The Legendary Phoenix in Ancient History

Those who have seen the Harry Potter movies have watched the amazing power of the Phoenix. Its tear once cured Harry of Basilisk poison and another time, it went up in a puff of flame only to come back to life again. It would truly be an amazing bird, if only it were real. The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth, especially of the sun, and has variants in European, Central American, Egyptian and Asian cultures. In the 19th century, Hans Christian Anderson wrote a story about it. Edith Nesbit features it in one of her childrens stories, The Phoenix, and the Carpet, as does J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series. According to the most popular variant of the phoenix, the bird lives in Arabia for 500 years at the end of which, it burns itself and its nest. In the version described by Clement, an ante-Nicene (basically, before Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire) Christian theologian, the phoenix nest is made of frankincense, myrrh, and spices. A new bird always rises from the ashes. Ancient sources on the mythological phoenix bird, include Clement, the great mythographer and poet Ovid, the Roman natural historian Pliny (Book X.2.2), the top ancient Roman historian, Tacitus, and the father of Greek history, Herodotus. Passage From Pliny Ethiopia and India, more especially, produce1 birds of diversified plumage, and such as quite surpass all description. In the front rank of these is the phœnix, that famous bird of Arabia; though I am not quite sure that its existence is not all a fable. It is said that there is only one in existence in the whole world, and that that one has not been seen very often. We are told that this bird is of the size of an eagle, and has a brilliant golden plumage around the neck, while the rest of the body is of a purple colour; except the tail, which is azure, with long feathers intermingled of a roseate hue; the throat is adorned with a crest, and the head with a tuft of feathers. The first Roman who described this bird, and who has done so with the greatest exactness, was the senator Manilius, so famous for his learning; which he owed, too, to the instructions of no teacher. He tells us that no person has ever seen this bird eat, that in Arabia it is looked upon as sacred to the sun, that it lives five hundred and forty years, that when it becomes old it builds a nest of cassia and sprigs of incense, which it fills with perfumes, and then lays its body down upon them to die; that from its bones and marrow there springs at first a sort of small worm, which in time changes into a little bird: that the first thing that it does is to perform the obsequies of its predecessor, and to carry the nest entire to the city of the Sun near Panchaia, and there deposit it upon the altar of that divinity.The same Manilius states also, that the revolution of the great year 6 is completed with the life of this bird, and that then a new cycle comes round again with the same characteristics as the former one, in the seasons and the appearance of the stars; and he says that this begins about mid-day of the day on which the sun enters the sign of Aries. He also tells us that when he wrote to the above effect, in the consulship7 of P. Licinius and Cneius Cornelius, it was the two hun dred and fifteenth year of the said revolution. Cornelius Valerianus says that the phœnix took its flight from Arabia into Egypt in the consulship8 of Q. Plautius and Sextus Papinius. This bird was brought to Rome in the censorship of the Emperor Claudius, being the year from the building of the City, 800, and it was exposed to public view in the Comitium.9 This fact is attested by the public Annals, but there is no one that doubts that it was a fictitious phœnix only. Passage From Herodotus There is another sacred bird, too, whose name is phoenix. I myself have never seen it, only pictures of it; for the bird seldom comes into Egypt: once in five hundred years, as the people of Heliopolis say.Herodotus Book II. 73.1 Passage From Ovids Metamorphoses [391] Now these I named derive their origin from other living forms. There is one bird which reproduces and renews itself: the Assyrians gave this bird his name-the Phoenix. He does not live either on grain or herbs, but only on small drops of frankincense and juices of amomum. When this bird completes a full five centuries of life straightway with talons and with shining beak he builds a nest among palm branches, where they join to form the palm trees waving top. As soon as he has strewn in this new nest the cassia bark and ears of sweet spikenard, and some bruised cinnamon with yellow myrrh, he lies down on it and refuses life among those dreamful odors.-And they say that from the body of the dying bird is reproduced a little Phoenix which is destined to live just as many years. When time has given to him sufficient strength and he is able to sustain the weight, he lifts the nest up from the lofty tree and dutifully carries from that place his cradle and the parents sepulchre. As soon as he has reached through yielding air the city of Hyperion, he will lay the burden just before the sacred doors within the temple of Hyperion.Metamorphoses Book XV Passage From Tacitus During the consulship of Paulus Fabius and Lucius Vitellius, the bird called the phoenix, after a long succession of ages, appeared in Egypt and furnished the most learned men of that country and of Greece with abundant matter for the discussion of the marvellous phenomenon. It is my wish to make known all on which they agree with several things, questionable enough indeed, but not too absurd to be noticed. That it is a creature sacred to the sun, differing from all other birds in its beak and in the tints of its plumage, is held unanimously by those who have described its nature. As to the number of years it lives, there are various accounts. The general tradition says five hundred years. Some maintain that it is seen at intervals of fourteen hundred and sixty-one years, and that the former birds flew into the city called Heliopolis successively in the reigns of Sesostris, Amasis, and Ptolemy, the third king of the Macedonian dynasty, with a multitude of companion birds marvelling at the novelty of the appearance. But all antiquity is of course obscure. From Ptolemy to Tiberius was a period of less than five hundred years. Consequently some have supposed that this was a spurious phoenix, not from the regions of Arabia, and with none of the instincts which ancient tradition has attributed to the bird. For when the number of years is completed and death is near, the phoenix, it is said, builds a nest in the land of its birth and infuses into it a germ of life from which an offspring arises, whose first care, when fledged, is to bury its father. This is not rashly done, but taking up a load of myrrh and having tried its strength by a long flight, as soon as it is equal to the burden and to the journey, it carries its fathers body, bears it to the altar of the Sun, and leaves it to the flames. All this is full of doubt and legendary exaggeration. Still, there is no question that the bird is occasionally seen in Egypt.Annals of Tacitus Book VI Alternate Spellings: Phoinix Examples: Harry Potters magic wand has a feather from the same phoenix that gave a feather for the wand of Voldemort.

Feminism Gender And Gender Inequality - 1834 Words

Feminism historically has only gazed upon the topic of equality in their activism and debate. Often time s, western feminists themselves do not contemplate how they are privileged in the fact that they are able to and allowed to, advocate for equality for women. Internationally, this is not the case. Rather women are fighting just to be included and seen in the eyes of men on stages that culturally they have never been before. In politics, globally women are fighting for their faces to be the ones that are seen as politicians, not men who do not see women s issues on the same level as other issues. In the economy, women are working towards holding higher positions and breaking the glass ceiling that holds them back as well as breaking†¦show more content†¦Women s movements began work and â€Å"by the mid-1980s, an urban-based women s movement had emerged in China, characterized by the heightening of women s consciousness, attempts to combat the old and new problems women fa ced, and, most important, the development of women s organizations and women s studies groups and programs at Chinese universities† (162). Movements began popping up from the injustices that were being endured by Chinese women. The women s movement that developed in China was in direct response to the conditions that conditions that were created from a changing cultural dynamic in the country. Responses from the heightening of women s awareness of the injustices were facing led to the creation of organizations that would not have existed otherwise. 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The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 18 Free Essays

