinct options or plans for the future of his family. The first reason I believe that Walter is the protagonist is because he isn’t a selfish man. What I mean by this is when he is talking about issues he tends to discuss family issues above his own personal things. Though at times in the play when he is drunk and loses his temper he does start speaking selfishly, I believe that his overall attitude in the play is for his family to move up the world. I believe that Walter’s son Travis is the main reason why he acts so unselfishly. He seems to want the best for this son and doesn’t want his son to feel that there isn’t anything he can’t have or do.
Mahatma Gandhi Quotes Essay -- Mohandas Gandhi Essays
Gandhi Quotes Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the minutest details in the activities of man, and she has an equal right of freedom and liberty with him. Hatred ever kills, love never dies such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality for it increases hatred. Fear of death makes us devoid both of valour and religion. For want of valour is want of religious faith. There are times when you have to obey a call which is the highest of all, i.e. the voice of conscience even though such obedience may cost many a bitter tear, and even more, separation from friends, from family, from the state to which you may belong, from all that you have held as dear as life itself. For this obedience is the law of our being. Insistence on truth can come into play when one party practises untruth or injustice. Only then can love be tested. True friendship is put to the test only when one party disregards the obligation of friendship. The test of friendship is assistance in adversity, and that too, unconditional assistance. Co-operation which needs consideration is a commercial contract and not friendship. Conditional co-operation is like adulterated cement which does not bind. It may be long before the law of love will be recognised in international affairs. The machineries of government stand between and hide the hearts of one people from those of another. A vow is a purely religious act which cannot be taken in a fit of passion. It can be taken only wi... ...ll. My work will be finished if I succeed in carrying conviction to the human family, that every man or woman, however weak in body, is the guardian of his or her self-respect and liberty, and that this defence prevails, though the world be against the individual resister. Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession. I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded my very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it. We do not need to proselytise either by our speech or by our writing. We can only do so really with our lives. Let our lives be open books for all to study.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Ludlow And Dudley Castle :: Papers
Ludlow And Dudley Castle Ludlow Caste was built around 1085. Castles built around this time were mostly Motte and Bailey. This made a good defence but was not typical of castle defences. Ludlow Castle was the first stone castle, which was unusual. Because of its Royal Connections a lot of money was spent on Ludlow Castle especially on better defences. Dudley Castle on the other hand is different and is a Motte and Bailey castle. Motte and Bailey castles are typical and were common. Later on Dudley Castle was demolished and remade into a stone castle. Dudley Castle is built on a natural hill, which is a good defence whilst Ludlow Castle is not built on a hill but has a steep 100ft drop. A steep drop makes it harder for the enemy to climb up or attack. This defence is not typical because no other castle will have a 100ft drop. This is an excellent choice of location and makes an ideal defence. Dudley Castle has evidence of a Motte running around because I noticed a pond and ditch like features. Ludlow Castle only had a ditch around the inner bailey. We know this is not a Motte because it has a door room inside the ditch; this is probably where they went through to collect the dead bodies of their enemies. Both castles have barbicans and both castles also have high walls. Ludlow Castle has a river and so has a drawbridge. Dudley and Ludlow Castle both have crenellations. Ludlow Castle also has machicolations this meant that it was well defended as they could throw missiles from the flanking towers above. The most typical thing about both castles is that they both have a Keep, which was the most important part of the castle. Most of Ludlow Castles' defences are typical but it has a few which are original. For example the 100ft drop. I think Ludlow's defences are very strong and it would be hard to conquer. [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Sirrvet Bukhari 11W Ludlow And Dudley Castle Coursework
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Job Rotation
Job rotation is the surest way of keeping the employee away from complacency and boredom of routine. It is difficult for an employee to sustain his interest in a given Job for any substantial length of time as humans have the tendency of outgrowing their jobs through the learning and experience that they gain over a period of time. Stimulating human mind through diversity of challenges is a sure way to bring to forefront its creative instincts and in taking the individual and organizational performance to a higher plane.This is where Job rotation can prove to be a handy tool. Job rotation involves the movement of employees through a range of jobs in order to increase interest and motivation. It can also be described as an approach to Management Development where an individual is moved through a schedule of assignments designed to give him/her a breadth of exposure to the entire operation. Job rotation can improve â€Å"multi-skilling†but also involves the need for greater tra ining. In a sense, Job rotation is similar to Job enlargement.This approach widens the activities of a worker by switching him or her around a range of work. For example, an administrative employee might spend part of the week looking after the reception area of a business, dealing with customers and enquiries. Some time might then be spent manning the company telephone switchboard and then inputting data onto a database. Job rotation may offer the advantage of making it easier to cover for absent colleagues, but it may also reduce' productivity as workers are initially unfamiliar with a new task.Job rotation is also practiced to allow qualified employees to gain more insights into the processes of a company, and to reduce boredom and increase job satisfaction through job variation. POTENTIAL OF JOB ROTATION A well planned Job rotation programme in an organization has immense potential of positive impact on job satisfaction/motivation, engagement and finally on retention of employee s. Few of the outcomes of job rotation with respect to the individual are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Job enrichment Overall development Intrinsic motivation to perform caused by newer challenges Career development BENEFITS OF JOB ROTATION For an organization, the benefits could include some or all of the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Leadership development Aligning competencies with organizational requirements Lower attrition rates Performance improvement driven by unique view points of new people THE PRACTICE OF JOB ROTATION Today, in the industry, Job rotation is viewed â€Å"as just another transfer†rather than as an important tool for implementing HR strategy of the company.Job rotation has become a ritual at best, without any focus on the outcomes that can be achieved through a little planning and implementation effort. Today, Job rotation is a means of punishing poor performers, settling scores arising from organizational politics, or going through pe rcentage rotation scheme, where a certain percentage of employees in a certain area are shifted to pre-designated areas every year. REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF JOB ROTATION In order to realize the true potential of Job rotation, there must be a planned system in place with the policy taking into account, †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Organizational interest – employee commitment, attrition rates, specific business issues etc. Eligibility of the employees – qualification, prior experience, aptitude, attitude etc. Nature – mandatory or voluntary Duration Basis of selection etc. In the absence of aspects brought out above, there is every possibility that the seriousness with which Job rotation scheme is implemented in the company may get diluted and become a cause of sagging employee motivation.JOB ROTATIONS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT At the senior management levels, job rotation – frequently referred to as Management rotation, is tightly link ed with Succession Planning – developing a pool of people capable of stepping into an existing job. Here the goal is to provide learning experiences which facilitate changes in thinking and perspective equivalent to the â€Å"horizon†of the level of the succession planning. For job rotations at this level, it is absolutely necessary that the business problems in various areas are identified. This calls for the active involvement of top management to select most suitable people to be shifted rom their current jobs to tackle the challenges