4 Components to an Award-Winning Resume

4 Components to an Award-Winning Resume Last Monday, Career Directors International (CDI) announced the winners of their 17th annual Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) award competition. TORI award winners are truly outstanding writers. I am very proud and excited that two members of The Essay Expert’s resume writing team won two awards each! Following the awards announcement, TORI judge Gillian Kelly wrote an article on What the Best Resume Writers Are Doing in 2016. The actual resumes will not be released until next month. In the meantime, Ms. Kelly’s observations serve as valuable advice for resume writers, as well as for job seekers writing their own resumes in 2016-2017. Here are the four main areas where the TORI-award-winning resumes stood out: 1. Storytelling Top-level resumes don’t rattle off boring job duties in long blocky paragraphs. While job duties might be covered in a winning resume, they are connected with a story or accomplishment. Great resumes don’t stop at results. They also explain how that result was achieved, what transformation was necessary to achieve it, and what was unique about the solution. These succinct narratives keep the reader engaged and illustrate the job seeker’s unique brand. Here’s an example from an Essay Expert resume that illustrates story-telling. The following paragraph is the opening paragraph to a position description – a paragraph that often is relegated to a list of job duties: Led largest dollar volume division in country to record sales volume, managing four General Sales Managers and 43 Sales Representatives. Transformed division’s approach to competitive data and market analysis while monitoring lot mix, phasing, new starts, lot premiums, specifications, and promotions. Notice how job duties and scope are covered in this paragraph, but they are made more engaging by wrapping in results and transformative results. 2. Visuals TORI award winners used graphics and other images in their resumes, avoiding the text-heavy look and feel of more traditional resumes. Tools like color, infographics, and text boxes served to accentuate the content of the resume. It’s important to note that if you choose to represent an accomplishment using a graph, you must also write about that accomplishment in a bullet. There are two reasons for this duplicative effort: 1) Since not everyone is visually oriented, they might not even look at the details of the image to understand what it represents, and 2) If the resume gets submitted through an Applicant Tracking System, the data in the graph or image will be lost. Here are just a few examples of graphics used in executive resumes by The Essay Expert: Tools used to create these graphics include basic text boxes, borders, SmartArt, and Excel. You can see how they add pop and interest to what could otherwise be a visually bland resume. 3. Succinct Writing As pointed out by Ms. Kelly, less is more when it comes to resume writing. The best bullets are tightly written, getting each point across in as few words as possible. The fewer words on a resume, the more white space there can be – which is a good thing! White space allows the content to be more easily absorbed. Stay away from densely written, text-heavy resumes, which risk losing the attention of your reader. Here are a couple of examples of tightly written resume bullets: Realized three monthly closing projections in a row, a feat never before achieved in division history. Took one of least profitable divisions and achieved #3 ROI, ranking #2 for lowest overhead and #3 for asset turn. Notice how every word counts! Are your resume bullets this concise, and do they show the true impact you made on your organization? 4. Quantifiable Achievements The best resumes use metrics to nail down achievements, avoiding generalities about a person’s greatness. Buzz words like â€Å"results-oriented† will not fly. And don’t wait to convey your greatest achievements; showcase them in the top 1/3 of the resume! One technique used by TORI award winners was to write â€Å"reverse CAR stories† which state a result, followed by the challenge and action that got the result. Here’s an example of a highlight from the top 1/3 of a resume by The Essay Expert: Built intuitive, interactive user interface for Java web-based delivery system, increasing Java technology downloads by 112% in 3 months. Used Java FX to build Oracles showcase Advanced Results website for 2010 Winter Olympic Games, accessed by 1.2M unique users. Notice there are no generalities in this paragraph; it’s all concrete, factual, quantifiable information. That’s what makes good resume material. Did you learn something from the observations of a TORI judge? How might you change your resume based on her advice and The Essay Expert’s samples? For more examples and tips on how to write a top-notch resume, check out How to Write a WINNING Resume and How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume, both written by me, Brenda Bernstein. The most current versions of the books are available in PDF through The Essay Expert’s website. Save

