The Worst Storm in Canadian History

Ice storms, also referred to as glaze storms, cause considerable damage every year to trees in urban and natural areas. They vary considerably in their severity and frequency. Ice storms are result of the ice formation process, which is influenced by general weather patterns. Ice accumulates when super cooled rain freezes on contact with surfaces, such as tree branches, that are at or below the freezing point (0'C). This generally occurs when a winter warm front passes through an area after the ground-level temperature reaches or falls below freezing. Rain falls through layers of cooler air without freezing, becoming super cooled. Periodically, other climatic events, including stationary, occluded, and cold fronts, also result in ice storms. The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the1998 ice storm. This paper features three main section: An introduction, the main body (damage to woodland), and finally, a conclusion. In the main body of this paper, the effect of fire and pest/disease is discussed in detail. In the conclusion, comparison is made between fire and pests/disease versus ice storm. By the end of this paper, one should gain a better understanding of the severity of the 1998 ice storm as well as other damaging agents that affect the woodland in eastern North America Ice storms are often winter's worst hazard. More slippery than snow, freezing rain or glaze is tough and tenacious, clinging to every object it touches. A little can be dangerous, a lot can be catastrophic. Ice storm in Northeastern America has been common but the 1998 ice storm was exceptional. Ice storms are a major hazard in all parts of Canada except the North, but are especially common from Ontario to Newfoundland. The severity of ice storms depends largely on the accumulation of ice, the duration of the event, and the location and extent of the area affected. Based on these criteria, Ice Storm'98 was the worst ever to hit Canada in recent memory. From January 5-10, 1998 the total water equivalent of precipitation, comprising mostly freezing rain and ice pellets and a bit of snow, exceeded 85 mm in Ottawa, 73 mm in Kingston, 108 in Cornwall and 100 mm in Montreal (Environmental Canada, Jan 12/1998). Previous major ice storms in the region, notably December 1986 in Ottawa and February 1961 in Montreal, deposited between 30 and 40 mm of ice – about half the thickness from the 1998 storm event! (Environmental Canada, Jan 12/1998). The extent of the area affected by the ice was enormous. Freezing precipitation is often described as â€Å"a line of† or â€Å"spotty occurrences of†. At the peak of the storm, the area of freezing precipitation extended from Muskoka and Kitchener in Ontario through eastern Ontario, western Quebec and the Eastern Townships to the Fundy coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. What made the ice storm so unusual, though, was that it went on for so long. On average, Ottawa and Montreal receive freezing precipitation on 12 to 17 days a year. Each episode generally lasts for only a few hours at a time, for an annual average total between 45 to 65 hours. During Ice Storm'98, it did not rain continuously, however, the number of hours of freezing rain and drizzle was in excess of 80 – again nearly double the normal annual total. One of the most appealing features of Eastern Ontario is the extensive forest cover. This is made up of woodlands of varying structure. These woodlands, as well as natural fencerows, windbreaks, and plantations of pine and poplar, dominate the landscape. Icing impacts may best be understood by treating spatially larger scales, starting with individual trees, proceeding to stands, and finally to forest landscapes. Ice damage to trees can range from mere breakage of a few twigs, to bending stems to the ground, to moderate crown loss, to outright breakage of the trunk. In the 1998 Northeastern ice storm, icing lasted long enough that many trees which were bent over had their crowns glued to the snow surface by the ice in many instances for as long as 3 weeks. Some of those trees actually erect posture after release from the snow, while many others remain bent over after 2 years. The severity of damage is generally believed to be closely related to the severity of winds following the heaviest ice accumulations. Damage varies across a range of severity and subtlety: minor branch breakage; major branch loss; bending over of crowns; root damages; breakage of trunks and in some hardwoods, trunks can be split. Depending on the stand composition, the amount of ice accumulation, and the stand history, damage to stands can range from light and patchy to the total breakage of all mature stems. Complete flattening of stands occurred locally in the Northeaster 1998 storm. In response to more moderate damage, effects on stands could include: shifts in over story composition in favor of the most resistant trees; loss of stand growth until leaf area is restored; and loss of value of the growth due to staining or damage to stem form. The term landscape refers to a ‘group† or a ‘family† of trees. I use the term vaguely because the size and composition of landscapes differ from region to region. The degree of damage is typically highly skewed by area. For example, in the January 1998 Northeaster storm, 1,800,000 ha of damage in Quebec was assessed by the Ministry of Natural Resource: very severe 4.2%, severe 32.0%, moderate 29.9%, and slight/trace 33.9% (The Science of the Total Environment, Volume: 262, Issue: 3, November 15, 2000, pp. 231-242 ). The effects on entire forest landscapes are highly patchy and variable. They also depend significantly on how landowners respond to the damage. Disturbance caused by diseases, by themselves or in conjunction with disturbance by insects, abiotic factors such as drought, fire and wind, and, increasingly, human activities, has played a critical role in the dynamics of many forest ecosystems in North America. In the predominantly coniferous forests in western North America there are considerable areas undisturbed directly by human activities. In these areas, diseases kill trees or predispose them to other agents of disturbance, resulting in gradual change in stand composition and structure. In areas disturbed by forest management practices of harvesting or exclusion of fire, increased disease incidence and severity has increased the damage caused by disease, and consequently, the rate of change. In the absence of introduced diseases in the predominantly deciduous forests of the Appalachian region of eastern North America, forests are relatively healthy. Here, forests are disturbed significantly by disease only after they are disturbed or stressed by other agents, predominantly defoliating insects and drought. In the eastern montane coniferous forest, chronic wind damage is a major predisposing factor to disease. Past harvesting practices, introduced diseases and insects, and fire exclusion have in some instances resulted in large areas of similar species and relatively similar ages that exacerbate the magnitude and severity of disturbance by disease. Fire is predominantly a natural phenomenon that burns the forest vegetation, polluting the ozone and wiping out the biodiversity. One major distinction between ice storm and forest fire is the way disaster are caused. The majority of forest fire could arguably be a result of human action and ice storm as an ‘act of god,† an act that is out of human control. Foresters usually distinguish three types of forest fires: ground fires, which burn the humus layer of the forest floor but do not burn appreciably above the surface; surface fires, which burn forest undergrowth and surface litter; and crown fires, which advance through the tops of trees or shrubs. It is not uncommon for two or three types of fires to occur simultaneously. Forest management has been able to reduce the occurrence of this event but many forest fires are out of arm†s length. Humans cause the majority of forest fires. Campers that do not put out their bond fire or campers littering lit cigarette bud are responsible for such an action. Natural occurrence such as lightning could spark a forest fire but the probability is small compared to human action. The convention way of putting out or reducing the spread of forest fire has been airliners. These airliners are filled with gallons and galloons of water. With limited capacity, these airliners fly above the flame and deposit galloons of water. For the purpose of this paper, deforestation simply means the lost of trees where the lost of trees exceeds the level of sustainable development. One of the major effects of forest fire is the burning of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. This eventually creates a greenhouse affect and global warming. The effect damages our ecosystem as well as reduces one of Canada†s precious natural resource. Many projects, both from government funding and corporate sponsors, have done a good job increasing the awareness and risk related to deforestation. Pests directly affect the quantity and quality of forest nursery seedlings and can indirectly cause losses by disrupting reforestation plans or reducing survival of out planted stock. The movement of infested stock can disseminate pests to new areas. Since control of nursery pests may be based on pesticide usage, pest outbreaks may lead to environmental contamination. Woodland damage caused by livestock is a well-documented, yet persistent, forest health problem. Soil compaction, root disturbance and trunk/root collar damage caused by livestock reduce the vigor of trees. This paves the way for armillaria root rot, borers and other opportunistic organisms. Livestock also destroy the forest under story (reproduction), which hastens soil erosion and limits the future productivity of the site. The resulting forest decline reduces the quality, value and longevity of current and future trees on the site. Eliminating livestock from woodlands is the first step toward a healthier, more productive forest. As mentioned earlier in this paper, ice storm is a natural phenomenon caused by nature whereas forest fire are a result of human actions and preventable. One of the major differences between fire and ice storm is the rate of damage. Forest fire has a direct impact on the woodlands by changing the diversity of the landscape. Forest fire wipes out an entire landscape of trees causing a release of carbon dioxide. This ‘in lieu† effect results in global warming as well as greenhouse effect. The release of carbon dioxide has a long-term effect to our ecosystem. Carbon dioxide is trapped in our ozone layer making airways less preamble. This trapping effect eventually radiates heat causing global warming. The long-term effect is hazardous and changes our biodiversity. Ice storm has very little affect to our ozone layer. Damage to woodlands as a result of ice storm is concentrated within that area. Ice storm does not spread like fire does so areas that have been hit by an ice storm affect woodlands Pests and disease slowly eroded the quantity as well as quality of woodland. Infected woodland slows the development of growth by eroding the soil limiting the production of trees. Pest control and good forest management could improve the quality and well as productivity in these areas. Pests and diseases cause a slow change in biodiversity. As the woodland become infested, animals feeding from leafs and branch find it less desirable, eventually leaving the area in search of more suitable woodland. Similarly, forest fire, pests and disease spread but at a much slower rate. These agents infect the trees, eventually penetrating the roots and moving on to the next host. As mentioned previous, ice storm does not spread, rather the effect stays within the area. To conclude, fire and pests/disease are similar in the way these agents spread and infect their host. The preceding sentence can be best thought of as a virus infected it†s host as an analogy. Fire spreads at a much faster rate than pests/disease and the impact are instant. Both of these agents have long-term effect, which does not work in our favor. Ice storm affects the area it hits and will not spread. Furthermore, ice storms are predictable whereas fire is not since the cause of fire is human mistake and is hard to predict. Ice storms are not preventable but human actions can be prevented. The potential of damage from fire is far more severe than that of ice storm. We must increase the awareness to ensure that our woodland remains healthy and protect our ecosystem.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 4