at hand by considering individual attributes already described above. This will not only provide an insight for the future leaders in various aspects of the business but also will enhance their confidence levels as they solve these critical problems for the organization. In many cases, senior managers seem unwilling to risk instability in their units by moving qualified people from jobs where the lower level manager is being successfu l and reflecting positively on the actions of the senior manager.It is however important to note that Job rotation at this level is less frequent as workers who fall under this category are already at the strategic stages and peak of their career. Job rotation at junior and middle level executives may be pivoted around their strengths and attributes and the future roles expected of them. Focus must be on exposure in all related areas of his domain of expertise, so that as they grow to higher rungs of the management, they have an overall experience of their domain.For this level, job rotation has normally one of two purposes: Promotability or Skill Enhancement although at Middle Management, Succession planning also becomes one of the purposes of job rotation. Job rotations for workers must include aspects related to work environment, also along with other individual attributes already explained, so that it adds to his satisfaction derived from balanced distribution of work load, work ing conditions and learning opportunities.Done this way job rotation gets aligned with career development, leadership development and employee satisfaction which would finally result in higher levels of intrinsic motivation among the employees and hence may contribute in retaining talent. WHY IS JOB ROTATION IMPORTANT? Job Rotation is seen as a possible solution to two significant challenges faced by business: (1) Skills shortages [when there is a lack of skilled individuals in the workforce] and Skills gaps [when there is a lack of skills in a company’s existing workforce which may still be found in the labour force as a whole]. (2) Employee motivation
Monday, September 16, 2019
Contemporary International Problems Essay
The United States of America experienced various disputes and wars in its history. Some of these armed conflicts do not only take place within their boundaries because there are also some battles that they have to fight in another country’s territory. The reasons for engaging in such warfare may either directly or indirectly involve the U. S. However, one thing is sure, that in the country’s every participation there is a certain interest that its officials want to fulfill. This kind of situation is what exactly took place in the U. S. ntervention in the Vietnam War. The U. S. government wants to achieve a certain national interest that will work for their benefits. The Vietnam War started in 1954 when the Communist-led parties of the Vietnamese Nationalist and the Vietminh army defeated the French forces. France was forced to recognize North Vietnam as communist while leaving the Southern part of the country as non-communist. Nevertheless, the U. S. did not approve this situation especially the establishment of communist leadership in North Korea. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the establishment of political machinery in South Vietnam. This includes creating a government that replaced the French leadership as well as deploying military advisers that will train the South Vietnam army. The Central Intelligence Agency of the U. S. also employed psychological warfare in order to weaken North Vietnam. The United States government explicitly expressed its participation and commitment in the Vietnam War when they ordered continuous air bombing in North Vietnam by means of the Tonkin Golf Resolution. The war ended in January 1973 through a diplomatic agreement that resulted in the U. S. withdrawal from Vietnam in exchange for the release of U. S. prisoners (Rotter, 1999). The intervention of the U. S. in the Vietnam War is part of their national interest of establishing democracy in different countries and controls the spread of communism. During the Cold War two conflicting forces are involved namely: the Communist bloc and the Democratic bloc. The U. S. leads the Democratic group, which is why they are doing all the necessary means to combat communism. Their intervention in the Vietnam War is an effort to stop other Asian countries from following the principles of communism especially since Ho Chi Minh is the one leading the Northern part of the country (Rotter, 1999). The American government believes that communism is an enemy because it defies every value and principle that the U. S. upholds such as: free trade and democracy. In relation to this the operations of the U. S. against the Communist bloc is largely dependent upon their belief in the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory is similar to a set of dominoes wherein toppling one of it will result for the others to follow suit. In the same manner, Vietnam represents the first domino that toppled down. The U. S. deemed that if they will not intervene in the Vietnam War other countries in the Southeast Asian region would also adhere to communism (Rotter, 1999). Another reason for U. S. involvement in the Vietnam War is their goal of influencing other countries to follow the path of democracy and adhere to the values and principles that the U. S. stands for. By doing so, the U. S. ould be able to win their battle with the soviet bloc and at the same time establish their position as the world’s superpower. The U. S. government encouraged other countries to follow their ideals by giving military and economic aid to them. This is observable when they helped France in maintaining its Indochina colonies. The U. S. also applied the Domino Theory in acquiring more countries in their side. They think that by showing other countries the development of France, they would choose democracy over communism, as this would entail more benefits for them (Rotter, 1999). The U. S. intervention in the Vietnam War clearly shows that the country tend to intervene in others’ affairs in order to accomplish their national interests. The U. S. government used the resources that they have in order to pursue their objectives. They took advantage of the conflicts that is happening in the other parts of the world so that they could defeat the soviet bloc and control the spread of communism. In doing so, they were able to emerge as one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Black House Chapter Twenty-three
23 â€Å"ONE MORE !†says the guy from ESPN. It sounds more like an order than a request, and although Henry can't see the fellow, he knows this particular homeboy never played a sport in his life, pro or otherwise. He has the lardy, slightly oily aroma of someone who has been overweight almost from the jump. Sports is perhaps his compensation, with the power to still memories of clothes bought in the Husky section at Sears and all those childhood rhymes like â€Å"Fatty-fatty, two-by-four, had to do it on the floor, couldn't get through the bathroom door.†His name is Penniman. â€Å"Just like Little Richard!†he told Henry when they shook hands at the radio station. â€Å"Famous rock ‘n' roller from back in the fifties? Maybe you remember him.†â€Å"Vaguely,†Henry said, as if he hadn't at one time owned every single Little Richard had ever put out. â€Å"I believe he was one of the Founding Fathers.†Penniman laughed uproariously, and in that laugh Henry glimpsed a possible future for himself. But was it a future he wanted? People laughed at Howard Stern, too, and Howard Stern was a dork. â€Å"One more drink!†Penniman repeats now. They are in the bar of the Oak Tree Inn, where Penniman has tipped the bartender five bucks to switch the TV from bowling on ABC to ESPN, even though there's nothing on at this hour of the day except golf tips and bass fishing. â€Å"One more drink, just to seal the deal!†But they don't have a deal, and Henry isn't sure he wants to make one. Going national with George Rathbun as part of the ESPN radio package should be attractive, and he doesn't have any serious problem with changing the name of the show from Badger Barrage to ESPN Sports Barrage it would still focus primarily on the central and northern areas of the country but . . . But what? Before he can even get to work on the question, he smells it again: My Sin, the perfume his wife used to wear on certain evenings, when she wanted to send a certain signal. Lark was what he used to call her on those certain evenings, when the room was dark and they were both blind to everything but scents and textures and each other. Lark. â€Å"You know, I think I'm going to pass on that drink,†Henry says. â€Å"Got some work to do at home. But I'm going to think over your offer. And I mean seriously.†â€Å"Ah-ah-ah,†Penniman says, and Henry can tell from certain minute disturbances in the air that the man is shaking a finger beneath his nose. Henry wonders how Penniman would react if Henry suddenly darted his head forward and bit off the offending digit at the second knuckle. If Henry showed him a little Coulee Country hospitality Fisherman-style. How loud would Penniman yell? As loud as Little Richard before the instrumental break of â€Å"Tutti Frutti,†perhaps? Or not quite as loud as that? â€Å"Can't go till I'm ready to take you,†Mr. I'm Fat But It No Longer Matters tells him. â€Å"I'm your ride, y'know.