Strategic Innovation and Technology Management

The Innovation Case Introduction The audio music industry is a diverse and dynamic environment where innovations take place rapidly. The record music labels found themselves faced with fierce competition when Fraunhofer in Germany developed an algorithm that enabled music to be compressed and distributed as MP3.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Innovation and Technology Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Later, Shawn Fanning, a student, developed Napster that enabled people to share music files through the internet. This led to high levels of music piracy. The record companies had to delve into the technology using iTunes where customers would purchase and buy music legally. The record companies had to decide whether to make iTunes technology open for use by other companies. Innovation There were certain audio innovations that took place in the industry. These innovations were spurred on by the customer’s increasing demand to share music. In 1991, a German called Fraunhofer IIS invented the MP3, a technology that enabled music to be compressed to a tenth of its size. The compression did not have an adverse effect on the quality of the record. This enabled the people to share and distribute music easily. As people shared their music online, the use of the MP3, grew by huge numbers. Many other companies aiming to cash in on the innovation decided to produce different variants of the MP3. Fraunhofer had two choices, to patent the innovation in order to prevent other companies from cashing in on his profits or let the companies use the innovation. The consumers are the major stakeholders who benefited from the innovation as they were able to share music online. In 1999, Shawn Fanning, a student at Northeastern campus of Boston, came up with a software program that enabled customers with internet access to share the mp3 files. The software was very friendly having a sea rch box enabling someone to look for another person in the network with whom to share music. The software did not have a database filled with the mp3 music rather it was filled with people who were in possession of different kinds of music. The consumers demanded the interchange of music over the net. People had started trading the copyright materials via the internet. When Napster was shut down through legal action by the record companies, parallel companies cropped up. The music companies had no choice but to respond to market demand.The music labels teamed up to provide Music tunes and Press play. These services enabled people to download music from the net legally.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However the people preferred the illegal sites that had cropped up after Napster was shut down. The music labels did not have a great selection of music like the unauthorised s ites. Furthermore the music labels used digital rights management systems that were not user friendly. ITunes came to be developed where the people could play music in MP3 formats in iPods made by the Apple Company. Later other companies wanted to play ITunes in their iPods. Apple had to decide whether to work with other companies. By entering into contracts with these companies, they would get to sell their music and receive some commission from the companies. In playing non-iTunes music the Apple Company gets to get exposure to other markets and in the process they may get to sell their music. The success of the iPod and iTunes will depend on how the company keeps innovation, providing different and improved products as the market demand changes and the frequency of competitors offering different and improved products. The musicians by selling their copyright rights allowing their music to be downloaded and freely distributed see the advantages of getting a fan base and publicity as better than retaining their copyrights. Podcasting has had a great impact on the radio industry. The consumers now have the power of choice to determine what they will listen to, either traditional radio stations or podcasts. This will definitely cause the radio stations be more innovative in order to retain their customers. Lessons Learnt A firm in any technological market must make a decision whether to protect their innovation or not. There are advantages in protecting the innovation as one gets rent from its use. However not protecting the technology can also be advantageous since other companies in using the technology market the firm’s products((Hurmelinna-Laukkanen and Ritala, 2010). It is wiser to protect technologies that are not easily copied. The company has to analyse whether protecting the technology is appropriate for protection or not (Hurmelinna-Laukkanen and Puumalainen, 2007) A company may use patents, copyrights and trademarks and trade secret to protect its innovation (Karjala, 2011). In Patenting, other companies are prevented from using the innovation or technology. Getting a trademark prevents other companies from using the symbol or name that the firm uses in its trading activities. Copyrights on the other hand helps artists protect their music, writings or art from illegal use and distribution (King, 2002).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Innovation and Technology Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a trade secret, the firm decides to conceal their manufacturing process or details that usually would be mandatory to reveal while registering a patent. Fraunhofer in Germany decide to work with other companies in the marketing and selling of MP3. He did not patent the technology recognising that other companies could easily produce their version of the software. Sometimes it is better when other people imitate the innovation since they c an make software that is an improvement (Shenkar, 2011) The music record companies worked with other companies enabling their non-iPods to support the iTunes music. At times open innovation markets turn out to be profitable in terms of marketing and sales (OECD, 2008) .The musicians decided to sell their copyrights in open forums to their fans to get publicity and cut marketing costs. Defining Strategy Introduction Genzyme is a huge company in the biotechnical industry. In 2008, it had revenues of over $4,6 Billion. It has over 10,000 employees in over 40 countries. Its portfolio of companies includes 17 manufacturing and several genetic laboratory testing facilities. The reason for the company’s success is its choice to focus on the production of drugs that treat very rare but life threatening diseases. The company’s strategic choice made it grow and earn high profits. The work before them was hard but they managed to do it and excel to get very high returns. Defining Strategy Genzyne strategic decision has enabled it to face few or hardly any competitors. There are very few companies that are willing to focus on the research and sale of drugs that can be used to treat rare and life threatening diseases. Secondly the company will be able to do target small scale marketing since the patients were few. The company would be able to cut the marketing costs considerably. Pharmaceutical companies incur high marketing costs in large sales labour force and promotion costs while selling their drugs. The number of physicians who treated these rare diseases are also few so the company can market and sell the drugs directly to the customers therefore cutting costs. The insurance companies would also not be able to resist at all on any grounds the reimbursement of the costs to its patients since the patients are few. First of all since the process of developing a drug in the industry took around ten to fourteen years. The research costs were more than $800 t o conduct trials in the clinic, get the approval of FDA and bring to the customers the drugs. Most companies wanted to focus on the common chronic diseases since the sales would be in billions. The companies wanted a mass market. The customer do have less or no bargaining power when buying orphan drugs since the companies that sell such drugs are very few. Focusing on the orphan drugs definitely affects the kind of resources and capabilities that a company may need. The highest costs will be research since it will take a longer time to develop these drugs. The company need also highly skilled engineers and bio technicians to develop the drugs.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The biggest investment will be research and labour costs. Genzyme strategic focus on orphan drugs is a great idea and sustainable in the long term. The statistics for their drug, Cerezyne is astounding. The patients in the country who take the drug pay over $ 170,000 in a year. 4,500 patients take the drug for life leading to sales of over $800 million. Competitors and marketing costs are reduced efficiently ensuring they will always have high sales for their products. The company diversified into other areas of medicine so that they could remain independent and get all the profits from the sale of their drugs. The company therefore decided to do its own testing, manufacturing and sales of the drugs. To fund the costs the company strategically started a genetic counselling centre, chemical supplies and diagnostic testing businesses. The company went public to raise money through the stock exchange and they were able to get over $27Million. Ever since the orphan drug act was passed, more companies have entered into this market to take advantage of tax allowances offered by the government. The company in the future will need to analyse and develop drugs for diseases that are extremely rare so as to be able to have few competitors and survive. Lessons Learnt For a company to have a competitive advantage in the industry, it must appraise its market and the competition. It has to appraise its core capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, competitive advantages, threats and opportunities. It has to carry out a SWOT analysis. Porter has proposed five things that a company needs to look at. This is the degree of existing rivalry, threats of potential entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, threats of substitutes and bargaining power of the buyers (Mindtools Editors, n,d). There are three generic models a company can use. The company may differentiate products, target to lower costs of production or do both in a niche market(Proven models Editors, n,d) Genzyme opted to pr oduce differentiated products. Genzyme was able to analyse its market and its sustainable core competencies. It chose a market where the competition was low, the entrants in the market were also consistently low and the buyers did not have high bargaining power to affect the sales prices. Their strategic analysis and actions paid off. Comparison of the two cases The two case studies focus on innovation management. The audio companies are forced with choices on innovation management while Genzyme has to choose which technology to invest. In whatever category a company is in, it has to be strategic in making decisions. References Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, P Ritala, P (2010) â€Å"Protection for profiting from collaborative service innovation†. Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21, Iss 1, pp.6 – 24. Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, P Puumalainen, Kaisu (2007) â€Å"Formation of the appropriability regime: Strategic and practical considerations†.  Innovation,Management, Poli cy Practice Journal, Vol 9, Iss 1,pp 28-45. Karjala, D (2011) â€Å"Protecting Innovation in Computer Software, Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology†. Virginia Journal Of Law Technology, Vol 6, No1. Web. King, K (2002).†The Value of Intellectual Property, Intangible Assets and Goodwill†.  Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, Vol 7, No 3, pp 245-249. Mind Tools Editors (n.d) â€Å"Porter’s Five Forces: Assessing the Balance of Power in a Business Situation†. Mind tools. Accessed from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development (2008) â€Å"Open Innovation in Global Networks†. Web. Proven Models Editors (n,d) â€Å"Porter’s three generic strategies†. Proven Models. Accessed from https://www.provenmodels.com/27 Shenkar, O (2011)†The Challenge Of Imovation†. Ivey Business Journal. Web. This report on Strategic Innovation and Technology Management was written and submitted by user Bryleigh Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Origins of the Kettlebell. Strength and Cardio Training