Ella Micha won’t text me back and it’s eating away at my mind. I need to find out where he is, but Caroline’s making it difficult. She’s a photographer and wants to take pictures of the different views of our town. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 18 or any similar topic only for you Order Now I take her to the lake first because it’s the sunnier side of town, and pull over in a few different turnouts that give her various views. When we reach the bridge, she gets really enthusiastic and wants pictures of it too. â€Å"It has so much history to it,† she says. â€Å"And it probably carries a lot of memories for people.† I wonder if Caroline is a mind reader on top of a photographer. A thin cloud of dust surrounds us as I tap the brakes and park the car just at the brink of the bridge and she hops out with her camera bag on her shoulder. Lila and I trek after her, taking our sweet time, but I halt at the line that splits the road from the bridge. â€Å"So is this the bridge?† Lila asks, watching me through her sunglasses. I stare at the spot on the ground where Micha and I stood kissing in the rain. â€Å"Yeah, this is the bridge.† With a quiver in my heart, I step onto the concrete and walk up to the railing. Gripping the bar, I gaze out at the lake, glistening in the sunlight, so much brighter than that rainy night. Caroline clicks her camera, getting the lake at every angle while Lila roams to the other side. The wind blows through my hair and I shut my eyes, going back to that night. I’d been cleaning out my mom’s medicine cabinet earlier that morning and had come across the bottle of pills she’d taken to keep her delusions under control. I’d wondered if they’d worked for her and how they made her mind see life. So I took one to see for myself and then headed off with Micha to a party. As soon as I’d climbed in his car, he’d sensed something was off with me. â€Å"You look out of it,† he said. â€Å"Maybe we should just stay in tonight.† I shook my head and motioned for him to drive. Frowning, he drove us to the party, but he kept a close eye on me almost the entire night, following me like a puppy. Usually, I didn’t mind, but I grew restless with the desire to figure out what the hell my mother was thinking. So when Micha got preoccupied by a girl, I cornered Grantford and asked him to drive me to the bridge. He had happily obliged, thinking he was going to get some. When we arrived at the bridge it was raining buckets of water. I thanked him politely and told him he could go. He was pissed and started yammering something about why the hell did he drive me out here. I shrugged and slammed the door shut, stepping out into the rain. He spun away from the bridge, the tires of his pickup kicking up gravel and mud all over my boots. I walked over to the railing and stepped up onto the curb, observing the water through the veil of rain. But it wasn’t close enough, so I stepped up onto the beam just like I remembered her doing. It still didn’t make sense why she did it – why she thought she could fly and I don’t think it ever will. I jerk away from my reminiscing and concentrate on Caroline, who’s still snapping pictures, with the long lens of her camera close to my face. â€Å"You’re a deep thinker,† she remarks and clicks her camera again. â€Å"And you photograph well.† I shake my head. â€Å"No, I’m not. Not really.† She snaps another picture and moves the camera away. â€Å"As a photographer I get to see through a totally different eye. I think it makes me see people differently – more clearly.† â€Å"Like a mirror?† â€Å"Yeah, kind of.† She turns the lens toward the lake and starts snapping pictures of it. I recline against the railing and scroll through my messages. I only have one, Micha’s voicemail from a few weeks ago. I decide maybe it’s time. I press dial and put it up to my ear. â€Å"Hey Ella, it’s Micha,† he says nervously, unlike himself, and sighs â€Å"Well, that was a stupid opening line, so pretend you didn’t hear that.† A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. That sounds more like him. â€Å"Anyway, I’m kind of irritated that you just took off and haven’t called.† He pauses and I can hear Ethan in the background. â€Å"Actually, I’m fucking pissed off. I don’t even know what to say. You just bail after everything we’ve been through. Do you know how crazy I’ve been wondering where you were or if you were even alive? My heart compresses in my chest. I’ve never heard him so upset. â€Å"You just bailed out on everyone and people need you, even if you don’t think so. Grady’s sick – he has cancer and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He inhales a shaky breath. â€Å"I still love you†¦ I don’t know what else to say and there’s probably not even a point of saying anymore†¦ you won’t call me back.† It clicks and the message ends. It’s not what I was imagining. I’d never once looked at it from his side – how worried he must have been. I send him another text, but again, he doesn’t respond. *** One week passes and I still don’t hear from Micha. He won’t call me or answer my texts, and his phone is going straight to voicemail. His mom has no idea where he is either and she’s starting to get really worried. Ever since I returned from the bridge, little images of what happened when Micha picked me up that night have been flickering through my head. Something infinite happened that night, not with Micha, but with me. I arrive at the conclusion, while I’m sitting out on my porch, staring at his vacant driveway, that it’s time to get to the bottom of what’s going on with Micha. There is only one person I could think of who might know where he is. Ethan. And I need backup. â€Å"What are we trying to get out of him?† Lila asks as I drive up to the shop Ethan works at. â€Å"Where Micha is.† I tell her, putting the shifter into park. â€Å"And I think Ethan might know.† Her forehead scrunches as she eyes the open garage door. Ethan is behind a car being worked on, tossing a screwdriver and catching it like a baseball. â€Å"But why am I here?† â€Å"Because you’re my backup.† â€Å"And what exactly is it you want me to do?† â€Å"I’m not sure yet.† I bite my nail, assessing the situation. Ethan is dressed in a nice pair of jeans and plaid button-down shirt, not his work clothes, which means he can leave if he wants to and he probably will, making this as difficult as possible. Especially if Micha told him not to tell me. He tips his head back and laughs at something his dad said. Then his eyes find my dad’s Firebird and his expression drops. I open the door and he throws down the tool and runs through the shop. I jog across the gravel and swing open the front door, leaving Lila behind. Sitting behind the counter is Mrs. Gregory, Ethan’s mother who has the same dark hair and brown eyes as Ethan. She looks up quickly from a magazine and her eyes brighten. â€Å"Ella, is that you?† She gets up from the stool and rounds the counter to give me a hug. â€Å"I didn’t know you were back, honey.† â€Å"For the summer, I am.† My eyes skim the room and the shop. â€Å"Is Ethan in there?† She points over her shoulder. â€Å"He just ran back into the storage room. You want me to go get him?† â€Å"Would you mind if I did?† I ask politely. â€Å"Sure, hun.† She steps aside and lets me behind the counter. The storage room is lined with rows and rows of shelves holding parts for cars. It’s quiet, dark, and the sink has a drip. â€Å"Ethan,† I say, shutting the door quietly behind me. â€Å"I know you’re in here.† â€Å"I hear a shuffle from the back corner diagonal from me. I hurry down the tire aisle, peeking through the shelf, and catch him running up the other side. I skitter backwards, hoping to cut him off at the end by the door. â€Å"Ethan will you please talk to me?† My voice echoes back at me. Looking left then right, I exit the aisle. â€Å"Look, I know he told you where he went, so will you please just tell me†¦ or at least tell me if he’s okay.† He suddenly reveals himself from an aisle a few rows down. â€Å"He told me not to tell you where he was.† I press my lips together at the sting in my heart. â€Å"I need to know. I’m worried about him.† He props his elbow on the edge of a shelf. â€Å"Well, now you know how he’s felt for the last eight months.† The painful feeling of reality sinks in. â€Å"Please, please, will you just tell me where he is. It’s killing me not knowing.† He eyes me over, like he’s hunting for my sincerity. â€Å"He went to see his dad.† My jaw almost hits the floor. â€Å"When did he find out where his dad was?† Ethan sighs and leans against the shelf. â€Å"He started calling the house a few weeks ago, asking to talk to Micha. Micha wouldn’t talk to him, but then a few days ago, he finally decided it was time to go see him.† â€Å"Is he still with his dad?† I ask. He hesitates. â€Å"No†¦ Let’s just say the visit didn’t go very well.† I force the lump in my throat down. â€Å"Is he okay?† â€Å"I’m not sure†¦.He was staying with some of our old friends over at Farrows Park the last time I talked to him.† â€Å"Is he coming back?† â€Å"Again, I’m not sure.† I sink to the cold concrete floor and let my head fall into my hands. â€Å"Why didn’t he tell me?† Ethan puffs out a loud breath and sits down beside me. â€Å"Because he didn’t want you dealing with his problems on top of your own. He worries about you all the time. It’s kind of annoying.† I raise my head and scowl at him. He chuckles and nudges me with his elbow. â€Å"What? I’m the one who’s had to listen to him talk about you for the last eight months. At one point, I almost stabbed my ears out just so I didn’t have to hear it.† I give a gentle pat to his knee. â€Å"Pretend all you want. You’re not as bad of a guy as you want people to think.† He comprehends the deeper meaning to my words. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, say what you want, but deep down, I’m just your average douche bag, like every other guy out there.† Laughing, we get up and go out to the lobby, where there’s a guy waiting at the front counter. He walks me to the door and stares out at Lila sitting out on the hood of my car examining her watch. â€Å"So what are you going to do?† he asks as I push open the door. â€Å"I’m not sure yet,† I say. â€Å"I doubt you’re going to tell me where the house is that he’s staying at.† â€Å"I don’t think it’d be a good idea for you to go there. He needs to clear his head.† He backs up toward the register with his hands stuffed into his pockets. â€Å"I got customers to take care of.† I meet Lila at the car and she slides off the hood. â€Å"Did he tell you anything?† We climb in the car and I quickly explain to her the vague details of what happened. â€Å"So where are we going?† she asks, buckling her seatbelt. The sunlight sparkles through the windshield and into my eyes. â€Å"We’re going home.† *** A couple more days drag by and I still don’t hear anything from Micha. It baffles me how much I miss him, but I do my best to keep busy, not wanting to get sucked up in the loneliness and worry. Dean and Caroline went home about a week ago. Caroline told me they’d come back to visit before the summer was over or she would at least see me again at the wedding, which is in October. Lila is out for the day with Ethan, not on a date, something they both insisted when I brought it up. My dad is locked in his room. He had a rough night and got into a fight. I received a call from Denny at two o’clock in the morning telling me to come pick him up. Deciding I need a break from my house, I peek in on my dad who is fast asleep, and then drive over to Grady’s house. Amy’s car is parked in front of the trailer and the front door is wide open, swaying in the wind a little. I hop out of the car as she walks outside with a bag over her shoulder and a box of Grady’s stuff in her arms. I fear the worst has happened. â€Å"Is everything okay?† She sighs, transferring the box to the side of her hip to free her hand so she can get the car door open. â€Å"He caught a bad case of pneumonia and he’s been taken to the hospital over in Monroe.† I brace my hand on the trunk of the car for support. â€Å"Is he okay?† Shaking her head, she sets the box on the seat and slams the door shut with her hip. â€Å"His body’s already fightin’ cancer. This just makes things worse.† â€Å"I need to go see him,† I mumble and turn for my car. â€Å"He can’t have visitors right now, Ella,† she says empathetically. â€Å"His immune system’s too low.† I frown. â€Å"Will you let me know when he can?† She gives me a small smile, but there’s something in her eyes I don’t like. â€Å"Yeah, hun. I will.† As I back down the driveway, watching her lock up, I feel helpless and out-of-control. I want to run away, back to Vegas, or somewhere else equally as far away, so I won’t have to feel it. But I don’t. *** I try not to stress too much about Grady, but my thoughts keep drifting to him. Whether he’s in a hospital bed with sterilized walls? Or did Amy take a box of his stuff to fix it up for him? â€Å"What song is this?† Lila is lying on her stomach in my bed, flipping through the pages of a magazine. â€Å"‘Black Sun’ by Jo Mango,† I say, sharpening one of my charcoal pencils over the garbage in my bedroom. â€Å"It’s sad.