†He's on his fourth gimlet, and his words are slightly slurred. My friend, Henry thinks, I'd poke a ferret up my ass before I'd get into a car with you at the wheel. â€Å"Actually, I can,†Henry says pleasantly. Nick Avery, the bartender, is having a kick-ass afternoon: the fat guy slipped him five to change the TV channel, and the blind guy slipped him five to call Skeeter's Taxi while the fat guy was in the bathroom, making a little room. â€Å"Huh?†â€Å"I said, ? ®Actually, I can.' Bartender?†â€Å"He's outside, sir,†Avery tells him. â€Å"Pulled up two minutes ago.†There is a hefty creak as Penniman turns on his bar stool. Henry can't see the man's frown as he takes in the taxi now idling in the hotel turnaround, but he can sense it. â€Å"Listen, Henry,†Penniman says. â€Å"I think you may lack a certain understanding of your current situation. There are stars in the firmament of sports radio, damned right there are people like the Fabulous Sports Babe and Tony Kornheiser make six figures a year just in speaking fees, six figures easy but you ain't there yet. That door is currently closed to you. But I, my friend, am one helluva doorman. The upshot is that if I say we ought to have one more drink, then â€Å" â€Å"Bartender,†Henry says quietly, then shakes his head. â€Å"I can't just call you bartender; it might work for Humphrey Bogart but it doesn't work for me. What's your name?†â€Å"Nick Avery, sir.†The last word comes out automatically, but Avery never would have used it when speaking to the other one, never in a million years. Both guys tipped him five, but the one in the dark glasses is the gent. It's got nothing to do with him being blind, it's just something he is. â€Å"Nick, who else is at the bar?†Avery looks around. In one of the back booths, two men are drinking beer. In the hall, a bellman is on the phone. At the bar itself, no one at all except for these two guys one slim, cool, and blind, the other fat, sweaty, and starting to be pissed off. â€Å"No one, sir.†â€Å"There's not a . . . lady?†Lark, he's almost said. There's not a lark? â€Å"No.†â€Å"Listen here,†Penniman says, and Henry thinks he's never heard anyone so unlike â€Å"Little Richard†Penniman in his entire life. This guy is whiter than Moby Dick . . . and probably about the same size. â€Å"We've got a lot more to discuss here.†Loh more t'dishcush is how it comes out. â€Å"Unless, that is†Unlesh â€Å"you're trying to let me know you're not interested.†Never in a million years, Penniman's voice says to Henry Leyden's educated ears. We're talking about putting a money machine in your living room, sweetheart, your very own private ATM, and there ain't no way in hell you're going to turn that down. â€Å"Nick, you don't smell perfume? Something very light and old-fashioned? My Sin, perhaps?†A flabby hand falls on Henry's shoulder like a hot-water bottle. â€Å"The sin, old buddy, would be for you to refuse to have another drink with me. Even a blindman could see th â€Å" â€Å"Suggest you get your hand off him,†Avery says, and perhaps Penniman's ears aren't entirely deaf to nuance, because the hand leaves Henry's shoulder at once. Then another hand comes in its place, higher up. It touches the back of Henry's neck in a cold caress that's there and then gone. Henry draws in breath. The smell of perfume comes with it. Usually scents fade after a period of exposure, as the receptors that caught them temporarily deaden. Not this time, though. Not this smell. â€Å"No perfume?†Henry almost pleads. The touch of her hand on his neck he can dismiss as a tactile hallucination. But his nose never betrays him. Never until now, anyway. â€Å"I'm sorry,†Avery says. â€Å"I can smell beer . . . peanuts . . . this man's gin and his aftershave . . .†Henry nods. The lights above the backbar slide across the dark lenses of his shades as he slips gracefully off his stool. â€Å"I think you want another drink, my friend,†Penniman says in what he no doubt believes to be a tone of polite menace. â€Å"One more drink, just to celebrate, and then I'll take you home in my Lexus.†Henry smells his wife's perfume. He's sure of it. And he seemed to feel the touch of his wife's hand on the back of his neck. Yet suddenly it's skinny little Morris Rosen he finds himself thinking about Morris, who wanted him to listen to â€Å"Where Did Our Love Go†as done by Dirtysperm. And of course for Henry to play it in his Wisconsin Rat persona. Morris Rosen, who has more integrity in one of his nail-chewed little fingers than this bozo has got in his entire body. He puts a hand on Penniman's forearm. He smiles into Penniman's unseen face, and feels the muscles beneath his palm relax. Penniman has decided he's going to get his way. Again. â€Å"You take my drink,†Henry says pleasantly, â€Å"add it to your drink, and then stick them both up your fat and bepimpled ass. If you need something to hold them in place, why, you can stick your job up there right after them.†Henry turns and walks briskly toward the door, orienting himself with his usual neat precision and holding one hand out in front of him as an insurance policy. Nick Avery has broken into spontaneous applause, but Henry barely hears this and Penniman he has already dismissed from his mind. What occupies him is the smell of My Sin perfume. It fades a little as he steps out into the afternoon heat . . . but is that not an amorous sigh he hears beside his left ear? The sort of sigh his wife sometimes made just before falling asleep after love? His Rhoda? His Lark? â€Å"Hello, the taxi!†he calls from the curb beneath the awning. â€Å"Right here, buddy what're you, blind?†â€Å"As a bat,†Henry agrees, and walks toward the sound of the voice. He'll go home, he'll put his feet up, he'll have a glass of tea, and then he'll listen to the damned 911 tape. That as yet unperformed chore may be what's causing his current case of the heebie-jeebies and shaky-shivers, knowing that he must sit in darkness and listen to the voice of a child-killing cannibal. Surely that must be it, because there's no reason to be afraid of his Lark, is there? If she were to return to return and haunt him she would surely haunt with love. Wouldn't she? Yes, he thinks, and lowers himself into the taxi's stifling back seat. â€Å"Where to, buddy?†â€Å"Norway Valley Road,†Henry says. â€Å"It's a white house with blue trim, standing back from the road. You'll see it not long after you cross the creek.†Henry settles back in the seat and turns his troubled face toward the open window. French Landing feels strange to him today . . . fraught. Like something that has slipped and slipped until it is now on the verge of simply falling off the table and smashing to pieces on the floor. Say that she has come back. Say that she has. If it's love she's come with, why does the smell of her perfume make me so uneasy? So almost revolted? And why was her touch (her imagined touch, he assures himself) so unpleasant? Why was her touch so cold? After the dazzle of the day, the living room of Beezer's crib is so dark that at first Jack can't make out anything. Then, when his eyes adjust a little, he sees why: blankets a double thickness, from the look have been hung over both of the living-room windows, and the door to the other downstairs room, almost certainly the kitchen, has been closed. â€Å"He can't stand the light,†Beezer says. He keeps his voice low so it won't carry across to the far side of the room, where the shape of a man lies on a couch. Another man is kneeling beside him. â€Å"Maybe the dog that bit him was rabid,†Jack says. He doesn't believe it. Beezer shakes his head decisively. â€Å"It isn't a phobic reaction. Doc says it's physiological. Where light falls on him, his skin starts to melt. You ever hear of anything like that?†â€Å"No.†And Jack has never smelled anything like the stench in this room, either. There's the buzz of not one but two table fans, and he can feel the cross-draft, but that stink is too gluey to move. There's the reek of spoiled meat of gangrene in torn flesh but Jack has smelled that before. It's the other smell that's getting to him, something like blood and funeral flowers and feces all mixed up together. He makes a gagging noise, can't help it, and Beezer looks at him with a certain impatient sympathy. â€Å"Bad, yeah, I know. But it's like the monkey house at the zoo, man you get used to it after a while.