Micha â€Å"She's already got you all hot and bothered.† Ethan sips on his soda. â€Å"Look at you. Drunk after eight months of sobriety and I don't believe it's a coincidence it happened on the same night she showed up.† I slam another shot back and wipe my lips with the back of my hand. â€Å"I'm fine man. And I can't blame what I do on anyone else but myself. This isn't Ella's fault. â€Å" Ethan laughs, tipping his head back, bumping it on the edge of the cupboard. â€Å"Who the hell are you trying to convince? You know just as well as every single person in the room knows that you two are each other's problem and it's never going to be fixed until you fuck and get it over with.† I punch him in the arm, harder than I planned. â€Å"Watch it. You're walking on thin ice tonight.† He holds up his hands, surrendering. â€Å"Sorry, I forgot how you get when you're like this.† I grab a fist full of his shirt and jerk him toward me. â€Å"Like what?† Again, he forfeits up his hands. â€Å"Micha man, calm down and go drink some coffee or something. You're trashed out of your mind.† I release him and rake my fingers through my hair, frustrated with something I can't grasp. â€Å"Coffee's a myth†¦ And I need something else.† My eyes travel to the back door window, and suddenly I understand what I need. I pat Ethan's shoulder. â€Å"Clear everyone out before my mom gets home, okay?† â€Å"Alright, man will do,† he replies confoundedly. â€Å"But where are you going?† â€Å"On a walk.† I knock people out of my way, and stumble out the back door. Regaining my balance, I trip across the grass and climb over the fence. Ella's dad's Firebird is parked in the driveway, so he must be home from the bar. Doesn't matter, though. He won't notice or care if I sneak in. I've been doing it since we were kids. Although, my intentions did get a bit dirtier the older we got. I stare up at her bedroom window until I reach the tree. After a drunken struggle, I make it to the top and I inch along the branch to the window. Cupping me hands around my eyes, I peek inside. The lights are off, but the glow of the moon lights a trail to her bed. She's fast asleep. I inch open the window, slicing my finger on a rusty nail. â€Å"Mother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I suck on my finger tip, the taste of blood and vodka bitter against my tongue as I head dive through the window and hit the floor with a soft thud. Her friend shoots upright from the bed on the floor, her eyes wide. â€Å"Oh my God.† I put my finger to my lips as I get to my feet. â€Å"Shh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She still looks worried so I dazzle her with my most charming smile. That seems to win her over and she settles back in her bed. As carefully as I can, I step over her bed and crawl in with Ella. She's always been a heavy sleeper and doesn't stir. I press my chest against her back, drape my arm over her waist, and feel the rhythm of her breathing. God, I've missed this way too much. It's not healthy. I burrow my face in her neck, smelling the scent of her hair, vanilla mixed with something that's only her. I shut my eyes and for the first time in eight months, I fall into a peaceful sleep. Ella I sleep horribly for half the night, tossing and turning, like the princess sleeping on a pea. Only I am far from a princess and the pea is my guilty conscience. I don't know why I feel guilty about blowing off Micha. I've done it breezily for the past eight months. Although, he wasn't living right next door with his sad puppy dog eyes and charming sexiness. My sleep deprivation only got worse when my dad stumbled into the house in the middle of the night, bumping over cups and bottles, drunk off his ass. Later, I heard him crying in the bathroom my mom died in. It still hurts to hear because his tears are my fault. Once I fall asleep, I am out and it ends up being the best night's rest I've had in ages. When I wake up in the late afternoon, I feel refreshed and calm. Until I realize why. Micha is in my bed and has me in his long, lean arms. His body is curved into mine, so every single part of him is touching me. I know it's him by the smell of his cologne mixed with mint and something else that only belongs to Micha. I pretend to be asleep, engulfed in a wonderful dream, refusing to wake up until he leaves. â€Å"I know you're awake,† he whispers in my ear. His voice is hoarse and his breath is stale with booze. â€Å"So open your eyes and quit avoiding me.† â€Å"You know it's illegal to walk into someone's house without permission,† I say with my eyes shut. â€Å"And sneaking into someone's bed – that's the move of a pervert.† â€Å"I didn't walk in. I fell in,† he says, amused. I pinch his firm chest and he laughs. â€Å"Now there's my feisty girl.† He brushes his soft lips across my forehead. â€Å"I've missed you, Ella May.† Opening my eyes, I wiggle in his arms. â€Å"Please don't start. It's too early.† His eyes are guarded and his hair is a mess. He chuckles lowly, a sound that ripples deep inside my core. â€Å"Pretend all you want, pretty girl. You and I know that deep down you're secretly glad to be pressed up to my body.† He urges our chests together as he snakes his legs around mine. My eyelids flutter against his warmth. God, I've missed this so much. Way too much and so has my body, evidently. â€Å"So where did you go?† he asks, crushing my moment of bliss. â€Å"To school in Vegas? Because it kind of surprises me. You never really liked school.† My mind snaps back to reality. â€Å"I don't want to get into this right now. I just want to have a relaxing summer and then I'm headed back to campus.† He blinks, his eyelashes fluttering against my forehead. The feel of him sends a warm tingle up my thighs and I seal my lips to keep from moaning. His eyebrows knit. â€Å"It's like you've been kidnapped by a bunch of nuns or something.† â€Å"Maybe I was,† I say submissively. â€Å"It wouldn't hurt anyone if I was.† He considers this and an artful smirk curves at his lip. â€Å"That's not true. Nuns can't have sex and I still haven't fulfilled my lifelong dream of having sex with you.† I open my mouth, my tongue locked and loaded with an equally perverted comeback, but I bite down, remembering I'm not that kind of a girl anymore. â€Å"I need to wake Lila up. She's got a long drive ahead of her.† With one swift roll, he has me pinned down beneath his body and my arms trapped above my head. His aqua eyes search mine and it's like staring at the endless ocean. He sucks on his lip ring, lost in thought. â€Å"You're going to tell me, pretty girl,† he asserts, tilting his head so his lips are next to my cheek. â€Å"You always tell me everything.† â€Å"Micha, please†¦.† I despise how breathless I sound. â€Å"You know why I left. You were there that night†¦ you saw me†¦ I can't do it again.† Anxiety claws up my throat and my muscles tense beneath the weight of his body. â€Å"Please let me up. I can't breathe.† He props up on his arms. â€Å"You could have talked to me, instead of running away. You know that.† I shake my head. â€Å"No, I couldn't. Not that time. That time it was different. You were part of the reason I had to leave.† â€Å"Because you kissed me?† he asks, dipping his voice to a husky growl. â€Å"Or because I found you that way†¦ that night.† I swallow the giant lump in my throat. The kiss was part of it. It was an earthshattering kiss, one that stole breaths, stopped hearts, and scared the shit out of me because it surfaced feelings I'd never felt before, ones that rendered me helpless. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it. Now get off of me.† I wiggle my arms between us and push on his chest. He sighs and rolls off me. â€Å"Fine, don't talk about it, but it doesn't mean you can run away from me again. I'll chase you down this time,† he threatens with a wink as he climbs off the bed, and the chain hooked to his studded belt jingles. â€Å"Get dressed and meet me out in the driveway. You have to go visit Grady today.† â€Å"No, thanks,† I decline and tug the blanket over my head. â€Å"And I told you last night I have stuff to do today. Besides aren't you hung over from last night? You were pretty wasted.† â€Å"Don't do that,† he says, aggravated. â€Å"Don't pretend like you have some deep insight into me anymore. You've been gone for eight months and a lot has changed.† I'm speechless. â€Å"Micha, I†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Come on, get out of bed. You're going to see Grady, whether you like it or not.† He yanks the blanket off me and tosses it on the floor, so I'm lying there in my plaid shorts and skin-tight tank top with no bra on underneath. He gives me a prolonged once over, with a dark, lustful glint in his eyes and goosebumps sprout all over my skin. I cover myself with my arms. â€Å"I'm not going to Grady's. I just got home and I have things to do.† â€Å"He's got cancer, Ella.† He backs for the door, tucking his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. â€Å"So get your bratty, split-personality ass out of bed and go see him before you can't.† My arms fall to my sides as I sit up. â€Å"Why didn't anyone tell me?† â€Å"If you would have told someone where you were, we would have,† he says. â€Å"Although, I'm pretty sure your father knew where you were, he just wouldn't tell anyone.† I don't deny it. â€Å"Besides, I told you in the voicemail I left yesterday,† he says, glancing at my phone on the desk. â€Å"But I'm guessing you haven't listened to that?† I shake my head. â€Å"No, I was too surprised to see your number on the screen.† He bites on his lip ring, something he does when he's nervous. â€Å"Yeah, you should probably just delete that. I don't think you're ready for it yet.† My gaze moves to my phone. What the hell is on it? I climb out of bed, arching my back and stretching like a cat. â€Å"How bad is Grady?† He swallows hard. â€Å"He's dying, so you need to get dressed and let me take you to see him.† I begin to object, but rethink my initial stupidity. Grady is the one part of my past that I could never run from. At one point, he was like a father to Micha and me. I even called him from Vegas once, although I didn't tell him where I was. I nod. â€Å"Let me get dressed and I'll be out in a second.† â€Å"See you in a few.† He winks at me and vanishes into the hall, leaving the door wide open behind him. Lila quickly springs up from the trundle bed, clutching the sheet. â€Å"Oh. My. Hell. What was that about? I mean, he crawled in here through the window in the middle of the night, and just climbed into bed with you.† â€Å"That's what he does.† I open the window letting in the gentle breeze. Loose pieces of my hair dance around the frame of my face. â€Å"Oh, no.† Lila stretches her arms above her head. â€Å"What's wrong?† I reluctantly look at her. â€Å"I think someone might have confused your car for a canvas.† She jumps out of bed and elbows me out of the way to get a look at the damage done to her beautiful, nearly brand new Mercedes. â€Å"My poor baby!† I pull a skirt and a pink tank top out of my duffel bag. â€Å"Get dressed and we'll go check out the damage.† She pouts, looking like she might cry. â€Å"I can't drive it home like that. My parents will kill me.† â€Å"I know plenty of people who can fix it for you,† I say, opening the door. â€Å"Or I use to, but I'm sure it's all the same.† She nods and I go to the downstairs bathroom to change, avoiding the upstairs one. I turn on the shower so the mirror will fog up and hide my reflection. I comb my hair until it flips up at the ends naturally. Then I apply a light shade of lip gloss and head out the door, but run into my dad on the stairway. â€Å"When did you get here?† His breath smells like gin and his eyes are red. His cheeks have sunken in over the last eight months and his skin is wrinkled like leather with sores. He's in his late forties, but looks like he's pushing sixty. â€Å"Last night,† I tell him, taking his arm and helping him up the stairs. â€Å"I was in bed before you got home.† He offers me a pat on the back. â€Å"Well, I'm glad to have you home.