† She frowns, resting her chin in her hand. â€Å"It makes me want to cry.† â€Å"It’s a good song to draw to.† I return to my drawing on the floor. The dark lines of it form pieces of a shattered mirror and I start sketching a picture of a guitar inside one of them. When I’m done, each piece will hold something about my life, but it might take me a while to finish it. Lila raises her head away from her hand and glances at the window. â€Å"Did you hear that?† There’s shouting coming from outside, loud enough to be heard over the music. I shade one of the corners with my pinky. â€Å"It’s probably just the neighbors.† The yelling gets louder and Lila sits up nervously and draws back the curtain. â€Å"Ella, there’s a man and a woman fighting out in front of the driveway.† I set my pencil down on the floor and go over to the window. There’s a short, fat man and a tall, slender woman yelling at each other just outside the boundaries of my front yard. â€Å"That’s the Anderson’s,† I explain. â€Å"They always do that.† â€Å"We should stop it,† she says worriedly. â€Å"He might hurt her.† â€Å"I’ll take care of it,† I tell her. â€Å"You stay here.† I pad down the stairs, barefoot and in my boxer shorts and tank top, and poke my head out the door, but the Anderson’s have vanished from the street. The lyrics and music of â€Å"Behind Blue Eyes† by The Who is blasting from the stereo in Micha’s room next door. It’s his sad mood song, the one he lets play over and over again when he’s depressed. The lights aren’t on in the house, but the one in the garage shines brightly into the night. Sticking out of the open door is the back end of his Chevelle. There’s a large dent in the bumper that wasn’t there when he left and a scratch on the corner of the fender. Walking down the steps the concrete is ice-cold against my bare feet. I spot him through the window of the garage, searching the shelf for something with a cigarette in his mouth. I watch him move, my pulse instantly speeding up, and I have to work to keep breathing. As he pulls away from the shelf with a box in his hand, he turns his head toward the window, like he senses me out here. Our eyes lock and collide. He sets the box down and disappears out of my view. A few seconds later he walks out of the garage. His jeans ride low on his hips and the porch light hits his chest, highlighting his well-defined muscles and the cursive font of the tattoo on his rib. â€Å"When did you start smoking again?† I inquire from my driveway. He takes the cigarette out of his mouth with his eyes on me. â€Å"I slipped up a few days ago†¦ There’s just too much going on, I guess.† I take a few small steps across the driveway and my heart thuds in my chest. â€Å"Is it because of your dad?† Micha reaches the grass, just before the fence divides our houses. â€Å"How do you know about that?† I stop just short of the fence and wrap my arms around myself to keep warm. â€Å"Ethan told me.† He shakes his head, annoyed. â€Å"He’s worse than a girl.† â€Å"Hey.† I feign offense, attempting to lighten his mood. â€Å"Not all girls are bad. I’ve always been an excellent secret keeper. You know that.† He places his hands on the fence and clutches at the links. â€Å"I don’t know if that’s true anymore.† He gestures his hand at me. â€Å"Maybe this was who you always were. Maybe this place was just getting in the way of you.† He’s upset and I need to get to the bottom of why. â€Å"You could have told me about your dad.† â€Å"Could I of?† The front of his thighs push against the fence. â€Å"I don’t think you can handle it right now – you can barely handle your own problems.† I reduce the small gap left between the fence and myself. â€Å"Try me.† His eyes examine my face, looking for something deep within me. Then his head falls down, defeated, and he lets out a slow breath. â€Å"It was almost as painful as that day you ran off. I mean, he has a whole other fucking family†¦.† His voice cracks and he clears his throat. â€Å"Like we weren’t good enough or something.† The ache in his voice nearly kills me. I close my eyes and tell myself I can do this – that I’m the strong one at the moment. My eyes open and I put my finger under his chin, forcing him to look at me. His eyes are glassy, like he’s about to cry, and he tries to look away. I place an unsteady hand on his cheek and maintain his gaze. â€Å"I know it hurts right now,† I say, grappling my voice even. â€Å"But it will get better. It’ll just take some time and I’ll be here for you this time. I promise.† He looks unconvinced. Not knowing what else to say, I stand on my tiptoes, lean over the fence, and lightly graze my lips across his. Heat caresses my mouth and skin. â€Å"I need you right now,† Micha murmurs against my lips with so much desire in his eyes that my knees buckle. â€Å"I need this right now.† His hand cups around the back of my neck, much gentler than the intensity in his voice, and he crashes my body against his. He tempts me with a soft brush of his lips and every ounce of sexual tension between us explodes. I can’t help myself – I fall into him. My lips part willingly, lost in the mind-numbing moment as he slips his tongue deep inside my mouth, devouring me thoroughly. He tastes like cigarettes mingled with mint and the scent of his cologne is intoxicating. My hands trace up the front of his bare chest, and I loop my arms around his neck. The links of the fence dig into my skin as we crush it between our bodies, trying to bury ourselves into one another. Micha pulls away for a second and my lips falter in protest, but he lifts me up over the fence and encourages my legs around his waist. My inner thighs burn as they graze his hips. Every part of him touches me and it makes my body flame. I arch into him, moaning as his lips return to mine even more ravenously. â€Å"Oh my God, this feels so good.† He groans, before heading toward his house. â€Å"What are you doing?† I whisper against his lips, knowing where he’s going, but I’m not sure I’m ready for it yet. â€Å"Shh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His warm tongue slips deep inside my mouth and I forget about arguing. His hands hold me up by the ass as he kicks the back door open and stumbles into his kitchen. He knocks over a lamp and bumps into the wall as he carries me blindly down the hall and into his room. Then we collapse on the bed, tangled together. The music is loud and he reaches over to the stereo and turns it down so it filters through the room softly. â€Å"Ow,† I squeal, squirming. â€Å"Something just poked me.† â€Å"I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to happen,† Micha jokes with feral eyes. I swat his chest and reach underneath me, retrieving a drumstick. He snatches it from my hand, laughing softly as he chucks it over his shoulder and it lands somewhere in the dark. His face turns serious as he smoothes my hair back, looking into my eyes so passionately, my nerves crack through. â€Å"Do you know I realized I loved you when we were like sixteen? But I didn’t want to tell you because I was afraid you’d run away.† I prop up on my elbows, making our faces inches away. Strands of his hair hang in my face. â€Å"But I was normal back then. Or at least partly normal.† He lets his forehead rest against mine. â€Å"Yeah, but I thought that’s how things were supposed to happen when people were in love.† I realize how bad I must have hurt him when I ran off after he tried to tell me he loved me. â€Å"Micha, I’m sorry.† His jaw spasms and he tips his head back up. When he kisses me again, it feels different somehow – more intimate. My apprehension starts to emerge, but I choke it down and let my head fall back against the pillow. His lips follow mine and he kisses all the fear out of me. My chest presses into his as my neck arches against his trail of kisses along my skin, sucking and nipping at it all the way down. â€Å"Fuck,† he groans when his mouth reaches the curve of my breast. The fabric of my tank top is thin and I don’t have a bra on. Hesitantly, his tongue lightly slides between my breasts. Instantly, my nipples harden and an irrepressible moan escapes from my lips as desire takes over my body. I sit up, stunning him, and he moves back. â€Å"What’s wrong?† he asks. Sucking in a deep breath of air, I shut my eyes and wiggle my shirt off. My chest heaves, bare and exposed, as my lungs strain for air. I’ve never been this far with a guy before – never wanted to. Getting close to someone meant getting attached and getting attached has only brought me hurt in the past. But Micha’s different. He always has been. I just didn’t realize it until now. He takes me in deliberately and then covers his body with mine, colliding our bare chest together as we collapse back onto the mattress. My fingers tangle in his soft hair as his hands travel down my shoulders to my breasts. My back bows up, seeking to feed a starvation inside my body, but unsure how to do it. Pausing, I curve my hips and rub up against him. A shot of ecstasy swells through my body and a gasp fumbles from my lips. Hearing the unrestrained noise sends me into a state of anxiety and I fall back to reality. I’m not sure if my mind is ready to go where my body obviously wants to – whether I can allow myself to completely let go. â€Å"Micha wait,† I say in a strained voice. He jerks back quickly, his hand still cupping my breast. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"I’m sorry. I just can’t†¦ I don’t think I’m ready yet.† He kisses my forehead tenderly and boosts up on his elbows, his body still hovering over me. With his fingertip, he sketches a line from my temple to my jaw and my eyelids flutter. â€Å"Will you let me try one more thing?† I open my eyes, dazed from his touch. â€Å"I’m not sure if I can go any farther tonight.† â€Å"Just trust me, okay?† he says. â€Å"And if it gets to be too much, just say and I promise I’ll stop.† I bite at my lip, knowing where he’s going with this. â€Å"Okay.† Unhurriedly, with his eyes fastened on mine, he moves his mouth and kisses the hollow of my neck, sending shivers over my skin. His lips move downward and linger just above my breast. My eyes shut as his mouth touches my nipple and his tongue slips out over it. He sucks on it hard and I swear to God I can’t breathe. My legs vice-grip around him and the longer he devours me, the fiercer his mouth gets. With each movement of his tongue, my thighs burn hotter. I need†¦ something. â€Å"Micha, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Shh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he whispers and trails rapturous kisses up my neck. â€Å"I’ll take care of it.† His fingers slide down my bare stomach and to the bottom of my shorts, leaving a path of heat along my skin. As his lips find mine again, his finger slips deep inside me. The lyrics of the music fade away as my panic bursts into a thousand blissful pieces. Micha When Ella screams out my name, with her head tipped back, her eyes lost, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. She trusted me enough to do things to her that no one else has and it makes me feel alive again. Of course, my dick is so hard it actually hurts. â€Å"Behind Blue Eyes† by The Who is stuck on repeat and fills up the moment. It’s the song I turn on when I feel down, but I don’t think it’s going to be that anymore – not after tonight. I brush her hair away from her forehead. â€Å"Are you okay?† Her green eyes are glazed over as she nods her head up and down. There’s a look on her face that brings a smile to my lips. â€Å"I’m better than fine.† She leans up and kisses me. I draw her in, intensifying the kiss, then let her go, needing to cool down. â€Å"You should stay here tonight.† I expect her to protest, but she nods as she tugs her shirt back over her head. â€Å"Okay, but I’ll have to use your phone to text Lila. I didn’t bring mine with me.† I kiss her forehead, then her temple, breathing her in. â€Å"I’m gonna go take a shower. I’ll be right back.† Confining a laugh, she reaches for my phone on my nightstand. â€Å"A cold one?† I grab some clothes out of my dresser and back out the doorway. â€Å"You better watch it, Ella May. Or I may decide against it and you’ll just have to deal with me for the rest of the night.† She flops back on the bed as she sends a text. â€Å"Maybe that’s what I’m hoping for.† Shaking my head, I throw my clothes on the floor and jump onto the bed, putting a knee on each side of her. She laughs as I playfully trap her arms above her head. I move my lips next to her ear and gently take a nip at her. I breathe on her neck, letting my warm breath cause her to shudder, teasing her and driving both our bodies crazy. She lets out a moan and I feel her legs start to move around me. Sighing, I pull away before I get even more wound up. â€Å"Okay, I have to go take a shower.† I climb off the bed, watching her all the way to the door. Once I’m out of the room, all of the pain I’ve been feeling about my dad smothers me again, but all I can do is keep breathing. How to cite The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 18, Essay examples