†The swing door to the other room opens, and a trim little woman with shoulder-length blond hair comes through. She's carrying a bowl. When the light strikes the figure lying on the couch, Mouse screams. It's a horribly thick sound, as if the man's lungs have begun to liquefy. Something maybe smoke, maybe steam starts to rise up from the skin of his forehead. â€Å"Hold on, Mouse,†the kneeling man says. It's Doc. Before the kitchen door swings all the way shut again, Jack is able to read what's pasted to his battered black bag. Somewhere in America there may be another medical man sporting a STEPPENWOLF RULES bumper sticker on the side of his physician's bag, but probably not in Wisconsin. The woman kneels beside Doc, who takes a cloth from the basin, wrings it out, and places it on Mouse's forehead. Mouse gives a shaky groan and begins to shiver all over. Water runs down his cheeks and into his beard. The beard seems to be coming out in mangy patches. Jack steps forward, telling himself he will get used to the smell, sure he will. Maybe it's even true. In the meantime he wishes for a little of the Vicks VapoRub most LAPD homicide detectives carry in their glove compartments as a matter of course. A dab under each nostril would be very welcome right now. There's a sound system (scruffy) and a pair of speakers in the corners of the room (huge), but no television. Stacked wooden crates filled with books line every wall without a door or a window in it, making the space seem even smaller than it is, almost cryptlike. Jack has a touch of claustrophobia in his makeup, and now this circuit warms up, increasing his discomfort. Most of the books seem to deal with religion and philosophy he sees Descartes, C. S. Lewis, the Bhagavad-Gita, Steven Avery's Tenets of Existence but there's also a lot of fiction, books on beer making, and (on top of one giant speaker) Albert Goldman's trash tome about Elvis Presley. On the other speaker is a photograph of a young girl with a splendid smile, freckles, and oceans of reddish-blond hair. Seeing the child who drew the hopscotch grid out front makes Jack Sawyer feel sick with anger and sorrow. Otherworldly beings and causes there may be, but there's also a sick old fuck prowling around who needs to be s topped. He'd do well to remember that. Bear Girl makes a space for Jack in front of the couch, moving gracefully even though she's on her knees and still holding the bowl. Jack sees that in it are two more wet cloths and a heap of melting ice cubes. The sight of them makes him thirstier than ever. He takes one and pops it into his mouth. Then he turns his attention to Mouse. A plaid blanket has been pulled up to his neck. His forehead and upper cheeks the places not covered by his decaying beard are pasty. His eyes are closed. His lips are drawn back to show teeth of startling whiteness. â€Å"Is he †Jack begins, and then Mouse's eyes open. Whatever Jack meant to ask leaves his head entirely. Around the hazel irises, Mouse's eyes have gone an uneasy, shifting scarlet. It's as if the man is looking into a terrible radioactive sunset. From the inner corners of his eyes, some sort of black scum is oozing. â€Å"The Book of Philosophical Transformation addresses most current dialectics,†Mouse says, speaking mellowly and lucidly, â€Å"and Machiavelli also speaks to these questions.†Jack can almost picture him in a lecture hall. Until his teeth begin to chatter, that is. â€Å"Mouse, it's Jack Sawyer.†No recognition in those weird red-and-hazel eyes. The black gunk at the corners of them seems to twitch, however, as if it is somehow sentient. Listening to him. â€Å"It's Hollywood,†Beezer murmurs. â€Å"The cop. Remember?†One of Mouse's hands lies on the plaid blanket. Jack takes it, and stifles a cry of surprise when it closes over his with amazing strength. It's hot, too. As hot as a biscuit just out of the oven. Mouse lets out a long, gasping sigh, and the stench is fetid bad meat, decayed flowers. He's rotting, Jack thinks. Rotting from the inside out. Oh Christ, help me through this. Christ may not, but the memory of Sophie might. Jack tries to fix her eyes in his memory, that lovely, level, clear blue gaze. â€Å"Listen,†Mouse says. â€Å"I'm listening.†Mouse seems to gather himself. Beneath the blanket, his body shivers in a loose, uncoordinated way that Jack guesses is next door to a seizure. Somewhere a clock is ticking. Somewhere a dog is barking. A boat hoots on the Mississippi. Other than these sounds, all is silence. Jack can remember only one other such suspension of the world's business in his entire life, and that was when he was in a Beverly Hills hospital, waiting for his mother to finish the long business of dying. Somewhere Ty Marshall is waiting to be rescued. Hoping to be rescued, at least. Somewhere there are Breakers hard at work, trying to destroy the axle upon which all existence spins. Here is only this eternal room with its feeble fans and noxious vapors. Mouse's eyes close, then open again. They fix upon the newcomer, and Jack is suddenly sure some great truth is going to be confided. The ice cube is gone from his mouth; Jack supposes he crunched it up and swallowed it without even realizing, but he doesn't dare take another. â€Å"Go on, buddy,†Doc says. â€Å"You get it out and then I'll load you up with another hypo of dope. The good stuff. Maybe you'll sleep.†Mouse pays no heed. His mutating eyes hold Jack's. His hand holds Jack's, tightening still more. Jack can almost feel the bones of his fingers grinding together. â€Å"Don't . . . go out and buy top-of-the-line equipment,†Mouse says, and sighs out another excruciatingly foul breath from his rotting lungs. â€Å"Don't . . . ?†â€Å"Most people give up brewing after . . . a year or two. Even dedicated . . . dedicated hobbyists. Making beer is not . . . is not for pussies.†Jack looks around at Beezer, who looks back impassively. â€Å"He's in and out. Be patient. Wait on him.†Mouse's grip tightens yet more, then loosens just as Jack is deciding he can take it no longer. â€Å"Get a big pot,†Mouse advises him. His eyes bulge. The reddish shadows come and go, come and go, fleeting across the curved landscape of his corneas, and Jack thinks, That's its shadow. The shadow of the Crimson King. Mouse has already got one foot in its court. â€Å"Five gallons . . . at least. You find the best ones are in . . . seafood supply stores. And for a fermentation vessel . . . plastic water-cooler jugs are good . . . they're lighter than glass, and . . . I'm burning up. Christ, Beez, I'm burning up!†â€Å"Fuck this, I'm going to shoot it to him,†Doc says, and snaps open his bag. Beezer grabs his arm. â€Å"Not yet.†Bloody tears begin to slip out of Mouse's eyes. The black goo seems to be forming into tiny tendrils. These reach greedily downward, as if trying to catch the moisture and drink it. â€Å"Fermentation lock and stopper,†Mouse whispers. â€Å"Thomas Merton is shit, never let anyone tell you different. No real thought there. You have to let the gases escape while keeping dust out. Jerry Garcia wasn't God. Kurt Cobain wasn't God. The perfume he smells is not that of his dead wife. He's caught the eye of the King. Gorg-ten-abbalah, ee-lee-lee. The opopanax is dead, long live the opopanax.†Jack leans more deeply into Mouse's smell. â€Å"Who's smelling perfume? Who's caught the eye of the King?†â€Å"The mad King, the bad King, the sad King. Ring-a-ding-ding, all hail the King.†â€Å"Mouse, who's caught the eye of the King?†Doc says, â€Å"I thought you wanted to know about â€Å" â€Å"Who?†Jack has no idea why this seems important to him, but it does. Is it something someone has said to him recently? Was it Dale? Tansy? Was it, God save us, Wendell Green? â€Å"Racking cane and hose,†Mouse says confidentially. â€Å"That's what you need when the fermentation's done! And you can't put beer in screw-top bottles! You â€Å" Mouse turns his head away from Jack, nestles it cozily in the hollow of his shoulder, opens his mouth, and vomits. Bear Girl screams. The vomit is pus-yellow and speckled with moving black bits like the crud in the corners of Mouse's eyes. It is alive. Beezer leaves the room in a hurry, not quite running, and Jack shades Mouse from the brief glare of kitchen sunlight as best he can. The hand clamped on Jack's loosens a little more. Jack turns to Doc. â€Å"Do you think he's going?†Doc shakes his head. â€Å"Passed out again. Poor old Mousie ain't getting off that easy.†He gives Jack a grim, haunted look. â€Å"This better be worth it, Mr. Policeman. ‘Cause if it ain't, I'm gonna replumb your sink.†Beezer comes back with a huge bundle of rags, and he's put on a pair of green kitchen gloves. Not speaking, he mops up the pool of vomit between Mouse's shoulder and the backrest of the couch. The black specks have ceased moving, and that's good. To have not seen them moving in the first place would have been even better. The vomit, Jack notices with dismay, has eaten into the couch's worn fabric like acid. â€Å"I'm going to pull the blanket down for a second or two,†Doc says, and Bear Girl gets up at once, still holding the bowl with the melting ice. She goes to one of the bookshelves and stands there with her back turned, trembling. â€Å"Doc, is this something I really need to see?†I think maybe it is. I don't think you know what you're dealing with, even now.†Doc takes hold of the blanket and eases it out from beneath Mouse's limp hand. Jack sees that more of the black stuff has begun to ooze from beneath the dying man's fingernails. â€Å"Remember that this happened only a couple of hours ago, Mr. Policeman.†He pulls the blanket down. Standing with her back to them, Susan â€Å"Bear Girl†Osgood faces the great works of Western philosophy and begins to cry silently. Jack tries to hold back his scream and cannot. Henry pays off the taxi, goes into his house, takes a deep and soothing breath of the air-conditioned cool. There is a faint aroma sweet and he tells himself it's just fresh-cut flowers, one of Mrs. Morton's specialties. He knows better, but wants no more to do with ghosts just now. He is actually feeling better, and he supposes he knows why: it was telling the ESPN guy to take his job and shove it. Nothing more apt to make a fellow's day, especially when the fellow in question is gainfully employed, possessed of two credit cards that are nowhere near the max-out point, and has a pitcher of cold iced tea in the fridge. Henry heads kitchenward now, making his way down the hall with one hand held out before him, testing the air for obstacles and displacements. There's no sound but the whisper of the air conditioner, the hum of the fridge, the clack of his heels on the hardwood . . . . . . and a sigh. An amorous sigh. Henry stands where he is for a moment, then turns cautiously. Is the sweet aroma a little stronger now, especially facing back in this direction, toward the living room and the front door? He thinks yes. And it's not flowers; no sense fooling himself about that. As always, the nose knows. That's the aroma of My Sin. â€Å"Rhoda?