† â€Å"I'm glad to be home,† I lie with a smile as we reach the top of the stairs. He moves his arm away from my hand and rubs the back of his neck. â€Å"Do you need anything? Like help carrying in your boxes?† â€Å"I think I can handle it on my own, but thanks.† I decline, sticking my arm out as he teeters toward the stairs. He nods and his eyes drift to the bathroom down the hall. He's probably thinking about how much I look like her. It hurts his eyes, at least that's what he told me the night I went to the bridge. â€Å"I guess I'll talk to you later then. Maybe we could go to dinner or something?† He doesn't leave me time to answer as he zigzags down the hall to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. My dad started drinking when I was about six, a few months after my mom got diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. His drinking habit wasn't that bad back then. He would spend a few nights at the bar and sometimes on the weekends, but after my mom died, beer and vodka took over both our lives. When I return to my room, Lila is dressed in a yellow sundress, with her blonde hair curled up and there is a pair of overly large sunglasses concealing her eyes. â€Å"I feel like crap,† she declares, putting her hands on her hips. â€Å"This place has that effect on most people.† I grab my phone, noting the flashing voicemail as I slip on my flip flops. We go outside, leaving the smoky air behind and step into the bright sunlight, surrounded by the scenery of rundown homes and apartments. The neighborhood is filled with motorcycle engines revving and far in the distance are the sounds of a lovers' quarrel and Micha is nowhere to be seen. A long time ago, it felt like home, back when street racing and running wild felt natural, but now I just feel lost. Lila starts biting at her fingernails as she gapes confoundedly at her car. â€Å"It looks worse up close.† I circle her car with my arms folded, assessing the damage. It looks like a fruit basket, only instead of being filled with fruit it's crammed with innuendos and colorful words. I'm on the verge of laughing for some reason. â€Å"They got you good.† She shakes her head. â€Å"This isn't funny. Do you know how much it's going to cost to fix this?† Lila's dad is a big shot lawyer over in California. Her parents are always sending her things like clothes, money, cars. She has never worked a day in her life and gave me a hard time for my waitressing job at Applebee's, begging me to take time off to go to parties. â€Å"So what do we do?† She chips at some green paint on the headlight with her fingernail. I point up the street. â€Å"There's an auto body shop not too far from here.† She glances down the road, which is covered in potholes and lined with filthy gutters. â€Å"But this is a Mercedes.† â€Å"I'm sure painting a car, no matter who the maker is, is all the same.† â€Å"But what if they do something to it?† â€Å"Like spray paint it again after they paint it?† I say sarcastically and she scowls. â€Å"Sorry. We'll find someone, okay? We can take it to someplace in Alpine. It's a little nicer over there.† â€Å"I can't drive it when it looks like this,† she complains, motioning at the car. â€Å"It's hideous.† â€Å"I'll drive it, then,† I offer my hand out for her to give me the keys. â€Å"Are you joking?† She pats the hood of her car. â€Å"This is my baby. No one drives it but me. You know that.† â€Å"I think your baby is in serious need of some plastic surgery.† Micha strides off the porch of his house and onto the driveway. He's changed into black jeans, a fitted grey t-shirt, and his blonde hair hangs in his eyes. Using his long legs, he jumps over the chain-linked fence between our yards. â€Å"I know the perfect place to get it fixed and it's here in town, so you won't have to drive it so far.† He gives Lila a wink. â€Å"I'm Micha, by the way.† â€Å"Hi, I'm Ella's roommate or old roommate anyway,† she says with a warm smile and slides her sunglasses down the brim of her nose. â€Å"We're not sure if we're sharing a dorm room next semester.† He presents her with his player grin. â€Å"Sharing a room with Ella? That had to be tough.† He shoots me a mischievous look, trying to get a rise out of me. She laughs and returns her glasses over her eyes. â€Å"No, she's a pretty great roommate, actually. She cleans and cooks and everything. It's like having my own house maid.† â€Å"Ella was always good at that stuff,† he agrees, knowing the real reason why. Even before my mom died, she was never good at taking care of the house. I had to learn how to take care of myself at a very young age, otherwise I'd have starved and rotted away in a rat-infested house. â€Å"So do you want me to take your car to that shop I was talking about? Like I said, it's really close.† â€Å"Yeah, that sounds great.† She shuffles her sandals against the concrete. â€Å"I'd rather go someplace close.† I mentally roll my eyes. Leave it to Micha. He can get any woman to contradict herself if he wants to. He swings his arm around my shoulder and kisses me on the forehead. â€Å"But I have to take pretty girl over here to see an old friend first.† â€Å"Please stop calling me that,† I beg. â€Å"I've never liked the nickname and you know that. I never even got why you called me it.† â€Å"And that's the appeal of it, pretty girl.† He tempts me closer to him and caresses my cheek with his lips, giving me a kiss that brings warmth to my skin. â€Å"Now are you ready to go see Grady? You can come, too, if you want†¦ is it Lila?† â€Å"Yeah, it's Lila. Lila Summers.† She offers her hand and Micha shakes it. â€Å"And sure I'll go. This place makes me a little nervous.† â€Å"Isn't your family expecting you to be home tonight?† I escape from underneath Micha's arm. â€Å"I'll text them and tell them I'm not leaving until tomorrow.† She retrieves her cell phone and scrolls through her contacts. â€Å"The car will be done by tomorrow, right?† â€Å"It's hard to say,† Micha says. â€Å"Ethan is the best, but a little slow.† Her head snaps up and there's delight in her eyes. â€Å"Ethan as in Ethan from the party last night? The one with the sexy hair and the really big hands?† Micha bites down on his lip, stifling a laugh, and flicks me a sideways glance. I can't help but smile. â€Å"Yep, that's the one,† he says. â€Å"Do you feel better about taking your car to him now?† â€Å"Well, yeah, if you think it's okay?† she checks. â€Å"I'm very picky about who works on my car or at least my dad is very picky about who works on it.† â€Å"It'll be fine,† he assures her with a wink. â€Å"I've never disappointed a girl yet.† â€Å"Oh yeah?† Lila laughs, glancing at me uneasily, like she's worried she's stepping on my territory. â€Å"So are we going to go or what?† A ping of jealousy pinches inside my chest. â€Å"Yep, let's go, beautiful.† Micha leads the way around the fence and up his driveway to the garage. When I step inside, my mouth falls open. Parked in the middle, between the walls lined with shelves and tools, is a shiny 1969 Chevy Chevelle SS. It's painted in a smoky black with a cherry red racing stripe down the center. â€Å"You finally fixed it up?† He pats the shiny flawless hood, his eyes sparkling with excitement. â€Å"I finally got around to it, after talking about it for four years.† His eyes find mine, seeking my approval. â€Å"So what do you think?† â€Å"It's kind of old.† Lila pulls a face at the car. â€Å"And really big.† â€Å"I thought you liked things big?† Micha teases. I punch him in the arm and he laughs. â€Å"Ow, I meant hands. Jeez get your mind out of the gutter.† I roll my eyes. â€Å"You did not, you pervert.† He shrugs, his eyes lustrous in the sunlight filtering through the gritty windows. â€Å"So what. It got you to lighten up, didn't it?† â€Å"Are we driving it to Grady's?† I opt for a neutral voice. He slips his keys out of his pocket and tosses them to me. â€Å"Yeah, go ahead. It's all yours.† I swiftly shake my head and throw the keys back at him, like they're scorching hot. â€Å"No thanks. I don't want to.† He cocks an eyebrow, looking sexy. â€Å"What do you mean you don't want to?† â€Å"I mean I don't want to drive it.† It nearly kills me to say it. I walk around the front of the car, open the door, and gesture for Lila to get in. â€Å"But it has a blown 572 Big Block in it,† he says astounded with the keys hanging loosely from his fingers. â€Å"How can you not want to drive it?† My insides twitch to drive it, but I won't buckle. â€Å"It's fine, Micha. I'd rather be the passenger.† â€Å"What does that mean? A blown big block or whatever you said?† Lila wonders as she walks to the side of the car. â€Å"Wait, are you guys talking cars? El doesn't like cars. In fact, she made us take the bus most of the time when we left campus.† â€Å"Oh really?† His tone implies otherwise. â€Å"That's news to me.† â€Å"It's a waste of gas,† I lie, attempting to mask the truth; that I miss it. The rush, the speed, the adrenaline high. Lila ducks inside the car and into the backseat. I climb into the passenger side and Micha opens the garage door. He revs up the engine, letting it rumble, teasing me, before backing down the driveway. â€Å"I'm starting to think that the Ella you knew isn't the same one as I know.† Lila buckles her seatbelt up. He spins the tires down the road. â€Å"I think you might be on to something Lila, because the one I knew loved cars. In fact she used to hang out in the garage all day with the guys while the other girls played with their hair and makeup.† He flashes me a dangerous grin. â€Å"She used to get all excited when we'd go racing.† No matter how hard I try to hinder myself from getting energized, I can't. Those hot summer nights, flying down the highway, neck and neck with another car, the rush soaring through my body. Micha trails his finger along my neck and rests it on my pulse. â€Å"You're getting excited just thinking about it.† His touch spreads a longing through my body. I swat his hand away, cross my arms, and focus on the window, watching the neighborhood blur by as he cruises over the speed limit. Micha shifts the gears and the engine thunders louder, begging to burn rubber. â€Å"Is it legal to be driving this fast?† Lila asks nervously. We glance back at her and she grips the edge of the leather seat. â€Å"It just seems like we're going really fast, especially in a neighborhood.† Micha holds my gaze resolutely as he downshifts and pumps up the rpms. â€Å"What do you think? Speed up? Or slow down?† I want to tell him to slow down, pull on my seatbelt, and look away, but a passion that was dead raves. He throttles the gas pedal, keeping his eyes on mine, venturing me to look away first. â€Å"Um†¦ I don't think this is a good idea.† Lila's voice is far away. The car surges faster down the narrow road and his eyes dare me to tell him to slow down and part of me wants to. Desperately. But as he shoves the shifter into the next gear, going faster and faster, my body pleads to let go. Suddenly, Lila screams, â€Å"Stop sign!† Micha's eyes sparkle like sunlight reflecting into the ocean. He slams on the brakes, squealing the car to a halt, and throwing us all forward. My hand shoots out and I brace myself from hitting the dashboard. â€Å"Are you crazy?† Lila's voice cracks as she situates back into the seat and realigns her dress over her legs. â€Å"What is wrong with you two?† Micha and I look at each other and my body is burning with a hidden desire that I won't admit exists. My heart beats in my chest, rock steady and alive again. For a second, I'm back in the place I lost. Then Micha ruins it. â€Å"See, the same old Ella still lives.† He grins arrogantly as he drives through the intersection. â€Å"She just needed a little push out.† I click the seatbelt locked, proving a point. â€Å"No, she doesn't. She's gone forever.† â€Å"Try all you want, but I'm bringing her back.† He bites his lip, refocusing on the street as he mutters, â€Å"I won't let that night ruin you forever.† But it did. It broke me into a million pieces and blew them away in the wind, like crumbled leaves. That night was one of the most incredible nights I've ever had. Then I quickly plummeted toward rock bottom.

