”Bon Voyage, Mr President” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Essay

Bon Voyage, Mr President is a short story written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This is a tale of a South American President in exile. Nearing the end of his days, we are given an insight into the life of a man with injured pride, reminiscing the days that went by and so fast, where the President had lost everything he had worked for and knew. Quotes Bon Voyage, Mr. President ‘Resting on the silver handle of his cane’ This quotation emphasises the Presidents elegance and importance. His importance is enforced by the fact he carries a cane and not a common walking stick. A cane being the common tool of intimidation used by the military and by those who feel they are superior to the average civilian. The silver handle on the cane illustrates his elegance. He had style, elegance and capital, as well as authority, his overall effect being a man of status. ‘He was one more incognito in the city of illustrious incognitos’ This quotation is a contradiction. Incognito means in disguise, while illustrious means to stand out. This paradox sums up the President; he wants to not be noticed, but still wants fame. So while wearing clothes everyone else was wearing, something would make him stand out. He wants fame and power, but not for being the President in exile. ‘Only the weariness of his skin betrayed the state of his health’ Where the president dressed stylishly, with fine clothes, and his hair did not give away hints of age, with strands of grey hair, his skin was haggard and wrinkled that of an old man. The quotation shows that the president looked young and acted young, and if it were not for his skin he could have passed for a younger man. ‘On his first visit to Geneva the lake had been calm and clear and there were tame gulls that would eat of one’s hand’ This is a good example of Rhetoric. It uses sub textual language and Marquez uses persuasive writing. This statement implies that the president was very powerful and using the gulls as an analogy, compares them to civilians and how, once, they were at his beck and call. Reconstruction ‘When arriving in Trinidad he became one more poor man in a country full of powerful poor men’ This quotation is a contradiction; the stereo-typical poor person would not be powerful. This paradox expresses how the President must have felt. Opposed to his power and wealth from running a country, he was now somewhat inferior. In exile in a foreign country, he was surrounded by men that were raised in this milieu. Powerful, by the means, that they knew and almost dictated how everything worked. ‘Only the slight problem of not being a legal citizen in Trinidad deceived the actual situation of his affairs’ This quotation is a pejorative fact. The President might feel it a positive situation, as he could not be tied emotionally to any one place, so he cannot be hurt if he is, once more, thrown out, as in the case of Columbia. However it could also be a negative factor because things that will be a necessity for a comfortable life, e.g. a job, would be almost impossible to achieve. Free Choice; the Perplexing Simplicity of a Lack of Nothing ‘One never can see the thing in itself, because the mind does not transcend phenomena’ This statement has sub textual meaning. On the surface it means, you cannot see something if the mind does not believe that it can out do the extra-ordinary. But underneath that, I feel that this quotation almost has a moralistic sub textual meaning, this being if you think that within yourself, you can’t do something and you don’t attempt to, you will never be able to. Once convinced it is impossible, it is. ‘My vision began to diminish in both scope and clarity, and I prayed despondently for the message that I had left to be procured by those to whom I had intended it, and not by those to whom the exorbitant value was exceeded only by their macabre predilections’ This quotation is a fine example of the stereo-typical religious belief that praying in a difficult situation, you will be relieved of all problems. The character looks towards G-d to firstly protect him and secondly protect the information he has been entrusted with being recounted to the wrong people. The character believes that g-d will help him and this is a very good illustration of idolism. There are many comparisons to make between the above eight quotes, as well as between the three extracts, all being entirely individual pieces. Bon Voyage, Mr. President and the Reconstruction are both somewhat related in the means that they have the same story line and background, the similarities very evident. But, however, The Perplexing Simplicity of a Lack of Nothing is a very diverse piece of writing, expressing confusion, desperation and obscurity opposed to Bon Voyage, Mr. President and the Reconstruction, which was full of prosperity and understanding. All three of these extracts were well written and individual; however there are criticisms to be made. The President, in Bon Voyage, Mr. President, is a stereo-typical, military based, authoritarian figure. Things like ‘†¦stiff hat of a retired magistrate.’ Or ‘†¦arrogant moustache of a musketeer.’ all present the image of man in control, who would not commit a crime. In this description, nothing gives away any shrewdness or a clue that would reflect the offence he committed to be exiled. Marquez keeps some key information that would allow the reader to be more gripped by the short story, secret, and that, I feel, almost ruins the whole tale. By using a more Rhetoric type of writing the reader would find Marquez’s writing more intriguing. The Reconstruction is meant to be linked to Bon Voyage, Mr. President, however the author portrayed Mr. President as quite a different character. The author implied that the President was a laid back man, with much hope and little regret; he was looking towards the future and not at the past by saying ‘He now had a bounce in his step and he changed into a silk shirt with cotton shorts’. This Rhetoric gives the opposite impression to which Bon Voyage, Mr. President was trying to bestow. This is an easy mistake, but if read together would confuse the reader. The Perplexing Simplicity of a Lack of Nothing is a very difficult piece to understand, with maybe hidden meaning. There was hardly any significance that could be drawn from it. A huge failure, of the author, was that, there did not seem to be any constant story line, there was a base, but the majority jumped from idea to idea. Also, the words used were difficult to comprehend in a short story and too many used too close together. This material was more novel quality rather than an extract or short story, the author should have kept in mind what type of story they were asked to compose and not trail from it.

Overview of the Research Process for Business Students

What is Research? People undertake research in order to find things out in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge (Jankowicz, 1995). â€Å"Systematic† suggests that research is based on logical relationships and not just beliefs (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010). To â€Å"find things out† suggests there are a multiplicity of possible purposes for your research (Becker, 1998). It is therefore an activity which has to be finished at some point to be of use.The results of research really are all around us in everyday life. Politicians often justify their policy decisions on the basis of research; Newspapers report the findings of research companies. Documentary programmes tell us about research findings and advertisers may highlight the results of research to encourage consumers to buy a particular product or brand. The most difficult hurdle to overcome in doing research is not in learning the techniques or doing the actual work or even writing the report.The bigge st obstacle, surprisingly, lies in figuring out what you want to know. Two problems are very common: choosing a topic which is too broad†¦ or â€Å"dressing up† a topic (Kane, 1987) Formulating and clarifying the research topic is the starting point of research (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010; Smith and Dainty 1991). Most research originates from a general problem. Usually, the problem is broad enough that it could not be addressed in a single research study.Consequently, the problem is narrowed into a more specific research question. A well-constructed research question is one described by Maylor and Blackmon (2005, p. 54) which â€Å"identifies the scope of the research and guides the plan of the project†. The research question is the central issue being addressed in the study and from this research objectives can be set. The table below sets out criteria to help devise useful research objectives. Criterion| Purpose|Transparency| The meaning of the research objective is clear and unambiguous| Specificity| The purpose of the research objective is clear and easily understood, as are the actions required to fulfil it| Relevancy| The research objective’s link to the research question and wider research project is clear| Interconnectivity| Taken together as a set, the research objectives illustrate the steps in the research process from its start to its conclusion, without leaving any gaps. In this way the research objectives form a coherent whole| Answerability| The intended outcome of the research objective is achievable.Where this relates to data, the nature of the data required will be clear or at least implied| Measurability| The intended product of the research objective will be evident when it has been achieved| Saunders (2012) Research Methods for Business Students, Table 2. 3 p. 44 Literature Review A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic. Its ultimate g oal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature and forms the basis for another goal, such as justification for future research the area. Knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, and your work only has value in relation to other peoples† (Jankowicz, 2005). It seeks to describe, summarise, evaluate, and clarify/integrate the content of previous researches and assists in limiting the scope of inquiry while conveying the importance of studying a topic to readers. Literature sources available include Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Primary data is original data that has been collected from the original source with a purpose in mind.Secondary sources are the subsequent publication of primary literature and tertiary sources (search tools) are designed to either help locate primary and secondary literature or to introduce a topic. Tertiary Indexes Databases Catalogues Encyclopaedias Dictionaries Bibliographies Citation Indexes Secondary Journals Books Newspapers Governmen t Publications Primary Reports Theses Emails Company Reports Unpublished Manuscripts Some Government Publications Increasing time to publish Increasing level of detail Saunders (2012) Research Methods for Business Students Table 3. 3, p82 Primary versus Secondary ResearchPrimary data has not been published and so is more reliable, authentic and objective. It has not been changed or altered by human beings therefore its validity is greater than secondary data however it is important to remember it can only be considered as reliable as the people who gathered it. Gathering data in this way is time consuming, and incurs a high cost. More resources tend to be required and it can result in inaccurate feedback. Secondary data is less valid but it is readily available and can be reused. It is cheaper and quicker to obtain in comparison to primary data.In some circumstances primary data does not exist and so one has to confine the research of secondary data. The Research Process Research is not neutral, but reflects a range of the researcher’s personal interests, values, abilities, assumptions aims and ambitions. â€Å"The research philosophy depends on the way you think about the development of knowledge† (Saunders et al. 2000, p. 84) Collis and Hussey (2003, p. 52) highlight two main research philosophies and detail that there can be overlap between the two and both positions may be identifiable in any research project. They are the positivistic and phenomenological.Positivistic approaches are founded on the belief that the study of human behaviour should be conducted in the same way as studies conducted in the natural sciences. Therefore seeking to identify measure and evaluate any phenomena and to provide a rational explanation for it. This approach attempts to establish casual links and relationships between the different elements (or variables) of the subject and relate them to a particular theory or practice. Phenomenological approaches however, a pproach research from the perspective of understanding behaviour from the participants’ own subjective frames of reference.Research methods are chosen, therefore, to try and describe, translate and explain and interpret events from the perspectives of the people who are the subject of the research. The following diagram describes the research process â€Å"onion† that supports the researcher to â€Å"depict the issues underlying the choice of data collection methods† (Saunders, 2012 Research Methods for Business Students, Fig 4. 1, p. 128) The layers of research represent the following aspects: * Research philosophy; * Research approach; * Research strategy/methodology; * Time horizons; and * Data collection methods Research Approach – Deductive or Inductive? It is the theory that decides what can be observed† Albert Einstein Bryan & Bell (2007) state that the researcher will either use: 1) deductive in which a theory and hypothesis is developed and a strategy is designed to test the hypothesis, or 2) inductive approach will be used in which the data is collected and as the result of data analysis theory and hypothesis are developed. However, Mason (2001, p. 181) supports the use of more than one research approach, â€Å"it is worth pointing out that most research strategies (approaches) in practice probably draw on a combination of these (inductive or deductive) approaches†.What is the difference between method and methodology? A method is a technique used for gathering evidence or the various ways in which proceeding in gathering information. Methodology is the underlying theory of how research does or should proceed, often influenced by discipline. Research Strategy The research strategy is of paramount important in setting the parameters and creating the credibility of any study. According to Collis and Hussey (2003, p. 55) research methodology refers to the overall approaches and perspectives to the research proces s as a whole and is concerned with the following main issues: Why you collected certain data; * What data you collected; * Where you collected it; * How you collected it; * How you analysed it The choice of research strategy is dependent on the research questions and objectives, the extent of existing knowledge, the amount of time and resources available and the philosophical foundations (Saunders et al. 2007). There are various research strategies proposed by different authors including experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory and ethnography. Experiment is a classical form of research which allows studying the effect of change, an independent variable can bring in another dependent variable (Hakim, 2000) * Survey is a methodology which is usually associated with the deductive approach and is mostly used in the situations where there is a need to collect the data from a large population in an economical manner (Saunder et al, 2007) * Case Study is defined as a â€Å"strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence† (Robson, 2000: 178) * Action Research is focused on finding a way to bring about a change in a controlled environment * Grounded theory is often thought of as the best example of inductive approach as the hypothesis is developed from the data generated by a series of observations (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) * Ethnography is a research strategy which focuses on acquiring the social knowledge in order to understand the observed patterns of human activity (Hussey & Hussey, 1997) Ethical Issues Ethical concerns may emerge at all stages of research. Saunders et al. (2007, p. 31) summarise the main issues to consider, although ethical issues surrounding these items are not always clear: * The rights of privacy of individuals * Voluntary nature of participation – and the rights of individuals to wi thdraw partially or completely from the process * Consent and possible deception of participants (Appendix ? ) * Maintenance of confidentiality of data provided by individuals or identifiable participants and their anonymity * Reactions of participants to the ways which researchers seek to collect data * Effects on participants of the way data is analysed and reported * Behaviour and objectivity of the researcher Reliability and Validity

Do Spin in Political Marketing Destroy Democracy?