Ellis Island Journal Essay Research Paper Day free essay sample

Ellis Island Journal Essay, Research Paper Day 1: Hi my name is William Wallace. I? m 14 old ages old and I live in Britain. I? m traveling to America on a boat that will drop us off at Ellis Island. I? m maintaining a diary throughout my ocean trip to America because one twenty-four hours I hope to direct it back to Britain so all my relations can read what it was like. My parents can? t semen with me to America because they merely have adequate money for one ticket and they told me that they want a better life for me, so they are merely directing me. Tomorrow will be my first twenty-four hours on my ocean trip and tonight I need to pack and acquire all properties for the trip. My aunt Marry is gon na be at that place waiting for me. I can? t delay until I get to America and I am so aroused about the trip. My parents hold given me $ 15 incase of exigency, and told me that no mater what people say to you, neer spend that money on anything that is non compulsory. Day 2: Well I? m on the boat now but it seemed like it took me forever to acquire on it. All forenoon I stood on-line waiting and waiting when realized that the ground I was waiting online was because I had to make full out a Question sheet. If I remember, there were 29 or 30 inquiries on the sheet but I think it was 29 every immigrant that was traveling to America had to make full out the sheet. I? m non excessively certain what it was for but there were inquiries such as, ? How much money are you transporting? ? , ? What nationality are you? ? and? What is your native linguistic communication? ? , and a batch more material like that. At first I was scared to go forth my parents and my place state because I? m now all on my ain, and I have no 1 to assist me threw life for the following twosome of yearss. To state you the truth, I sort of feel helpless. Day 3: Today I was seeking to acquire some fresh air on the boat and I came across a twosome of older work forces and adult females that were tossing a coin to see who would win money. I remembered that my parents told me about material like this and they said it was called gaming. They besides told me that I can neer make material like this and particularly while I? m on my ocean trip. These older work forces and adult females kept seeking to inquire me to play but I kept stating no to them. They wouldn? t halt request and I didn? T know what to make so I merely ran off and went back to my cabin. I didn? t eat much at all today because I felt truly airsick because there was a storm that lasted for the full twenty-four hours. Day 6: I can? t believe what happened to me. I lost me diary that twenty-four hours of the storm and I cried for about the full following twenty-four hours. I was so happy today when I found my diary in my bag in the interior pocket. I don? t retrieve how it got at that place but I don? T attention because I? m merely glad that I found it. We are suppose to get in New York seaport in 2 yearss and I? m get downing to acquire truly nervous and frightened. What happens if I get deported and I let my parents and household, in Britain, down. I don? t think they will of all time love me once more. They had such great outlooks for me in America and if I don? T excepted into the state for some ground I don? T know if I would be able to confront my household. I have to seek to non believe about these things right now. Day 7: One of my roomies was stating me a batch of material about Ellis Island. Did you know that there is an Angel Island on the west side of America someplace, where all the same material happens that happens on Ellis Island. He besides told me a batch of other material that he had read in a book. He said that Ellis Island was the Island that would either do you or interrupt you. He said that it was nicknamed? The Island of Hope and The Island of Tears? . He said that 1,000 people per month were sent off and deported. He said that the end for all immigrants was to acquire through the aureate doors. He said that 9 out of 100 people were held for mental unwellness. He said that the American end was to maintain a healthy work force. The one thing that truly caught my attending was that he said that a batch of the people that died on Ellis Island were kids. I was get downing to acquire truly scared at all the things that I was told about Ellis Island but I tried to set it behind me and convert myself that he didn? T know what he was speaking about and was merely seeking to frighten me. I couldn? T aid to thing though that he was right and was stating the truth. I find that the chief ground people are scared it because they don? T want to be deported. Day 8: When I woke up today, I saw something amazing, it was The Statue of Liberty. It was breathtaking and I new it was large but I neer new that it was this large and this beautiful. When I saw it, I kept believing of freedom and how good my life would be if I lived in America with my aunt. I would do a batch of money and be able to convey my full household from Britain hear to? The Promise Land? and we would populate a great life together. When we were drawing up to the dock and everyone was forcing and jostling to seek to acquire to the forepart. It truly didn? t affair though because there were so many people already at that place. The line seemed eternal and it seemed like I neer was traveling to do it onto to American dirt. For the first clip I realized that my life was about to alter and I was approximately to happen out if I win in life or neglect in life. What if my aunt forget about me? What if she isn? T waiting for me on the other side of the Golden Doors. This is what counts and this is what affairs. It is clip for me to be person in life and it is gon na go on right now. As I started acquiring closer to the existent edifice it seemed like it was acquiring more and more crowded. It got to the point where I couldn? t even see anything any longer. It was so dark and chilling and the lone manner that I could see visible radiation was if I looked up. As I was walking up a big stairwell, I noticed that people were doing being taken out of line and other American physicians and police officer were composing these eldritch symbols on the lapel of people? s jackets. It was a surprise to me that no 1 didn? t semen over to me and compose something on my jacket. I started to acquire scared. Almost everyone was acquiring written on except me. What if this means I? m gon na acquire deported. My bosom was crushing truly fast and my eyes started to rupture. I began to believe that I came all this manner merely to be turned down. What should I make and what should I say. I don? T know what to make any longer. Approximately ten proceedingss subsequently, they started to divide people up by nationality and by native linguistic communication. There were so many different lines to travel to and I couldn? t hear or see which one I was suppose to be in. Finally I found my line and I noticed that the cat in forepart of me was the cat who tried to acquire me to chance on the boat. He had this truly eldritch thing written on him. if I remember right, it said? L.P.C. ? . I didn? T know what it meant or what to do of it, but I did recognize that they sent him off someplace. I neer saw that adult male once more in my life. This cat in forepart of me was holding problem saying his name. He talked amusing and the people taking down his name couldn? T understand what he was stating. This cat said that his name was Pauli Demichi, and these people wrote it down as Paul Demmaka. I thought this was unusual because I wouldn? T want my named to be changed and these other immigrants didn? t even attention. After a small piece, it was my bend and they started to inquire me all of these eldritch inquiries, but there was something about these inquiries. It was at the tip of my lingua but I didn? T know what. Then I had this eldritch flashback and remembered that they were the same inquiries that I was given before I got on the boat to come to America. ? Was this a fast one? ? , I thought to myself. What was the intent of it? I answered the inquiries merely like I did before I got on the boat, but I started to sudate a small spot because I was so nervous. Approximately five to ten proceedingss after I started sudating, a physician pulled me aside to a separate subdivision where a batch of amusing looking people were. These people had truly messed up looking faces and were salivating and things like that. I didn? t understand why I was hear with these people who were saps in my eyes. A physician come up to me and started to inquire me these truly confounding inquiries such as? How many legs does a Equus caballus hold? ? , and they besides asked me to number backwards from 30. I truly didn? T know what this material was all about. After about five eldritch trials and inquiries, I was sent back to where I was originally. While I was at that place, I was asked, at least six times, ? How much money are you transporting? ? . Over and over I told them $ 15. They besides asked me if I can read and compose and of Corse I said yes. At first it didn? t seem like they believed me but I took out my diary and showed them that. A batch of the physicians were inquiring me if I have of all time heard of something called trachoma was. I had no thought what they were speaking about. I ask them it was a book or a game, but they didn? T answer me. Then I remembered that I heard some people speaking about it on the boat but I still didn? T know what it was. After they asked me about trachoma, they brought me over to another physician who took some kind of a hook and poked it threw my eyelid. It truly hurt and I started to shout. They were looking in my eyes for something and they told me it was for trachoma. That? s when I got baffled, but the physician said that I was all right and good to travel. I got so aroused and thought to myself that it could be about over and I would eventually be an American citizen. My eyes lit up and a smile struck my face. I thought about how my household would be proud of me. As I was traveling threw the Golden Doors, I was believing to myself and detecting the milieus. I saw how childs 11 and under were being sent back with a parent, and how if one individual that you traveled with wasn? T excepted right off, that his or her fammily would remain in lodging across the manner. I besides saw the infirmary that Ellis Island had. There were so many people in the infirmary and it was really overcrowded. It was a daze to me that Ellis Island could manage all of it. The one thing I truly noticed, was that I could hear babes shouting and shouting and neer fillet. The babes were anyplace from 1 month to 12 months old. There were even newborn babes at that place. When I thought and heard all of this I realized how lucky I truly was to do it without any jobs at all. I merely started to shout when I thought of this. But I stopped because I have to set all of that behind me because I was approximately to go an America citizen and there was about nil more I wanted at t hat clip. As I walked threw the doors, I looked for my aunt. At first I couldn? t find her. I thought possibly the image I has wasn? t recent and she didn? t expression like that any longer. Then I saw her. It was my aunt Margaret. She looked precisely like she did in the image. I was so happy to see her and she felt the same about me. As I hugged my aunt Margaret, I looked back at the doors and swore that I would neer bury what it was like the twenty-four hours that I became an American citizen.