†he says, and then, lower: â€Å"Lark?†No answer. Of course not. He's just having the heebie-jeebies, that's all; those world-famous shaky-shivers, and why not? â€Å"Because I'm the sheik, baby,†Henry says. â€Å"The Sheik, the Shake, the Shook.†No smells. No sexy sighs. And yet he's haunted by the idea of his wife back in the living room, standing there in perfumed cerements of the grave, watching him silently as he came in and passed blindly before her. His Lark, come back from Noggin Mound Cemetery for a little visit. Maybe to listen to the latest Slobberbone CD. â€Å"Quit it,†he says softly. â€Å"Quit it, you dope.†He goes into his big, well-organized kitchen. On his way through the door he slaps a button on the panel there without even thinking about it. Mrs. Morton's voice comes from the overhead speaker, which is so high-tech she might almost be in the room. â€Å"Jack Sawyer was by, and he dropped off another tape he wants you to listen to. He said it was . . . you know, that man. That bad man.†â€Å"Bad man, right,†Henry murmurs, opening the refrigerator and enjoying the blast of cold air. His hand goes unerringly to one of three cans of Kingsland Lager stored inside the door. Never mind the iced tea. â€Å"Both of the tapes are in your studio, by the soundboard. Also, Jack wanted you to call him on his cell phone.†Mrs. Morton's voice takes on a faintly lecturing tone. â€Å"If you do speak to him, I hope you tell him to be careful. And be careful yourself.†A pause. â€Å"Also, don't forget to eat supper. It's all ready to go. Second shelf of the fridge, on your left.†â€Å"Nag, nag, nag,†Henry says, but he's smiling as he opens his beer. He goes to the telephone and dials Jack's number. On the seat of the Dodge Ram parked in front of 1 Nailhouse Row, Jack's cell phone comes to life. This time there's no one in the cab to be annoyed by its tiny but penetrating tweet. â€Å"The cellular customer you are trying to reach is currently not answering. Please try your call again later.†Henry hangs up, goes back to the doorway, and pushes another button on the panel there. The voices that deliver the time and temperature are all versions of his own, but he's programmed a random shuffle pattern into the gadget, so he never knows which one he's going to get. This time it's the Wisconsin Rat, screaming crazily into the sunny air-conditioned silence of his house, which has never felt so far from town as it does today: â€Å"Time's four twenty-two P.M.! Outside temperature's eighty-two! Inside temperature's seventy! What the hell do you care? What the hell does anyone care? Chew it up, eat it up, wash it down, it aaall â€Å" comes out the same place. Right. Henry thumbs the button again, silencing the Rat's trademark cry. How did it get late so fast? God, wasn't it just noon? For that matter, wasn't he just young, twenty years old and so full of spunk it was practically coming out of his ears? What That sigh comes again, derailing his mostly self-mocking train of thought. A sigh? Really? More likely just the air conditioner's compressor, cutting off. He can tell himself that, anyway. He can tell himself that if he wants to. â€Å"Is anyone here?†Henry asks. There is a tremble in his voice that he hates, an old man's palsied quaver. â€Å"Is anyone in the house with me?†For a terrible second he is almost afraid something will answer. Nothing does of course nothing does and he swallows half the can of beer in three long gulps. He decides he'll go back into the living room and read for a little while. Maybe Jack will call. Maybe he'll get himself a little more under control once he has a little fresh alcohol in his system. And maybe the world will end in the next five minutes, he thinks. That way you'll never have to deal with the voice on those damned tapes waiting in the studio. Those damned tapes lying there on the soundboard like unexploded bombs. Henry walks slowly back down the hall to the living room with one hand held out before him, telling himself he's not afraid, not a bit afraid of touching his wife's dead face. Jack Sawyer has seen a lot, he's traveled to places where you can't rent from Avis and the water tastes like wine, but he's never encountered anything like Mouse Baumann's leg. Or, rather, the pestilential, apocalyptic horror show that was Mouse Baumann's leg. Jack's first impulse once he's got himself back under something like control is to upbraid Doc for taking off Mouse's pants. Jack keeps thinking of sausages, and how the casing forces them to keep their shape even after the fry pan's sizzling on a red-hot burner. This is an undoubtedly stupid comparison, primo stupido, but the human mind under pressure puts on some pretty odd jinks and jumps. There's still the shape of a leg there sort of but the flesh has spread away from the bone. The skin is almost completely gone, melted to a runny substance that looks like a mixture of milk and bacon fat. The interwoven mat of muscle beneath what remains of the skin is sagging and undergoing the same cataclysmic metamorphosis. The infected leg is in a kind of undisciplined motion as the solid becomes liquid and the liquid sizzles relentlessly into the couch upon which Mouse is lying. Along with the almost insupportable stench of decay, Jack can smell scorching cloth and melting fabric. Poking out of this spreading, vaguely leglike mess is a foot that looks remarkably undamaged. If I wanted to, I could pull it right off . . . just like a squash off a vine. The thought gets to him in a way the sight of the grievously wounded leg hasn't quite been able to, and for a moment Jack can only bow his head, gagging and trying not to vomit down the front of his shirt. What perhaps saves him is a hand on his back. It's Beezer, offering what comfort he can. The rowdy color has completely left the Beez's face. He looks like a motorcyclist come back from the grave in an urban myth. â€Å"You see?†Doc is asking, and his voice seems to come from a great distance. â€Å"This ain't the chicken pox, my friend, although it looked a little like that while it was still getting cranked up. He's already exhibiting red spots on his left leg . . . his belly . . . his balls. That's pretty much what the skin around the bite looked like when we first got him back here, just some redness and swelling. I thought, ? ®Shit, ain't nothin' to this, I got enough Zithromax to put this on the run before sundown.' Well, you see what good the Zithro did. You see what good anything did. It's eating through the couch, and I'm guessing that when it finishes with the couch, it'll go right to work on the floor. This shit is hungry. So was it worth it, Hollywood? I guess only you and Mouse know the answer to that.†â€Å"He still knows where the house is,†Beezer says. â€Å"Me, I don't have a clue, even though we just came from there. You, either. Do you?†Doc shakes his head. â€Å"But Mouse, he knows.†â€Å"Susie, honey,†Doc says to Bear Girl. â€Å"Bring another blanket, would you? This one's damn near et through.†Bear Girl goes willingly enough. Jack gets to his feet. His legs are rubbery, but they hold him. â€Å"Shield him,†he tells Doc. â€Å"I'm going out to the kitchen. If I don't get a drink, I'm going to die.†Jack takes on water directly from the sink, swallowing until a spike plants itself in the center of his forehead and he belches like a horse. Then he just stands there, looking out into Beezer and Bear Girl's backyard. A neat little swing set has been planted there in the weedy desolation. It hurts Jack to look at it, but he looks anyway. After the lunacy of Mouse's leg, it seems important to remind himself that he's here for a reason. If the reminder hurts, so much the better. The sun, now turning gold as it eases itself down toward the Missis-sippi, glares in his eyes. Time hasn't been standing still after all, it seems. Not outside this little house, anyway. Outside 1 Nailhouse Row, time actually seems to have sped up. He's haunted by the idea that coming here was as pointless as detouring to Henry's house; tormented by the thought that Mr. Munshun and his boss, the abbalah, are running him around like a windup toy with a key in its back while they do their work. He can follow that buzz in his head to Black House, so why the hell doesn't he just get back in his truck and do it? The perfume he smells is not that of his dead wife. What does that mean? Why does the idea of someone smelling perfume make him so crazy and afraid? Beezer knocks on the kitchen door, making him jump. Jack's eye fixes on a sampler hung over the kitchen table. Instead of GOD BLESS OUR HOME, it reads HEAVY METAL THUNDER. With a carefully stitched HARLEY-DAVIDSON beneath. â€Å"Get back in here, man,†the Beez says. â€Å"He's awake again.