It is possible to encounter political marketing in democratic societies because politicians sell their ideas to public. The more buyers they gain, the higher probability they win elections. While bargaining their ideas, politicians will do whatever needed to be elected. † Spin† is one of the things done during election eves to obtain more votes, for instance. These can ruin the democracy in such countries. For democracy to work properly, individuals should vote under no control of anyone and with clear opinions about politicians. To say that democracy exists, high percentage of public should participate in the elections by voting, as well. The main reason of this essay is to question whether or not political marketing and spin ruin democracy. Understanding it is crucial in taking necessary cautions for democracy to work. If those are really harmful to democracy, then they should be treated as the enemy of democracy. In this essay, every important impact of political marketing and spin to democracy will be examined and demonstrated how significant they are. To do these, this essay will start with the effects of â€Å"spin†, continue with the inequalities among politicians that political marketing causes and the importance of floating voters, which are bad for democracy, and finally, end with explaining how political marketing could be useful for democracy even if this usefulness pales in comparison to these bad impacts. â€Å"Spin† in political marketing gives wrong opinions about parties to voters and that contribute to ruining democracy. Politicians intend to gain political advantage and to do this; they resort to deceiving their potential and current voters. Spin† is one of the most moving things they do. To explain what â€Å"spin† is, David L. Martinson gives an advertisement example, which is quite appropriate and successful for this topic (2001). In that advertisement, the advertisers claimed that one slice of their bread contained fewer calories than any other bread’s slice. What makes this an e xample of spin is that they didn’t mention how thin these slices were cut. By doing that, they would make their consumers buy the breads so that they can lose weight. Martinson also says that this company didn’t have to share all the details with their consumers but had to present that significant detail (ibid. ). Likewise in politics, politicians avoid to tell some facts so they obtain more votes. After being deceived by the politicians who spin information, the public will vote for them in order to meet their expectations. However, after these politicians are elected, those who vote for them can’t find what they have expected. So, actually these people voted for different ideas and promises, and now are governed by others, which is definitely not a democratic process. To give an example of this in politics, Nick Clegg and his promises about tuition fees can be chosen. Everyone who had voted especially for this problem couldn’t receive any solution they expected. What they were expecting while electing him was lowered tuition fees, meaning he was the one who’ll provide lower tuition fees for the voters, but he actually was a different politician. In short, â€Å"spin† ruins democracy because it prevents people to vote for the right party by deceiving them. Political marketing promotes inequality among politicians regarding to financial resources and/or being good seller, and these make being elected nearly impossible for some politicians who lack of financial resources and advertising skills, meaning this causes an incomplete, ruined democracy. Firstly, being a successful advertiser is more important that being a good governor. McNair puts the significance of advertising skills in political marketing. He thinks that Ronald Reagan was successful because of his actor’s training. He also gives the example of Michael Foot. He says that Foot was a great thinker and an intellectual party manager but not able to fit the televisions. Because of this, he was replaced by someone who fits the televisions better (2011). McNair can’t refer to any sources because of the subjectivity of those. However, considering the general knowledge, it can easily be said that he is right. These examples show that being a good seller is more important than being a good thinker, meaning those who don’t have seller skills don’t have chances to be elected. Secondly, money has a significant role in elections. McNair explains the importance of money in politics with these words: â€Å"Political power becomes something which can be bought rather than won in a democratic contest. † (2011, p. 37) He strengthens this statement by giving the Goldsmith example. This example shows how right he is. He also adds that money can be used to buy creativity and innovation to make political communication effective. Similarly, with money, politicians can put themselves everywhere such as on TV, posters on streets. In short, with money, successful advertisements can be applied to public. Likewise, politicians can give money to the press and the media or buy them to influence public because the press and the media usually have more influence on public than any political advertising (O'Shaughnessy, 2001). Those who don’t have enough financial sources don’t have advantage as much as the ones who have enough sources. In conclusion, there are some inequalities among politicians such as financial resources and advertising skills that make some politicians have some advantages that enable them to win elections although there might be better governors that the public would choose. Floating voters can determine the results of an election and making only these votes change by political marketing can ruin democracy. According to the studies McNair refers to, only few people change their votes because of political advertising (Diamond and Bates, 1984 in McNair, 2011). At first, this statement may seem to tell that political advertising doesn’t work and it can’t possibly ruin democracy but it does. Floating voters have a crucial role in elections. They can determine the results of elections in democratic societies even though they form a small percentage of the population in a country. This makes them the most important and an easy target of political marketing. Effecting or manipulating a small group of people is way easier than crowds because some weak points of these people can easily be known and used appropriately to regulate them. Therefore, when advertisements come into play, they will be quite successful and change their audiences’ votes. This leads to the destruction of democracy because politicians eventually get what they want through political marketing. To summarize, floating voters, who may be the determining factor of an election, are very susceptible to political advertising and can, therefore, be controlled easily by political marketing, which ruins democracy. Despite all these bad effects of political marketing for democracy, there are positive side-effects of it that help democracy to work such as increasing participation in elections; variety of ideas, opinions, romises; and knowledge about various political ideas. When a politician uses political advertising, another one also uses it in order not to be left behind in the competition, another does the same with the same reason and so forth. This chain makes political advertising and, therefore, politics everywhere and the main agenda of the days. Because of this, everyone hears about politics and attains a political opinion unconsciously or not and goes to vote for a party. This may not be the aim of political marketing, but it increases participation of people in elections. It helps democracy to work properly because the more people say their opinions the better democracy there will be. Other than participation, politicians are now obliged to give what people want. As Scammel writes down on his essay in a convincing and clear way, as the possibilities of transforming information increases, consumers choose what they want but not what producers want (Scammel, M. , ND). In politics, political marketing is the tool that increases the possibilities of transforming information, consumers are public and producers are politicians. When there is no political marketing, people have to vote for only what are thought for them before and this may not result beneficially for these people and democracy. Likewise, political marketing helps ideas and opinions to be heard. As politicians’ competitions take place in agenda, people keep hearing and reading about them, their ideas and promises. Thus, they can encounter various opinions and find what is the most appropriate for them. To sum up, participation and voting for the appropriate party is important for democracy and political marketing help them maintain or increase. In conclusion, â€Å"Spin† and political marketing ruins democracy in general. Firstly, spin gives wrong opinions about politicians to people. People can’t elect the governor they want due to obfuscations. Secondly, due to political marketing, there are some inequalities among politicians. Some are good advertisers, some have a vast amount of financial resources and some have them both. The ones lacking of these cannot possibly win elections even if they are good governors and who public would want. Thirdly, politicians can win elections easily by effecting floating voters, who are usually minorities in most of the countries. Political advertisers can easily determine the result of an election by affecting these minorities. All of these three ruin democracy. Despite those, there are some ways that don’t ruin democracy but help it work. Political marketing may increase participation in elections and it can enable political opinions and ideas to be known. However, these good sides of political marketing are not enough to suppress the bad impacts, meaning political marketing and spin have strong negative impacts on democracy even though they have some positive impacts.

Impact of e-Business initiatives on firm value Annotated Bibliography

Impact of e-Business initiatives on firm value - Annotated Bibliography Example The study reveals that the cumulative abnormal return for such initiatives ranges from 3.5% to 4.74% in the first five days. Another significant finding is that the abnormal returns are higher in the e-business initiatives of business-to-consumer firms than that of business-to-business firms. The explanation for this claim is found in the ‘firm size effect’. It is found that higher abnormal returns are created in small-sized firms. As business-to-business firms are generally bigger than business-to-customer firms, it is claimed that the latter will gain more abnormal returns in the e-business initiatives. Thus, putting an end to the long ambiguity regarding the profitability of e-business initiatives, the study came up with the finding that it is highly beneficial to the firms because it offers future benefits to the firms in the form of increased market values. The reason, according to the scholars, is that such aggressive steps are often considered as futuristic by stakeholders and other public. Thus, such firms escape the usual bandwagon effect. Admittedly, there were previous studies which proved that e-business initiatives positively affect the value of firms. However, the present study stands apart for showing the various effects of e-business initiatives based on the nature of the initiative and the nature of the business. The strength of the study lies in the fact that it investigates the issue in two different capital markets; namely KSE and KOSDAQ. However, there are some findings which contradict the findings in American market. For example, while the e-business expansion of an established e-business company makes more positive effect than the e-business initiative of a non-internet firm in the U.S, the opposite is true in Korea. Similarly, though the study hypothesized that the abnormal returns are linked to the layer to which the

Plato's Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato's Republic - Essay Example In this sense, justice is instrumental to both ethical and political philosophy—the practical sciences—and guides them both. However, the inevitable question comes about from Thrasymachus, who asks â€Å"what if one can get away with being unjust?† Socrates answer essentially comes in the following: â€Å"those who practice justice do it unwillingly, because they lack the power to do injustice.† To rephrase, because justice is a virtue, it is a characteristic of one’s psyche, or a way of perceiving the world, and it simply comes naturally when one reacts to certain situations. Accordingly, if all members of a given society possessed the virtue of justice, the society would be just, which, as will be argued here, necessary for the formation of a functional society. But the problem remains: what if a man can act unjustly and not suffer any consequences? Indeed, if given the change, people would act upon such an opportunity, disobeying common moral principles. Glaucon resorts to a fantastical thought experiment wherein two magic rings are produced and given to man. His story describes the rings of magic that make men indivisible whenever they are placed on his finger. Glaucon, in the process of helping Socrates build his Ideal State, proposes that each and every human being would conduct himself in a similar manner given this amazing power. They would, according to him, both break into houses unseen and help themselves to whatever they fancied. Freed of legal and social responsibility (the invisibility of the Ring of Gyges represents immunity from justice), any man could not, and so would not, feel any need for the virtue of justice. Glaucon’s position then becomes one of pessimism: the just man is only just insofar as he possesses a fear of the consequences of his actions in terms of potential punishments, whether these punishments are inflicted upon

I don't have a topic, but I have the prompt. You can think out a topic Essay - 1

I don't have a topic, but I have the prompt. You can think out a topic from the prompt - Essay Example Certainly, Negro movement was a result of the many critical events surrounding the African American experiences in U.S, including the slavery period, the Great exodus of Africans from the south in the Harlem Renaissance era and the later influences of the World War I African American soldiers To help advance their goals, African Americans arriving in the north created or joined new social organization. For instance, the benevolent societies and black churches established in the north which offered support to new arrivals. In Chicago, Phyllis Wheately Home offered young women a safer stay while searching for job opportunities. The Chicago branch of national urban League which was established in 1916 offered similar help to all new comers from the south. Additionally, long established churches of Chicago eased the movement from the rural south to the urban north. For instance, Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest in Chicago, grew its membership significantly as it received new black people from the south. Another church that notably supported the black transition is the Olivet Baptist church whose members are reported as meeting the new arrivals at the railway station carry their belongings and help them settle in their new homes. The above mentions organizations served primarily in helping new arrivals settle in the north (Pg 497-498). Their arrival was not without its share of challenges both from the already established blacks and the whites. These problems ranged from struggles for resources due to the ever bulging population and even differences in lifestyle. For example, the new arrivals from the south were not readily accepted in the unions, particularly those affiliated to the American federation of labor. However, the most serious tension was that experienced between the whites and blacks, particularly on the housing issue. Here, the Chicago south population is said to have tripped, between 1910 and