The Impact of the Internet on Traditional News Media Research Paper

The Impact of the Internet on Traditional News Media - Research Paper Example Here is an attempt to analyze the changes brought about by the advent of internet in the field of TV and print media. Introduction The widespread use of internet has drastically changed the conventions of different news media. The cyber world has hastened the pace and spread of news in an amazing manner which downgraded even the scope of scoops. The advent of internet has thus marked a lot of changes in news media and subverted even the concepts of news upside down. The impact of internet on TV and Print media The vast and ever spreading world of cyber space contributed a lot to the growth of news media and triggered a revolution in the field of communication system. For a journalist, let him associate with either print media or visual media, internet is a powerful source to collect news. In olden days, as we know, the exchange of messages was carried out by the so-called messengers. Later postal system came into exist which made the communication system a little bit comfortable to s hare something between two people of different corners. The inventions of telegraph and wireless technological system opened the new vistas of exposition and exchange. In modern epoch, for any person who wants to know more about a topic or a news event can easily find out the detailed information by logging on websites. Thus, internet is undoubtedly a good source of news for both the reader and the journalist. In olden days the prime source of news for the newspapers was only the reporters deployed in the different places. The quick access into the cyber world and its updating facility in every second is one of the prominent features of online news portals. This has created a lot of changes in mass media by compelling the media persons to broadcast breaking news in visual media because the world is changing rapidly and the people are eager to know about those changes in the world. The different media across the globe compete each other in providing latest information for its readers /viewers keeping vigil on each and every change in the world. All the TV channels and print media keep their own website, on which, they publish breaking news or news flash. As Seema Shrikande maintains in her essay titled Internet Impact on Media, a â€Å"major influence of internet has been to remove geographical limits on the reach of media outlets and no longer are news media restricted to one city or region†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(Shrikande,Seema- http://www.omnilogos.com/2011/06/14/internet-impact-on-media). Even local news papers have their online editions and they are available to the readers in every corner of the world. Again this feature also, will mount pressure on the newspaper persons as they have to survive in the world of competition. So they are supposed to attract their readers by means of captivating designs, swift covering of news events, providing arresting captions etc., to compete in international level. All these are common features of any local newspaper of vernacula r languages. The ever spreading and changing nature of cyber world has marked such changes even in the matter of local news papers. The popularity of the social network sites like Facebook opened up new horizons of public opinion tools. In many Facebook posts, media and its way of reporting are of serious concern. The use of FB posts will definitely affects the quality and objectivity news media as common man can easily put their comments on even very big news channels and they can share it instantly among the friends. Before the advent of internet system, the people were not able to weigh and value of a news event beyond the account of newspapers. But nowadays,

Its a bit long so I explained it in order instructions Essay

Its a bit long so I explained it in order instructions - Essay Example And so is the case with the article, â€Å"Are Human Rights Universal?† by Shashi Tharoor. The first objection has its roots in the philosophical grounds, which claims that the world has been inhabited by different cultures since the time immemorial and it always has been the case that the values and the rights of a certain society have been in relevancy to the culture in which they exist; and so to simply rule out the underlying assumption of culture and impose universal charter of human rights would be a practical fiasco. Moreover, in many of the places other than the west, people are not generally granted the same kinds of rights – the reason being the cultural differences, for example, as mentioned by the author, the Confucian or the Vedic traditions where they consider duties to be more important than the rights; or the African societies, for that matter, where they deem the group rights have a preference over the individual rights and the decisions are made accordingly. Other than this, the author states that in many of the developing countries, certain rights which are taken for granted in the west are simply not suitable for the societies of the existing third world countries, giving the example of paid vacations. The article suggests that the developing countries might not be able to afford such rights as they lack the basic developed infrastructure for the acceptable western standard of life, particularly because of the lack of the economic development. Another objection against the conception of universal human rights has religious foundations, where the critics of this realm argue that unless a certain idea is founded upon the values of God, it cannot be universal, and so for them the universal human rights agenda has no such basics. Other than the stated oppositions against the universality of the human rights, some critics also give another interesting insight. According to them, the idea of

Community survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Community survey - Essay Example Central lssue of the Community Diagnosis The community suffers from a high incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, especially among the teenagers and young adults. This was made clear from the available statistics and data in the public domain. This is partially due to the increased drug related crimes, and partially due to the lack of awareness and education among the ethnic minority community. While exact and specific data are not available for Berwyn Heights, a 1999 National Household survey had reported that 5.2 percent of the population of Maryland has abused drugs in the past month. Among those who reported drug abuse, majority comprised of the ages between 18 and 25 (Drug Alcohol Rehab, 2007). Majority of them had used marijuana followed by cocaine. Another survey, The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), also found that the State had a higher number of alcohol abuse. This was calculated on the basis of admission to the government treatment centers which increased to 59,091 in 1995 from a lesser number of admissions (56,885) in 1994. Some studies have pointed out that drug abuse is down among Berwyn Heights. Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) which is located in Baltimore conducted a study that found that there was an overall decrease in emergency admissions from 15863 in 1994 to 14171 in 1991 for Maryland, and much of the decline was attributed to decline in Berwyn Heights. Also, an Adolescent Survey in Maryland highlighted the fact that 6 to 8 graders drug abuse declined by 51% but, it was on the rise for teens. 63% of the Teenage students reported abusing drugs and 44.1 % reported abusing alcohol in the recent past (Drug Alcohol Rehab, 2007). While the above statistics are mostly State Level, a close observation of Berwyn Heights highlighted that incidence of drug and alcohol abuse was high among the African American young males. It was also found that the local government has initiated many crime control programs like Operation Convoy, Jetway and Pipeline that increased checks and controls on the movement of vehicles on land and water. There are however, very few community level non-governmental or governmental support groups that can provide awareness, education and preventive advice to the local community. Literature review A national household survey conducted using 4023 adolescents in the ages between 12 and 17 found that a leading cause of substance abuse was childhood physical and sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. This research also established that African American ethnic minority youth for at a higher risk of substance abuse than Whites and other ethnic minority groups (Kilpatrick et al, 2000). In a follow up study in 2003, the researchers Kilpatrick et al again found that the risk factors for ethnic youth were higher. Another national scale research found that there is a lack of availability of mental health care and alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment facilities for African Americans (Wells, 2001) . Another research that was based on a collection of historical data on a large number of people belonging to African American community, it was found that this community was more likely to indulge in substance and drug abuse as a result of what the authors called Historical Trauma (Heart, 2003). This trauma is the result of generations of suffering ethnic