Origins of the Kettlebell. Strength and Cardio Training The kettlebell is a peculiar piece of gym equipment. While it looks like a cannonball with a looping handle protruding at the top, it can  easily be mistaken for an ironcast tea kettle on steroids. It also happens to be growing in popularity, allowing athletes and those just trying to stay in shape to perform a wide range of specialized strength-building exercises with kettlebells. Born in Russia It’s hard to say who invented the kettlebell, though variations of the concept go as far back as Ancient Greece. Theres even a 315-pound kettlebell with the inscription  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Bibon heaved up me above a head by one head on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Athens. The first mention of the term, however, shows up in a Russian dictionary published in 1704 as Girya, which translates to kettlebell in English. Kettlebell exercises were later popularized in the late 1800s by a Russian physician named Vladislav Kraevsky, considered by many to be the countrys founding father of Olympic weight training. After spending roughly a decade traveling around the world researching exercise techniques, he opened one of Russias first weight training facilities where kettlebells and barbells were introduced as a core part of a comprehensive fitness routine. By the early 1900s, Olympic weightlifters in Russia were using kettlebells to shore up weaker areas, while soldiers used them to improve their conditioning in preparation in combat. But it wasnt until 1981 that the government finally threw its weight behind the trend and mandated kettlebell training for all citizens as a way to boost overall health and productivity.  In 1985, the Soviet Unions first national championship kettlebell games were held in Lipetsk, Russia. In the United States, it’s only as recent as the beginning of the century that kettlebell has caught on, particularly in the last few years. A-list celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Biel, Sylvester Stallone, and Vanessa Hudgens have been known to utilize kettlebell workouts to strengthen and tone. There’s even an all-kettlebell gym located in Ontario, Canada, called the IronCore Kettlebell club. Kettlebells vs. Barbells What distinguishes a kettlebell workout from training with barbells is an emphasis on a wider range of movement that involves several muscle groups. Whereas barbells are generally used to directly target isolated muscle groups, such as the biceps, the kettlebell’s weight is away from the hand, allowing for swinging moves and other full body exercises. Case in point, here’s a few kettlebell exercises aimed at cardiovascular and strength improvement: High Pull: Similar to a squat, the kettlebell is lifted from the floor and brought up toward the shoulder level with one hand while straightening out to a standing position and returning back to the floor. Alternating between both arms, this move hits the shoulders, arms, buttocks, and hamstrings.Lunge Press: Holding the kettlebell in front of the chest with both hands, lunge forward and lift the weight over your head. Alternating each leg, this allows you to target the shoulders, back, arms, abs, buttocks, and legs.  Russian Swing: Standing with knees slightly bent and feet apart, hold the kettlebell just below the groin with both hands and with both arms straight. Lowering and driving the hips back, thrust the hips forward and swing the weight forward up to shoulder level before letting the weight swing back down to the original position. This move targets the shoulders, back, hips, glutes, and legs.  Ã‚   Additionally, kettlebell exercises burn more calories than conventional weightlifting exercises, up 20 calories a minute, according to a study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). This is roughly the same amount of burn youd get from a rigorous cardio workout. Despite the benefits, the one drawback is that only select gyms carry them. So where can you go to find kettlebell equipment outside of obvious places like the IronCore gym? Fortunately, an increasing number of boutique gyms have them, along with kettlebell classes. Also, since theyre compact, portable and with many shops selling them for prices comparable to the cost of barbells, it might be worth it to just buy a set. Source Beltz, Nick M.S. ACE Sponsored Research Study: Kettlebells Kick Butt. Dustin Erbes, M.S., John P. Porcari, et al., American Council on Exercise, April 2013.