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On Tar Baby-cl - Essay Example In the book, â€Å"Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome†, the author came up with three patterns of behaviors where the community was highly affected. In the post slavery era, a majority of the Black Americans had developed vacant esteem, ever present anger and racist socialization. Toni Morrison uses some key characters to demonstrate the racist socialization behavior in the novel. (Morrison, T. 2014) In Toni Morrison’s novel, there are a number of instances where the issue of racist socialization emerges. However, the most captivating scenario involves the protagonist in the novel. Jadine faces an internal conflict involving her race. Jadine had already abandoned her culture and heritage and accepted a new one. It is the decision that haunts her as the lead character tries to wrestle the guilty consciences from her. Ghosts visit Jadine during the night that tried top pursued her to stick with her former heritage and culture. Toni Morrison uses some of the characters to bring out the issue of racial segregation between Black and White Americans. The author unearths some of the stereotypes held by both races in the society. In the American society, people have preconceived opinions about Blacks and Whites. The differences between Whites and Blacks emerge in the house occupied by both races. For instance, the Ondine Childs treat the Black community with a lot of contemptâ₠¬â„¢s. They despise them because they believe they are superior to them. Conversely, he boasts that he is the only real Negro in Philadelphia (Morrison, p.284).On the other hand, Childs believe that they are better than the rest of the people in the community. The class thinks it is the most powerful because of they are diligent and hard working. The Childs despise the Dominique Blacks whom they regard to be inundated. Their contempt and hatred make the unable to know the names of the servant. For instance, they refer to Thà ©rà ¨se as a thief. The act demonstrates that the Child

CEO Pay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CEO Pay - Essay Example The average CEO of a Standard & Poor's 500 company made $11.75 million in total compensation in 2005, according to a preliminary analysis by The Corporate Library. And that's just their annual take. At a time when most working families are looking at shrinking retirement nest eggs, many CEOs also have negotiated golden retirements for themselves3. The Top 6 companies noted to have offered the biggest compensation packages to their CEOs includes: Pfizer, Exxon Mobile, AT&T, IBM and Home Depot Inc, this is according to the recently published in AFL-CIO, America/s Union Movement. But how are CEOs being compensated We may ask. According to CNN/Money Staff writer Jake Ulick, these days, few corporate executives are doing the same despite a stretch of falling profits, rising job cuts and sinking stock prices. But a small dose of sobriety has emerged as companies reveal how they compensated their top executives last year. After enjoying a $17 million bonus in 2001 (Ulick. 2003), Sandy Weill, chief executive of Citigroup Inc. (C: Research, Estimates), took no bonus last year, when company shares fell 30.3 percent. The CEO of Eli Lilly (LLY: Research, Estimates), Sydney Taurel, earned a symbolic $1 salary in 2002 and was given options to buy 350,000 Lilly shares if they rise some 29 percent. The CEO of Oracle (ORCL: Research, Estimates), who took stock options but no salary and bonus last year (Ulick. 2003). Median executive compensation fell by 10.1 percent last year to $7.3 million, according to Equilar, which analyzed 161 proxies from Standard & Poor's 500 comp anies submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. But the figures from Equilar, a compensation research firm, also showed that median salaries plus bonus actually rose 3.7 percent to $1.56 million in 2002, after subtracting the value of stock option and restricted stock grants (Ulick. 2003). Thus shows how the executive are paid.Another survey concurred. The highest-paid U.S. executives received a 5.9 percent increase in total cash compensation last year, according to the Executive Compensation Index. The figures, from the Economic Research Institute, found that executive compensation grew faster than annual company revenue, which rose 0.89 percent in 2002 (Ulick. 2003). CEOs running 100 of the USA's biggest companies pulled in median 2002 compensation of $33.4 million, essentially unchanged from 2001, based on an exclusive database analysis by USA TODAY and the Investor Responsibility Research Center, a corporate-governance watchdog. Conclusions say that CEO salaries and bonuses surged 15% in a year salaries for rank-and-file workers averaged 3.2% gains; that Instead of stock options, many companies gave CEOs large blocks of restricted shares, less risky equity stakes. Among 36% of CEOs receiving them, the median value was $2.9 million; that More than 90% received fresh stock-option grants, with a median potential value of $23.2 million while nearly one-third pulled in compensation valued at $50 million or more. Even at companies where pay fell, pay packages remained large. PepsiCo CEO Steve Reinemund's pay package fell 62%, but was a still-impressive $76.5 million (Strauss & Hansen. 2003) Economists have determined that not only is there a strong statistical link between firm performance and executive compens

Boeing Aircraft Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Boeing Aircraft Company - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, the company has been taking little interest on the satisfaction of the customer and segmentation of the market in order to concentrate on a specific market. Instead, the company has been generalizing the market in order to earn trust of all customers (Norris & Wagner, 2005). On the other hand, Airbus has concentrated on diversifying the market in order to increase its market size. In addition, the company has segmented the market an aspect that has enabled it to position itself strategically in the market and earn customer loyalty. Initially, airbus was struggling financially but the move by Boeing Company to concentrate on huge aircrafts that require heavy investment gave the company an advantage over its competitor. Instead, the company has concentrated on producing aircrafts of all sizes in order to satisfying the varying demands in the market (Newhouse, 2007). One of the major similarities between two companies is that if one removes the name of the company in the specification sheet, the forthcoming Airbus A350 XWB commercial jet can easily be confused with that of Bowing 787 Dreamliner. The production process is so similar that it will take someone sometime before distinguishing the two (Norris & Wagner, 2005). Secondly, A350 of Airbus will be manufactured with approximately 53% of carbon fiber while 787 aircraft that belong to Boeing Company will be made of 50% of carbon fiber. Both aircrafts have the ability to fly for eight thousands miles without the need of being refueled (Norris & Wagner, 2005). In terms of fuel consumption, A350 has the capacity to consume 25% less in comparison with that of Boeing. Nevertheless, Boeing 787 is claimed to have been made to consume 15% fuel less in comparison to a similar-sized Boeing 767 (Peng, 2009). With the increasing rivalry between the two companies, mostly, the companies are

Australia Should Not Reintroduce Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Australia Should Not Reintroduce Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment or the death penalty as it is also known refers to the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. The most common forms of capital punishment include electrocution, gas, firing squads, lethal injections and hanging. Australia abolished the death penalty in 1975 and since then, there have been many debates about whether it should be re-introduced. Capital punishment is uncivilised, represents solely revenge and is commonly a miscarriage of justice. Consequently, Australia should not re-introduce capital punishment. Capital punishment is both uncivilised and barbaric. Firstly, it brutalises witnesses. An example of this is Dr Phillip Opus, the man who defended Ronald Ryan and was present at his execution. He never got over Ryan going to the gallows and says â€Å"Before the Ryan case, I favoured capital punishment†¦ when he died, a little bit of me died too.† Secondly, capital punishment brutalises the executioner. When an execution is carried out through a firing squad, a blindfold is placed over the firing squads eyes. This was done so that the shooters did not know who fired the killing shot, therefore, they didn’t have to live with the guilt and shame of killing someone. Australia believes in justice, but we don’t believe that a brutal hanging is the type of justice that we feel comfortable with as a nation. Capital punishment represents only revenge and we are all human, thus, we don’t have the right to determine who lives and who dies. There is nothing in the world that gives another human being the right to kill another, and when it’s done out of revenge, it’s worse. There is also a human rights issue as capital punishment breaks the declaration of Human Rights. This is like the government breaking its own laws. Capital punishment is stooping to the level of the criminal and killing offenders only lowers us to their standard. Is it right to punish violence with more violence? Killing another human being is wrong; â€Å"he did it first† is not a valid excuse. The worst thing about capital punishment is that it is possible to make tragic mistakes; hence, it is a miscarriage of justice. Executions cannot be reversed or undone. There are atleast 40 confirmed cases of wrongful executions in the US alone. Colin Ross was a wine bar owner executed for the rape and murder of a child despite there being evidence that he was innocent. In the 1990’s, old evidence was re-examined with modern forensic technology which showed that Ross was innocent. This proves that capital punishment is a miscarriage of justice and we should only consider re-introducing Capital punishment in Australia when dead people can be brought back to life after being executed through wrong convictions. Capital punishment is also a miscarriage of justice in being that an execution is sometimes a punishment not fitting the crime. This is shown through Van Nguyen an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug-trafficking in Singapore. Drug trafficking carries the mandatory death sentence in Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act and despite pleas of clemency from the Australian government, Nguyen was hanged on the 2nd December 2005. Evidently, capital punishment also raises the issue of disproportionate punishment. 111 countries including Australia have abandoned the death penalty. From 1900 – 1967, 115 criminals were executed in Australia alone and there should never be anymore. Capital punishment is brutal, represents just revenge and is regularly a miscarriage of justice. This clearly shows, that Australia should not re-introduce capital punishment.