†Henry's on a path in the woods or maybe it's a lane and something is behind him. Each time he turns to see in this dream he can see, but seeing is no blessing there's a little more of that something back there. It appears to be a man in evening dress, but the man is frightfully elongated, with spike teeth that jut over a smiling red lower lip. And he seems is it possible? to have only one eye. The first time Henry looks back, the shape is only a milky blur amid the trees. The next time he can make out the uneasy dark swim of its coat and a floating red blotch that might be a tie or an ascot. Up ahead of him is this thing's den, a stinking hole that only coincidentally looks like a house. Its presence buzzes in Henry's head. Instead of pine, the woods pressing in on either side smell of heavy, cloying perfume: My Sin. It's driving me, he thinks with dismay. Whatever that thing back there is, it's driving me like a steer toward the slaughterhouse. He thinks of cutting off the lane to his left or right, of using the miracle of his new sight to escape through the woods. Only there are things there, too. Dark, floating shapes like sooty scarves. He can almost see the closest. It's some sort of gigantic dog with a long tongue as red as the apparition's tie and bulging eyes. Can't let it drive me to the house, he thinks. I have to get out of this before it can get me there . . . but how? How? It comes to him with startling simplicity. All he has to do is wake up. Because this is a dream. This is just a â€Å"It's a dream!†Henry cries out, and jerks forward. He's not walking, he's sitting, sitting in his very own easy chair, and pretty soon he's going to have a very wet crotch because he fell asleep with a can of Kingsland Lager balanced there, and But there's no spill, because there's no can of beer. He feels cautiously to his right and yep, there it is, on the table with his book, a braille edition of Reflections in a Golden Eye. He must have put it there before first falling asleep and then falling into that horrible nightmare. Except Henry's pretty sure he didn't do any such thing. He was holding the book and the beer was between his legs, freeing his hands to touch the little upraised dots that tell the story. Something very considerately took both the book and the can after he dropped off, and put them on the table. Something that smells of My Sin perfume. The air reeks of it. Henry takes a long, slow breath with his nostrils flared and mouth tightly sealed shut. â€Å"No,†he says, speaking very clearly. â€Å"I can smell flowers . . . and rug shampoo . . . and fried onions from last night. Very faint but still there. The nose knows.†All true enough. But the smell had been there. It's gone now because she's gone, but she will be back. And suddenly he wants her to come. If he's frightened, surely it's the unknown he's frightened of, right? Only that and nothing more. He doesn't want to be alone here, with nothing for company but the memory of that rancid dream. And the tapes. He has to listen to the tapes. He promised Jack. Henry gets shakily to his feet and makes his way to the living-room control panel. This time he's greeted by the voice of Henry Shake, a mellow fellow if ever there was one. â€Å"Hey there, all you hoppin' cats and boppin' kitties, at the tone it's seven-fourteen P.M., Bulova Watch Time. Outside the temp is a very cool seventy-five degrees, and here in the Make-Believe Ballroom it's a very nifty seventy degrees. So why not get off your money, grab your honey, and make a little magic?†Seven-fourteen! When was the last time he fell asleep for almost three hours in the daytime? For that matter, when was the last time he had a dream in which he could see? The answer to that second question, so far as he can remember, is never. Where was that lane? What was the thing behind him? What was the place ahead of him, for that matter? â€Å"Doesn't matter,†Henry tells the empty room if it is empty. â€Å"It was a dream, that's all. The tapes, on the other hand . . .†He doesn't want to listen to them, has never wanted to listen to anything any less in his life (with the possible exception of Chicago singing â€Å"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?†), but he has to. If it might save Ty Marshall's life, or the life of even one other child, he must. Slowly, dreading every step, Henry Leyden makes his blind way to his studio, where two cassettes wait for him on the soundboard. â€Å"In heaven there is no beer,†Mouse sings in a toneless, droning voice. His cheeks are now covered with ugly red patches, and his nose seems to be sinking sideways into his face, like an atoll after an undersea earthquake. â€Å"That's why we drink it here. And when . . . we're gone . . . from here . . . our friends will be drinking all the beer.†It's been like this for hours now: philosophical nuggets, instructions for the beginning beer-making enthusiast, snatches of song. The light coming through the blankets over the windows has dimmed appreciably. Mouse pauses, his eyes closed. Then he starts another ditty. â€Å"Hundred bottles of beer on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer . . . if one of those bottles should happen to fall . . .†â€Å"I have to go,†Jack says. He's hung in there as well as he can, convinced that Mouse is going to give him something, but he can wait no longer. Somewhere, Ty Marshall is waiting for him. â€Å"Hold on,†Doc says. He rummages in his bag and comes out with a hypodermic needle. He raises it in the dimness and taps the glass barrel with a fingernail. â€Å"What's that?†Doc gives Jack and Beezer a brief, grim smile. â€Å"Speed,†he says, and injects it into Mouse's arm. For a moment there's nothing. Then, as Jack is opening his mouth again to tell them he has to go, Mouse's eyes snap wide. They are now entirely red a bright and bleeding red. Yet when they turn in his direction, Jack knows that Mouse is seeing him. Maybe really seeing him for the first time since he got here. Bear Girl flees the room, trailing a single diminishing phrase behind her: â€Å"No more no more no more no more â€Å" â€Å"Fuck,†Mouse says in a rusty voice. â€Å"Fuck, I'm fucked. Ain't I?†Beezer touches the top of his friend's head briefly but tenderly. â€Å"Yeah, man. I think you are. Can you help us out?†â€Å"Bit me once. Just once, and now . . . now . . .†His hideous red gaze turns to Doc. â€Å"Can barely see you. Fuckin' eyes are all weird.†â€Å"You're going down,†Doc says. â€Å"Ain't gonna lie to you, man.†â€Å"Not yet I ain't,†Mouse says. â€Å"Gimme something to write on. To draw a map on. Quick. Dunno what you shot me with, Doc, but the stuff from the dog's stronger. I ain't gonna be compos long. Quick!†Beezer feels around at the foot of the couch and comes up with a trade-sized paperback. Given the heavy shit on the bookcases, Jack could almost laugh the book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Beezer tears off the back cover and hands it to Mouse with the blank side up. â€Å"Pencil,†Mouse croaks. â€Å"Hurry up. I got it all, man. I got it . . . up here.†He touches his forehead. A patch of skin the size of a quarter sloughs off at his touch. Mouse wipes it on the blanket as if it were a booger. Beezer pulls a gnawed stub of pencil from an inside pocket of his vest. Mouse takes it and makes a pathetic effort to smile. The black stuff oozing from the corners of his eyes has continued to build up, and now it lies on his cheeks like smears of decayed jelly. More of it is springing out of the pores on his forehead in minute black dots that remind Jack of Henry's braille books. When Mouse bites his lower lip in concentration, the tender flesh splits open at once. Blood begins dribbling into his beard. Jack supposes the rotted-meat smell is still there, but Beezer had been right: he's gotten used to it. Mouse turns the book cover sideways, then draws a series of quick squiggles. â€Å"Lookit,†he says to Jack. â€Å"This the Mississippi, right?†â€Å"Right,†Jack says. When he leans in, he starts getting the smell again. Up close it's not even a stench; it's a miasma trying to crawl down his throat. But Jack doesn't move away. He knows what an effort Mouse is making. The least he can do is play his part. â€Å"Here's downtown the Nelson, Lucky's, the Agincourt Theater, the Taproom . . . here's where Chase Street turns into Lyall Road, then Route 35 . . . here's Libertyville . . . the VFW . . . Goltz's . . . ah, Christ â€Å" Mouse begins to thrash on the couch. Sores on his face and upper body burst open and begin leaking. He screams with pain. The hand not holding the pencil goes to his face and paws at it ineffectually. Something inside Jack speaks up, then speaks in a shining, imperative voice he remembers from his time on the road all those years ago. He supposes it's the voice of the Talisman, or whatever remains of it in his mind and soul. It doesn't want him to talk, it's trying to kill him before he can talk, it's in the black stuff, maybe it is the black stuff, you've got to get rid of it Some things can only be done without the mind's prudish interference; when the work is nasty, instinct is often best. So it is without thinking that Jack reaches out, grasps the black slime oozing from Mouse's eyes between his fingers, and pulls. At first the stuff only stretches, as if made of rubber. At the same time Jack can feel it squirming and writhing in his grip, perhaps trying to pinch or bite him. Then it lets go with a twang sound. Jack throws the convulsing black tissue onto the floor with a cry. The stuff tries to slither beneath the couch Jack sees this even as he wipes his hands on his shirt, frantic with revulsion. Doc slams his bag down on one piece. Beezer squashes the other with the heel of a motorcycle boot. It makes a squittering sound. â€Å"What the fuck is that shit?