Analysis of selected passages from Othello by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Analysis of selected passages from Othello by William Shakespeare Essay Othello (345) , Iago (201) , Desdemona (196) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints When William Shakespeare made use of the stylist devices he thus tried to paint a multi-dimensional image of his perceptions that he extended in his characters till the limits of reality and belief. And to design variety in this frame of multi-dimensionality Shakespeare not only expressed through the words in the lines which the characters uttered rather the formation of the words and the lines also revealed certain patterns that could be decoded to detect even more subtle reasons and justification behind those expressions. Such flow and expertise of expressing the conceptions cannot be taught easily through the science of writing rather it required the unschooled instinctive ability like Shakespeare’s to play with the words with a unique skill of potency that can metamorphosed the words to survive as the animated version of Shakespeare’s intellect and vision even after being uttered by the characters in the play. In the following excerpts from the play ‘Othello’, there is a variety of Shakespeare’s usage of stylistic devices to arrange words in order to express the difference of thoughts, moods, intensions and beliefs of the protagonist (Othello) and also how the use of such words in a specific style cater in constructing the plot and developing the characters. Theres magic in the web of it. A sybil that had numbered in the world The sun to course two hundred compasses, In her prophetic fury sewed the work; the worms were hallowed that did break the silk, And it was dyed in mummy which the skillful Conserved the maidens hearts. These lines are from the IV scene of the Third Act of the play, and they are uttered on the grounds of misunderstanding that is set by Iago in the mind of Othello. If we observe closely these lines summarize the truth that Othello is ignorant about and the words reveal the irony that Othello has become a victim of. The use of the words like â€Å"magic† and â€Å"web† are justifiable elements of the speech of a contaminated brain and the word â€Å"magic† can be the symbol of Iago’s spell of poisoning Othello’s mind with suspicion and â€Å"web† can be the symbol for the perplexed state of Othello’s mind, which lost the ability to think and trust his own reasons. And the two hundred years old â€Å"sibyl† can be a metaphor for the evil master minded Iago, whose â€Å"prophetic fury† fabricated the whole chaos to take his revenge. The â€Å"silk† can be speculated as a metaphor for the love of Desdemona that came out of her â€Å"hallowed† trust and faith. And the word â€Å"dyed† can be taken as a pun (when analyzing these lines from symbolic references), as the faithful and sacred love of Desdemona ‘dyed’ or â€Å"died† within her â€Å"maiden heart†. The worth and value purposely exaggerated by Othello is a fine example of hyperbolic fantasies that Shakespeare is capable of designing. And thus the handkerchief becomes the symbol of the thin threaded relationship of Othello and Desdemona that was based on superficial beliefs and yet sought the possibility of sustenance of their love. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul, Let me no name it to you, you chaste stars It is the cause, Yet Ill not shed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster, The above mentioned lines are from the Act V Scene II and anaphoric beginning of this passage is Othello’s expression for his exalted emotional dichotomy of disbelief and love for Desdemona. The repetition of the phrase â€Å"it is the cause† are the words that come out of Othello’s weeping brain that has been so badly eclipsed by the poisoning suspicion injected by Iago that it had totally become impotent of thinking on its own. As these lines are uttered during the climax of the play thus it is quite typical of Shakespeare that he lends his protagonist with an ample energy to utter dramatic and highly emotional phrases which let them have catharsis. The desperate utterance of â€Å"my soul† by Othello shows that perhaps the only salvage left for his consolation is to confide in to his soul. Or â€Å"my soul† can also be taken as Othello’s address to Desdemona as it can be observed that Othello still loves her in these lines. And from the ironic aspect the first line also conveys the meaning that it is the â€Å"soul† of Othello that can be taken as the â€Å"cause† of the whole tragedy, because if Othello had really loved Desdemona from his soul he would have had a complete trust in her love and honesty but since he believed more what he listened to and less what was known to him thus he became the victim of suspicion that proved fatal for him and his love. In the proceeding line the address to the â€Å"stars† is made by Othello to mock at Desdemona’s infidelity. â€Å"Stars† have been used as a metaphor for their heavenly status for chastity. It can also be a reference to the Greek tradition of naming the stars by the names of their gods and goddesses. Thus as Othello has completely lost his trust in his wife thus he consider her reference to be an insult for the stars. These lines depict the imbalance of Othello’s power to reason and think and express in coherence with his flow of emotions. In the later lines he reveals his intension to kill Desdemona, but unlike his valiance as a general, he prefers to strangle her because her physical beauty still absorbs his feelings in love and compassion for her. And being a black man himself he admired her fair skin and he refers to her with two different categories of symbols. The use of â€Å"snow† as a simile conveys the softness and coldness of her fair physique which Othello never wanted to distort by killing with a weapon and the metaphor of â€Å"monumental alabaster† can be referred to the stiff and lifeless beauty of Desdemona that laid with no worth for Othello anymore. I have seen the day That with this little arm and this good sword I have made my way through more impediments Than twenty times your stop. But O vain boast! Who can control his fate? Tis not so now. Be not afraid, though you do see me weaponed. Here is my journeys end, here is my butt, And very seamark of my utmost sail. These lines are uttered in the Act V Scene II which is almost the resolution of the play and it is one of Shakespeare’s special characteristics that his tragic heroes lose the intensity and the energy of their rhetoric in the last scenes of the play. It is because of the reason that Shakespeare develops his tragic heroes to attain the status of being larger than life and thus speech loses its value when the characters become paranormal. In the above lines the most important aspect that one can notice is the tone of submission and retreat which is conveyed by the choice and arrangement of words like â€Å"little arm† â€Å"But O vain Boast!† and â€Å"Who can control this fate?† by Othello who was a valiant and unbeatable general but in these lines appears to be the defeated and subjugated one in the hands of fate. These lines though do not consist of any special rhyme scheme that would help in bringing an effective poetic impact whilst delivering these lines on the stage but the second line does show some signs of alliteration as the words â€Å"made my way through more impediments† as well as in the third line where the words â€Å"twenty times† are stressed and can be delivered with some high pitched voice by the character. But after these lines the tone changes as the desperation and despondency appear in the words. The last three lines are symbolically referred by Othello to his death. And despite he is â€Å"weaponed† yet he is incapable to fight as he desires death due to his lamenting guilt and in vain repentance. In the last line the use of the metaphor â€Å"seamark† is an appropriate expression for Othello’s choice of vocabulary as it adequately represents his experiences and knowledge as a sailor and warrior. Analysis of selected passages from Othello by William Shakespeare. (2017, Jan 13). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Political Economy of Race, Class and Gender Thesis paper abstract Annotated Bibliography

Political Economy of Race, Class and Gender Thesis paper abstract - Annotated Bibliography Example This paper offers more insight into the mechanisms underlying the persistence of racial inequality in the labor market. This paper utilizes a data set of the structural features of Chicago in assessing the influence of three segregation configurations on the racial wage inequality in Chicago. The demographic, educational and employment features of Chicago City are drawn from the 1980 and 1990 decennial censuses, in addition to data from archives, published reports, and newspapers. The research findings indicate that residential segregation; in conjunction with minority concentration and immigration fully explain the wage gap between whites and blacks. These findings underscore the impact of residential segregation on the racial wage gaps between blacks and whites in the labor market. Blacks in high class do not evade the problems of residential segregation as their children attend same schools, have equal opportunities, and enjoy same dilapidated social amenities as low class blacks. The paper discusses the implications of residential segregation on the low wages of blacks. These results suggest that racial segregation continues to be a significant aspect for stratification in the American

China Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China - Coursework Example 183). When Mao came into power, his main goals focused on the improvement of social conditions in China. Hence, he initiated â€Å"land reform, the collectivization of agriculture, and the spread of medical services† (â€Å"Three Chinese,† n.d.). However, Mao’s restrictive leadership, caused by his strong desire for equality and fears of capitalist resurgence, prevented the modernization of China and led to the Cultural Revolution (Jackson, 2004). The revolution sought to limit the intellectualization in the country and to advance its agriculture. Unfortunately, it failed to bring development to China and seriously damaged the nation’s progress (Jackson, 2004). Mao’s conservative politics meant that China had to remain isolated from international trade. Despite his ideal visions for the country, its economic system remained insufficient and the problem was brought into greater attention in the 1960s (Lin, Cai, & Li, 2003, p. 137). However, it was only in 1978 that significant changes were made, out of the Chinese’ awareness that they are getting left behind by other industrialized nations. Also, leaders realized that China needs to change its traditional agricultural economy into a modern and industrial one in order to achieve progress (Lin, Cai, & Li, 2003, pp. 137-138). The collapsing economy and the more impoverished citizenry all led to the strengthening of economic reforms. Currently, the trade relations between China and the U.S. is prosperous—about 75% of U.S. imports are from China, making it the country’s 4th largest partner (Griswold, 2002). However, the U.S. is exercising utmost caution in their political relations since China is becoming a major threat economically and politically (Dumbaugh, 2006). It has become more assertive in international policymaking (a sign of its greater power) and it

My Best Vacation Essay Example for Free

My Best Vacation Essay Dear all, Today, I would like to tell you about my best vacation. A few summers ago, my sister, her  colleagues and me took a vacation to Nha Trang for  5 days. As you know, vacation was special days! We visitted many well-known places such as: Vinpeal Land, Hon Tam Island, Diamond Bay, Thap Ba Pagoda, and so on. On the way riding in the cable car  to go to Vinpeal Land,  we saw  several jelly fish in the very blue water. It  is the first time I have ever seen an  extremely  beautiful view like that,  so I  felt very  interested and relaxed. We stayed there all day to play games,  visit the aquarium, take photographs, We spent another day  diving into the sea to view the colorful coral. At the moment I  felt  anxious  because I couldnt swim, but when I saw the coral, its beauty made me fogot all thing. In the next day, I  took a boat for some where that I dont know to eat seafood such as: fish, cuttle fish,  shrimp, The food  was so fresh and delicious. At night, we rent bicycle to ride along the seacoast. It was so romantic journey. After we utterly exhausted, we droped in shift  shop where we ate lobster, grilled meat roll and drank sugar-cane juice The last day before came back home, we went to the market to buy  speacialities and souvenirs for our family and fiends. Although  I got sick after the vacation but I felt so happy from my heart. I love my vacation so much. Thank you for reading.

Public Schools Need Harsher Punishment for Delinquents Essay -- essays

Public Schools Need Harsher Punishment for Delinquents It is a shame what our school has become. When I was young I never had a fear of school. I was never afraid of my classmates and to be honest, I loved school. I know things were different when I was in elementary but can things change that much over six years? I see kids in the elementary fight all the time with other students and I see first graders uptown smoking. I am honestly amazed. How can a school system deteriorate so fast? Is it the caliber of the students that we have? It seems that children today have a broader knowledge of things than I did back then. Some third graders know more words of profanity than I did as a freshman. First graders getting suspended! This is outrageous. Is not school supposed to be a place where the kids feel safe to learn and play. hat can be done? Stricter rules, new faculty, new administration? Is that the real problem? I think not. The rules are basically the same, there are good teachers here and the administration is the same. I think the problem begins with the teachers. If the teacher feels secure in his/her job and know the administration will back their action, then he/she will be more likely to enforce the rules. It seems that the problem children get away with a lot. Is it the teacher does not want to go through the trouble of filling out paperwork, or could it be that they are tired of fighting with angry par...