Findings on marketing for Maxis

Findings on marketing for Maxis The objectives of this report is to present the findings of the strategic analysis conducted for Maxis company and recommend the key strategies that the organisation should embark in order to remain competitive. This report is also to allow us, Management of Strategy students to apply the fundamental concepts and skills of strategic management to a real-life scenario in order to get a better understanding. This practical approach of learning would allow us to gain better understanding compared to theoretical way of learning. Other than that, this assignment gave us the opportunity to demonstrate competency in both written and oral communication skills in formal business settings. Lastly, it helps us to gain more knowledge in create and integrate business knowledge, decision making, interpersonal, leadership and entrepreneurial skills in proposing strategies and evaluating them. This assignment is a really great opportunity for us to know more about outside world which is not in books . Scope This report shall cover the operations of Maxis company in Malaysia. In this report, all the significant information required for business and competitor analysis are included. It also contains the study of analysing an organisation, its industry, its closest competitors (immediate, impending, invisible) before devising several strategies for it to pursue, selecting the most appropriate strategy and outlining recommendations for its implementation in a formal business report which will also involve a formal business presentation at completion of these tasks. Limitations The limitations of this report are the short duration for the assignment to be completed. The short duration of this assignment did not permit us the time to conduct an interview with Maxis for more accurate information. However, we find information based on valid sources through online. Some information may be outdated with the current company situation so our knowledge of the current situation would not be as accurate as first-hand information. 2.0 Background to the organization Maxis Berhad, with its consolidated subsidiaries is the leading mobile communications service provider in Malaysia with over 11.4 million subscribers starting from 30 June 2009.  [1]  It is established in year 1993 and has been publicly listed in year 2002. The company started its operation in the year 1995. 012, 017 and 0142 dialing prefix is normally identified as Maxis dialing prefix.  [2]  The company mobile services are provided over different Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) such as 900 1800 MHz GSM band. As of July 2005, the 2100 MHz Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) band was used by Maxis. Other than that, Maxis is also the pioneered in the Malaysian market in delivering innovative mobile products and services. In July 2005, Maxis was the first to launch 3G services in Malaysia. In September 2006, Maxis became one of the worlds first to use High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), a high-speed enhanced version of its 3G network, to provide wireless broadband services. The 3G services coverage is up to 740 sites across Malaysia and still expanding now. The 3G services of Maxis enable the users to enjoy the internet access throughout Malaysia. Maxis was also the first operator to bring in and sell the Blackberry and Apple iPhone smart phones to Malaysia. Maxis was also the first to unveiled near field communications (NFC) service in Malaysia. Maxis vision is to bring advanced communications services to enhance its customers lives and businesses, in a way that is simple and personalised, by efficiently and creatively harnessing leading edge technology, and delivering a brand of service experience that is reliable and enchanting.  [3]   3.0 Situation Analysis Situation analysis is a systematic collection and evaluation of past and present economical, political, social, and technological data. It is aimed at the identification of internal and external forces that may influence the organizations performance and choice of strategies, and the assessment of the organizations current and future strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  [4]   3.1 General environment analysis General environment analysis includes factors such as demographic, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological, global and physical environment that generally affect everyone in an industry or market in a similar manner. 3.1.1 Demographic Maxis invested RM1.24 billion to upgrade and modernize their 3G network in year 2009 in order to increase the population coverage from 50% to 57%, which represents the single largest yearly deployment in Maxis history. In the first quater of 2010, Maxis mobile internet users grew from 1.2 million to 6.4 million which is a large increase in customers accessing the internet from their mobiles. The statistics showed that more than 50% of the Malaysias population is under the age of 25 years old, a sizeable number of whom enter the phone owning category each year. It is because the youth segments are now the largest and fastest growing segment. Maxis is a leading regional content player with 39.2% of non-voice revenue as part of mobile revenue and 7.1 million active mobile internet users, more than 50% of its customer base. As a result, Maxis became the most attractive in high-growth, low-penetration markets and diversifying the market base as well. http://i.pictr.com/rjw9vg6zsl.jpg http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWQfeG7nn0fvz1I_YW6VQ53_r0iiRNNeY66EGgX0euoeEMUbQ-TA 3.1.2 Economic In year 2010, Malaysias economy was expected to grow. This improved outlook is expected to stimulate consumer and business spending for telecommunication services. Malaysias determine to achieve a broadband household penetration rate of 50% by 2010 for Maxis growth in the immediate future. The Malaysian telecommunications industry remains flexible even though the challenging global economic climate. In 2009, the overall growth of the mobile industry was satisfactory and the mobile subscriber penetration crossed 100%. The basic salary of the Maxis employees are fixed for the duration of contract. It can be reviewed into account the individual performance, the inflation price index, and information from independent sources on the rates of salary for similar positions in other comparable companies. Maxis is returning to list on Bursa Malaysia in November or December and its draft prospectus is posted on the Securities Commission website. Maxis was taken private in 2007 and de-listed from Bursa the same year. In a challenging global economic climate in year 2009, Maxis delivered another strong year. http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2009/11/20/business/p1-maxischt.JPG 3.1.3 Political/ Legal The government had chosen Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and Maxis Broadband Shd Bhd (Maxis) at 14th December 2010 to sign a landmark of 10 years agreement for TM to undertake the High Speed Broadband (HSBB) services to Maxis. As we know that, this project was able to offer more quality broadband services. Malaysia government limits the level of playing field for foreign players in the industry. The countrys major telecom players, Maxis and Celcom won the bid together with subsidiary of Time Dot Com and MiTV Corp for the 3G license. However, DiGi was not awarded a 3G license as it has a high foreign ownership. The Maxis website contents are owned or controlled for the purposes by Maxis or its content suppliers and are protected by copyright, trademarks and other laws. The compilation of all content on the website and the service are the exclusive property of Maxis or its content supplier and protected by copyright. Maxis also has a strict condition to avoid broadband user abuse, that is why Maxis specify that every customer must be at least 18 years old to be a Maxis customer. Sub-users under this age must have authorization from the account owner to access the Maxis Broadband service. Before using the Maxis Broadband service, the person must obtain permission from the registered customer. Customers also must not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any computer system. 3.1.4 Sociocultural Maxis provides guidelines for the manner in which all employees should conduct themselves at the work place, while performing their daily duties for Maxis and as a Maxis employee in order to provide better services to customers. Key factors of this growth included the availability of more advanced smartphone models in Malaysia and the strong growth of social networking. Maxis was the first to offer the popular iPhone to Malaysians, achieving annual targets, and it continued to boost the sale of BlackBerry phones. Maxis has Business Value Plus Plans for business people. Business Value Plus Plans have many ways to help save money when calling. Data Plans exclusive to iPad for iPad users to enjoy online entertainment with a much lower price. Maxis prepaid Hotlink come out with a new plan which is much cheaper than other competitors. Maxis focused on minimizing carbon footprint to care for the environment. As such, Maxis partners with Malaysia Airline Systems to reduce the impact to the environment, as well as an in-house recycling campaign. At their work place, efforts are taken to reduce wastage and disposal, reuse existing resources and recycle fully exhausted materials. 3.1.5 Technological Malaysia is set to get a HSBB internet support allowing fast internet access by utilizing fiber optic technology to transfer data. It will allow network operators to take part in and compete with each other in this new network. TM had already commissioned foreign major vendors to lead the project. RM11.3bil national HSBB project is a partnership between TM and our government to expand next-generation, high-speed broadband infrastructure and services for the country. As we know that, HSBB offers bandwidth at network speeds of 10Mbps and above, through fixed line only, as compared to regular broadband services which are delivered at network speeds ranging from 384Kbps to less than 10Mbps through fixed line which also known as DSL and wireless mode, such as 3G, HSDPA, WiMAX and WiFi. Maxis commercially launched the first-in-the-world contactless integrated mobile payment services that utilizes Near Field Communication technology, with partners Nokia, Visa, Maybank and Touch n Go to pay for purchases and transportation charges using mobile phones in year 9 April 2009. 3.1.6 Global Maxis brings excellent coverage in almost every corner of the country and their services are rapidly expanding. In addition to voice, GPRS and EDGE coverage, Maxis also offer Maxis 3G in Penang, Langkawi, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Genting, Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Kota Bahru, Ipoh, Malacca and Kuala Terengganu. In India, Global Communication Services Holdings (GCSHL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian telco, Maxis Communications Berhad, has applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to increase its direct and indirect shareholding in Aircel from 26 percent to 73.9 percent. In year 2009, Maxis and the Western Union Company announce to launch of mobile money transfer service In Malaysia. It allows 11 million Maxis subscribers and 1.9 million foreign workers in Malaysia to send cross-border remittances directly from their mobile phones. 3.1.7 Physical environment The issues that Maxis concern is effective and efficient services, operating hours, and user-friendly facilities in order to improve the values the company can provide to its customers. Maxiss main challenge today is adapting well to a fast changing and often hostile environment of telecommunication industry. Things change very fast until the company is unable to cope with the rapid pace. As a result Maxis shifts at the top management team in order to tackle the changing business environment and global competition. As we all know that, the changes in Maxis is because of trying to deal with shifting market environment and to shift to the updated telecommunication technology, 3G. With the increasing demand for IT to achieve and support corporate objectives, IT department of Maxis must manage with a continuous barrage of changes such as changes in product requirements, technology, development processes, and deployment environments. As a result Maxis deliver newer technology assets and applications to their current customers and attract new customer base through proactive management of change. 3.2 Industry conditions (Porters Five Forces Analysis) Five forces which would impact an organizations behaviour in the market. Understanding the nature of these forces provides organizations the required insights to enable them to formulate the appropriate strategies to be successful in their market (Thurlby, 1998). 3.2.1 Threat of new entrants (high entry barriers) High capital investment for competitor entry into telecommunication industry. Companies in this industry incurred high fixed costs and spend fairly large amount of capital on network equipment and maintain development. Besides, technologies are also considered as barriers for new companies to enter the market. Maxiss reputation has been built around their superior customer service and quality network. Due to high expectations and standards that come with the Maxis brand it is not without reason that customers are more demanding of Maxis. As a result, Maxis always think that their business on being the customers first choice. Capital requirement usually build up a firm which is the high capability to compete in the industry. However, telecommunication is a high competitive industry in order to gain large market share. Therefore, new entrants have to ensure that they have ample financial resource to sustain in this industry. 3.2.2 Bargaining power of suppliers (high bargaining power of suppliers) Telecommunications industry in Malaysia is dependent on imports for the majority of its network components as most of the network equipment cannot be sourced locally. Maxis networks utilize standard equipment which is available from a limited number of suppliers. Most of the GSM equipment for Maxis mobile network operations is purchased from Motorola, Siemens and Trisilco Folec, and Maxis maintains close working relationships with its key network equipment suppliers. Since the suppliers of Maxis are limited, hence Maxis suppliers are powerful when the product they provide are differentiated or it has built up by switching cost. When there is occasional requirement by the buyers such as high investment in submarine fiber optic cable, and replace the copper cable and old satellite dishes that may provide reliable broadband connectivity. Maxis have high competitive environment causes existing entrants need to invest in high modernization technologies to enable the company to support and compete in this industry. Therefore, it is important for service providers to make sure the quality of the technology equipment. This makes the supplier group become more powerful. 