Pillsbury Challenge Essay Example

Pillsbury Challenge Paper The Canadian Pillsbury ready-baked goods cookie line is experiencing disappointing performance, and the marketing manager at General Mills Canada Corporation is under pressure to make strategic decisions that will help turn around the segment. The marketing manager has engaged the help of the consumer insights team to conduct market research studies that will shed light on consumers and their attitudes, behaviors, and preferences towards the product. The goal is to understand how marketers can make better decisions, based on different types of consumer research, show how the relevant customer insights can help to determine strategies and explore the ways to improve business performance. Its that we are going to explain during this study. Firstly, we will see the company overview, then the consumer insights and their implications (the key learning) and to finish, we will do some recommendations for the Pillsbury Cookie Challenge. One of the worlds leading food companies, General Mills operates in more Han 1 00 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, such as Hypoxia, Pillsbury, Hagen-Dads, Nature Valley, Green Giant, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company operates in three segments: IIS Retail, International and F-DOD service. Representing 69 per cent of total sales, the US Retail segment is the largest of the three. General Mills Canada Corporation (CM) is a subsidiary of General Mills. With annual sales of IIS$ 566 million, CM is a leader in the Canadian packaged foods market and the second largest division within the International segments. The Canadian division is split into four business units: breakfast, baked goods, meals and snacks. We will write a custom essay sample on Pillsbury Challenge specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pillsbury Challenge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pillsbury Challenge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Part of the General Mills portfolio, the Pillsbury brand is the leader in the refrigerated baked goods category with a full range of products, including cookies, biscuits, breads, pizza and pie crusts, sweet rolls The Pillsbury refrigerated cookies is available in multiple flavors and two aromas (chub and ready-to-bake), with seasonal cookie special for Halloween, Easter, Valentines Day and Christmas. The cookies are sold between $2. 99 and 34. 99, according to the cookie format, the type of retailer and the region. The RUG products can be buy in all major grocery retailers such as Metro, Lobar, Sobers and club stores in Canada. About the marketing strategy, there is not a strategy specific to the Canadian market. Indeed, its the US advertising, which is adapted to the Canadian market, for example. In terms of the market, Pillsbury was the most profitable segment of General Mills Canada, with refrigerated cookie dough owning 62% of ready-baked- goods sales and yielding 75% category profit. Pillsbury held 85% of the market share and Was carried by all major Canadian retailers. However, volume growth, household penetration, and cookie segment growth were all flat. THE RUB COOKIES SOOT How the RUB cookies category is on the market? How to better take into account its weaknesses and threats? Here, we are going to draw up a SOOT analysis in order to better sharpen our recommendations, and thus, solve the problem raised by this case. In order to find some solutions for the Pillsbury challenge, its interesting to have an overview about the Pillsbury cookies weaknesses, strength, opportunities and threat. The goal is to take into account the opportunities and strength of the product and to spread out it. Contrary to that, we will do suggestions, which both resolve the issues and will try to remedy the weaknesses. In a nutshell, we are going to use and exploit the weaknesses and threat through the consumer insights in order to bring strategic and relevant recommendations, with a view to the Pillsbury problem. Pillsbury Doughy is an advertising icon and mascot of the Pillsbury company) THE PROBLEM STATEMENT RUB in Canada branch performance were not satisfied over the past two years whereas refrigerated cookies had always been the most profitable product line of its category. Indeed, the volume growth between 2004 2006 had remained nearly flat at 1 % and the household penetration had fallen to 24% from previous years. The goal is to understand the possible reasons of decline in cookie sales, through the Consumer insights (taste, advertising, Current brand messaging Of the Pills bury). For this purpose, the marketing manager Guile wants to see the difference between consumer markets of Canada and that of United States in order to design a marketing strategy according to it to boost the sales as well as profit of this category. HOSTED ANALYSIS In order to understand these cultural differences here are the Hefted framework: Power distance Interdependence among its inhabitants Value placed on egalitarianism Canadians value a straightforward exchange of information individual Allis Individualistic culture people look after themselves and their immediate families Employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiatives Masculinity Moderately masculine society Work-life balance and are likely to take time to enjoy personal pursuits, family gatherings and life in general uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty accepting. Easy acceptance of new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or consumer products Pragmatism Normative society Strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking Great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to eve for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results Indulgence Indulgent Willingness to realize their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun Higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish. 1 . CONSUMER INSIGHTS What are consumer insights? Definition: the collection, deployment and interpretation Of information that allows a business to acquire, develop and retain their customers. Process of collecting and analyzing customer feedbacks toward a product or a brand. Who use it? Internal marketing teams and a 3rd party research firms to conduct nonuser research. What types of business challenges can benefit from consumer insights? Gathering Consumer Insights helps to understand the preferences, attitudes and behaviors of consumers for business decisions and for new product development, brand message and promotional actions. It also helps to localize where a product can be improved or repositioned. How are consumer insights obtained? Quantitative research: based on the measurement and analysis Of relationships between variables. Questionnaire web survey. Qualitative research: gather a more in depth understanding of behavior. Focus group: owe cost, quick turnaround time. Marketing research tool where a small group of people engage in a moderate roundtable discussion on particular topics of interest D obtain the groups opinions about, or reactions to, specific products or marketing-oriented issues. Concept test: image, price, preparations, and benefits to see purchase intent. Used for new product development and to help develop brand messaging. Most concepts include an image of the product, along with pricing information, preparation instructions and a summary of key benefits. Presented to consumers in verbal or visual form ND quantitatively evaluated by consumers by indicating their degree Of purchase intent. Creative testing: evaluating the effectiveness of ads, testing the advertisement. The goal of both types of tests is to optimize advertising and packaging so that more consumers purchase the product. Usage and attitude study: survey that focuses on the frequency of product purchase and use, desirable attributes in products and product strengths and weaknesses. Quantitative study The Usage and Attitude study What? Ask consumers about their perception of the product:  «The frequency of product purchase and use  »  «The desirable attributes of the products  »  «The strengths and weaknesses Of the products  » Why? To find the right profile of the product user. To obtain insights and ideas about new products or current products Qualitative study The In-Home immersions study: Four two-hour visits at 2 lapsed users and 2 brand champions home. Why? To observe, rather than interview, the world of the consumer when theyre baking.  « To develop a real life and dynamic view of the consumer-brand relationships The discovery workshops study: 26 moms: lapsed and current users categories CLC shared thoughts, feelings and experiences. Why? To understand relationship and behavior regarding the Pillsbury brand 2. KEY LEARNING This part of the analysis will allow us to understand the difference and the similarities between the Canadian and the US market. First of all, we can make some observations about the Pillsbury Cookie Case: It is clear that the Family structure and consumer demographics are similar in Canada and in US as well as the frequency of RUG cookie baking. However, there is a big difference of preferences between scratch, refrigerated, and mix baking in both countries. Finally, we also can notice that the kid-request has a age impact on parents purchase especially in Canada. N this case, some researches are led: a quantitative one and a qualitative one. The results of theses studies are the following ones: The results of the quantitative study show clearly that Canadian people prefer the scratch baking. Indeed, 56% of Canadians VS.. 22% of Americans bake only from scratch. Another important thing to highlight is that there are similar purchase drivers in both countries but not in the same weight: -Top 1: Convenience -TOP 2: Taste -Top 3: Quality (12% less Canadians than Americans think it is high quality). Top 4: Kid- request: (10% more  « like to eat cookies  »13% more  « fun activity with kids  » This study also demonstrates that Purchase is impulsive and that the use of refrigerated cookie dough increases particularly in household with kids. The second research uses qualifications. Here, the results indicate that for mothers, baking experience is very important. With Pillsbury Cookie, this experience is relatively easy, quick, practical, affordable and pleasing to children. The most important thing is that baking is the opportunity to share memories and happy nonentities hillier and to put a smile on everyones face. For the children eating cookies the most important even if they participate, most of the time, with enthusiasm and involvement. What is enough surprising is the lack of interest of mothers and children toward nutritional values It does not matter because Contraindications really love Pillsbury. Baking and eating them represent a kind of magic, something special and it is better than a ready- made product because it is seen as an act of generosity because it asks some efforts to cook. And to finish, with Pillsbury, sometimes consumer has the impression of cheating or to keep a little secret that make him feel good. . RECOMMENDATIONS Now that we knotted Canadian consumers insight and the key learning from the usage and attitude study, we can develop several recommendations for Pillsbury into the Canadian market in order to increase the products sales: Commercials focus on children CM could use stimulus factors into the advertising in order to let the brand into the Children and mother memory. To do that they can play on several marketing aspects: Size, Intensity, Attractive visuals, Color and movement, Position, Isolation, Format, Contrast and expectations, Information quantity. Thus we recommend communicating on TV with attractive and colorful commercials. Emergency should place some printed adding front of schools, food retailers and bakery. These decontaminations on the convenient, quality and tasty side of the product. Create a Family bounding experience: In order to build a global relationship with the brand and give some future flashbulb memories, CM should focus on the brand experience for consumers. In order to add value for the moms the company could offer a baking experience with cooking classes. It would be a great moment to share between moms and children. Thanksgiving and Christmas are periods that have to be targeted in the calendar as both are about giving and sharing. Create a new product for Canadian consumers: We saw that Canadian moms love cooking. Therefore, CM should launch a cookie baking kit. This kit could be a box including all the necessary ingredients to bake cookies at home. It would be convenient for moms who have busy lifestyle and look for convenient solution to share time with their children. This kit could have a value added for children: 1 mould offer In each it, Minnie Mouse shape,Heart shape, Pumpkin shape, ghost shape, Snowman shape Focus on Emotion and well being association: In order to influence the attitude of the mother and their children about the brand, they can use testimonies on their website and social networks (Youth, faceable, Mainstream). Monthly newsletters with cookies recipes During special events such as: Halloween, Easter, Birthdays, Christmas, CM should share some customers recipes by emailing. Bake-off contest CM should create some Baking contest where customers will win Coupons and deals. These contests should be very attractive with music and a any attractions for children and moms. Make this day a real experience. Presentations and webzines to provide home-styles recipes We have seen that lappers and users are mothers keen on cooking and bringing joy and happiness all over the household. As webzines are web- based presentations, they would fit perfectly with the convenience sought by customers. As in the BIB industry, mothers (and potential fathers) would only have to switch on their computers or smartness to attend the webzines. Moreover, both moms and children would be able to improve their cooking skills from industry experts. Smartness APS and partnerships with high tech leaders CM could partner with smartness applications specialist in order to reach moms in new way. This would be the opportunity for consumers to connect deeply With the brand. Strategic partnerships with Tim Horton As the Canadian purchase drivers are taste for children and convenience for busy mothers, building a partnership with brand like Tim Horton would reinforce Pillsbury position and desire to connect with kids. Canadian people are in love with the restoration brand Tim Horton because its the most famous Canadian one. Moms always pick up there coffee there in the morning and get some bakeries for their children at the end of the day. For instance, like brands such as Kit or Ms did, Pillsbury could partner with one of childrens Tim Horton favorite dessert: the Tomtits. Sponsored events Shelf allocation and Point-of-sale display Pillsbury product should be situated on the lowest levels of the shelves in supermarkets in order children to kick them up and draw their mothers attention. This sales form of sales promotion located next to checkout counter would draw customers attention, and particularly childrens attention. It would be an efficient strategy to promote new Pillsbury products, or special offers according to relevant periods of the year e. G. Back To School, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Timeline for recommendations In order to implement these recommendations, we believe Pillsbury should build a timeline all over the year. Therefore, the marketing team would focus on specific events or period matching the customers expectations. This timeline shall bear witness of the complete understanding of consumers insights and behavior.