Coyote Blue Chapter 28~29

CHAPTER 28 Hope Is Bulletproof, Truth Just Hard to Hit As Minty Fresh drove back to Las Vegas he thought about what Sam had said: â€Å"You have a mother, don't you?† And the question set Minty Fresh to thinking about a phone call from his mother that had changed his life. â€Å"You're the only one left can do something, baby. The others are too far or too far gone. Please come home, baby, I need you.† (Even when he had to duck to pass through her front door she still called him â€Å"baby.†) That tone: he'd heard it in her voice before, when she was tugging at her husband to get him to stop strapping her youngest. But he hadn't gone back for her, had he? It was a call deep with duty and silent pride that brought him home. He went back for Nathan. Nathan Fresh had never been home when any of his nine children were born. He was a sailor, and as far as he knew, when you came home from sea a new child would be waiting for you. The others grew an inch or two at a time, and the shoes that one was wearing when you left would be on the next one down when you got home. He loved his children, foreign creatures that they were, and trusted his wife to raise them – as long as they could line up, snap to, and pass inspection when he came home. And although he was gone most of the time, making the high seas safe for democracy, he was a presence in the house: photographs in crisp dress whites and blues stared down from the walls; commendations and medals; a letter once a week, read out loud at the supper table; and a thousand warnings of what Papa would do to a doomed misbehaver when he got home. To the Fresh children, Papa was only a little bit more real than Santa Claus, and only a bit more conspicuous. On the ship, Chief Petty Officer Nathan Fresh was known only as the Chief: feared and respected, tough and fair, starched, razor creased, and polished, always in trim and intolerant of anyone who wasn't. The Chief: did you notice that he was black? only five foot five? barely 130 pounds? No, but did you see his eyes, like smiles, when he was showing the pictures of his kids – when he was telling tales of lobbing shells the size of refrigerators into the hills of Korea? Did you ever mention retirement to him? That's a frost, that's a chill. Minty Fresh, the youngest of nine, the one born with golden eyes, knew the chill. â€Å"He's not mine,† Papa said – said it only once. Minty stayed out of Papa's way when he could, wore dark glasses when he couldn't. At age ten he stood six feet tall and no amount of slouching would roll Papa's resentment off his back. His place in the family was a single line at the bottom of a letter – â€Å"Baby's fine too† – far enough from â€Å"Love, Momma† to deny the association. At night, by flashlight, he wrote his own letters: â€Å"My team is going to the state championships. I was voted all-conference. The press calls me M. F. Cool, because I wear tinted goggles when I play, and sunglasses during interviews. The colleges are calling already and sending recruiters to the games. You'd be proud. Momma swears you're wrong.† In the bathroom he watched the letters go, in tiny pieces, around the bowl, down, and out to sea. Minty Fresh left for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas the week after high school graduation, the same week that Nathan Fresh took his mandatory retirement from the navy and came home, to San Diego, for good. The coach at UNLV wanted Minty to lift weights all summer, beef up for the big boys. The coach gave Momma Fresh a new washer and dryer. Nathan Fresh put them out on the porch. The day before the first game, when UNLV was going to unleash its secret weapon on the unsuspecting NCAA – a seven-foot center with a three-foot vertical leap who could bench-press four hundred pounds and shoot ninety percent from the free-throw line – M. F. Cool got the call. â€Å"I'm on my way, Momma,† he said. â€Å"My father needs me,† he said to the coach. â€Å"When we brought you up from nothing, gave you a full scholarship, put up with the goggles and the shades and the silly name? Gave your mother a washer and dryer? No. You won't miss the season opener. You're mine.† â€Å"How touching,† Minty said. â€Å"No one has ever said that to me before.† Perhaps, he thought later, stuffing the coach in that locker had been a mistake, but at the time a few hours in seclusion, among socks and jocks, seemed just what the coach needed to gain some perspective. He broke the key off in the padlock, tore the M. F. Cool label off the locker, and went home. â€Å"He's been gone four days now,† Momma said. â€Å"He drinks and gambles, hangs out at the pool hall 'til all hours. But he always came home before. Since he retired, he's changed. I don't know him.† â€Å"Neither do I.† â€Å"Bring him home, baby.† Minty took a cab to the waterfront and ducked in and out of a dozen bars and pool halls before he realized that Nathan would go anywhere but the waterfront. There were sailors there, reminders. After two days of searching he found Nathan, barely able to stand, shooting pool with a fat Mexican in a cantina outside of Tijuana. â€Å"Chief, let's go. Momma's waiting.† â€Å"I ain't no chief. Go away. I got a game going.† Minty put his hand on his father's shoulder, cringing at the smell of tequila and vomit coming off him. â€Å"Papa, she's worried.† The fat Mexican moved around the table to where Minty stood and pushed him away with a cue stick. â€Å"My friend, this one goes nowhere until we get what he owes us.† Two other Mexicans moved off their barstools. â€Å"Now you go.† He poked Minty in the chest with the cue stick and Nathan Fresh wheeled on him and bellowed in finest chief petty officer form. â€Å"Don't you touch my son, you fucking greaseball.† The Mexican's cue caught Nathan on the bridge of the nose and Nathan went down, limp. Minty palmed the Mexican's head and slammed his face into the pool table, then turned in time to catch each of the two coming off the bar with a fist in the throat. Another with a knife went airborne into a Corona mirror, which broke louder than his neck. Two more went down, one with a skull fractured by a billiard ball; one, his shoulder wrenched from its socket, went into shock. There were seven in all, broken or unconscious, before the cantina cleared and Minty, dripping blood from a cut on his arm, carried his father out. Momma met them at the hospital and stood with Minty as Nathan came around. â€Å"What are you doing here, you yellow-eyed freak?† Minty walked out of the room. Momma followed. â€Å"He don't mean it, baby. He really don't.† â€Å"I know, Momma.† â€Å"Where you going?† â€Å"Back to Vegas.† â€Å"You call when he sobers up. He'll want to talk to you.† â€Å"Call me if you need me, Momma,† he said. He kissed her on the forehead and walked out. She called him every week, and he could tell by her whisper that Nathan was home, was fine. It made him fine too – not M. F. Cool, just M.F., the one who handled things. All that was missing was the feeling of being needed, essential, bound to duty. Sam had said, â€Å"You have a mother, don't you?† Minty steered the limo off the next exit, across the overpass, and back on the highway, headed back to King's Lake. -=*=- It had taken Steve, the Buddhist monk, only a half hour to put the car back together. When Sam tried to figure out a way to pay for the repairs, Steve said, â€Å"All misery comes from desire and connection to the material. Go.† Sam said thanks. Now he was driving the Z into Utah. Calliope was asleep on Coyote's lap. Coyote snored. Sam passed the time trying to figure out how long it would take to get to Sturgis, South Dakota, the location of the rally that the Guild was going to. About twenty hours, he thought, if the car held together. From time to time he looked over at Calliope and felt a twinge of jealousy toward Coyote. She looked like a child when she slept. He wanted to protect her, hold her. But it was that childlike quality that frightened him as well. Her ability to dismiss facts, deny the negative, to see things so clearly, but so clearly wrong. It was as if she refused to accept what any reasonable adult knew: the world was a dangerous, hostile place. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face before looking back to the road. She murmured, and came awake with a yawn. â€Å"I was dreaming about sea turtles – that they were really dinosaur angels.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"That's all. It was a dream.† Sam had been thinking about it too long, so there was anger in his voice when he asked her, â€Å"Why didn't you call me before you went after Lonnie?† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I was worried. If it weren't for Coyote, I would have never found you.† â€Å"Are you two related?† She seemed to be ignoring his anger. â€Å"You look a lot alike. He has the same eyes and skin.† â€Å"No, I just know him.† Sam didn't want to explain, he wanted an answer. â€Å"Why didn't you call me?† Calliope recoiled at his harshness. â€Å"I had to go get Grubb.† â€Å"I could have gone with you.† â€Å"Would you have? Is that what you wanted?† â€Å"I'm here, aren't I? It would have been a hell of a lot easier if I didn't have to chase you across two states.† â€Å"And maybe you wouldn't have done it if it was a hell of a lot easier. Would you?† The question, and her tone, threw him. He thought for a minute, looking at the road. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I know,† she said softly. â€Å"I don't know much, but I know about that. You're not the only man that ever wanted me or wanted to rescue me. They all do, Sam. Men are addicted to the wanting. You like the idea of having me, and the idea of rescuing me. That's what attracted you to me in the first place, remember.† â€Å"That's not true.† â€Å"It is true. That's why I had sex with you so soon.† â€Å"I don't get it.† This was not at all how Sam had expected her to react. His brief moment of self-righteousness had degraded into self-doubt. â€Å"I did it to see if you could get past the fantasy of wanting me and rescuing me, to the reality of me. Me, with a baby, and no education, and a lousy job. Me, with no idea what I'm going to do next. I can't stand the wanting coming at me all the time. I have to get past it, like I did with you, or ignore it.† â€Å"So you were testing me?† Sam said. â€Å"That's why you took off without telling me?† â€Å"No, it wasn't a test. I liked you, but I have Grubb to take care of now. I can't afford to hope.† She was starting to tear up. Sam felt as if he'd just been caught stomping a litter of kittens. She took Grubb's blanket from behind the seat and wiped her eyes. â€Å"You okay?† Sam asked. She nodded. â€Å"Sometimes I want to be touched and I pretend that I'm in love – and that someone loves me. I just take my moments and forget about hope. You were going to be a moment, Sam. But I started to have hope. If I'd called you and you had said no, then I would have lost my hope again.† â€Å"That's not how I am,† Sam said. â€Å"How are you, then?† Sam drove in silence for a while, trying to think of something to say – the right thing to say. But that wasn't the answer either. He always knew the right thing to say to get what he wanted, or had until Coyote showed up. But now, he didn't know what he wanted. Calliope had declared wanting a mortal sin. Talking to a woman, to anyone, without having an agenda was completely foreign to him. Where was he supposed to speak from? What point of view? Who was he supposed to be? He was afraid to look at her, felt heat rise in his face when he thought about her looking at him, waiting. Maybe the truth? Where do you go to find the truth? She had found it, let it go at him. She had laid her hope in his hands and she was waiting to see what he would do with it. Finally he said, â€Å"I'm a full-blooded Crow Indian. I was raised on a reservation in Montana. When I was fifteen I killed a man and I ran away and I've spent my life pretending to be someone I'm not. I've never been married and I've never been in love and that's not something I know how to pretend. I'm not even sure why I'm here, except that you woke something up in me and it seemed to make sense to run after something instead of away for a change. If that's the horrible act of wanting, then so be it. And by the way, you are sitting on the lap of an ancient Indian god.† Now he looked at her. He was a little out of breath and his mind was racing, but he felt incredibly relieved. He felt like he needed a cigarette and a towel – and maybe a shower and breakfast. Calliope looked from Sam to Coyote, and then to Sam again. Her eyes were wider each time she looked back. Coyote stopped his snoring and languidly opened one eye. â€Å"Hi,† he said. He closed his eye and resumed snoring. Calliope bent over and kissed Sam's cheek. â€Å"I think that went well, don't you?† Sam laughed and grabbed her knee. â€Å"Look, we've still got twenty hours on the road and I'm going to need you to drive. So get some sleep, okay? I don't trust him at the wheel.† Sam nodded toward Coyote. â€Å"But he's a god,† Calliope said. â€Å"‘As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods;/They kill us for their sport. â€Å" â€Å"What an icky thing to say.† â€Å"Sorry. Shakespeare wrote it. I can't get it out of my mind this week. It's like an old song that gets stuck.† â€Å"That happened to me once with ‘Rocky Raccoon. â€Å" â€Å"Right,† Sam said. â€Å"It's exactly like that.† CHAPTER 29 Shifting Sam drove through the day and into the night and finally stopped at a truck stop outside of Salt Lake City. Calliope and Coyote had been awake for the last few hours, but neither had spoken very much. Calliope seemed embarrassed about talking to the trickster, now that she knew he was a god, and Coyote just stared out the window, either lost in his own thoughts or (Sam thought this more likely) absorbed in some new scheme to throw people's lives into chaos. From time to time someone would break the silence by saying, â€Å"Pretty rock† – a statement which covered the complete observational spectrum for Utah's landscape – then they would lapse into silence for a half hour or so. Sam led them into the truck stop and they all took stools at a carousel counter among truckers and a couple of grungy hitchhikers who were hoping to cadge a ride. A barrel-shaped woman in an orange polyester uniform approached and poured them coffee without asking if they wanted it. Her name tag read, Arlene. â€Å"You want something to eat, honey?† she asked Calliope with an accent warm with Southern hospitality. Sam wondered about this: no matter where you go, truck-stop waitresses have a Southern accent. â€Å"Do you have oatmeal?† Calliope asked. â€Å"How 'bout a little brown sugar on that?† Arlene asked. She looked over rhinestone-framed reading glasses. Calliope smiled. â€Å"That would be nice.† â€Å"How 'bout you, darlin'?† she said to Coyote. â€Å"Drinks. Umbrellas and swords.† â€Å"Now you know better'n that – come into Mormon country and order drinks.† She shamed him with a wave of her finger. Coyote turned to Sam. â€Å"Mormon country?† â€Å"They settled in this area. They believe that Jesus visited the Indian people after he rose from the dead.† â€Å"Oh him. I remember him. Hairy face, made a big deal about dying and coming back to life – one time. Ha. He was funny. He tried to teach me how to walk on water. I can do it pretty good in the wintertime.† Arlene giggled girlishly. â€Å"I don't think you need any more to drink, hon. How 'bout some ham and eggs?† Sam said, â€Å"That'll be fine, two of those, over easy.† Sam watched Arlene move around the counter, flirting with some of the truckers like a saloon girl, clucking over others like a mother hen. She snuck a cinnamon roll to a scruffy teenage hitchhiker with no money and asked after him like an older sister, then moved across the counter and found the kid a ride with a gruff cowboy trucker. One minute she was swearing like a sailor, the next she was blushing like a virgin, and all the customers who sat at her counter got what they needed. Sam realized that he was watching a shape-shifter: a kind and giving creature. Perhaps he was meant to notice. Perhaps that was what he needed. She was good. Maybe he was too. He turned to Calliope and caught her in the middle of losing a bite of oatmeal down her chin. â€Å"We can do this,† he said. â€Å"We'll get him back.† â€Å"I know,† she said. â€Å"You do?