†Doc asks. His voice, ordinarily husky, has gone up into a near-falsetto range. â€Å"What the fuck â€Å" â€Å"Nothing from here,†Jack says, â€Å"and never mind. Look at him! Look at Mouse!†The red glare in Mouse's eyes has retreated; for the moment he looks almost normal. Certainly he's seeing them, and the pain seems gone. â€Å"Thanks,†he breathes. â€Å"I only wish you could get it all that way, but man, it's already coming back. Pay attention.†â€Å"I'm listening,†Jack says. â€Å"You better,†Mouse replies. â€Å"You think you know. You think you can find the place again even if these two can't, and maybe you can, but maybe you don't know quite so much as you . . . ah, fuck.†From somewhere beneath the blanket there is a ghastly bursting sound as something gives way. Sweat runs down Mouse's face, mixing with the black poison venting from his pores and turning his beard a damp and dirty gray. His eyes roll up to Jack's, and Jack can see that red glare starting to haze over them again. â€Å"This sucks,†Mouse pants. â€Å"Never thought I'd go out this way. Lookit, Hollywood . . .†The dying man draws a small rectangle on his makeshift scribble of map. â€Å"This â€Å" â€Å"Ed's Eats, where we found Irma,†Jack says. â€Å"I know.†â€Å"All right,†Mouse whispers. â€Å"Good. Now look . . . over on the other side . . . the Schubert and Gale side . . . and to the west . . .†Mouse draws a line going north from Highway 35. He puts little circles on either side of it. Jack takes these to be representations of trees. And, across the front of the line like a gate: NO TRESPASSING. â€Å"Yeah,†Doc breathes. â€Å"That's where it was, all right. Black House.†Mouse takes no notice. His dimming gaze is fixed solely on Jack. â€Å"Listen to me, cop. Are you listening?†â€Å"Yes.†â€Å"Christ, you better be,†Mouse tells him. As it always has, the work captures Henry, absorbs him, takes him away. Boredom and sorrow have never been able to stand against this old captivation with sound from the sighted world. Apparently fear can't stand against it, either. The hardest moment isn't listening to the tapes but mustering the courage to stick the first one in the big TEAC audio deck. In that moment of hesitation he's sure he can smell his wife's perfume even in the soundproofed and air-filtered environment of the studio. In that moment of hesitation he is positive he isn't alone, that someone (or something) is standing just outside the studio door, looking in at him through the glass upper half. And that is, in fact, the absolute truth. Blessed with sight as we are, we can see what Henry cannot. We want to tell him what's out there, to lock the studio door, for the love of God lock it now, but we can only watch. Henry reaches for the PLAY button on the tape deck. Then his finger changes course and hits the intercom toggle instead. â€Å"Hello? Is anyone out there?†The figure standing in Henry's living room, looking in at him the way someone might look into an aquarium at a single exotic fish, makes no sound. The last of the sun's on the other side of the house and the living room is becoming quite dark, Henry being understandably forgetful when it comes to turning on the lights. Elmer Jesperson's amusing bee slippers (not that they amuse us much under these circumstances) are just about the brightest things out there. â€Å"Hello? Anyone?†The figure looking in through the glass half of the studio door is grinning. In one hand it is holding the hedge clippers from Henry's garage. â€Å"Last chance,†Henry says, and when there's still no response, he becomes the Wisconsin Rat, shrieking into the intercom, trying to startle whatever's out there into revealing itself: â€Å"Come on now, honey, come on now, you muthafukkah, talk to Ratty!†The figure peering in at Henry recoils as a snake might recoil when its prey makes a feint but it utters no sound. From between the grinning teeth comes a leathery old tongue, wagging and poking in derision. This creature has been into the perfume that Mrs. Morton has never had the heart to remove from the vanity in the little powder room adjacent to the master bedroom, and now Henry's visitor reeks of My Sin. Henry decides it's all just his imagination playing him up again oy, such a mistake, Morris Rosen would have told him, had Morris been there and hits PLAY with the tip of his finger. He hears a throat-clearing sound, and then Arnold Hrabowski identifies himself. The Fisherman interrupts him before he can even finish: Hello, asswipe. Henry rewinds, listens again: Hello, asswipe. Rewinds and listens yet again: Hello, asswipe. Yes, he has heard this voice before. He's sure of it. But where? The answer will come, answers of this sort always do eventually and getting there is half the fun. Henry listens, enrapt. His fingers dance back and forth over the tape deck's buttons like the fingers of a concert pianist over the keys of a Steinway. The feeling of being watched slips from him, although the figure outside the studio door the thing wearing the bee slippers and holding the hedge clippers never moves. Its smile has faded somewhat. A sulky expression is growing on its aged face. There is confusion in that look, and perhaps the first faint trace of fear. The old monster doesn't like it that the blind fish in the aquarium should have captured its voice. Of course it doesn't matter; maybe it's even part of the fun, but if it is, it's Mr. Munshun's fun, not its fun. And their fun should be the same . . . shouldn't i t? You have an emergency. Not me. You. â€Å"Not me, you,†Henry says. The mimicry is so good it's weird. â€Å"A little bit of sauerkraut in your salad, mein friend, ja?†Your worst nightmare . . . worst nightmare. Abbalah. I'm the Fisherman. Henry listening, intent. He lets the tape run awhile, then listens to the same phrase four times over: Kiss my scrote, you monkey . . . kiss my scrote, you monkey . . . you monkey . . . monkey . . . No, not monkey. The voice is actually saying munggey. MUNG-ghee. â€Å"I don't know where you are now, but you grew up in Chicago,†Henry murmurs. â€Å"South Side. And . . .†Warmth on his face. Suddenly he remembers warmth on his face. Why is that, friends and neighbors? Why is that, O great wise ones? You're no better'n a monkey on a stick. Monkey on a stick. Monkey â€Å"Monkey,†Henry says. He's rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers now. â€Å"Monkey on a stick. MUNG-ghee on a stigg. Who said that?†He plays the 911: Kiss my scrote, you monkey. He plays his memory: You're no better'n a monkey on a stick. Warmth on his face. Heat? Light? Both? Henry pops out the 911 tape and sticks in the one Jack brought today. Hello, Judy. Are you Judy today, or are you Sophie? The abbalah sends his best, and Gorg says â€Å"Caw-caw-caw!†[Husky, phlegmy laughter.] Ty says hello, too. Your little boy is very lonely . . . When Tyler Marshall's weeping, terrified voice booms through the speakers, Henry winces and fast-forwards. Derr vill be morrr mur-derts. The accent much thicker now, a burlesque, a joke, Katzenjammer Kids Meet the Wolfman, but somehow even more revealing because of that. Der liddul chull-drun . . . havv-uz-ted like wheed. Like wheed. Havv-uz-ted like . . . â€Å"Harvested like a monkey on a stick,†Henry says. â€Å"MUNG-ghee. HAVV-us-ted. Who are you, you son of a bitch?†Back to the 911 tape. There are whips in hell and chains in Sheol. But it's almost vips in hell, almost chenz in Shayol. Vips. Chenz. MUNG-ghee on a stick. A stigg. â€Å"You're no better'n †Henry begins, and then, all at once, another line comes to him. â€Å"Lady Magowan's Nightmare.†That one's good. A bad nightmare of what? Vips in hell? Chenz in Shayol? Mung-ghees on sticks? â€Å"My God,†Henry says softly. â€Å"Oh . . . my . . . God. The dance. He was at the dance.†Now it all begins to fall into place. How stupid they have been! How criminally stupid! The boy's bike . . . it had been right there. Right there, for Christ's sake! They were all blind men, make them all umps. â€Å"But he was so old,†Henry whispers. â€Å"And senile! How were we supposed to guess such a man could be the Fisherman?†Other questions follow this one. If the Fisherman is a resident at Maxton Elder Care, for instance, where in God's name could he have stashed Ty Marshall? And how is the bastard getting around French Landing? Does he have a car somewhere? â€Å"Doesn't matter,†Henry murmurs. â€Å"Not now, anyway. Who is he and where is he? Those are the things that matter.†The warmth on his face his mind's first effort to locate the Fisherman's voice in time and place had been the spotlight, of course, Symphonic Stan's spotlight, the pink of ripening berries. And some woman, some nice old woman Mr. Stan, yoo-hoo, Mr. Stan? had asked him if he took requests. Only, before Stan could reply, a voice as flat and hard as two stones grinding together I was here first, old woman. had interrupted. Flat . . . and hard . . . and with that faint Germanic harshness that said South Side Chicago, probably second or even third generation. Not vass here first, not old vumman, but those telltale v's had been lurking, hadn't they? Ah yes. â€Å"Mung-ghee,†Henry says, looking straight ahead. Looking straight at Charles Burnside, had he only known it. â€Å"Stigg. Havv-us-ted. Hasta la vista . . . baby.