3.2.3 Bargaining power of buyers (low bargaining power of buyers) In the era of globalization, advance of technology could increase the bargaining power of buyer, high available of information make it easier for buyer to evaluate sources of materials about telecommunication. There are many alternatives product such as fax, email, and internet which enhance the bargaining power of buyer to the mobile service provider. For the moment, high level of competition between the major telecommunication companies that exists in current market leads to low switching cost for the buyer to change their mobile service provider. Customers are highly price sensitive and easy to switch brand. It also means that customer will not be faithful to Maxis if they find out other brand provides better services than Maxis so they will change brand. As a result, this contributes to concentration of the buyers industry. Besides this, the buyers have high switching cost in this industry. As a result, the industry is more profitable when the buyers have low bargaining power which means the buyers are unable to affect the setting of prices in the industry. Maxis has came out with many Business Value Plus Plans for business people. It has so many methods to help save money when talking on the phone. Maxis wants to make sure that their customers can enjoy using Maxis services with a much lower price than other competitors. 3.2.4 Threat of substitute product (high threats of substitute) Maxis have many substitutes in the mobile industry. For instance, from traditional way which are using the letter, fixed home line telephone, fax and email to communication with other people till currently mostly everyone using broadband Internet services, which enable faster and always-on connection to the worldwide web, offer more promising growth potential. Furthermore, the pressure on the very low cost to use the phone calling via internet or communicate via online messenger had threatened the mobile industry. For example, nowadays many people use MSN, Facebook, and Skype to communicate rather than use their mobile. Threat of substitute product also will directly affect the profitability of Maxis. Substitute product is the product or services in other industries that is different from the existing product or services but serves the similar needs. Hence, threat of substitutes exists when a products demand is affected by the price change of a substitute product. This threat is supposed to be a strong point for Maxis because these substitute products such as letter or e-mail are unable to fulfill or completely replace the mobile services. 3.2.5 Intensity of rivalry among competitors (low intensity of rivalry) Telecommunication industry consists of only several mobile operators such as TM, Maxis, Digi, Celcom, Umobile and so on due to the entry restriction that imposed by the government. Profitability of the industry also affected greatly by the intensity of competition among existing competitors in the industry. Therefore, rivalry among competitors telecommunication industry in Malaysia is oligopoly structure nowadays and the level of competition in this particular industry is believed that to be low one. Maxis have two main competitors, they are Digi and Celcom. Cannot be denied that, Maxis lead the telecommunication industry. They largely compete on differentiate product and services on how to improve their features and implementing innovation to the customers. In addition, Maxis will definitely compete on the call rates, package price and so on with other two main competitors. Hence, Maxis try to gain competitive advantage through low call rate and price such as Youth Club. As we all know that Maxis, Digi and Celcom invested a lump sum of the money on advertising to promote their products and to attract more customers choose them. Summary of environmental scanning Basically, environmental scanning is about the careful examining of a firms internal and external environment for spotting early signs of opportunities and threats that may influence an organisations decision making process and its current and future plans. In the case of Maxis, they can spread and even penetrate into new market or other countries. Too much dependence on Malaysia as their main market is not enough in order to compete with its close competitors. Thus, Maxis can somehow implement its weakness into opportunities that might bring them into a new future plan. Plans such as adjustments to interconnect rates and ways to overcome the threats from its competitors are soon to be implemented. In the sense of customer care, lots of threats such as worms, Trojans, spyware and so forth would harm the special rights of customers as a Maxis user. Thus, Maxis requires certain software and devices so as to protect their customers from being tracked or harmed by unnecessary parties. Experts who can trace hackers or protect customers from being hacked are encouraged to stay in the management team in order to help overcome this threat. Although Maxis is the first telecommunication company to launch iPhone, the recent launch of Digis iPhone had posed further pressure on Maxis. In order to retain and attract more customers, Maxis would have to execute a better package with affordable rates for its users. Customer services must be improved to cater most of its customers needs. Also, they must keep upgrading their features or functions of its technological devices so as to lure more people in purchasing their products. It is normal to see some aggressive broadband promotions by wireless competitors. Therefore, Maxis must stand out as being more important than the rest to win over this challenging game. In addition to promotions, some other marketing strategies like collaboration with big companies in organizing an event, sponsorship from government agencies and what not can be carried out in order to gain good image from the public as a whole. 3.3 Description of key stakeholders Key Stakeholders are a subset of Stakeholders who, if their support were to be withdrawn, would cause the project to fail.  [5]   3.3.1 Capital Market Stakeholders Major suppliers of capital (e.g: banks) Shareholders Individuals, Bank/Finance Companies, Investment Trusts/Foundations/Charities, Other types of companies, Government Agencies/Institutions/Nominees In the company (Directors Interest in Shares) (Maxis Berhad Annual Report 2009, 2009) -Raja Tan Sri Dato Seri Arshad bin Raja Tun Uda -Robert William Boyle -Dato Mokhzani bin Mahathir -Asgari bin Mohd Fuad Stephens -Eng. Saud Majed A. AlDaweesh -Dr. Fahad Hussain S. Mushayt -Ghassan Hasbani -Augustus Ralph Marshall -Chan Chee Beng -Sandip Das 30 Largest Shareholders (Maxis Berhad Annual Report 2009, 2009) 1. Maxis Communications Berhad 2. Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) 3. Employees Provident Fund Board 4. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera 5. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (U.S.A) 6. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020 7. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Amanah Saham Malaysia 8. Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For Prudential Fund Management Berhad 9. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Amanah Saham Didik 10. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For J.P. Morgan Bank Luxembourg S.A 11. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For The Bank Of New York Mellon (Mellon Acct) 12. Malaysia Nominees (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad (Par 1) 13. Permodalan Nasional Berhad 14. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd BBH And Co Boston For Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund 15. Valuecap Sdn Bhd 16. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad A s 1Malaysia 17. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (U.A.E) 18. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Public Islamic Dividend Fund 19. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd TNTC For Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency 20. Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For American International Assurance Berhad 21. DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad Exempt AN For Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad (MYET F-DJIM25) 22. HSBC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Nomura Asset Mgmt Malaysia For Malaysia For Employees Provident Fund 23. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd TNTC For Mondrian Emerging Markets Equity Fund L.P 24. Cartaban Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd State Street For IS hares, Inc. 25. Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera 26. SBB Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) 27. CIMSEC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd CIMB For Gegas Cekap Sdn Bhd (PB) 28. CIMSEC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd CIMB For Tiara Gateway Sdn. Bhd. (PB) 29. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Public Islamic Equity Fund 30. Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd ING Insurance Berhad (INV -IL PAR ) 3.3.2 Product Market Stakeholders Primary customers All users which subscribe Maxis line (either prepaid, postpaid or 3G) or buy the products such as Mobile Internet, Iphone, Blackberry, Android, Wireless and Wired broadband from Maxis. Primary customers for Maxis IP VPN (IP VPN, 2010) Customers Name Van Wijnen Groep N.V. Solvay Group Industry Construction Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, plastics Business Challenge Develop employee and customer satisfaction by establishing an ERP system and enhancing information flows through an improved private network. Facilitate business restructuring and support innovation. Network Solution Versatels IP VPN service is based on a Cisco MPLS network to provide a data solution that is managed end to end and gives excellent capabilities for supporting ERP. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ BT Infonets IP VPN service is brought over an MPLS network built end to end with Cisco equipment and possesses a Cisco Powered Network designation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The service sustains Solvays global ERP and intranet developments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The managed network offers a flexible and protected foundation for new services, such as voice and video over IP. Suppliers (Authorised Distributors, 2010) ZyXEL Communications Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd ZyXEL, founded in 1989 in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is a pioneer manufacturer and supplier of DSL Customer Premise Equipment. ZyXEL is now worlds largest DSL router vendor and Europes second largest router supplier. In addition to its innovative products and solutions, ZyXEL has strong relationships with worldwide COE vendors such as Alcatel, Lucent and Nokia; ILECs such as Verizon and Chunghwa Telecom; international carriers such as France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, and Telefonica; ISPs such as EarthLink, Worldonline, Hinet, Seednet, Maxis and many others. Working closely with these and other partners, ZyXEL is committed to helping businesses succeed in the booming broadband market by providing them with value-added service and outstanding performance solutions at the most competitive price. Advanced Broadband Communications Sdn Bhd Advanced Broadband Communications Sdn Bhd is a newly formed company incorporated in April 2001. The company is a private joint venture, high-tech based company between Advanced Broadband Communication Sdn Bhd and Prestige Sierra Sdn Bhd. The company is 100% locally owned to provide total telecommunication solutions and services for both conventional IP Systems. The new technology that bridges conventional Circuit Switch communication to Internet Protocol (IP) communication. All IP-based solutions and services that will be developed and deployed by the company are targeted at business and personal users at all levels. Host communions Unions 3.3.3 Organizational Stakeholders Employees All employees who work under Maxis Managers (Malaysia Equity Research PP, 2010) Name Positions Sandip Das Chief Executive Officer Jean Pascal Emmanuel Dominique Van Overbeke Chief Operating Office Rossana Annizah binti Ahmad Rashid Chief Financial Officer Mark Guy Dioguardi Head of Network and Technology Stephen John Mead General Counsel Mohamed Fitri bin Abdullah Head of Enterprise Carrier Business Matthew Charles Willsher Chief Marketing Officer Azmi bin Ujang Head of Human Resources Chow Chee Yan Head of Internal Audit Chua Seok Theng Chief Information Officer Non-managers 3.4 SWOT analysis based on stakeholder groups 3.4.1 Capital Market Stakeholders Strengths Strong and competitive regional player. Association with MEASAT Satellite System. Weaknesses Depends too much on Malaysia as their main market. Opportunities Potential for triple play if tie-up with content provider/broadcaster, e.g. Astro. Association with Microsoft. Broadband market in Malaysia is growing. Wireless market in Asia Pacific has experienced a rapid growth. Threats Modifications to interconnect rates may pressure Maxis earnings as the company is a net receiver of calls. Regulatory framework. Mobile number portability in Malaysia. Intense competition from other telecommunication companies. 3.4.2 Product Market Stakeholders Strengths Premium branding and customer care persist to attract and retain subscribers. This is further followed by long term iPhone plans. Much broader 3G/3.5G coverage than Digi and similar coverage as Celcom. Largest subscriber base in Malaysia with c. 39% share. Largest postpaid subscriber base of c. 43% is vital to future market trend towards more postpaid subscribers. Its transparency and ability to deliver performance. Good loyalty programmes and perhaps the best family plan in Malaysia in our view. Weaknesses Maxis does not offer triple play of mobile, broadband and pay TV. Opportunities 32% of the Malaysian population is under 15 years old, which is a main target for broadband services over the next 15 years. New mobile devices, e.g. iPhone (4G) and recently launched iPad drive demand for broadband services. Under-served broadband population provides great growth opportunities. Selective enterprise opportunities as Maxis build backhaul capacity mainly for wireless broadband, thus it can target some lucrative enterprise businesses by using the same backhaul network. Threa