† She nodded, wiping oatmeal off her chin with a napkin. â€Å"That's the scary thing about hope,† she said. â€Å"If you let it go too long it turns into faith.† She scooped another bite of cereal. Sam smiled. He wished that he shared her confidence. â€Å"Did you ever go to South Dakota with Lonnie? Will we be able to find them?† â€Å"I went to the big summer rally, not this time of year. They don't camp with the other bikers. They rent land from a farmer in the hills. All the Guild chapters stay together there.† â€Å"Could you find it again?† â€Å"I think so. But there's only one dirt road leading in there. How will we get Grubb out?† â€Å"Well, I guess just walking in and asking for him isn't going to work.† â€Å"They usually have guns. They get drunk and play shooting games.† Coyote said, â€Å"Wait for them to go to sleep, then sneak in and count coup.† â€Å"They don't really sleep,† Calliope said. â€Å"They do crank and drink all weekend.† â€Å"Then we will have to trick them.† â€Å"I was afraid you'd say that,† Sam said. He spun on his stool and looked out the windows of the truck stop to the gas pumps, where a black stretch Lincoln was just pulling away. -=*=- Sam woke up in the passenger seat. The Z was parked sideways on the side of the road, the headlights trained over a pasture. The driver's seat was empty. Coyote, who was curled up in the tiny space behind the seat, growled and popped his head out between the seat. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"I don't know.† Sam looked around for Calliope. It was raining out. â€Å"Maybe she stopped to take a leak.† â€Å"There she is.† Coyote pointed to a spot by the barbed-wire fence where Calliope was standing by a young calf, working furiously on something at the fence. A mother cow stood by watching. â€Å"The calf's tail is stuck on the barbed wire,† Coyote said. Sam opened the car door and stepped out into the rain just as Calliope finished untangling the calf, which scampered to its mother. â€Å"It's okay,† she called. â€Å"I got him.† She waved for him to get back into the car. She ran to the car and got in. â€Å"Sorry, I had to stop. He looked so sad.† â€Å"It's okay. Pasture pals, right?† Sam said. She grinned as she started the car. â€Å"I thought we could use the karma balance.† Sam looked for a road sign. â€Å"Where are we?† â€Å"Almost there. We have to get going. There's been a car behind us for a while. I got way ahead of it, but I felt like it was following us.† She pulled onto the road, ramming through the gears like a grand prix driver. Sam was peeking at the speedometer when he saw a colored light blow by in the corner of his eye. â€Å"What was that?† â€Å"The only stoplight in Sturgis,† Calliope said. â€Å"I'm sorry, guys, it sort of snuck up on me. The Z goes better than it stops.† â€Å"We're here already?† Sam said. â€Å"But it's still dark out.† â€Å"It's a few more miles to the farm,† Calliope said. â€Å"Sam, if a cop saw me go through that light can you take the wheel? My license is suspended.† Sam checked his watch, amazed at their progress. â€Å"You must have averaged ninety the whole way.† â€Å"I had to go to jail the last time they caught me. Three months. They taught me to do nails for vocational training.† â€Å"You did three months for a traffic violation?† â€Å"There were a few of them,† Calliope said. â€Å"It wasn't bad; I got a degree. I'm a certified nail technician now. In jail it was mostly LOVE/HATE nails, but I was good at it. I would have had a career except the polish fumes give me a headache.† Coyote pulled Grubb's blanket out of the hole in the back window and looked through. â€Å"It's clear. There's a car behind us but it's not a cop.† The sleeping town was only a block long – a stoplight with accessories. Calliope drove them through town and turned south on a county road that wound into the Black Hills. â€Å"It's a couple of minutes up this road to the turnoff, then about a mile in on a dirt road.† Sam said, â€Å"Turn off the lights when you make the turn. We'll drive halfway in and walk the rest of the way.† Calliope made the turn onto a single-lane dirt road that led through a thick stand of lodgepole pines. The road was deeply rutted, the ruts filled with water. The Z bucked and bottomed out in several places. â€Å"Keep it moving steady,† Sam said. â€Å"Don't hit the gas or the wheels will dig into the mud. Christ, it's dark.† â€Å"It's the trees,† Calliope said. â€Å"There's a clearing ahead where they camp.† Sam was trying to peer into the darkness. To his right he thought he saw something. â€Å"Stop.† Calliope let the Z roll to a stop. â€Å"Okay,† Sam said. â€Å"Hit the parking lights, just for a second.† Calliope clicked the parking lights on and off. â€Å"That's what I thought,† Sam said. â€Å"There's a cattle gate back there to the right. Back the Z in there so we can turn it around.† â€Å"Giving up?† Coyote said. â€Å"If we have to get out of here fast I don't want to have to back down this road.† He got out of the car and directed Calliope as she backed the Z in and turned it off. â€Å"We walk from here.† They got out of the car and started down the road, stepping between the puddles. The air was damp and cold, and smelled faintly of wood smoke and pine. When the moonlight broke through the trees they could see their breath. Calliope said, â€Å"Wait.† She turned and ran back to the car, then returned in a moment with Grubb's blanket in hand. â€Å"He'll want his wubby.† Sam smiled in spite of himself, knowing the girl couldn't see his face in the dark. Never face heavily armed bikers without your wubby. Coyote and Cottontail It's an old story. Coyote and his friend Cottontail were hiding on a wooded hill above a camp, watching some girls dance around the fire. Coyote said, â€Å"I'd sure like to get close to some of them.† â€Å"You won't get near them,† Cottontail said. â€Å"They know who you are.† â€Å"Maybe not, little one. Maybe not,† Coyote said. â€Å"I'll go down there in disguise.† â€Å"They won't let any man get close to them,† Cottontail said. â€Å"I won't be a man,† Coyote said. â€Å"Here, hold this.† Coyote took off his penis and handed it to Cottontail. â€Å"Now, when I come back into the woods I will call to you and you can bring me my penis.† Then Coyote changed into an old woman and went down to the camp. He danced with the girls and pinched them and slapped their bottoms. â€Å"Oh, Grandmother,† the girls said, â€Å"you are wicked. You must be that old trickster Coyote.† â€Å"I'm just an old woman,† Coyote said. â€Å"Here, feel under my dress.† One of the girls felt under Coyote's dress and said, â€Å"She is just an old woman.† Coyote pointed to two of the prettiest girls. â€Å"Let's dance in the trees,† he said. He danced with the girls into the woods and tickled them and made them roll around with him laughing. He touched them under their dresses until they said, â€Å"Oh, Grandmother, you are wicked.† â€Å"Cottontail, come here!† Coyote called. But there was no answer. â€Å"Wait here for your old grandmother to return,† Coyote told the girls. He ran all over the woods calling for Cottontail, but could not find him. He went over that hill to the next one and still no Cottontail. He was excited and wanted very much to have sex with the girls, but alas, he could not find his penis. Finally the sun started coming up and the girls called, â€Å"Old Grandmother, we can't wait for you any longer. We have to go home.† Coyote stalked the hills cursing. â€Å"That Cottontail, I will kill him for stealing my penis.† As he walked he passed three other girls coming out of the woods. They were giggling and one of them was saying, â€Å"He was so little, but he had such a big thing I thought I would split.† Coyote ran in the direction the girls had come from and found Cottontail sitting under a tree having a smoke â€Å"I'll kill you, you little thief,† Coyote cried. â€Å"But Coyote, I pleasured the three many times and four times I made each of them cry out.† Coyote was too tired from tickling and dancing all night to stay mad. â€Å"Really, four times each?† â€Å"Yep,† Cottontail said, handing Coyote his member. â€Å"I feel like I was there,† Coyote said. â€Å"You got a smoke?† â€Å"Sure,† said Cottontail. â€Å"Are you going to need your penis tonight?† Coyote laughed and smoked with Cottontail while his little friend told the story of his long night of pleasuring.