†Was that what it came down to, in the end? A dotty old maniac who sounded a bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger? Who was the woman? If he can remember her name, he can call Jack . . . or Dale, if Jack's still not answering his phone . . . and put an end to French Landing's bad dream. Lady Magowan's Nightmare. That one's good. â€Å"Nightmare,†Henry says, then adjusting his voice: â€Å"Nahht-mare.†Once again the mimicry is good. Certainly too good for the old codger standing outside the studio door. He is now scowling bitterly and gnashing the hedge clippers in front of the glass. How can the blindman in there sound so much like him? It's not right; it's completely improper. The old monster longs to cut the vocal cords right out of Henry Leyden's throat. Soon, he promises himself, he will do that. And eat them. Sitting in the swivel chair, drumming his fingers nervously on the gleaming oak in front of him, Henry recalls the brief encounter at the bandstand. Not long into the Strawberry Fest dance, this had been. Tell me your name and what you'd like to hear. I am Alice Weathers, and . â€Å"Moonglow,†please. By Benny Goodman. â€Å"Alice Weathers,†Henry says. â€Å"That was her name, and if she doesn't know your name, my homicidal friend, then I'm a monkey on a stick.†He starts to get up, and that is when someone something begins to knock, very softly, on the glass upper half of the door. Bear Girl has drawn close, almost against her will, and now she, Jack, Doc, and the Beez are gathered around the sofa. Mouse has sunk halfway into it. He looks like a person dying badly in quicksand. Well, Jack thinks, there's no quicksand, but he's dying badly, all right. Guess there's no question about that. â€Å"Listen up,†Mouse tells them. The black goo is forming at the corners of his eyes again. Worse, it's trickling from the corners of his mouth. The stench of decay is stronger than ever as Mouse's inner workings give up the struggle. Jack is frankly amazed that they've lasted as long as they have. â€Å"You talk,†Beezer says. â€Å"We'll listen.†Mouse looks at Doc. â€Å"When I finish, give me the fireworks. The Cadillac dope. Understand?†â€Å"You want to get out ahead of whatever it is you've got.†Mouse nods. â€Å"I'm down with that,†Doc agrees. â€Å"You'll go out with a smile on your face.†â€Å"Doubt that, bro, but I'll give it a try.†Mouse shifts his reddening gaze to Beezer. â€Å"When it's done, wrap me up in one of the nylon tents that're in the garage. Stick me in the tub. I'm betting that by midnight, you'll be able to wash me down the drain like . . . like so much beer foam. I'd be careful, though. Don't . . . touch what's left.†Bear Girl bursts into tears. â€Å"Don't cry, darlin',†Mouse says. â€Å"I'm gonna get out ahead. Doc promised. Beez?†â€Å"Right here, buddy.†â€Å"You have a little service for me. Okay? Read a poem . . . the one by Auden . . . the one that always used to frost your balls . . .††? ®Thou shalt not read the Bible for its prose,' †Beezer says. He's crying. â€Å"You got it, Mousie.†â€Å"Play some Dead . . . ? ®Ripple,' maybe . . . and make sure you're full enough of Kingsland to christen me good and proper into the next life. Guess there won't . . . be any grave for you to piss on, but . . . do the best you can.†Jack laughs at that. He can't help it. And this time it's his turn to catch the full force of Mouse's crimson eyes. â€Å"Promise me you'll wait until tomorrow to go out there, cop.†â€Å"Mouse, I'm not sure I can do that.†â€Å"You gotta. Go out there tonight, you won't have to worry about the devil dog . . . the other things in the woods around that house . . . the other things . . .†The red eyes roll horribly. Black stuff trickles into Mouse's beard like tar. Then he somehow forces himself to go on. â€Å"The other things in those woods will eat you like candy.†â€Å"I think that's a chance I'll have to take,†Jack says, frowning. â€Å"There's a little boy somewhere â€Å" â€Å"Safe,†Mouse whispers. Jack raises his eyebrows, unsure if he's heard Mouse right. And even if he has, can he trust what he's heard? Mouse has some powerful, evil poison working in him. So far he's been able to withstand it, to communicate in spite of it, but â€Å"Safe for a little while,†Mouse says. â€Å"Not from everything . . . there's things that might still get him, I suppose . . . but for the time being he's safe from Mr. Munching. Is that his name? Munching?†â€Å"Munshun, I think. How do you know it?†Mouse favors Jack with a smile of surpassing eeriness. It is the smile of a dying sibyl. Once more he manages to touch his forehead, and Jack notes with horror that the man's fingers are now melting into one another and turning black from the nails down. â€Å"Got it up here, man. Got it alll up here. Told you that. And listen: it's better the kid should get eaten by some giant bug or rock crab over there . . . where he is . . . than that you should die trying to rescue him. If you do that, the abbalah will wind up with the kid for sure. That's what your . . . your friend says.†â€Å"What friend?†Doc asks suspiciously. â€Å"Never mind,†Mouse says. â€Å"Hollywood knows. Don'tcha, Holly-wood?†Jack nods reluctantly. It's Speedy, of course. Or Parkus, if you prefer. â€Å"Wait until tomorrow,†Mouse says. â€Å"High noon, when the sun's strongest in both worlds. Promise.†At first Jack can say nothing. He's torn, in something close to agony. â€Å"It'd be almost full dark before you could get back out Highway 35 anyway,†Bear Girl says quietly. â€Å"And there's bad shit in those woods, all right,†Doc says. â€Å"Makes the stuff in that Blair Witch Project look fuckin' tame. I don't think you want to try it in the dark. Not unless you got a death wish, that is.†â€Å"When you're done . . .†Mouse whispers. â€Å"When you're done . . . if any of you are left . . . burn the place to the ground. That hole. That tomb. Burn it to the ground, do you hear me? Close the door.†â€Å"Yeah,†Beezer says. â€Å"Heard and understood, buddy.†â€Å"Last thing,†Mouse says. He's speaking directly to Jack now. â€Å"You may be able to find it . . . but I think I got something else you need. It's a word. It's powerful to you because of something you . . . you touched. Once a long time ago. I don't understand that part, but . . .†â€Å"It's all right,†Jack tells him. â€Å"I do. What's the word, Mouse?†For a moment he doesn't think Mouse will, in the end, be able to tell him. Something is clearly struggling to keep him from saying the word, but in this struggle, Mouse comes out on top. It is, Jack thinks, very likely his life's last W. â€Å"D'yamba,†Mouse says. â€Å"Now you, Hollywood. You say it.†â€Å"D'yamba,†Jack says, and a row of weighty paperbacks slides from one of the makeshift shelves at the foot of the couch. They hang there in the dimming air . . . hang . . . hang . . . and then drop to the floor with a crash. Bear Girl voices a little scream. â€Å"Don't forget it,†Mouse says. â€Å"You're gonna need it.†â€Å"How? How am I going to need it?†Mouse shakes his head wearily. â€Å"Don't . . . know.†Beezer reaches over Jack's shoulder and takes the pitiful little scribble of map. â€Å"You're going to meet us tomorrow morning at the Sand Bar,†he tells Jack. â€Å"Get there by eleven-thirty, and we should be turning into that goddamned lane right around noon. In the meantime, maybe I'll just hold on to this. A little insurance policy to make sure you do things Mouse's way.†â€Å"Okay,†Jack says. He doesn't need the map to find Chummy Burn-side's Black House, but Mouse is almost certainly right: it's probably not the sort of place you want to tackle after dark. He hates to leave Ty Marshall in the furance-lands it feels wrong in a way that's almost sinful but he has to remember that there's more at stake here than one little boy lost. â€Å"Beezer, are you sure you want to go back there?†â€Å"Hell no, I don't want to go back,†Beezer says, almost indignantly. â€Å"But something killed my daughter my daughter! and it got here from there! You want to tell me you don't know that's true?†Jack makes no reply. Of course it's true. And of course he wants Doc and the Beez with him when he turns up the lane to Black House. If they can bear to come, that is. D'yamba, he thinks. D'yamba. Don't forget. He turns back to the couch. â€Å"Mouse, do you â€Å" â€Å"No,†Doc says. â€Å"Guess he won't need the Cadillac dope, after all.†â€Å"Huh?†Jack peers at the big brewer-biker stupidly. He feels stupid. Stupid and exhausted. â€Å"Nothin' tickin' but his watch,†Doc says, and then he begins to sing. After a moment Beezer joins in, then Bear Girl. Jack steps away from the couch with a thought queerly similar to Henry's: How did it get late so early? Just how in hell did that happen? â€Å"In heaven, there is no beer . . . that's why we drink it here . . . and when . . . we're gone . . . from here . . .†Jack tiptoes across the room. On the far side, there's a lighted Kingsland Premium Golden Pale Ale bar clock. Our old friend who is finally looking every year of his age and not quite so lucky peers at the time with disbelief, not accepting it until he has compared it to his own watch. Almost eight. He has been here for hours. Almost dark, and the Fisherman still out there someplace. Not to mention his otherworldly playmates. D'yamba, he thinks again as he opens the door. And, as he steps out onto the splintery porch and closes the door behind him, he speaks aloud with great sincerity into the darkening day: â€Å"Speedy, I'd like to wring your neck.â€
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