SLP 2 - HRM 401 SELECTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP 2 - HRM 401 SELECTION - Essay Example This is evident in a person’s ability to fit in the position that they are applying for based on their personal attributes and career objectives (Clarke, 1996). The tradeoff between the time taken on the selection process and the cost is the overstretching of the existing workers who must work extra hours to ensure that all the work is done before new employees are recruited to take up those jobs. The company may have to make extra payment to the employees so as to compensate them for the extra work load. There are a number of considerations that the company has to consider in the application process. The candidates are expected to create an online account with the organization through which the can keep track of their applications and other important notifications. Once the application has been received by the organization’s human resource department, the candidates are notified through an automated online acknowledgement system so as to inform them that their applications were well received. The human-resource staff as well as the hiring managers usually narrows down on the list of applicants based on their skills and job histories that are closely consistent with the requirements of the jobs applied for. In cases where they are not sure of the information presented by the applicants in their resume, they can reach them through phone calls or via email. The list of the shortlisted candidates that the team finally emerges with is composed of those whom there are certain bear all the required details of the job. Selection criteria are mainly based on screening of resumes, job applications and biographical information. It is further based on interpersonal skills or team leadership attributes of the candidates and their ability to represent the company’s brand well to the stakeholders. Multinationals such as Coca-Cola that operates in different countries considers

Platos Apology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Platos Apology - Assignment Example Chaerephon, Socrates’ loyal friend went to the oracle and inquired the god Apollo if there was anyone wiser than Socrates; the Oracle’s answer was none. Socrates took this as a riddle and wanted to solve the paradox that an ignorant could be the wisest. And so this was his divine mission in light of the Oracle of Delphi’s pronouncement. The Socratic Method or the Elenchus is a Socratic technique of exposing false beliefs and eliciting the truth. It is a discussion or dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). It typically involves two speakers discussing a central issue by a series of questions, one leading the discussion and the other answering the questions or agreeing to certain assumptions laid before him for his acceptance or rejection. The best way to win in the discussion or debate is to make the opponent contradict himself in a way that proves the point of the inquirer. In the dialogue Euthyphro, this method is manifested in the main part of the dialogue which is the argument of the definition of piety. Here Socrates asks Euthyphro to put forth a definition of piety which Socrates rejected because it was not a definition but an example of piety. The second definition by Euthyphro was criticized by Socrates. The third definition by Euthyphro was an amendment from the second. Here Socrates made Euthyphro contradict himself without him realizing. Socrates often used the Elenchus in bringing out insufficiencies and contradictions of the opinion of others.

Geico Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Geico Case Study - Essay Example Of a lot number of benefits, even few elements shall bring, aspirants, home about the benefits they can enjoy. Health and well being, that is in itself a complete program, is a well designed plan for its associates. The well being and health of the full time associate is covered 360 degrees making it perfect set of benefits. Education and training program, with, GEICO, is a lifelong learning opportunity that cares for career development coupled with trainings, tuition reimbursements and even family scholarships. Finance and retirement benefits are reinforced by astounding plan of profit sharing and variety of plans with over 20 investment options. For holidays and other leaves GEICO provides a plan that can help contentment for its associates. Similarly, family and life program and other perquisites along with a bunch of amenities are a great convenience. At GEICO the notion that family requirements should be understood to create affinity among the company and the associate is a way to integrate its associate well. The dependents of associates are also cared for and numbers of programs have been formed for the purpose. In these programs, long term care insurance plan, adoption assistance, associate assistance program are few that need a mention. Under associate assistance program GEICO provides up to three phone and/or in-person counseling sessions without any cost. AAP also includes work-life balance programs, baby welcome program, day care and elder care referrals, counseling for stress, anxiety and depression, and financial counseling, aid during crisis situation and legal consultation. To evaluate such perks are not only important for integrating its associates with the company, but also to make them realize that the relationship is symbiotic. In this paper a comparison of GEICO Total Rewards Program is being made with top advantages of Total Rewards program. Total Rewards program is now, known as an integrated part of HR best practices with a view of emplo yee retention and satisfaction. The World-at-Work Handbook of Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards by John Wiley is perhaps a definitive guide to compensation and benefits from modern HR professionals. In accordance with the best practices, the management must be vigilant enough to attract, motivate and retain quality employees. This manual provides for an indispensable method to make HR professionals comprehend and implement Total Rewards concept (Bus.iastate.edu). GEICO plan in comparison to Total Rewards Program: In Total Rewards program organizational culture, business strategy and Human Resource strategy are key players that shape overall planning, initiated through this program. It includes above mentioned plans that primarily attract, motivate and retain employees. It is an employee centric program that causes satisfaction and dedication only for the purpose of better business and performance results. It can be seen from the offers under this GEICO Total Rewards Plan that t he initiative is more likely to achieve â€Å"benchmark and standards of Total Rewards Plan†. They are far sighting and can be termed as closer to an excellent level (Awlp.org). To analyze the program, let us see the advantages that are important for an organization to maintain its integrity and lead: No single element is left isolated, meaning that all elements are taken care of, yet certain â€Å"elements are prioritized†

Poverty and Reproductive Health Essay Example for Free

Poverty and Reproductive Health Essay Poverty can be defined in many different ways. A condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. † When people are unable to eat, go to school, or have any access to health care, then they can be considered to be in poverty, regardless of their income. At the 2005 World Summit, the international community reaffirmed its commitment to cut in half the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015 and achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a series of time-bound and quantified targets to attack povertys root causes in a multi-dimensional way. The scale of the challenges, and the benefits of success to individuals, communities and the family of nation, are enormous: Global population is expected to increase from about 7billion today to 9. billion by 2050, and the population of the 48 Least Developed Countries will more than double to reach 1. 7 billion. Almost all of the net increase in population is occurring in the urban areas developing countries, and in many of them, the number of people living in poverty is rising. Moreover, the supportive development environment that prevailed in the early years of this decade is now threatened as the world faces a global economic slowdown and a food security crisis. At the same time, the effects of climate change are becoming more apparent. Substantial evidence suggests that slower population growth and investments in reproductive health and HIV prevention (particularly among adolescents), education, womens empowerment and gender equality reduce poverty. Carrying out the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo and reaching its goal of universal access to reproductive health information and services by 2015 is an essential condition for achieving the MDGs. A central premise of the ICPD is that the size, growth, age structure and rural-urban distribution of a countrys population have a critical impact on its development prospects and on the living standards of the poor. Poverty is multidimensional: impoverished people are deprived of services, resources and opportunities, as well as income. The ICPD realized that investing in people and empowering individual women and men with education, equal opportunities and the means to determine the number, timing and spacing of their children could create the conditions to allow the poor to break out of the poverty trap. The countries in which poverty levels are the highest are generally those that have the most rapid increases in population and the highest fertility levels. Countries that have reduced fertility and mortality by investing in universal health care, including reproductive health, as well as education and gender equality, have made economic gains. A 2001 study of 45 countries, for example, found that if they had reduced fertility by five births per 1,000 people in the 1980s, the average national incidence of poverty of 18. per cent in the mid-1980s would have been reduced to 12. 6 per cent between 1990 and 1995. How do investments in reproductive health, education and gender equality reduce poverty? †¢Enabling people to have fewer children contributes to upward mobility and helps to stimulate development. †¢When women can negotiate their reproductive health decisions with men, this exercise of their rights leads to an increased decision-making role within families and communities that benefits all. Because smaller families share income among fewer people, average per-capita income increases. †¢Fewer pregnancies lead to lower maternal mortality and morbidity and often to more education and economic opportunities for women. These, in turn, can lead to higher family income. †¢As women become more educated, they tend to have fewer children, and participate more fully in the labour market. †¢Families with lower fertility are better able to invest in the health and education of each child.  Spaced births and fewer pregnancies overall improve child survival. †¢Sexual and reproductive health services are key to curbing HIV. The pandemic is killing large numbers of people in their most productive years, increasing the ratio of dependents to the working-age population. †¢Preventing AIDS-related disabilities and premature deaths translates into a healthier, more productive labour force that can improve a countrys economic prospects Many developing countries have large youth populations. Reproductive health programmes that address the greater vulnerability of adolescents to unprotected sex, sexual coercion, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, unintended early pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and enable young women to delay pregnancy and marriage are important factors in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. †¢Investments in reproductive health, particularly in family planning, that result in lowered fertility can open a one-time only demographic window of economic opportunity.