Figures of Speech Essay Example

Figures of Speech Essay Example Figures of Speech Essay Figures of Speech Essay Poets use different figures of address to convey the message of their plants. Some poets use metaphors or similes to perplex the head and coerce the organic structure to experience and see the images created while others use paradox. exaggerations. or wordplaies to make the same consequence. A good verse form should affect all the senses and do the head work to happen significance. William Blake uses metaphors to do the head work overtime to happen multiple significances in his work To See a World in a Grain of Sand . while Chidiock Tichborne uses paradox to perplex the head and repeat the individual significance in his work Elegy. Write With His Own Hand Before His Execution .To See a World in a Grain of Sand by William Blake is a short verse form that is filled with deep significance. Through the usage of metaphors and word pick the work seems drawn-out to the head but short to the oculus. A metaphor is a statement that one thing is something else. but in a actual sense it is not ( Kennedy 817 ) . A metaphor is filled with suggestion giving a simple line of poesy about infinite significances. To See the World in a Grain of Sand ( 1 ) is a statement that is loaded with suggestion.There are many similarities between a grain of sand and the universe such as: the universe is made up of many grains of sand. both are unit of ammunition. and both are the same stuff to call a few. The two objects are besides so different that that the line of poesy leaves the head scrambling to calculate out the signifi cance of this word combination. To calculate out the intending 1 must look at the actual significances of the words and the nonliteral significance of the word combinations to unscramble the conundrum.On the actual degree one must look at the cardinal words in the line such as universe. grain. and sand and happen their definitions and how they relate to the other words in the line. By definition universe is the Earth or Universe grain is a comparatively little particle and sand is loose grains of worn or disintegrated rock ( On Line Dictionary ) . The intensions of these words in the context of this line help the encephalon to understand that an object of immense size or measure is being compared to something really little.One of the many significances that could come from this statement is its difficult to see the large image of something while merely looking at one little item. This is merely one significance suggested through this powerful line. Every line in Blake’s verse form is a metaphor that is filled with suggestion and deep significance. Hold eternity in the thenar of your manus. and infinity in an hour ( 3 ) is another metaphor Blake uses to perplex the head. Infinity is An unbound infinite. clip. or measure while infinity is time without get downing or end ( On Line Dictionary ) .It is hard for the head to penetrate these words when looked at entirely. but in the context of the verse form it is even more hard to understand how one could suit such a mass into a manus or an hr. On the actual degree the head says it is impossible to grok so one must look to the nonliteral significance to grok what is being said. One of the many significances of this line is the same as the first ; it is difficult to see the large image while merely looking at one little item. Blake’s word pick besides helps the significance of the verse form.If Blake were to utilize similes instead than metaphors the work would take on different significance. If the line and infinity into an hour ( 4 ) were changed to infinity is like an hr the work would take on a more limited significance. When like is put into the line. infinity and hr become straight related where as in the first line infinity is seeking to be fit into an hr. A similar consequence would happen if the line heaven in a wild flower ( 2 ) were changed to heaven is like a wild flower. Heaven would be compared straight to a flower which would alter the significance of this line and therefore the verse form.Blake used metaphors and word pick to compose a verse form that is short. but contains deepness. Every word and metaphor in To See the World in a Grain of Sand was carefully arranged to give the verse form a wide significance that could be interpreted in many different ways. In contrast Chidiock Tichborne uses word pick and paradox to convey his limited significance in the work Elegy. Written With His Own Hand in the Tower Before His Execution . A paradox is a statement that at fir st work stoppages us as self-contradictory but on contemplation makes some sense ( Kennedy 826 ) .Tichborne’s work is filled with paradoxes. and is summed up by the paradox at the terminal of each stanza And now I live. and now my life is done ( 6 ) . When looking at the chief lines in the verse form as they reoccur at the terminal of each stanza one wonders how it is possible to be alive now and besides dead at the same clip. Upon closer scrutiny of the work the other lines help the encephalon figure out the paradox. To do sense of the cardinal thought it must be looked at in the context of the other lines in the work. Each line in the work is a paradox that is cardinal to understanding the cardinal thought of the verse form.My young person is spent. yet I am non old ( 9 ) is one of the lines that mirrors the chief point. Youth is defined as the status of being immature while old is defined as holding lived for a comparatively long clip ( On Line Dictionary ) . When looking at these definitions one understands that the storyteller has used up their young person. but has non grown old. This could be restated as And now I live. and now my life is done . I sought my decease. and found it in my womb ( 13 ) is another restatement of the cardinal thought of the verse form. Sought means to look for or seek out. so the storyteller is looking for his terminal ( On Line Dictionary ) .Found is to come upon something by seeking. and uterus is a topographic point where something is generated. so the found his decease was where he began ( On Line Dictionary ) . After looking at these definitions we realize that the storyteller has non to the full lived youth allow alone life and is approximately to decease. The two poets demonstrated different figures of address O convey their message. Blake used metaphors to give his work multiple significances while Tichborne used paradox to repeat his cardinal thought. The two verse forms are really different from each other but both challenge the head and organic structure to happen significance doing both great plants of literature. :

QUSTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

QUSTIONS - Essay Example Before long, Google earned its popularity as it soon became the biggest search engine in the world. Google’s business model is also based on innovation. Its brand became on the most popular brands in the cyber world. It was quick to expand its services to include: Google Maps, Google Earth, Froogle, Google Scholar, Google Books, and similar products (Spencer). In maintaining these two business models, Google is sure to stay at the top of the world’s internet products. Google has posted significant growth in revenues during its 2008 first quarter. It generated revenues of $5.19 billion for March 2008 which is 42% higher than its March 2007 figures. It also posted 3.7 billion revenues from advertising commissions. It had a net income of $1.31 billion with $4.12 per share – up from the year 2007 $1 billion worth of profits and $3.18 per share (Perez, p. 1). With the internet world and its competitors growing at phenomenal rates, Google’s capability of generat ing profits has been sorely tested; but it nevertheless still managed to register significant return of investments for the past several years. Most of the company’s profits come from the pay-per-click text ads; being the best provider of this type of ad has helped to boost its profit growth (Perez, p. 2).

The Development of the Italian Opera in the 19th Century Essay

The Development of the Italian Opera in the 19th Century - Essay Example Operas origin is said to have been the celebrations which combined enormous fireworks, beautiful stage decorations, music, singing and dancing.1 These occasions occurring frequently in royal weddings and during festivities started to work themselves around specific themes by the beginning of the 16th century. Jacapo Peri, Monteverde, Francesco Cavalli and many other doyens appeared during this period. Francesco Cavallis works were the first to be termed under the name Opera. Carissimi, Scarlatti, and Handel took Cavallis name forward. By the end of the 18th century symphony and orchestra giving prominent importance to music grew enormously, pushing back the popularity of the Opera. Rossini - the retriever of the Opera sprung to action to bring back this dwindling art from to its previous glory in the 19th century. He was followed by Donizetti, Bellini, Puccini and the ever famous Verdi who is hailed as the major mastermind of the contemporary Opera. Voice was the ruler of any orchestra in the Opera’s during the early 19th century. Polyphonic writings started to lose their grip during this time. Voice clarity and simple language expressing direct views started to matter. Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini were the three stars of the arias. Flawless phrases and singers with highly toned voices capable of singing in very high notes started to emerge. Cabaletta or rapid precision singing started gaining popularity. The operas of the early 18th century had two main sections the Bel Canto and the Cabaletta.2 Highly prerogative stories insisting patriotism or pious lifestyle started to give way to modern day realistic stories and romantic stories. Humor started to gain major attention in the opera stages. The first half of the 19th century saw the peak of the Bel Canto style.

Trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trafficking - Essay Example (Outshoorn, J., 2005) As the years progressed, sex workers have found points in trafficking regulations, existing or newly-implemented, which do not serve to alleviate their working conditions, which sometimes even cause more emotional and psychological damage and, which prevents them from having a better life. On the other hand, whenever in a trafficking debate, advocates of anti-prostitution measures stress the importance of human rights, morality and the need for implementation of stricter regulation on prostitution or the abolishment of such, if possible. Anti-prostitution followers insist that consent is irrelevant in trafficking of persons, specifically women, for sexual exploitation. When the human being is reduced to a body, objectified to sexually service another, whether or not there is consent, violation of the human being has taken place. (Barry, K., 1995) Prostitution, â€Å"consensual† or not, supports and is supported by social, economic, and political inequalities. (Balos, B., 2004) Consent shouldn’t be used as an excuse to mitigate the crime of trafficking or prostitution. It violates women’s human rights. Trafficked women are beaten, raped and sexually abused. They are â€Å"subject to starvation, forced use of drugs and alcohol, burning with cigarettes, isolation in dark rooms, being beaten and threats to themselves or their families.† (Balos, B., 2004) Because they lack the proper documents, trafficked women live in fear of authorities who have also been known to abuse their position by for cing themselves on the women. UN peacekeeping operations were rocked by a sex abuse scandal in the Congo that caused the organization to reexamine current training policy. (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2006) Apparently, refugees, including many minors, were victims of sex abuse crimes by dozens of peacekeepers on a mission in Congo. Changes in the training policy should be done to keep the peacekeepers in line. In addition, the women are