Unilever and Coke: Impact on the Environment and Workers

Unilever and Coke: Impact on the Environment and Workers A multinational corporation or MNC is a large joint stock company or a firm that has operations and assets in at least one foreign country other than its home country. They are characterized by having multi product portfolio, worldwide market, selling billions of worth goods services, large consumer base, worldwide competitors, global perspective, large RD base, employing thousands of workers globally, with only one motive i.e. Profit making. According to recent statistics the combined sales of top 200 MNC’s were around 28% of world’s GDP. Least developing country, or LDC’s, symbolise the weakest section of the international economic community comprising of almost 12% of world population, about 880 million people, accounting for only 2% world GDP 1% global trade (UN-OHRLLS). These countries are lacking in infrastructure, have poor economy inadequate industrial base, large population below poverty line. As per the 2012 UN list, there are 48 least developed coun tries in the world with countries like Africa, Latin America being a part of the list. A multinational companies’ primary motive is to reap profits by employing cheaper, efficient and reliable resources, for which LDC’s or developing economies are ideal as they are economically weak, burdened by unemployment, debt and structural instability. To woo these investors and bring in FDI, the governments lower trade restrictions and give a free reign to the country’s resources to boost their weak economy. While MNC’S are perceived as a positive force that bring employment, economic growth, better technology living standards in the developing economies, but their greed for profit maximisation has led them to exploit the natural resources, human resource, and environment of these developing countries. Coke and its Impact on India’s Economy, Natural resource (water), Environment India’s Reliance on Coke: The worldwide markets in 1990’s for soft drinks industry was shrinking and Coca Cola faced a shrinking market in the US and EU as the western consumer got more health conscious and started banning such products. The market focus shifted to India as it was a developing market with a large middle class population base. Coke returned back to India in 1993 and invested more than 1 billion US$ in 10 years’ time making it the country’s top international investor. With a record growth of â€Å"16% sales volume in India in 2012, 59 bottling operations, 21 contract packers manufacturers, 700,000 retail outlets†, (The Coca-Cola Company) Coke has created millions of jobs through its contract manufacturing, procurement, supply, and distribution networks. The company plans to â€Å"invest another $5 billion† to double its revenue and volume by 2020 making it one of the most promising MNC to boost the Indian economy. (The Coca-Col a Company) Access to natural Resources: Coca Cola, the American multinational invested in India to reap heavy profits and gets access to cheap ground water, low extraction and labour cost. Coca-Cola extracts about 2.5 million litres of water/day, equivalent to meet the basic needs of 100,000 residents every day (India Resource Centre).The use of ground water for bottling Coke and its products in various regions in India has led to drought leading to inability of farmers to continue farming. Indians face extreme water shortages due to unequal distribution of water and also because it’s a highly agrarian economy where 70% people rely on agriculture (Srivastava, 2008). Coke’s plant in Kala Dera, Rajasthan, has caused severe water shortages resulting in depletion of groundwater levels. TERI (The Energy Resources Institute), India’s largest NGO, in its report in 2008 said that in the peak summer months of its production, the plant accounted for using 8% of water extraction with in 2 km radius of the plant making it non-sustainable. Another bottling plant in Kerala, Palakkad, draws 1.5 million litres of water daily (Arjun Sen, The Statesman) resulting in drying up of irrigation wells and producing thousands of gallons of toxic sludge (BBC). Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited (HCCBPL), the bottling partner of Coke India, has a plant near Mehdiganj, UP. The plant’s annual requirement is 50,000 cubic metres of water, and uses 2 bore wells of depths 103 and 137 meters, drawing almost 12,290 cubic meters/month of water during its peak season (Central Groundwater Authority, India). As part of ‘Replenishment Policy’, the company has initiated 400 rainwater harvesting projects to restore groundwater resources, provide potable water to over 100 schools, restored traditional water bodies and is pioneering sustainable agricultural practices. Coca Cola also installed Rain Water Harvesting systems in 39 SOS children’s villages in it s bid to give back the water they are using. Environmental impact – A multinationals’ primary aim is profit and utilisation of production practices that are cheap and efficient, even though they might have a negative impact on environment. The contaminated farmlands comprising of toxic-laden waste and unacceptable levels of pesticides in Coke products, leaves toxic environmental footprints in India. Coca Cola has been discharging its waste and effluent into the fields, rivers around the plant areas indiscriminately resulting in the pollution of ground water and soil, making the water of wells and hand pumps unfit for consumption. In Plachimada and Mehdiganj areas Coke distributed its waste to farmers as Fertilisers. Tests conducted by BBC found traces of cadmium and lead in the waste proving its toxicity. Coke products have been proved to have high level of pesticides including DDT, lindane and Malathion with the pesticides and insecticides averaging 0.0150 mg/l, 30 times higher than the European Economic Commissi on (EEC) limit (Pollution Monitoring Laboratory), infact Coke’s Ballia plant is located in an area with a severe contamination of arsenic in its groundwater. Coca-Cola has introduced various initiatives for sustainable supply of agricultural crops, green manufacturing and packaging practices to support the farmers in improved yields and to protect the natural resources across the supply chain. Project ‘Unnati’ in Chittoor, has piloted ultrahigh-density plantations (UHDP) in mango cultivation, to raise productivity, conserve water land resources and increase the incomes of around 25,000 small farmers covering 50,000 acres. Unilever and its Impact on Workers and Environment Impact on Workers: The Unilever can be found across 150 countries, it’s a trusted name in nutrition, hygiene and personal care. They have been in 3 key countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya). Unilever has made an employee programme called, Lamplighter employee programme to improve the fitness, nutrition, and mental health of employees. (Employee Health, Nutrition Well-being.) This programme had already been used in 30 countries, reaching 35,000 people. In 2012, they restricted Smoking for employees whilst at work due to health issues, reaching a â€Å"100% compliance by 2013† (Employee Health, Nutrition Well-being.) According to the labour act, the maximum working hours is 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week. Also the employers working engaged in the harvesting the oil palms need to work on Saturdays but are paid twice the daily wage for working on Saturday. The wage paid to the workers in Ghana is relatively good as their â€Å"daily minimum wage in Ghana is  ¢13,200 (about â⠀š ¬1.25)† (Enu-Kwesi). Unilever’s labour act strictly prohibits the employment of children but the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) found children working in oil palms and rubber plantations. These children confront hazards like exposure to toxic substances, sexual abuse, violence, snake bites and accidents, such as from falling fruits, and cuts. Impact on Environment: Unilever is highly dependent on the environment as the raw materials it requires directly come from nature. According to Greenpeace, Unilever drives deforestation in Borneo by buying palm oil. Unilever is clearing the countrys rainforests, threatening native people and wildlife. Borneo is very important to Unilever because of the presence of palm oil, a common ingredient used in soaps and many other personal care products. Unilever purchases â€Å"1.3 million tons of palm oil each year.† (Hance, Jeremy.) Deforestation is endangering species and resulting in climate change through greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). In Sumatra and Borneo, palm-oil expansion threatens elephants, tigers and rhinos, as well as orang-utans. (The Other Oil Spill.) However, Unilever has taken various initiatives to save the environment by reducing their emissions GHG in the atmosphere, with acts like reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport, they will achieve this by reduci ng truck mileage, employing alternative transport such as rail or ship. There has been â€Å"18% improvement in CO2 efficiency since 2010 and 7% reduction of CO2 emissions in 2013 compared to 2012.† (TARGETS PERFORMANCE.) As Unilever is the largest producer of ice cream, making their consumption of refrigerators very high, they have tried to reduce gas emissions from refrigerators by using the hydrocarbon climate friendly refrigerators. Unilever has already bought â€Å"1.5 million refrigerator, exceeding their target of 850,000 units.† (TARGETS PERFORMANCE.) Conclusion: While MNC’S are perceived as a positive force that bring employment, economic growth, better technology living standards in the developing countries, but their greed for profit maximisation has led them to exploit the natural resources, human resource, and environment of these developing countries. The overwhelming data proves that the MNC’s are indeed taking due advantage of the weak regulatory authority of these countries at the cost of human health, well-being global environment. In India, Coca Cola may claim to ‘replenish water’ but the glaring truth is reflected by drying hand pumps, bore wells, ponds low ground-water levels and the drying agricultural farms because of lack of irrigation water. The environmental initiatives taken by the company are motivated by the intent to improve the productivity and yields, rest are all side benefits. Rather than bringing in economic prosperity, Coca-Cola has managed to bring in environmental degradat ion, toxic dumping, economic and health problems in Indian communities. Similarly Unilever boasts of many environmental human initiatives but it cannot balance out the damage it’s causing to the environment and the human labour, especially children of these developing countries. Is blatant liberalisation the answer to all the problems of these developing countries? Does the blame of over exploitation lies only at the doorsteps of the MNC’s and not the local governments, who give a free reign to these MNC’s to boost their economies? Who is accountable for the human and environmental damage these companies are incurring? When will we see the real â€Å"Responsible Corporate Citizen MNC’s† that are dictated by a moral code and not just the profit mode?

Ontological Shift :: essays research papers

Ontological Shift   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Michael Heim’s essay â€Å"The Cyber Space Dialectic†, he discusses how our culture is going through an ontological shift fashioned by the Internet. Heim articulates his theory of what dialectic is and how this ontological shift is creating a new dialectic. The Internet is the main place today where people from all over the world exchange and communicate their ideas and feelings. The Internet is a new community in itself. The ontological shift into the cyberspace times will change the way we think, and the way we act; it will change our overall sense of being. These change that Heim calls an â€Å"ontological shift† has brought on questions about changing society. These are similar to the questions that Peter Drucker and Benjamin Barber brought up when they discussed about creating a new society. Will society benefit from this new society in which its central being is cyberspace? This is a serious question since we are living in the phase t hat is changing into the cyber world now. How will this change affect this new technologically inclined society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have all used the Internet to talk to other people, either using chat or emails. We converse with people with different backgrounds and cultures. When interacting with different types of people, it means that we are working in groups and collaborating. This is what the Internet is all about. Interacting with each other in new ways, and learning how to open yourself to other points of views and new ideas. In his essay Heim states, â€Å"Computer networks foster virtual communities that cut across geography time zones. Virtual community seems a cure-all for isolated people who complain about their isolation. Locked in metal boxes on urban freeways, a population enjoys socializing with fellow humans through computer networks†(Heim 374). As Heim explains in his essay, the Internet can bring together communities that are isolated from the rest of the world. It helps communities and different types of people communicate with each other. It creates the idea of group work through computer networks. This was also one theme in Barbers essay; Group work is what makes ideas carry through and productive. In Barber’s â€Å"Making Civil Society Real† he states, â€Å"Civic responsibility, being a partnership between government, civil society, and the private market necessarily depends on the active collaboration of political leaders, citizens and business people†(Barber 106). Our responsibility as a society is to collaborate our selves with all the groups that make this society function.

Essay --

Science project: Creating a cell Cell membrane The cell membrane in the plant controls what comes into the cell. If something is needed the membrane lets the cell get past. In a plant, the membrane is surrounding the cytoplasm and the cell itself. The main function: The cell membrane has the important job to support the cell membrane and cytoskeleton inside of it. The membrane does the same job to the cytoplasm as it does to the cell. It lets some proteins in and keeps others out. In a plant, the membrane also serves an attachment to the cytoplasm. This means the membrane supports the cell and keeps it in shape. The membrane is made up of two parts, the internal and outer membrane. The outer membrane controls what comes in of the cell and how much of it is needed. The inner membrane supports the cell and controls the exchange of organelles from its cell to another. However, membranes are semi-permeable. This means that they allow very small molecules in even if not needed. Like oxygen and carbon molecules. The cell transport proteins to other cells that keeps the cell healthier. Other parts that help the membrane transport organelles are transmembrane proteins. These proteins are spread around the whole membrane. There are four types of transme mbrane proteins transporters, receptors, anchor and enzyme. Transporters carry one molecule to another. The enzyme transforms a molecule to a different form. An anchor protein can connect an outer molecule with an inner molecule. What are they made of; Cell membranes are made up of a phospholipids bilayer. The bilayer is made of many phospholipids side by side. The phospholipids has one glycerol two fatty acids and one phosphate heads. This compares to a †¦ Laser alarm: ... ...reate a chemical reaction to make NADPH and ATP. Now the dark reaction. The ATP from the light reaction is used to make carbohydrates from hydrogen. The carbohydrates posses and energy that are given by the ATP and NADPH. This carbohydrate has the chemical energy to make glucose (sugar) that is the main source of their food. The chloroplast’s ability to do the process photosynthesis is not only helpful to plant but to animals that eat plants. This because a plant cannot live without food and an animal’s food is a plant. What is it made of: A chloroplast is made up of lipids and protein membranes that are folded in a complex way. This compares to a: Solar panel: Similarities: †¢ Converts sun light to energy †¢ Just like the chloroplast, the solar panel stores the energy from the day so they can use it for the night too. †¢