Life In The U.S

It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary Influence both of my parents are to my life. As well as me, they were both born in Mexico. I come from a family that takes risks in order to achieve something in life. ThatS exactly what they did once my mother Maria gave birth tome in Mexico. It only took a short amount of time to realize they didn't want me or my sibling to go through everything they went through when they were younger. They changed their whole lives around just for their family. Knowing they had to go through a lot to get where they are right now.I admire the person they have become and they influence me because I want to be able to achieve my goals and become someone in life Just for them. My name is Deyanira Cerriteno. I was born in September 13, 1995. This is my last year attending at Benson Polytechnic High School. At the age of 4 months until four years old I lived with my Grandparents ; my Aunts and uncles when my mom came here to the united States. Let me tell you a little something about my mother Maria. She was born in Michoac?n, Mexico. She was a mommy's girl and not so much of a daddy's girl.She had eight brothers and sisters. She Is the 4th oldest out of all and she was one of the most caring ones. She would always take care of her younger siblings. She would talk about boys Just like any other teenager in the world. But just like any other family, her family had struggles. They had financial struggles. At one point they were a moderate family but everything went down the hill. They couldn't keep up with all of their children's school pays, house rent, water payment, food to feed the whole family, and money for necessary things like clothes, etc†¦ en she knew she was pregnant of me that's when she realized she didn't want me to go through the struggles that they were going through. They wanted me to have a good life and actually be someone in life so that their grandsons/daughters would not go through the struggles a s well. Her and my father were closer than they were before and they both took the decision to immigrate here to the Unites States. Unlike my father, my mother was scared to get caught by immigration and get sent back to Mexico. They had to go through the dessert where they found scorpions, and cactus.Not the safest environment. It's awesome to know they did it for me. My father Enrique on the other hand was born in M ©xico as well. My father had 5 brothers and sisters. Both of his parents got separated and went their own way. But his father was an alcoholic and only decided to take both of the oldest kids that were working at the time. After his father left his mother with the other 4 kids, everything got worse. My dad felt useless and felt Ilke his dad never felt love for him. Not long after my grandfather left, my grandmother got sick and that's when she as diagnosed with cancer.My dad didn't know what to do. They were all alone. No one had a Job. My grandmother wasn't able to take care of her kids because she was weak most of the time. My father being the oldest that was left was going out in the streets and begging for money, looking out for any jobs that were available. He was only 8 years old. He left school and supported his mother because she couldnt do 1 OF2 tne same tnlngs sne usea to. He naa turned Into tne Tatner Tlgure Tor nls Drotners and sisters. He found a Job and was able to feed 5 mouths and his own.People round didn't like my grandmother because they thought she was the reason why her husband left but in reality, it was all of my grandfather's fault. he was the one that was never there to help my grandfather with all I've the kids, he wasn't being responsible . I know I don't have the right to Judge anyone. My parents taught me better. Behind everything there is always a reason. My parents did something illegal. But they took the risk to cross the border and also risks their lives Just so that me and my future siblings could have a better life then they did.I understand what they went hrough. I honestly appreciate their hard work. That's why, in my future as a nurse I am going to help out the ill and also make my parents proud of me because that's why they came here in the first place. I am not ashamed to tell people I once came from a place where we had no house or were poor and hardly had money to feed ourselves. That's where everyone begin. They begin from the bottom and take their selves up high. Both of my my parents were the strong ones and came from a family were they take risks and l, once again , am the person I am. Thanks to them.

Obdurodon - Facts and Figures

Obdurodon - Facts and Figures Name: Obdurodon (Greek for tough tooth); pronounced ob-DOOR-oh-don Habitat: Swamps of Australia and South America Historical Epoch: Miocene (23-5 million years ago) Size and Weight: About one foot long and a few pounds Diet: Insects and crustaceans Distinguishing Features: Broad, flat bill studded with teeth About Obdurodon The prehistoric platypus Obdurodon used to count as one of the exceptions to the rule that every modern creature had a plus-sized ancestor lurking millions of years back in its family tree: this monotreme (mammalian egg layer) was about the same size as its modern playtpus relatives, but its bill was comparably broad and flat and (heres the main difference) studded with teeth, which adult platypuses lack. Judging by this dental equipment, paleontologists believe Obdurodon made its living by digging with its bill into the soft silt near lakes and rivers and eating whatever crawly things lay exposed (such as insects, crustaceans and the occasional small fish). As ancient as it was, Obdurodon wasnt the first platypus ancestor to appear on the prehistoric scene; there were also the early Cretaceous Teinolophos and Steropodon. We say used to in the paragraph above because a new discovery has placed Obdurodon squarely in the megafauna mammal category: a three-foot-long species (diagnosed on the basis of a single tooth) that was recently discovered Down Under, in sediments dating from 15 million years ago. Besides its size, Obdurodon tharalkooschild was distinguished by its highly developed teeth, which it used to crush crawfish, crustaceans, small vertebrates including birds and lizards, and possibly even the occasional turtle!

Benefits Of Customer Relationship Management Essay

Benefits Of Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example Studies show that CRM was developed because consumer differed in their spending habits and preferences. If all consumers were alike, there would be less need for CRM. Consequently, understanding customer profitability and drivers can enable customers to better customize their offerings to optimize the general value of their client portfolio (Kaufmann, 2013). The attention that organizations are currently giving CRM is because today’s marketing environment is highly concentrated and more competitive. CRM is an enterprise-oriented concept covering all sections of a business (Baran and Galka, 2013). In addition, besides customer service, CRM would also encompass manufacturing, assembling, purchasing, product testing, sales and engineering, human resource, and marketing. CRM is a complex concept that mines customer information, which has been retrieved from all customer touch points, which then creates and supports the organizations to have a comprehensive perspective of the custo mer (Kaufmann, 2013). The result is that organizations can identify and determine the right category of customers and forecast the trend of their future purchases. CRM is also an all-embracing concept that smoothly incorporates field support operations, customer service, sales, and other processes that concern customers. CRM is a concept touching on how companies can retain their most profitable clients and simultaneously lower costs and increase values of engagement that then increases profitability (Baran and Galka, 2013).  

Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Television - Essay Example ITV is an umbrella phrase that covers the convergence of digital media with television technologies. The phrases enhanced television (eTV) and interactive television (iTV) are employed interchangeably. This paper will use the phrase interactive television, or iTV. Notwithstanding the technological advancement witnessed in bandwidth capabilities and the growing accessibility of digital technologies, progress towards extensive acceptance of iTV programming in many countries remains slow (Bolter & Grusin, 2006). According to O’Driscoll, (2008), television is gradually shifting from a passive, broadcast, entertainment, linear viewing experience. It is growing towards becoming a demand driven, infotainment, non- linear, participatory, advertising focused, broadband, two-way communication platform. Television viewers are becoming familiarized with the active (lean forward) model of viewing as an alternative to the conventional passive (lean back) model. The viewers are also developing the practice of processing added information simultaneously through the use of mobile devices or computers while they watch television. Television viewers are beginning to achieve as well as demand increased control over television viewing experiences. Figure 1 presents an overview of the shifting models as television viewers’ move from conventional to interactive television. According to Swann, (2009), enthusiasm in the industry has expanded and diminished with each market test and scientific advancement in the last decade. The Census Bureau in the U.S noted in 2001, that 98.2% of all households in the U.S had at least one television set. The bureau also noted that the average number of television sets per household as 2.4. The A.C. Nielsen Company noted that average Americans watch approximately four hours of television per day. In 2004, the projections revealed that average adults would watch an approximate seventy days or 1,669 hours of television.