Barriers To Effective Supply Chain Management

Barriers To Effective Supply Chain Management supply chain management Abstract Purpose -The aim of this paper is to have a qualitative analysis of benefits,barriers and bridges to effective strategic supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach The author use a case study approach .Interview was conducted from Supplier, SC manager and retailer . Findings- Results shows that customer satisfaction is consider as the primary benefits by all chain partners. And primary barrier and bridge is adequate information system and human factors. Research limitations/implications Due to the resource and time constraint the findings of this research are only based on supply chain of a single organization. Practical implications -This paper provide a understanding of how managers ,suppliers and retailers view benefits .barriers and bridges of SCM. Originality/value Keywords Supply chain management, Strategic management, Relationship marketing Paper type Research paper Introduction In todays business world competition is very fierce. Due to the Globalization, advance technology, and Increase customer demand , organizations need to raise there bar of performance continuously. As Thomas Edison said, If there is a better way, find it. So managers must keep his advice in mind. And supply chain management is a better way to compete in market. Supply chain management is the management of activities from availability and procurement of raw material , their processing into finish goods and then distribution of these goods. The purpose of this encompassing process is to enhance the business of the company and satisfy customers. By Sandra Maria Stammberger Christopher argues that the real competition is not company against company, but rather supplies chain against supply chain. For example, Wal-Mart and its suppliers will battle Carrefour and its suppliers in consumer markets around the world. This study has looked at benefits and barriers to supply chain integration. Vital bridges to supply chain success are also explored. SCM can reduce inventory, improve productivity, enhance quality, and reduce both product development and fulfillment cycles. As attractive as the potential benefits of supply chain management appear; the barriers or roadblocks to achieving them appear equally ominous such as internal external turf protection, inadequate information system, poor collaboration among the chain partners etc. And bridges/solutions are the mirror image of the most of the barriers (e.g., poor management leads to barrier; careful management is the bridge). The purpose of the study is to provide an understanding of the benefits, barriers, and bridges to successful SCM. For this purpose data is collected from the supplier ,SC manager and retailer of PEPSI (Gujranwala). We conclude that there are numerous benefits of SCM but to achieve these benefits we have to overcome two main barriers that is technology and human barrier. Focus of managers and scholars must not be on any specific barrier, but rather consider these two in combination for strategic supply chains to be successful . We hope that the research methodology given in this study provide some useful insight to help managers and their companies as they make headway along the arduous journey to supply chain leadership This research article is comprised as follows: literature of SCM in terms of benefits, barriers, and bridges followed by research methodology.And the main part of article includes findings from in-depth interviews , and conclusion with some suggestions for future research. In this way this article provide valuable insight into the state and direction of supply chain practice research. Background: benefits, barriers, and bridges An enormous amount of material has appeared in current years about supply chain management in both academic journals and trade press. Driving forces of supply chain management The driving forces of SCM stem from two sources: external pressures and potential benefits from strategic SC alignment. External pressures include such forces as advances in technology and increased customer demand across national borders (Mehta, 2004); maintaining lower costs while meeting these diverse needs (Cook and Garver, 2002); and intensified competition utilizing relationships among vertically aligned firms (Togar and Ramaswami, 2004). These pressures have begun shifting the focus of individual firms vying for market presence and power to supply chains competing against supply chains (Bhattacharya et al., 1995). Top ten benefits ,barriers and bridges have been identified by Top ten benefits ,barriers and bridges Benefits Barriers Bridges Increased inventory turnover Internal and external turf wars Information transperancy Increased revenues SCM cost reductions Poor SCM planning Collaborative planning Product availability Lack of SCM vision IT architecture /internet Responsiveness Executive commitment Formal performance tracking Economic value added IT deficiencies Adopt strategic SCM vision Capital utilization Organizational structure /culture Attention to human factors Decreased time to market Lack of SC measures Suppply base reduction Reduced logistics costs Lack alliance guidelines Segmented customers: Poor SCM understanding Shared investment/benefits Benefits of strategic supply chain managemen Increased inventory turnover: Inventory turn reflects how frequently a company flushes inventory from its system. In SCM company has relations both with supplier and customer so they receive material on time and deliver goods to customer on time. So inventory turnover increases. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Increased revenues SCM cost reductions: Main source of cost saving is inventory management. Through SCM it is possible to reduce your inventory level and leads to cost saving. Other ways of reducing cost: Better trade relations and lower transaction cost Enhance asset utilization via shared resources Better product design that cost less (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Product availability: Involvement of supplier in new product development process can solve many problems like communications and new ideas are generated in collaborative design efforts rather than non-colleborative. In todays marketplace there is a need to have the right product available at the right time and right place at a lower cost than the competition. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Responsiveness: Responding to customers in a courteous, personal and understandable way is vary important.Quickly response to customers requests is possible through collaboration with chain partners.Close relationship with partners enables them to foresee their collaborators needs and handle unexpected events.Supply chain responsiveness requires exceptional/outstanding manufacturing and logistical flexibility to meet unique or special requests.And it is possible through integration. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Economic value added: There are two view points from which share holder value can be measured. 1) Internal view point (Economic value is used) 2) External view point (Market capitalization is used) EVA is calculated by deducting the cost of capital from its operating profit. Drivers of shareholder value are : Operating cost reduction ,fixed capital and working capital efficiency and revenue growth. There is no doubt that supply chain strategy affects all these drivers directly or indirectly. These are some of the strategies: Lead time of all incoming products is reduced by having partnership with the suppliers . By integrating processes .internal lead time can be reduced. By having a strong relation with distributor information flow from demand size is improved. (Christopher, M., Ryals, L. (1999)). Capital utilization: Capital utilization refers to how a companys assets are best used. Capital utilization is dollars of revenue generated in relation to dollars invested in assets such as account receivables, inventory etc. Examples of supply chain management connection: Demand planning Transportation management Inventory management Accurate forecasting (Timme, S.G. and Williams-Timme, C. (2000) Decreased time to market Successful companies create supply chains that respond to the sudden changes in market. Effective supply chain enables a firm to respond to the short term changes in demand and supply in the market because of collaborative relationship with suppliers and distributors. (lee(2004) Reduced logistics costs: In an integrated supply chain ,efficiency and effectiveness of operations can be improved by managing the movement of material throughout the firm in an organic and systematic way. This allow the firm reducing their purchase cost ,transportation cost and inventory and warehousing cost.( La Londe, B.J. and Masters, J.M. (1994), Emerging logistics strategies: blueprints for the next century, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, Vol. 24 No. 7, pp. 35-47. La Londe, and Masters,). Barriers to effective supply chain management Internal and external turf wars: Conflicts within the departments and within organizations are fundamental barrier to SC collaboration. In most of the companies all departments such as marketing, finance , operation work independently. But when managers make decisions they only consider their own department and ignore the impact of their decision on other departments and on whole organization. And same is the case with supply chain partners each partner work only for its own interest. So A tug of war begins as each department and partner pull the organization in their favor. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001) Poor SCM planning: Supply chain management is a way to combine process and entrepreneurship. The concept of SCM begins with customer and integrates all activities from raw material procurement to finished product distribution. In many organizations SCM fails due to insufficient forecasting and poor planning process. For correct forecasting, planning process must involve appropriate players and relevant information. Andraski, J.C. (1998). Lack of SCM vision: One of the major barriers to SCM collaboration is that chain partners dont have clear and common vision of SCM. They hold different beliefs and values and supplier and customer dont share common goal. (Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P. and Vos, B. (1999), Lack of SCM vision: Lack of trust is one reason that channel partners are not willing to share information openly .because they have fear that if they share their weaknesses with their chain partners then they might use their weaknesses against them in near future. So Trust is pre-requisite in effective supply chain management. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001), Executive commitment: Top management should here be understood as the group of people that together constitute the highest management executive authority in a company. Top management is in a position to play an important role in successful SCM collaboration. A prerequisite for performing SCM is top management support. Almost all of the barriers such as incompatible technology ,conflict among supply chain members ,lack of employee willingness to share information can only be overcome with top management support. According to (Moberg et al., 2003) training and education are Important factors for top management to encourage and intensify. (Sandberg, Erik1; Abrahamsson, Mats(2010)) IT deficiencies: As because of globalization suppliers and customers are located all over the world so integration has become a major challenge .Lack of integrated information system is a major barrier as sharing of information is not possible without integrated information system. IT is like a nerve system of SCM. ( E.W.T. Ngai a,*, A. Gunasekaran b ,(2004) Organizational structure /culture: Organization culture and structure are also very crucial barrier to SC collaboration. If an organization is working independently for a long time then its very difficult for it work in collaboration with other chain partners. Lack of SC measures: In order to have a strong collaboration among the supply chain partners it is crucial to measure the supply chain performance.(Brewer and speh ,2001;) Measuring supply chain performance Lack alliance guidelines: Each channel partner in the supply chain has a separate plan for activities such as production plan and schedules. If an organization only have understanding of their on process and they dont have understanding of their customers and suppliers processes then there is a gap exist and organization cant improve their processes as external processes have an influence on internal processes. Lack of same performance measures across different departments and across the channel partners leads to conflicting behaviors both internally and externally. ( Barratt, M. (2004a) Poor SCM understanding: Employee dont have understanding of how SCM is beneficial for the organization and how it will benefit their job .This poor understanding is one reason they are not willing to contribute in SCM implementation. Bridges to effective supply chain management Information transperancy: ( yu zhenxin (2001) Each member of the supply chain should have complete information about the other members. If members are willing to share information then this leads to the improve performance of the whole system . Collaborative planning: Planning should be made with the involvement of all parties involve in the supply chain. Such as demand forecasting, production schedules etc may not be effective without the involvement of all partners. IT architecture /internet: With the passage of time SCM is becoming more and more complex and require online communication system .In order to enhance the buyer- supplier relationship different information technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange ,Internet And World Wide Web Are Used. Formal performance tracking: In order to have a strong collaboration among the supply chain partners it is crucial to measure the supply chain performance. (Brewer and speh ,2001;). Measurement of supply chain performance can help in Reducing cost ,Identify and target those segments of market which are more profitable((Lambert and Pohlen, 2001),better and improves decisions and test and employ new strategies Adopt strategic SCM vision: Chain partners should have clear and common vision of SCM. They should hold same beliefs and values and supplier and customer share common goal. (Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P. and Vos, B. (1999), Attention to human factors: A fundamental factor for the successful SCM collaboration is the human factor . People resist changes and they dont want to share information with others .So attention must be paid to human factors first as their willingness to implement effective SCM is the key to success. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Suppply base reduction: Supply base reduction is use by the firms to enhance quality , increase responsiveness , and reduce cost . Coke has adopted N+1 rule of thumb for determining maximum number of supplies. It means they have just 1 more supplier then required. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Segmented customers: Organization should collaborate only with those suppliers and customers who are strategically important for the business. This segmentation play a very important role in successful collaboration.(Tang and Gattorna, 2003). Segmentation of customers is done on the basis of their buying behavior and services needed. Different supply chains are made for different segments. A different strategy and supportive culture and leadership style is required for different supply chains. To serve the segmented supply chain a further step is to segment the suppliers according to their abilities. Shared investment/benefits: For SCM to be more effective and successful there is a need to share benefits resulting from integrated SCM. Benefit sharing is as much important as information sharing . even though reliable and trust worthy information is available ,there should be a need to fairly allocate benefits among members otherwise it weakens their relationship. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Methodology SCM removes the boundaries of the organization therefore it is known as boundary spanning activity (Bowersos et al,1999) . To Have a macro picture ,information is collected through channel analysis. In this way more generalized view about the benefits ,barriers and bridges can be obtained. Case studies The case study method is used for answering questions regarding what, why, and how related to SCM implementation. This method put emphasis on in detail qualitative analysis. In order to have a cross-channel analysis interview is conducted from supplier ,SC manager and retailer. A structured ,face-to-face interview was conducted and Confidentiality was ensured .Structured interviews are those conducted when it is known at the outset what information is needed. The interview has a list of predetermined questions to be asked. The interview guide was divides into general questions and questions about the benefits ,barriers and bridges faced by the organization. Average interview duration was 1 and half hour. And face-to-face interview helps in repeating and rephrasing questions if not understood by respondents, and clarify doubts. Interview consist of Open-ended questions. Results and discussion Top five benefits ,barriers and bridges Benefits Barriers Bridges Customer satisfaction Inadequate information system Adequate information system On time delivery Lack share risk and reward Sharing of risk and reward Response to customer request Lack willingness to share information Willingness to share information Order fulfillment lead time Lack employee empowerment Senior management interaction Cost reduction Measuring customer demand Supply chain training Benefits Customer satisfaction: Company customers are satisfied because company is in a position to fulfill their needs, deliver goods on time and at low cost through integrated SC. On-time delivery: The development of closer, cooperative relationships with chain partners together with the establishment of integrated systems and processes make it possible to consistently deliver goods and services to customer at the right time and at the right place. Respond to customer requests: Business analysts have been saying for years-that customers matter most. So response to customers need as quickly as possible is very important for the success of business. One way of doing this in todays competitive market is to develop strong relationship with suppliers, retailers and distributers. This collaborative supply chain enables all parties to respond to their customer speedily. Order fulfillment lead times: Supply chain integration also reduces order fulfillment lead times by having exact quantities on-hand when needed . Cost reduaction: One way of cost reduction is to reduce cost of inventory. Another is sharing of resources with your chain partners and also by reducing product development cost through integrated process. Some other benefits includes: Handle unexpected challenges More open and trusting relationships enable more accurate information to be shared on more timely basis. This helps in making Supply chain partners better able to foresee their collaborators needs and handle unexpected events (e.g unique or special requests ) Productivity One of the most important benefit due to which organizations are adopting SCM is to increase revenues and decrease costs. Productivity is the ratio of Outputs/inputs. if planned and managed correctly, changes in supply chain relationships can help in producing same outputs with low cost of inputs and ultimately revenue increase . This doubleimpact of supply chain management is motivating factor for organizations to build strong relationship with chain partners in order to constantly reduce the costs of purchased items and to work with them to improve their processes in ways that increase productivity. Product innovation lead times, Collaborative product development help to minimize product innovation lead time. Involvement of all the partners results in higher quality,lower cost and less time to market. To gain these benefits there should be a need to build strong relationship base on trust and communication is necessary to share technology, co-locate personnel, and accept supplier-generated design improvements. Overall product quality Through supply chain integration it is possible to shift the responsibity of quality to the supplier. Better quality is assured by supplier certification programs . Barriers Inadequate information system: Inadequate information system is that lack in quantity and quality of information if not enough information is shared or the information shared is of little value strategic SCM may fail. Lack of willingness to share risk and rewards: As employee dont have clear understanding of what SCM is and how will benefit their job so they are not willing to share their risk and reward. Lack willingness to share information: Lack of trust is one reason that people are not willing to share information openly .because they have fear that if they share their weaknesses with their chain partners then they might use their weaknesses against them in near future. So Trust is pre-requisite in effective supply chain management. Lack employee empowerment: Lack of employee empowerment is a barrier to SCM to be successful. As employee empowerment is one way to motivate employees to participate in making SC collaboration successful. Employee empowerment is a form of decentralization it means giving employees the power to make decisions regarding their job and tasks. One of these decisions includes making purchasing decisions .i.e. when and how much is to be purchased..This will leads to successful implementation of Just-in Time manufacturing concept. Measuring customer demand: Accurately forecast customer demand is very important for successful SCM integration . In case manufacturers and distributers fails to accurately forecast customer demands then there are chances of stock outs and organizations face difficulties in maintain adequate inventory level. Some other barriers includes: Organizational boundaries There are two kind of boundaries in any organizarion intra and inter-organizational boundaries. These boundries should be removed for successful supply chain integration. For successful supply chain integration intra and inter -organizational boundaries should be removed. inter -organizational boundaries overcoming the company boundaries and working closely with suppliers and customers. (i.e., functional, business process, information/materials flows, and information/communication technology integration) intra -organizational boundaries Integration between different discipline and functions, such as manufacturing, distribution, marketing, accounting, information, and engineering. Measuring SC contribution, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Measuring Supply chain contribution is very important . these four measures can be used to measure supply chain contribution. Delivery: percentage of entire order deliver to the customer when he or she wanted it. Quality: for this purpose Customer satisfaction and customer loyaty is checked. Customer satisfaction includes giving customer what they expects. Customer loyaty is the percentage of customers who still purchase their products after purchasing once. Time: order fulfilment lead time is effected by inventory level. For total order-fulfilment lead time, first The time spent in inventory should be computed for each part of the supply chain (supplier, manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer) and then added. Cost: measure cost along the supply chain is to measure efficiency in value added or productivity. One measure of efficiency is as follows: Efficiency = sales cost of materials / labor + overhead Lack resources for SCM Resource constraints represent Serious hurdle in supply chain integration efforts Although companies are trying to best utilize the people resources that they have, but due to their nature of always trying to do more with less, create problem of lack of resources. e.g The managers who are Conside to be best for handling supply chain initiatives because of their experience, work ethic, creativity, technical knowledge, and personal credibility are always in high demand. interviewed managers identified other critical resources constraints including capital and technology Bridges Adequate information system: EDI LINKAGES: ERP system is a single unified system in which several computer hardware and software components are used . This unified system helps in cross functional integration (e.g between all departments , accounting departments, as well as marketing, strategic management, and human resources, in addition to warehousing, Information Technology, logistics, and production. ). Organizations adopt ERP system in order to integrate data and process into a single unified unit rather than trying to synchronize data and process across different systems Sharing of risk and reward: Interview manager also highlighted the point that in order to build closer relationship they share both Risk and reward with their chain partners. Frequent communication: Open and clear broad line of communication should be develop (Mohr and spekman (1994)) Senior management interaction: Top management is responsible for integrated supply chain management. Only senior manager can remove the walls between the organization and between the organizations. Supply chain training: As supply chain is becoming more popular and technology focused ,the individuals directly involve with it are required to give additional training. Some ways of giving training to individuals are On the job training Take classes out of work Online training Some other bridges includes: Suppply base reduction, Vendor managed inventory (vmi), Use of total cost analysis, Common goals and shared mission statement, Use of cross-functional teams and cross-functional processes Suppply base reduction: Supply base reduction is use by the firms to enhance quality , increase responsiveness , and reduce cost . Coke has adopted N+1 rule of thum for determining maximum number of supplies.It means they have just 1 more supplier then required. VENDOR MANAGED INVENTORY (VMI). Supplier is responsible for managing inventory at customer s location .Customer is not required to reorder .Its the duty of supplier to maintain the stock of customer at optimum level. Use of total cost analysis As we all know that Competition in todays markets is much more then before.so in order to compete in market , organizations need to offer products at low price and high quality. Through SC collaboration it is possible to reduce Total production cost . by having long term relationship with supplier, supplier reduce the cost of their supplies.in this way total production cost is reduced. Common goals and shared mission statement For SCM cooperative efforts to be successful, increase understanding and respect for partners businesses is very important. This process involves common golas and shared mission statement.When they all have a common goal , combine efforts are made to achieve that goal .And decisions are made for the success of each party. Use of cross-functional teams and Cross-functional processes Effective supply chain requires coordination across businesses and within the business. Coordination within the business is possible through Cross-functional teams and process. . For example, a cross-functional team is often used to plan and control the master schedule for manufacturing. The team consists of representatives from marketing/ sales, production, human resources, and accounting/ finance. The team develops a forecast of future expected orders, plans the capacity of manufacturing, and schedules customer orders. Everyone then agrees to work toward executing this plan. Without a cross-functional team of this type, marketing makes a forecast, production uses a different forecast to plan production, and the capital is not made available to provide the capacity needed. Clear Alliance management guidelines. alliance management techniques, none of the interviewed firms have every one in place. Clear roles and responsibilities are defined and communicated. Risks and rewards are shared on a mutually acceptable basis Technology linkages can be used to routinize information exchange. Overall product quality Through supply chain integration it is possible to shift the responsibity of quality to the supplier. Better quality is assured by supplier certification programs . Conclusion and Limitations This article attempts to identify potential benefits ,barriers and bridges of successful implementation of SC integration . Results shows that all chain partners are enjoying many benefits from SC collaboration. Primary benefit mentioned by all chain partners is Customer satisfaction. In supply chain ,Supplier want to satisfy their customer (i.e. manufacturer) and manufacturer want end user to be satisfied. So for this purpose they must be aware of what customer expects from the product or service and then make efforts to meet their expectations . SC manager ,supplier and retailer do not share the same values and beliefs regarding the primary barrier and bridges of supply chain management. SC manager identify human factors as the primary barrier to SC collaborati