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 39~41

39 Showtime The Sky Priestess rolled over in bed and slapped the beeping intercom as if it was a mouthy stepchild. â€Å"I'm sleeping here,† she said. â€Å"Get in character, Beth. We have an order, due in Japan in six hours.† â€Å"Why don't these fuckers ever call at a civilized hour?† â€Å"We guarantee freshness. We have to deliver.† â€Å"Don't grow a sense of humor on me at this point, Sebastian. The shock might kill me. Who's the chosen?† â€Å"Sepie, female, nineteen, a hundred and ten pounds.† â€Å"I know her,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"What about our pilot?† â€Å"I'm putting two of the staff on him to make sure he stays in his bungalow.† â€Å"He's still going to hear it. Are you sure you don't want to sedate him?† â€Å"Use your head, Beth. He has to fly. We'll do it with smaller explosions. Maybe he'll sleep through it.† She was wide awake now and starting to feel the excitement and anxiety of a performance. â€Å"I'll be ready in twenty minutes. Have the ninjas start my music.† Tuck had Favo in a headlock and was administering affectionate noogies to the old man's scalp. â€Å"I love this fuckin' guy. This fuckin' guy is the best. I love all you fuckin' guys.† Malink had never seen noogies and wondered why this bizarre ritual had never showed up in the party scenes in People. He prided himself on understanding white people's habits, but this was a new one. Favo didn't seem to be enjoying the ritual nearly as much as Tuck was. The tuba had all been drunk. Maybe it was time to rescue his friend. â€Å"Now we go find the girl-man,† Malink said. Tuck looked up, still holding Favo, whose eyes were starting to bug out a little. â€Å"‘Kay,† the pilot said. Malink led them into the village, his bowlegged gait more wobbly than normal. A dozen Shark men and Tucker crashed and staggered behind him. As they passed by the bachelors' house and onto the trail that led to Sarapul's side of the island, the music started: big band sounds with easy liquid rhythms echoed through the jungle. The Shark men stopped in their tracks and when the music paused, just for a second, they shouted, â€Å"Pennsylvania 6-5000!† and the music began again. â€Å"What's that?† Tucker asked. Women and children were stirring from their sleep, creeping off into the bushes to pee, rubbing sleepy eyes and stretching creaky backs. Malink said, â€Å"The Sky Priestess is coming.† â€Å"Who?† Tuck finally released Favo, who he had been dragging by his head. The old man gasped, then grinned and sat splayed-legged on the trail. â€Å"We have to go,† Malink said. â€Å"You should go back now.† The music paused and Malink, along with the rest of the Shark People, shouted, â€Å"Pennsylvania 6-5000!† â€Å"Go now,† Malink ordered, once again the chief. â€Å"The Sky Priestess comes. We must get ready.† He turned and strode back into the village. The other Shark men scattered, leaving Tucker standing on the trail by himself. Tuck heard the sound of large prop planes mixing with the big band music. The Shark People were draining out of the village onto the trails that led to the runway. Within seconds, the village was deserted. Tuck staggered back to the beach where he'd left his fins and mask. As he stepped over the logs of the drinking circle, there was an explosion and he thought for a moment that he'd found another land mine until he realized that the sound had come from the direction of the runway. Not trusting himself to find the path through the village, Tucker decided to follow the beach back to the compound. After he'd gone a hundred yards or so, he saw something white lying on the beach and bent to pick it up. A long spiral notebook. The moon was high in the sky and he could see a name printed on the cover in bold permanent marker: JEFFERSON PARDEE. Beth Curtis, dressed in surgical greens, waved the guards away from Tuck's door and knocked. She waited a few seconds and knocked again, then walked in. She could just make out a sleeping figure through the mosquito net. â€Å"Case, get up. We've got to fly.† The body did not stir. â€Å"Case?† She pulled aside the netting and poked the sleeping figure. A green coconut rolled out of the bed and thumped at her feet. â€Å"You sleep with a coconut? You pathetic bastard.† She jumped back and a groggy Tucker Case groaned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Wake up. We fly in half an hour.† Tuck rolled over and blinked through the hangover fog. The sun was coming up and the roosters were going off all over the island. The room was only half-lit. â€Å"What time is it?† â€Å"It's time to go. Get the plane ready.† Beth Curtis walked out. Tuck rolled out of bed, crawled to the bathroom, and emptied his stomach into the bowl with a trumpeting heave. 40 Unfriendly Skies Tuck spooled up the jets as he watched the guards scramble around the Lear. Each time one walked past the nose, Tuck flipped on the radar and chuckled. The microwave energy wasn't enough to boil the guards in their skins, which was Tuck's fantasy, but he could be reasonably certain that they would never have any children and he might have planted the seeds of a few choice tumors. Once in Houston a maintenance man made the mistake of walking in front of Mary Jean's jet with an armload of fluorescent bulbs meant for the hangar, and Jake Skye had shown Tucker a little trick. â€Å"Watch this, Jake had said.† He flipped on the radar and the bulbs, bombarded by the microwaves from the radar, lit up in the maintenance man's arms. The poor guy threw the bulbs in the air and ran off the field, leaving a pile of glass shards and white powder behind. It was the second-coolest thing Tucker had ever seen, the first being the time they had used the Gulfstream's jets to sandblast the paint off a Porsche whose owner in-sisted on parking on the tarmac. Tuck was waiting for one of the guards to walk behind the jets when Beth Curtis came on board. She wore her business suit and carried the briefcase and the cooler, but this time she sat in one of the passenger seats in the back and fell asleep before they took off. Tuck took the opportunity to suck some oxygen from the emergency supply to help cut through his hangover. When they were five hundred miles out over the Pacific, Tuck peeked into the passenger compartment to make sure Beth Curtis was still sleeping. When he was sure she was still out, he checked the fuel gauges, then pushed the yoke forward and dropped the Lear down to level off at a hundred feet. Traveling at almost six hundred miles per hour at only a hundred feet off the water did exactly what Tuck had hoped it would. He was absolutely ecstatic with an adrenaline rush that chased his hangover back to the Dark Ages. He dropped another fifty feet and laughed out loud when some salt spray dashed the windscreen. It was a clear sunny day with only a few wispy columnar clouds rising off the water. Tuck flew under and through them as if they were enemy ghosts. Then a speck appeared on the horizon. A second later Tuck recog-nized it as a ship and pulled the jet up to two hundred feet. Suddenly something rose off the ship's deck. A helicopter, going out to spot and herd schools of tuna for the factory ship. Tuck pulled up on the yoke, but the helicopter rose directly into his path. There wasn't even time to key the radio to warn the pilot. Tuck threw the Lear into a tight turn while pulling the jet up and whizzed by the helicopter close enough to see the pilot's eyes go wide. He could just make out men shaking fists at him from the deck of the factory ship. â€Å"Eee-haa!† he shouted (a bad habit he'd picked up in Texas cowboy bars, and if this wasn't cowboy flying, what was?). He steered the jet back on course and leveled off at two hundred feet. He was still dangerously low and burning fuel four times faster than he would at altitude, but hell, a guy had to have some fun. He wasn't paying for the fuel, and there hadn't been much low-level flying when he'd worked for Mary Jean. People on the ground might have trouble remembering the numbers on the side of the plane to report to the FAA, but you don't soon forget a pink jet flying close enough to the ground to cool your soup. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Beth Curtis appeared in the cockpit doorway. â€Å"Why are we so low?† A wave of panic akin to being caught smoking in the boys' room swept over Tuck, but he couldn't think fast enough to come up with a viable lie. He said, â€Å"You haven't surfed until you've surfed in a Learjet.† Much to his amazement, Beth Curtis said, â€Å"Cool!† and strapped herself into the copilot's seat. Tuck grinned and eased the jet down to fifty feet. Beth Curtis clapped her hands like an excited child. â€Å"This is great!† â€Å"We can't do it for long. Burns too much fuel.† â€Å"A little while longer, okay?† Tuck smiled. â€Å"Maybe five more minutes. We can catch a tailwind at altitude that'll save us some time and fuel.† â€Å"Is this what you were doing the night you crashed?† Tuck winced. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Because I could understand if it was. What a rush!† She reached out and grabbed his shoulder affectionately. â€Å"I love this. How could you let me sleep through this?† â€Å"We can surf some more on the way back,† Tuck said. And with that his resolve was gone. He'd planned to ask her about the music and explosions from last night. He'd planned to ask her about Jefferson Pardee's notebook, which he carried in his back pocket, but he didn't want to break this mood. It had been too long since he'd had any attention from a beautiful woman, and he gave himself to it like a jonesing junkie. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, â€Å"but you'll have to wait here.† Beth Curtis retrieved her briefcase and cooler from the back of the plane and met the dark-suited Japanese on the tarmac. There was another Lear spooling up nearby and a couple of workmen in coveralls waited beside a large cardboard carton. Tuck watched as Beth Curtis handed the cooler to one of the suits, who ran to the waiting Lear. Within seconds, the door was pulled shut and the other Lear was taxied out to the runway. Another one of the suits handed Beth a thick manila envelope, which she stashed in her briefcase. She turned and ran back into the plane. She stepped into the cockpit and put her briefcase behind the copilot's seat. â€Å"I'll be right back, ten minutes max. I've got to make sure these guys get my TV on board unbroken.† â€Å"TV?† â€Å"Thirty-two-inch Trinitron,† she said with a smile. â€Å"To replace the one that you're using.† â€Å"I want a thirty-two-inch Trinitron,† Tuck said to her back, but she was already out the door. He looked out the window to make sure she was busy with the television, then pulled her briefcase from behind the seat and threw the latches. To his amazement, it was unlocked. He removed the manila envelope. Under it lay a small automatic pistol. He could take it, but then what? Hold it on Beth Curtis until she confessed to whatever she and the doctor were doing? And what was that? Research? There was no law against that. He left the gun untouched and opened the envelope. He wasn't sure what he expected to find: research notes, bearer bonds, stock certificates, cash, something that would shed some light on all this clandestine behavior for sure. What he found was four issues of People magazine and four issues of Us. Beth Curtis was smuggling American cheese out of Japan and that was it. He put the envelope back into the briefcase and slid it behind the seat, then pulled Jefferson Pardee's notebook out of his pocket. Perhaps there was something inside that would tell him how the notebook had gotten to a beach some seven hundred miles from where its owner was supposed to be. He flipped though the pages where Pardee had scribbled phone numbers, dates, and a few notes, but the only things he recognized were his own name, the names of Sebastian Curtis and his wife, and the word â€Å"Learjet,† followed by â€Å"Why? How? Who paid?† and â€Å"Find other pilot.† Pardee was obviously asking the same questions that were circling in Tuck's mind, but what was this about another pilot? Had Pardee come to Alualu looking for the answers? And if he did, where was he now? â€Å"What's that?† Beth Curtis said as she came through the cockpit door. Tuck flipped the notebook shut and stuffed it in his back pocket. â€Å"Some flight notes. I'm used to keeping a log for the FAA. I guess I brought this along out of habit.† In the midst of the lie, he almost panicked. If she asked where he had gotten the notebook in the first place, he was dead. Maybe better to confront her here in Japan anyway – while he knew where the gun was. She said, â€Å"I didn't realize there was any paperwork to flying a plane.† â€Å"More than you'd think,† Tuck said. â€Å"I'm still getting used to how this plane handles. I'm just writing down things I need to remember, you know, climb rates and engine exhaust pressures, fuel consumption per hour at altitude, stuff like that.† Right, he thought. Baffle her with bullshit. â€Å"Oh,† she said with what Tuck thought was indifference until she reached behind her seat and pulled out her briefcase. He held his breath, waiting for the gun to appear. She took out an issue of People and opened it on her lap. She didn't look away from the magazine until they were well over the Pacific, heading home. â€Å"You know, we haven't seen much of you lately. Maybe you should come up to the house and have dinner with Sebastian and me tonight.† She had slipped on her fifties housewife personality. Tuck had been thinking about Pardee's notebook and where he'd found it. He wanted to get back to the village tonight. If Pardee had come to Alualu, maybe the old chief knew something about it. â€Å"I'm a little tired. We got a pretty early start. I think maybe I'll just fix up something quick at my place and get to bed early.† She yawned. â€Å"Maybe tomorrow night. Around seven. Maybe we can try out my new TV.† â€Å"That'll be fine.† Tuck said. â€Å"I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you and the doc anyway.