Reflective diary The WritePass Journal

Reflective diaryï » ¿ Abstract Reflective diaryï » ¿ ). Focussing on an area of development, namely agriculture was useful at this stage to see how international development can apply in specific regions. Session 6 Looking at transnational migration was interesting but academically challenging. I found the mobility of individuals to be a particularly informative way of understanding international development and also understanding why certain regions, such as the UK, seem to be more prone to migration than others. It did however result in me questioning preconceived ideas of international development and to take a more liberal view of people migrating out of developing regions. This was linked with other theories such as how agriculture impacts on international development (Wedman and Martin, 1986). Conclusions: By looking at the facts associated with transnational migration, it became apparent that this issue was actually much more widespread than I had originally thought, as money was often being remitted back to countries where the workers were not actually working, thus creating a movement of finance which was not readily obvious, yet was potentially crucial to the development of those regions that do not have their own internal finances. Session 7 Session 7 was, to a certain extent, an extension of session 5 which dealt with agricultural policy and considered the way in which climate change can work and is relevant to international developments, which I perceived to be closely linked to any country which relied on the climate or natural resources, to gain income. As this is an area of interest to me I became heavily involved in the discussions and as the actual seminar was run by Oxfam an element of reality was also presented from a practical point of view. This was similar to the ERM seminar and brought the theory together with practice (Winter, 1995). Conclusions: I found this very interesting, as I had not previously thought of climate change as being such an important factor in the developing regions. This encouraged me to think about wider issues when looking at a specific international problem. Session 8 This session was also very enlightening, as it focused on the role of non-government organisations, something which I had previously overlooked. My preconceived ideas relating to international development were very much based on government interference and ideas however this seminar made me think on a wider basis about non government organisations. By listening to a non-governmental organisation, a much more proactive understanding emerged, as it looked at ways in which it was motivating individuals to increase their knowledge and how the project could have a direct impact on the finances of a particular group of individuals. Conclusions: This is the first seminar where individuals were looked at in detail, and this gave it a really good human feeling which I found useful to put previous theory into context (Keenan Gilmore 2011). Session 10 Finally, we had the opportunity to look at all of the above issues, in the context of Malawi, and how poverty in this region is being dealt with, as well as identifying the key factors which affected the wider region, such as financial problems (Mulholland Turnock, 2012). This session was the most interesting I found as I had the background knowledge to put into practice and I fully participated in doing so.. Conclusions: Having studied the previous session, this session enabled me to pull together the ideas and also to use statistical data to analyse the level of poverty, in more detail, with a much broader background understanding than had been gained in the earlier sessions. Conclusions My original expectations of this course was that it would be heavily focussed on economics and trade yet there was in fact a much broader range of issues to be looked at. In particular I enjoyed the area of human interactions such as poverty in Malawi and the work of Oxfam in particular as this enabled me to understand the theories that I had previously grasped. I am looking forward to using these theories in more detail for international development studies in the future and in particular for looking at ways in which these different theories can come together to improve development in the poorer regions. References Brockbank, A. McGill, I. (2007) Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education, McGraw-Hill International. p.169 Carbonnier, G (2012) International Development Policy: Aid, Emerging Economies and Global Policies, Palgrave Macmillan Keenan, F Gilmore, C (2011) International Development: A Casebook for Effective Management, iUniverse. Kolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as a Source off Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Moon, J, A. (2000) Reflection in Learning Professional Development: Theory and Practice. Kogan Page Moon, J (2006) Learning Journals: A Handbook for Reflective Practice And Professional Development, Taylor Francis. p.81 Mulholland, J. Turnock, C. (2012)Â   Learning in the Workplace: A Toolkit for Facilitating Learning and Assessment in Health and Social Care Settings, Routledge. p.75 Wedman, J and Martin, M. (1986) ‘Exploring the development of reflective thinking through journal writing’, Reading Improvement, 23, 1, 68-71. Winter, R (1995) ‘The assessment of professional competences:the importance of general criteria’ in The Assessment of Competence in Higher Education, eds A Edwards and P Knight, Kogan Page, London.

How To Monetize Your Content Marketing With Gini Dietrich

How To Monetize Your Content Marketing With Gini Dietrich You’re already putting a lot of time and energy into creating great content. So wouldn’t it be great if it could be making even more money for you? And it would be even better if you knew before you even posted it that it would be successful. When it comes to monetizing your blog, knowing what is going to appeal to your audience ahead of time is priceless. Today’s guest, Gini Dietrich, founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, and the  lead blogger of Spin Sucks, is speaking to us today about content monetization. Gini is also the author of the book, Spin Sucks, as well as Marketing in the Round. If you’ve been thinking about how to bring in more money with your content, today’s episode is perfect for you!