Green Supply Chain Essay Example for Free

Green Supply Chain Essay This paper basically talks about the concept of green supply chain management that is being incorporated by many organizations in their management styles today. This paper will help introduce the term to the readers by giving them a detailed definition of the concept and its key elements that help implement this style of management. The paper will also discuss the benefits of implementing such a management strategy in their management style along with the risks that organizations face by implementing this management strategy. The paper will also talk about the key issues that organizations face while designing a green supply chain for their organization by analyzing separately the companies which are suitable for such a supply chain and also the companies which won’t be able to benefit from such a management practice. In the end the paper will also talk about the companies in UAE that are using this concept and are successfully using the best practices that makes such a supply chain management idol for their management. The methodology for the compilation for the information used in the report will be through a research based net search and literature review of many books written on the topic. The net search helps to identify the companies which are already using this management technique and the books help understand the basic concepts, benefits, risks and the types of companies that can use such a management practice. Introduction The world is facing issues relating to climatic changes and environmental threats to a great extent today particularly because of the emissions of Greenhouse Gases that is the CO2 which is one of the major cause of global warming. According to research, the major portion of Australia’s energy related greenhouse gases were emitted by the production of goods and services by the production sector. This proportion was estimated to be as big as 56%. The issue that many organizations face today is although it is the consumption of fuels that contribute to a great extent for the emission of the gases, consumers themselves are thinking on these lines that they are also to be held accountable for the emissions of these gases because it is them who demand and consume the products that lead to emission of such gases and chemicals into the atmosphere. The consumers are concerned about this issue to a great extent and it seems that in the future their decision making model will also include the factor of environmental concern as well. Thus from the above discussion we can deduce that the pressure of such a behavior from the consumers is eventually going to go back to the producers who are producing these services and products and hence they will have to incorporate a lean green supply chain management in order to provide them a competitive edge over the competitors who have not yet focused their plans towards this side. However, those companies which have already started to make use of this management technique have started to realize that it is not just the competitive edge over the competitors, but a green supply management technique also helps them to attain management efficiencies and reduces their expenses and costs figures in their profit and loss statements. The basic formula for the implementation of a green supply management basically has two major elements. The first one being conservation of natural resources, and the second one is the reduction of pollution that is caused by manufacturing of goods and services. This report will discuss both the elements separately because each of the elements has a lot of other factors that need to be discussed under their heads. Green Supply Chain Management Starting with the conservation of resources, first we need to identify the problem that organizations and the production sector faces in the global market today. The most important reason that has lead to firms adopt strategies to conserve natural resources is the depletion of natural resources worldwide due to increasing demand and population. We can see that as new technologies in production are coming on the stage, the cost of production is decreasing day by day making it more attractive for both producers and consumers to produce and consume respectively. New methodologies are adopted by producers to increase the quality, come up with substitutes and provide more facilities to consumers from their product. It is not only the production sector, the agriculture sector is also facing the same issues because of the fact that as there is a limited supply of land, when more will be cultivated the land will lose its fertility more quickly. Even if farmers use fertilizers and nutrients to maintain the fertility of soil, the most they do is to sustain the fertility and prepare the crop for another cultivation, however, when we look it from the perspective of the whole society we see that using fertilizers is also one of the causes for emission of greenhouse gases because fertilizers are hundred percent chemicals. Therefore, organizations who have switched towards a greener supply chain management are focusing towards this issue from both, the environmental and the business point of view. From the environmental point of view, these organizations might have a competitive edge over the competitors because of the consumer’s preferences for environmentally products, but, saving of natural resources by reducing wastes and recycling the used material will also end up in reducing costs for these organizations which will have a significant impact on their profit and loss accounts (Dethlof, 2007). Moreover, when we come to the reduction of wastes, we see that companies reduce the emission of pollution by recycling these wastes. Rather than dumping them into trash and burdening the society with the cost that they have to pay for the consumption of goods, organizations are trying to use resources in such a way that they reduce the wastage and even if there are wastes from production of goods, these wastes must be reutilized. For example, when organizations use paper for their daily operations, they are trying to automate their data processing to such a level that the use of paper is reduced to a great extent, however, even if papers are used wherever they are necessary, they should be recycled again rather than buying new papers which will eventually lead to cutting of more trees (Danaher, 2007). The above picture explains the green supply management from an aerial view. Three processes of production that we can see in the diagram suggest that the organizations need to acquire material and natural resources that are environmental friendly, they must be processed in an environment friendly manner and lastly the outputs that are the products must be environment friendly as well. This is the idol supply chain for green management. We see that the wastes and even the used products are disposed and recycled to be used again or to make by products that can be used in any other manufacturing facility in order to save natural resources and provide material for another manufacturing cycle. Once this cycle is established, researchers and analysts believe that the usage of material by the organizations will reduce up to around 30-40%. This reduction in the use of material means that these companies will incur less costs on the acquisition of material in the same percentage and also the amount of emissions and pollution that will be reduced will be proportionate to this reduction in material use as well. The best practices that we can deduce from the above discussion regarding the implantation of a green supply chain are that organizations need to align green supply chain goals with their business goals. This means that both of these goals need to be taken simultaneously and the extreme bias towards any of the will lead nothing but in efficiencies. If the organization only thinks about the use o environmental friendly goods and material which are twice as costly as before, then the operations of the business will become inefficient to a great extent. Similarly if the organization does not focus on the environmental friendly products and services, again the effects of such thinking will have drastic effects on the environment. Moreover, the companies should keep this in mind that the supply chain is devised in such a way that it becomes the single lifecycle of the product. The material is acquired, processed reduced and is then decomposed to get recycled for the same life cycle. The life cycle does not starts from acquisition of environmental friendly material and production of environmental friendly goods, but the used and wastes materials must be invested back in the life cycle again and this cycle must be kept running as long as the products are produced. Moreover, another best practice that is very important in this twenty first century is that the implementation of green supply chain management must serve as a catalyst for organizations to indulge themselves in coming up with new innovations and technologies that aimed towards conservation of natural resources along with reducing pollution as well (Shina, 2008). This can be done by inventing new technology that makes efficient use of natural resources that reduces it wastes, innovation in technology of making new by products, innovation in recycling and innovation in filtering the gases that are emitted from the production of goods and materials. Lastly, another thing that organizations need to focus upon is that they should reduce the use of environmentally hazardous materials and extra materials from the source, i. e. , when acquiring raw materials, it should be acquired in such a quantity that no raw material is wasted and is extracted in excess because eventually it will lead to depletion of resources at a faster rate. Moreover when acquiring material, the material should be checked for its material friendly characteristics from the very beginning because once the material enters the cycle, the cycle will have to filter its wastes and emissions for a longer period of time. Thus the life cycle of the material will also become efficient if the materials that are used are checked for their environmental friendly characteristics at the source (Sheu, 2005). Major benefits of the Green Supply Chain Coming on to the benefits of the green supply chain management, we see that the benefits can be subdivided into two categories, environmental benefits and the business benefits. In the above discussion we have discussed a lot about the environmental benefits of green supply chain management that is less use of natural resources and reduction in pollution due to the use of environment friendly materials. However, when we come to the organizations themselves, they enjoy a lot of factors related to green supply management as well. As we have discussed that this management tactic has a significant impact on the PLs of the organizations, bow we need to know how does this happen. The clear answer to this question is that using green supply chain management technique brings a commitment of being efficient in an organization. Implementing this type of management strategy is not a capital intensive one and it just needs a little bit of changes and research in order to identify the suppliers who have the potential to supply environment friendly materials. We have already seen that organizations that have used this methodology have been able to bring efficiency in all of their departments, from inventory, production, administration and even distribution of the products. these companies buy materials that are cheap and environment friendly, the produce in such a manner that all the material are utilized in most efficient manner reducing the wastes and increasing the productivity. With the incorporation of new technology the put of the production has also been increased because the new technology is employed to obtain more output from lesser use of material or at least from the same amount of material that was used before. Natural fuels that are used in the production process are also used efficiently keeping in mind the global shortage of fuel and natural gas power generation practices are employed rather than oil and nuclear power generation which are both expensive and environmentally hazardous (Kainuma, 2006). When it comes to administration costs, the companies have also managed to decrease their administrative costs as well by eliminating all the extra administrative costs like use of paper, extra office lights, transformation of office vehicles from petrol and diesel to natural gas and also reduction of energy use in the offices by conservation of electricity and water resources. Moreover, when it comes to distribution of material and products, the distance between warehouses and production facilities have also been reduced under this green management in order to reduce the use of natural fuels that are wasted due to long distances. Moreover, organizations have either chalked out plans for recycling or invested in other production lines that make use of their wastes to come up with by products or, they have changed their production mechanism in such a way that most of their wastes are usable by other production facilities in the economy. This means that the organization is able to reimburse the cost of its wastes which was counted as a total waste previously. More over, as we have already discussed in the beginning, that the consumers who are very much aware of the fact that they are also the contributors of environmentally hazardous emissions are more inclined towards switching brands in order to buy those products that are made from an environmentally friendly manufacturing process. This has provided these organizations with a competitive edge in comparison with those organizations who have not yet thought on environment preservation plans as yet (Makower, 2008). Major risks/cost of the Green Supply Chain Coming on to the risks and issues related to the green supply chain management, we see that in order to implement this concept, the suppliers and the production facilities need to transform themselves into organizations that are highly perfect and operate at idol production levels. This means that only an organization which is producing cannot alone implement this concept in its management unless it suppliers adhere to this concept as well. When we look at the suppliers, there is not only one supplier of a company, there are many. Thus, the question arises that how will companies be able to audit their suppliers whether the products they are manufacturing are environmental friendly or not. Even if the company does takes the initiative to check its suppliers to supply environmental friendly products, then, what about the supplier’s suppliers? Who will actually check them? This is imperfections and inefficiencies come into play in this highly idealistic model (Preuesse, 2005). Moreover, when it comes to packaging, it is seen that many organizations have changed their packaging processes from plastic bags to paper packaging. From an aerial view, this looks like the best practice, however, when we look into the matter a little more critically, we see that there is practically no one who is ready to take the responsibility of the extra trees that are being cut in order to meet the supply of papers for the packaging? Thus the net benefit of the society is nullified. Coming on to the transportation of production and materials from one place to another, these facilities can only be provided through vehicles that use natural resources and fuels resulting in emissions. How to reduce this? Under the green supply management, the best practice is that the organizations must come up with schedules that aim towards supplying goods to different places in only one consignment. This would result in conservation of fuel. However, what about organizations who will have to wait for long hours because of the delayed supplies what about the loss of energy that the factories have to bare because they are left idol without necessary supplies? Moreover until now, it is seen that in many industries, organizations’ have increased the cost of commodities that are more environmental friendly because of high cost of research, new technology and new equipments that has been apportioned to the cost of production. The question is will the consumers buy the expensive products just because they are environment friendly or would they keep on buying the traditional goods that are cheap and provide equal marginal utility (Rao, 2008). Therefore many originations do face these risks while implementing such a management decision. In this part of the paper, we will see which organizations in UAE have implemented the Green Supply Chain Management strategy in order to help them bring efficiency in their production facilities and at the same time producing services that are environment friendly. As we know that UAE is oil based economy and oil production constitute the major chunk of their GDP. However, we also know that it is the oil that cause and faces most of the environmental issues that world faces today. First of all, oil resources are being depleted day by day due to increasing world demand for oil due to globalization and expansion of manufacturing units all over. Secondly, the consumption of oil also is responsible as one of the largest contributor to greenhouse gases that are emitted in to the atmosphere. Be it from factories or be it from transportation, oil is the major source of CO2 about which we have already talked about in the beginning of the report. However this report talks about an example of a consortium of oil producing companies that have pledged to assume environmental and social responsibilities onto them in order to save the environment from the hazardous emissions and depleting natural resource (Sarkis, 2006). These companies have decided to budget and analyze the amount of production that they need to make in order to supply it to the oil marketing companies both within the UAE and outside as well. These companies only produce only that much amount of oil that is required to meet their targets and the demand. Excess drilling is banned under the limitations of the consortium between the companies. Moreover, while extracting oil, these companies also take great care of the fact that no resources are wasted due to negligence such as fire in any of the drilling wells or leakage of pipes. When supplying it to oil marketing companies, the company also distributes pamphlets, magazines and literature that is written just to educate the consumers how to save the environment from emissions, how to make use of fuel more efficiently and lastly how to save it from being wasted. This step includes a campaign started by the company that aimed towards educating the transporters about the above three factors. As far as those companies are concerned which actually cannot make use of such a supply chain management are the fertilizer producing companies. Due to limited land resources and unlimited demand of food supplies, soil needs to fertilize on regular basis in order to maintain its fertility for the next cultivation which is equally important. Thus chemicals and natural resources such as natural gases have to be used by these companies in order to produce fertilizers. Apart from the two heavy industries, we can also take the example of McDonalds that also uses green supply management and its best practices in order to serve the community with environmental friendly products. The biggest contribution by McDonalds is that it only uses paper packaging and it recycles every possible paper that it uses. Moreover, the material from which the paper is manufactured is also such that it does not harm the environment that much. During a survey, the company has been reported to have saved around$3. 6million dollars by conserving on its packaging materials (Lawrie, 2003). Conclusion Although the need o f the hour suggests that organizations need to adhere to green supply chain management as soon as possible, however the concept is relatively new and does needs a lot of more research to be done to be effectively implemented. At the beginning, organizations might fear the impact of such measures on their cost; however, the benefits of these investments can be reaped for so many years to come. References Danaher, K. (2007). Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots. Pollipoint Dethlof, C. (2007). Citizen hotelier: hotel chains are developing green initiatives. (COLUMN: HOSPITALITY): An article from: Indiana Business Magazine. Indiana Business Magazine Kainuma, Y. (2006). A multiple attribute utility theory approach to lean and green supply chain management . International Journal of Production Economics. Elsevier Lawrie, R. (2003). Gone Green. Evans Brothers Makower, J. (2008). Strategies for the Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges in the New World of Business. McGraw-Hill Preuess, L (2005). The Green Multiplier: A Study of Environmental Protection and the Supply Chain. Palgrave Macmillan Rao, P (2008). Greening the Supply Chain: A Guide for Asian Managers. Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd Sarkis, H (2006). Greening the Supply Chain. Springer Sheu, J (2005). An integrated logistics operational model for green-supply chain management Transportation Research Part E. Elseviser Shina, S (2008). Green Electronics Design and Manufacturing. McGraw-Hill Professional