† â€Å"Good,† she said. â€Å"I think we should spend more time together. Now explain to me what all these gauges mean.† 41 What's a Kidney? Privacy is a rare commodity on a small island and secrets weigh heavy on their keepers. Malink was weary with the burden of too many secrets. If he could only go to the drinking circle and let his secrets out, let the coconut telegraph carry his secrets to the edges of the island and let him walk light. But that wasn't going to happen. Secrets sought him out now, even from the old cannibal. He stood with Sarapul and Kimi examining an eighty-four-foot breadfruit tree with a trunk you couldn't get your arms around. Kimi held an ax on his shoulder, waiting for Malink's judgment. â€Å"Why so big?† Malink asked. â€Å"This tree will give much breadfruit.† â€Å"This is the tree,† Sarapul said. â€Å"The navigator has chosen it.† Kimi said, â€Å"We will plant ten trees to take its place, but this is the one.† â€Å"Why do you need such a big tree?† â€Å"I can't tell you,† Sarapul said. â€Å"You will tell me or you won't cut the tree.† â€Å"If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else?† Malink sighed. Yet another secret. â€Å"I will tell no one.† â€Å"Come. We'll show you.† Sarapul led Malink and Kimi through the jungle to an overgrown spot piled with dried palm leaves. Malink leaned on a tree while the old cannibal pulled away the palm fronds to reveal the prow of a canoe. Not just any canoe. A forty-foot-long sailing canoe. Malink hadn't seen one since he was a small boy. â€Å"This is why we need the tree,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I have hidden it here for many years, but the hull is rotten and we need to fix it.† Malink felt something stir in him at the sight of the big eye painted on the prow. Something that went back to a time before he could remember, when his people sailed thousands of miles by the eye of the canoe and the guidance of the great navigators. Lost arts made sad by this reminder. He shook his head. â€Å"No one knows how to build a sailing canoe anymore, Sarapul. You are so old you don't remember what you've forgotten.† â€Å"He can fix it,† Sarapul said, pointing to Kimi. Kimi grinned. â€Å"My father taught me. He was a great navigator from Satawan.† Malink raised a grizzled eyebrow. â€Å"That is where you learned our language?† â€Å"I can fix it. And I can sail it.† â€Å"He's teaching me,† Sarapul said. Malink felt the stirring inside him grow into excitement. There was something here he hadn't felt since the arrival of Vincent. This was a secret that lifted him rather than weighing him down. But he was chief and dignity forbade him from shouting joy to the sky. â€Å"You may cut the tree, but there is a condition.† â€Å"You can't tell anyone,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I will not tell anyone. But when the canoe is fixed, you must teach one of the young ones to be a navigator.† He looked at Kimi. â€Å"Will you do that?† Kimi nodded. â€Å"You have your tree, old man,† Malink said. â€Å"I will tell no one.† He turned and walked and fell into a light bowlegged amble down the path. Kimi called to him, â€Å"I hear my friend, the pilot, was in the village last night.† Malink turned. The coconut telegraph evidently ran even to Sarapul's little corner of the island. â€Å"He asked about you. He said he will come back.† â€Å"Did he have a bat with him?† â€Å"No bat,† Malink said. â€Å"Come tonight to the drinking circle. Maybe he will come.† â€Å"I can't,† Kimi said. â€Å"The boys from the bachelors' house hate me.† â€Å"They hate the girl-man,† Malink said, â€Å"not the navigator. You come.† After a nutritious dinner of canned peaches and instant coffee, Tuck checked the position of the guards, turned out the lights, and built his coconut-headed surrogate under the mosquito netting. Only the second time and already it seemed routine. There was none of the nervousness or anxiety of the night before as he crawled below window level to the bathroom and pried up the metal shower tray. He dropped through the opening and was reaching up to grab his mask and fins when he heard the knock on the front door and froze. He heard the door open and Beth Curtis call, â€Å"Mr. Case, are you asleep already?† He couldn't let her see the dummy in his bed. â€Å"I'm in the bathroom. Just a second.† He caught the edges of the shower opening and vaulted back into the bathroom. The metal tray fell back over the opening, sounding like the Tin Man trying to escape from a garbage can. He heard Beth Curtis pad to the bathroom door. â€Å"Are you all right in there?† â€Å"Fine,† Tuck said. â€Å"Just dropped the soap.† He snagged a bar of soap off the sink and placed it in the bottom of the shower tray, then threw open the bathroom door. Beth Curtis stood there in a long red silk kimono that was open in a narrow canyon of white flesh to her navel. Whatever Tuck was going to say, he forgot. â€Å"Sebastian wanted me to bring you this.† She held out a check. Tuck tore his eyes from her cleavage and took the check. â€Å"Five thousand dollars. Mrs. Curtis, this is really more than I bargained for.† â€Å"You deserve it. You were very sweet to take the time to explain all the instrumentation to me.† She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, keeping the warm pressure of her lips there a little too long. Tuck imagined her tongue darting though his skull and licking his brain's pleasure center. He could smell her perfume, something deep and musky, and his eyes locked on her breasts, which were completely exposed when she leaned forward. He felt as if he had been staring at an arc welder and that creamy powdered image would travel across his field of vision for hours. A chasm of silence opened up and wrenched his attention back into the room. â€Å"This is very generous,† he said. â€Å"But it could have waited. It's not like I have anywhere to spend it.† â€Å"I know. I just wanted to thank you again. Personally, without Sebastian around. And I thought you might be able to explain some of the finer points of flying a jet. It's all so exciting.† Never a man of strong resolve, the combination of sight, scent, and flattery activated Tuck's seduction autopilot. He glanced toward the bed and the switch clicked off. Sexual response was replaced by the dummy Tuck shaking its coconut head. He looked back at her and locked on her eyes – only her eyes. â€Å"Maybe tomorrow,† he said. â€Å"I'm really bushed. I was just going to catch a shower and go right to bed.† For an instant her pouty smile disappeared and her lips seemed to tighten into a red line, then just as quickly the smile was back, and Tuck wasn't sure he'd seen the change at all. â€Å"Well, tomorrow, then,† she said, pulling the front of her kimono together as if she had only just noticed that it had fallen open. â€Å"We'll see you at seven.† She turned at the door and threw Tuck a parade queen wave as she left, once again the darling of the Eisenhower era. When she was safely out of the bungalow, Tuck ran to the bed and picked up the green coconut. â€Å"What in the hell was that about?† The coconut didn't answer. â€Å"Fine,† Tuck said, fitting the head back on the sleeping dummy. â€Å"I am not impressed. I am not shaken, nor am I stirred. Weirdness is my business.† Even as he said it, he dismissed the hallucination as his own good sense manifesting a warning, but the duel cravings for a drink and a woman yanked at his insides like dull fishhooks. He turned off the light and let the cravings lead him out the bathroom hatch to the moonlit sea. Forty minutes later he took his place in the circle of the Shark men. Chief Malink stood and greeted Tuck with a jarring backslap. â€Å"Good to see you, my friend. How's it hanging?† â€Å"It hangs with magnificent splendor,† Tuck said, his programmed response to the truck drivers and cowboys who used that expression, although he wondered where Malink had heard it. â€Å"But I'm a little parched,† he said. A fat young man named Vincent was pouring tonight and he handed Tucker the coconut cup with a smile. Tuck sipped at first, fighting that first gag, then gulped down the coconut liquor and gritted his teeth to keep it from coming back up. The older men in the group seemed festive and yattered back and forth in their native language, but Tuck noticed that the younger men were sulking, digging their toes into the sand like pouting little boys. â€Å"Why so glum, guys? Someone kill you dog?† â€Å"No,† Malink said, not quite understanding the question. â€Å"We eat a turtle today.† Having your dog killed must mean something different here than it means back in Texas, Tuck realized. Malink sensed Tuck's confusion. â€Å"They are sad because the Sky Priestess has chosen the mispel from their house and she will be gone many days now.† â€Å"Mispel?† â€Å"The girl you followed last night is mispel of the bachelors' house.† â€Å"Sorry to hear that, guys,† Tuck said, acting as if he had the slightest idea what a mispel or being chosen was. He figured that maybe it had something to do with PMS. Maybe when the women started getting cranky with the old Sky Priestess cramps, they just checked her into a special â€Å"chosen† hut until she mellowed out. He waited until the cup came around the circle before he brought it up again. â€Å"So she was chosen by the old Sky Priestess, huh? Tough luck there. Did you try giving her chocolate? That takes the edge off sometimes.† â€Å"We give her special tuba when she comes,† Malink said. â€Å"Tastes like shit!† several of the men chanted. Abo, the fierce one, said, â€Å"I am chosen and now Sepie is chosen. I will marry her.† Several of the other young men seemed less than pleased at Abo's announcement. â€Å"Come on, man,† Tuck said. â€Å"You might need a little attitude adjustment, but you're not chosen.† â€Å"I am,† Abo insisted. â€Å"Look.† He turned his back to the group and ran his finger across a long pink scar that ran diagonally across his ribs. â€Å"The Sky Priestess chose me for Vincent in the time of the ripe breadfruit.† Tuck stared at the scar, stunned, hoping that what he was thinking was as far off as his PMS theory had been. â€Å"The Sky Priestess? That was the music last night, all the noise?† â€Å"Yes,† Malink said, â€Å"Vincent brings her in his airplane. We never see it, but we hear it.† â€Å"And when someone is chosen, then does the jet always fly the next day?† Malink nodded. â€Å"No one was chosen for a long time until Vin cent sent you to fly the white airplane. We thought Vincent was angry with us.† Tuck looked to Abo, who seemed satisfied that the chief was backing him up. â€Å"Where do you go when you are chosen?† â€Å"You go to the white house where the Sorcerer lives. There are many machine.† â€Å"And then what? What happens in the white house?† â€Å"It is secret.† Tuck was across the circle in Abo's face. â€Å"What happens there?† Abo seemed frightened and turned away. Tuck looked around at the other men. â€Å"Who else here has been chosen?† The fat kid who had been pouring twisted so Tuck could see the scar on his back. â€Å"What's your name, kid?† â€Å"Vincent.† â€Å"I should have known. Vincent, what happens in the white house?† Young Vincent shook his head. Tuck turned to Malink. â€Å"What happens?† Malink shook his head. â€Å"I don't know. I have not been chosen.† A familiar voice called out of the dark, â€Å"They make them sleep.† Everyone turned to see Kimi coming down the path from the village. The old cannibal creaked along behind him. Abo barked a reproach to Kimi in his native tongue. Kimi barked back something in the same language. Tuck didn't have to know the language to know that Kimi had told the fierce one to fuck off. â€Å"Kimi, are you okay?† Tuck barely recognized the navigator. He was wearing the blue loincloth of the Shark men and he seemed to have put on some muscle. Tuck was genuinely delighted to see him. The navigator ran to him and threw his arms around the pilot. Tuck found himself returning the embrace. Several of the young men had stood and were glaring at Kimi. One of the jugs of tuba had been kicked over, but no one seemed to notice the liquor running out on the sand. â€Å"Kimi, do you know what's going on here?† â€Å"A pretty white woman with yellow hair. She come out of the fence and take the girl away. They will put her to sleep and when she wakes up she will have a cut here.† He drew his finger across the back of his ribs. â€Å"No!† Abo screamed. He leaped over the crouching Malink to get to Kimi. Without thinking, Tuck swung around and caught Abo under the jaw with a roundhouse punch. Abo's feet flew out from under him and he landed on his back. Tuck rubbed his hand. Abo tried to struggle to his feet and Malink barked an order to two of the young Vincents. Re-luctantly, they restrained their friend. â€Å"Vincent has sent the pilot,† Malink reminded them. Tuck turned back to Kimi. â€Å"What happens then?† â€Å"You owe me five hundred dollars.† â€Å"You'll get it. What happens then?† â€Å"The chosen has to stay in bed for many days. There are tube stuck in them and they are in much pain. Then they come back.† â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"Yes,† Kimi said. Malink stood now and addressed Kimi. â€Å"How do you know this?† Kimi shrugged. â€Å"Sepie tells me.† Malink turned to Abo, who had stopped struggling and now looked terrified. â€Å"She said she would not tell. The girl-man put a spell on her.† Tuck stood rubbing his knuckles, watching this little tropical opera and feeling like someone had snapped on a light and found him french-kissing a maggoty corpse. The cooler, the surgical garb, the flights on short notice, the second jet waiting on the tarmac in Japan, the guards, the secrecy, the money. How had he been so fucking stupid? Malink was hurling a string of native curses at Abo, who looked as if he would burst into tears any second. â€Å"You dumb motherfuckers!† Tuck shouted. Malink stopped talking. â€Å"She's selling your kidneys. The doc is taking out your kidneys and selling them in Japan.† This revelation didn't have quite the effect that Tuck thought it would. In fact, he seemed to be the only one concerned about it at all. â€Å"Did you hear me?† Malink looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"What is a kidney?†