A Focus On Research Methodology Business Essay

A Focus On Research Methodology Business Essay 3.1 Introduction: The previous chapter discussed about the existing literature of how the innovation process and product life cycle works within a company. This chapter will focus on research methodology which is the set of method, providing a systematic technique to accomplish research aims and objectives and research questions. As per Kumar (2005), research methodology is the way to answer all the research questions. The researcher will clarify the types of research methods and also it will illustrate the correct process to meet the research aims and objectives, data collection process and evaluation of the data. The centre point of any research is to data collection and the analysis. Saunders et al. (2009, p-106) described this centre point as a centre of an onion which has different layers that need to be peeled away to get into the centre point. This onion is known as a research onion, which is shown below: Figure 3.1: Research Onion Source: Saunders et al. (2009) 3.2 Research philosophy: According to Saunders et al. (2009) research philosophy is the term that develops the knowledge and there is a strong relation between the nature of that knowledge and the research. To support to select the research strategy method it is important to take the supposition of the research. As per Johnson and Clark (2006) stated in Saunders et al. (2009, p.108) the management and business researchers need to be aware of the philosophies that be chosen for research report. They also added the significance of the research need to understand by investigation. In addition, there is been supportive statement by Saunders et al. (2009, p.108), The important issue is not so much whether our research should be philosophically informed, but it is how well we are able to reflect upon our philosophical choices and defend them in relation to the alternatives we could have adopted. According to research onion from Saunders et al. (2009, p.108), there are four main areas which cover the research philosophy. These are as follows: Pragmatism Interpretivism Realism Positivism 3.2.1 Pragmatism: In research philosophy pragmatism is the most important determination that focuses on the research question. In this part it is also possible to argue within both positivist and interpretivist view. This is also applicable for practical approach. It helps to collect and analyze data by integrating different perspectives. (Saunders et al. (2009, p.109) 3.2.2 Interpretivism: The term interpretivism stands for, as a researcher it is required to be aware of the difference between humans in their role as social actors. According to Saunders et al. (2009, p.116), The difference between conducting research among people rather than objects such as trucks and computers. The term social actors is quite significant here. In the same way we interpret our everyday social roles in accordance with the meaning we give to these roles. In addition, we interpret the social roles of others in accordance with our own set of meaning. 3.2.3 Realism: Realism is another important point of research philosophy which focuses on scientific enquiry. In other word, the existence of autonomous reality of the human mind is the realism. As per Saunders et al. (2009, p.114), quoted that, The philosophy of realism is that there is a reality quite independent of the mind. In this sense, realism is opposed to idealism, the theory that only the mind and its contents exist. Realism is a branch of epistemology which is similar to positivism in that it assumes a scientific approach to the development of knowledge. 3.2.4 Positivism: Positivism is the epistemological view that promotes working with a clear social reality. As a researcher when reflects their research with positivism philosophy, then that research adopt the natural scientist philosophical stance. Saunders et al. (2009, p.113) The research idea came from the business background of author which has driven to develop the knowledge of product life cycle and innovation process from the customer perception of Nokia mobile phone. To generate a research it is important to develop research hypothesis. According to Porte (2010), in order to focus the study, to give the flow of reading, researcher should able to meet the research question or hypothesis. As a researcher the following hypothesis can be identified: H1: Rapid changes in the product attributes over last few years as customers taste changes with diversified culture. H2: Technology facilitated more innovation and increasing rate of product obsolescence resulting changes in the product life cycle strategy. H3: Growing trend of open market economy is the reason of innovation. 3.3 Research approaches: The final outcome of the research is determined by the way the project is being designed. This is the first step to investigate the phenomenon and the type philosophy that will be guided to investigate the process. As Saunders et al. (2009, p.124) stated that The extent to which you are clear about the theory at the beginning of your research raises an important question concerning the design of tour research project. This is whether your research should use the deductive approach, in which you develop a theory and hypothesis (or hypotheses) and design a research strategy to test the hypothesis, or the inductive approach, in which you would collect data and develop theory as a result of your data analysis, insofar as is useful to attach these research approaches to the different research philosophies. There are two types of research approaches. These are as follow: Deductive approach Inductive approach 3.3.1 Deductive approach: Deductive approach is the method of purely formed theories arises as a generalization from observable data that are going to be explained. This approach was first introduced by Sir Isaac Newton (1643- 1726) in the late 17th century. (Holzinger, 2010). Research hypothesis and theory can be tested by collecting and analysis the data. According to Saunders et al. (2009, p.125), the theoretical plan of research approach needs to test by implementing the strategy which is particularly designed to test the hypothesis. Moreover Pathirage et al. (2008) added, deductive approach moves from theory to data. 3.3.2 Inductive approach: This is an alternative approach to conduct the research. Drosg (2009) stated that, inductive research depends on the variation of data values, which is a set of data of statically analysis. This kind of research is directly involved with the management research, because it involve with data analysis, issues and problems. Afterwards the researchers develop the theory based on those investigations. However, Crowther and Lancaster (2008) mentioned that inductive approach is flexible for sample size and data, because it does not require any established theory. Deductive emphasises Inductive emphasises Scientific principles Gaining an understanding of the meanings humans attach to events. Moving from theory to data A close understanding of the research context The need to explain casual relationship between variables. The collection of qualitative data. The collection of quantitative data. A more flexible structure to permit changes of research emphasis as the research progresses. The application of controls to ensure validity of data. A realisation that the researcher is part of the research process. The operationalisation of concepts to ensure clarity of definition. Less concern with the need to generalise. A highly structured approach. Researcher independence of what is being researched. The necessity to select samples of sufficient size in order to generalise conclusions. Table 3.1: Major differences between deductive and inductive approaches to research. Source: Saunders et al. (2009, p.127) This research is to design to investigate the impact and influence of product life cycle and customer perceptions on business innovation strategy. As per above discussion, this research will conduct through deductive approach. This will apply the related theory of product life cycle and innovation process; it will also find out the effectiveness of these theories with Nokia mobile company. 3.4 Research design: Research design reflects on research questions. This is to be contingent with research objectives which are obtained from research questions. Saunders et al. (2009, p.137) stated that, researcher need valid reason for research design and the justification of research rely on research questions, objectives and research philosophy. According to Heppner et al. (2008) research design is the centre component of scientific inquiry and the most difficult part is selecting a research design whose strengths and weaknesses help the researcher to examine research questions. 3.5 Research Strategy: Research strategy is the general plan to answer the research questions. As per Saunders et al. (2009, p.141) no research strategy is inherently superior; this is not important which label is attached with strategy, but this is most important whether this strategy will allow the researcher to answer the research questions. The following research strategy can be identified (Saunders et al.,2009, p.141): Experiment Survey Case study Action research Grounded theory Ethnography Archival research Experiment: This type of research is based on natural science research. However, social science and specially psychology types of research are fall into this category. This involves with a link of two variables. Survey: This is a deductive research. The main area of this research is business and management research. As a result, it more likely exercised for exploratory and descriptive research. Case study: Robson (2002, p.178) cited in Saunders et al. (2009, p.145) a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple of evidence. Case study mainly concentrates to gain and understand the knowledge of a specific area. Action research: This research is concerned about the change management and collaboration with practitioner and researcher. This is a management research. Grounded theory: This is an inductive research. Here theory is developed and data is generated by further observation. Ethnography: The strategy that focus on the description and interpretation of the social world from the first hand side. This type of research is very time consuming. Archival research: This final strategy considers the administrative records and documents for its principle source of data. From above discussion, it has been decided by the author, this research topic will go along with case study strategy. This research is based on theory of product life cycle and innovation strategy, which is fall into deductive approach and supported by this strategy. This research will build the knowledge of product life cycle and innovation process by collecting the information from Nokia Research Centre and will compare with the most up to date theory. 3.6 Data collection method: There are two kinds of data collection process for research project (Saunders et al. (2009). These are as follow: Primary data and Secondary data. 3.6.1 Primary data: The data gathered solely for research purposes to meet the research question is known as primary data. Saunders et al. (2009, p.598) quoted, data collected specially for the research project being undertaken. The primary data can be collected through interviews, surveys, questionnaires and discussions. This reflects on the real scenario of the project and there is presence of validation by the secondary data. 3.6.2 Secondary data: The data that have already been published and reanalysing for some other reason is called secondary data. According to Saunders et al. (2009, p.256-258) secondary data contains both raw and published data. These data can be both quantitative and qualitative and can be used in both descriptive and explanatory research. Secondary data can be collected through documentary, multiple source and survey. Advantages and disadvantages of primary and secondary data: Advantages Disadvantages Primary Data Specifically addresses the research question Collecting and analysing data can be expensive Reliability, credibility and accuracy are known Researcher must have the necessary skills to conduct primary research Can address almost any research question Primary research is time consuming Secondary Data Can be very cost effective Reliability, credibility and accuracy may not be known Can usually be gathered quickly Units of measurement may not be appropriate Does not require the same expert skills as primary data collection Data may not be presented in a usable format Interpretation and analysis skills are still required Data may be untimely or out of date Source or sponsor of the research may not be known Table 3.2: Advantages and disadvantages of primary and secondary data Source: Morgan and Summers (2005) This research will conduct by collecting both primary and secondary data to attain the aims and objectives. Secondary data will be collected from journals, newspapers, internet (online publications) and specially Nokia Research Centre (NRC). The primary data will be collected by conducting questionnaire design on 200 customers to get the outcome of the customer perception of Nokia mobile phone. 3.7 Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Saunders et al. (2009, p. 151) quoted that, Quantitative is predominantly used as a synonym for any data collection techniques (such as questionnaire) or data analysis procedure (such as graphs or statistics) that generates or uses numerical data. In contrast, qualitative is used predominantly as a synonym for any data collection techniques (such as an interview) or data analysis procedure (such as categorising data) that generates or uses non- numerical data. The researcher will use both quantitative and qualitative data for this research. However, this research is mostly based on qualitative data; as this research will consider with the modern theory of product life cycle and innovation process. The quantitative data will also be considered to calculate the customer perceptions. 3.8 Evaluation techniques: Evaluation techniques depend on the types of research and how the data will be analysed. The researcher will analyse both quantitative and qualitative data. There are some specific ways to measure these kinds of data. UWE (n.d.) stated that, the quantitative data analysis often consider descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data analysis may do by considering analysis of visual data and analysis of narrative data. To evaluate the both primary and secondary data, the researcher will represent them with graphical, tabular and chart context. The researcher will also investigate the Nokia Research Centre (NRC) website for their product life cycle and innovation strategy to compare with the most recent situation. 3.9 Limitations: This research project has certain limitation in context of the entire study. However, this limitation can be taken as a scope for further research. The first limitation of this study is not taking any primary data direct from Nokia head office, which is situated in Europe and this research is conducting from London. 3.10 Summary: This study will collect the data from secondary sources and designing questionnaires for the customers. This methodology of the task can be a number of procedures that have followed to prepare a meaningful report. The findings and analysis will be discussed in the following chaper.

The Feminist Element of Eudora Weltys The Bride of Innisfallen :: Eudora Welty The Bride of Innisfallen

The Feminist Element of Eudora Welty's The Bride of Innisfallen Suzanne Marrs' work, "Place and the Displaced in Eudora Welty's The Bride of Innisfallen, focuses on Welty's settings in the collection specifically Welty's departure from using her native Mississippi. Marrs recounts the events of Welty's life in the early 1950s, the time Welty wrote these stories, and how her journeys in Europe influenced The Bride. But one important element of Marrs' critique gets buried within the text, the feminist element of Welty's technique which gives the women of Homer's Odyssey a voice, especially Circe. Marrs wrote that Welty had reread the Odyssey after completing The Golden Apples. With the epic fresh in her mind, Welty wrote Circe, her first story for The Bride, though the fifth in the collection: In this explicit rather than allusive use of myth and in her choice of a Mediterranean setting, Welty departs from the dominant pattern of her earlier works. Ultimately, Welty decided that her direct address of the archetypal Circe could be even more inclusively archetypal, and in the wake of her European travels and of meeting with Elizabeth Bowen, she revised her periodical version of her story to insure that the story's greatest emphasis would fall not upon a female version of myth but upon the unresolvable mystery at the heart of human identity, the mystery that distinguishes men and women from gods and goddesses, the mystery involved in the quest for independence and the battle against mortality. (2) Dorothy Parker wrote, "Penelope" the story of Odysseus' wife, giving voice to Odysseus' wife. In "Penelope" she remains faithful to Odysseus during his 20 year absence and her personal strength increases. Penelope fights off unwanted suitors and runs the kingdom alone. Parkertold Penelope's story beginning a Twentieth Century feminist view of the Odyssey and telling the tales of the women with the narratives of women. Circe, who is seen as the unseemly temptress who enslaves Odysseus with her sexuality in Homer's version, is given a voice by Welty. Welty's Circe says, "In the end it takes phenomenal neatness of housekeeping to put it through the heads of men that they are swine. The Feminist Element of Eudora Welty's The Bride of Innisfallen :: Eudora Welty The Bride of Innisfallen The Feminist Element of Eudora Welty's The Bride of Innisfallen Suzanne Marrs' work, "Place and the Displaced in Eudora Welty's The Bride of Innisfallen, focuses on Welty's settings in the collection specifically Welty's departure from using her native Mississippi. Marrs recounts the events of Welty's life in the early 1950s, the time Welty wrote these stories, and how her journeys in Europe influenced The Bride. But one important element of Marrs' critique gets buried within the text, the feminist element of Welty's technique which gives the women of Homer's Odyssey a voice, especially Circe. Marrs wrote that Welty had reread the Odyssey after completing The Golden Apples. With the epic fresh in her mind, Welty wrote Circe, her first story for The Bride, though the fifth in the collection: In this explicit rather than allusive use of myth and in her choice of a Mediterranean setting, Welty departs from the dominant pattern of her earlier works. Ultimately, Welty decided that her direct address of the archetypal Circe could be even more inclusively archetypal, and in the wake of her European travels and of meeting with Elizabeth Bowen, she revised her periodical version of her story to insure that the story's greatest emphasis would fall not upon a female version of myth but upon the unresolvable mystery at the heart of human identity, the mystery that distinguishes men and women from gods and goddesses, the mystery involved in the quest for independence and the battle against mortality. (2) Dorothy Parker wrote, "Penelope" the story of Odysseus' wife, giving voice to Odysseus' wife. In "Penelope" she remains faithful to Odysseus during his 20 year absence and her personal strength increases. Penelope fights off unwanted suitors and runs the kingdom alone. Parkertold Penelope's story beginning a Twentieth Century feminist view of the Odyssey and telling the tales of the women with the narratives of women. Circe, who is seen as the unseemly temptress who enslaves Odysseus with her sexuality in Homer's version, is given a voice by Welty. Welty's Circe says, "In the end it takes phenomenal neatness of housekeeping to put it through the heads of men that they are swine.