Quotes From Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks

Quotes From Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was a  civil rights activist, social reformer, and racial justice advocate.  Her arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus triggered the 1965-1966 Montgomery bus boycott and became a turning point of the civil rights movement. Early Life, Work, and Marriage Parks was born Rosa McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, on Feb. 4, 1913. Her father, a carpenter, was James McCauley; her mother, Leona Edward McCauley, was a schoolteacher.  Her parents separated when Rosa was 2, and she moved with her mother to Pine Level, Alabama.  She became involved in the African Methodist Episcopal Church from early childhood. Parks, who as a child worked in the fields, took care of her younger brother and cleaned classrooms for school tuition.  She attended the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls and then the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes, finishing 11th grade there. She married Raymond Parks, a self-educated man, in 1932 and at his urging completed high school.  Raymond Parks was active in civil rights, raising money for the legal defense of the Scottsboro boys, a case in which nine African-American boys were accused of raping two white women.  Rosa Parks began attending meetings with her husband about the cause. She worked as a seamstress, office clerk, domestic, and nurses assistant. She was employed for a time as a secretary on a military base, where segregation wasnt permitted, but she rode to and from work on segregated buses. NAACP Activism She joined the Montgomery, Alabama, NAACP chapter in December 1943, quickly becoming secretary.  She interviewed people around Alabama about their experience of discrimination and worked with the NAACP on registering voters and desegregating transportation. She was key in organizing the Committee for Equal Justice for Recy Taylor, a young African-American woman who had been raped by six white men. In the late 1940s, Parks participated in discussions within civil rights activists about desegregating transportation. In 1953, a boycott in Baton Rouge succeeded in that cause, and the Supreme Courts decision in  Brown v. Board of Education  led to hopefulness for change. Montgomery Bus Boycott On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks was riding a bus home from her job and sat in an empty section between the rows reserved for white passengers at the front and colored passengers at the back.  The bus filled up, and she and three other black passengers were expected to relinquish their seats because a white man was left standing. She refused to move when the bus driver approached them, and he called police.  Parks was arrested for violating Alabamas segregation laws. The black community mobilized a boycott of the bus system, which lasted for 381 days and resulted in the end of segregation on Montgomerys buses. In June 1956, a judge ruled that bus transportation within a state couldnt be segregated. The U.S. Supreme Court later that year affirmed the ruling. The boycott brought national attention to the civil rights cause and to a young minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After the Boycott Parks and her husband lost their jobs for being involved in the boycott.  They moved to Detroit in August 1957 and continued their civil rights activism.  Rosa Parks went to the 1963 March on Washington, site of Kings I Have a Dream speech.  In 1964 she helped elect John Conyers of Michigan to Congress. She also marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. After Conyers election, Parks worked on his staff until 1988.  Raymond Parks died in 1977. In 1987, Parks founded a group to inspire and guide youth in social responsibility. She traveled and lectured often in the 1990s, reminding people of the history of the civil rights movement.  She came to be called the mother of the civil rights movement. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. Death and Legacy Parks continued her commitment to civil rights until her death, willingly serving as a symbol of the civil rights struggle. She died of natural causes on Oct. 24, 2005, at her Detroit home. She was 92.   After her death, she was the subject of almost a full week of tributes, including being the first woman and second African-American who has lain in honor at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Selected Quotations I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up, and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.Im tired of being treated like a second-class citizen.People always say that I didnt give up my seat because I was tired, but that isnt true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was 42. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.I knew someone had to take the first step, and I made up my mind not to move.Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it.I didnt want to pay my fare and then go around the back door, because many times, even if you did that, you might not get on the bus at all. Theyd probably shut the door, drive off, and leave you standing there. At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.Each person must live their life as a model for others.I have learned over the years that when ones mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.From the time I was a child, I tried to protest against disrespectful treatment.Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.God has always given me the strength to say what is right.Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.I do the very best I can to look ​upon life with optimism and hope and looking forward to a better day, but I dont think there is anything such as complete happiness. It pains me that there is still a lot of Klan activity and racism. I think when you say youre happy, you have everything that you need and everything that you want, and nothing more to wish for. I havent reached that stage yet.

Economics - DQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics - DQ - Essay Example The price in this setting is Pareto efficient which means that no one can be made better off without making anybody worst off. In the short run, some firms might gain and some loses but in the long-run a perfectly competitive market yields zero profit. The scenario is different from an imperfectly competitive market characterized by one or few number of sellers which gives the firms the ability to influence the pricing strategy. In this case, the customers are price takers as opposed to the perfectly competitive market where firms are price takers. In order to maximize profits, the firm set prices where marginal cost equals marginal revenue. Unlike in the perfectly competitive scenario, the firms in imperfect market have all the advantage of raising prices especially when price elasticity of demand for customers is less than one. A price discriminating monopolist is one which charges different prices to customers according to their willingness to pay. On the other hand, a normal monopolist is one that charges prices where marginal cost intersects marginal revenue. It should be noted that as opposed to a perfectly competitive market, monopolists are free to choose prices in order to maximize profits. A normal monopolist earns a much greater profit than a price discriminating one. It should be noted that monopolist gain profit through the deadweight loss which results in not producing at the maximum capacity. This deadweight loss is attained when price is set such that marginal cost equals marginal revenue. For a price discriminating monopolist, as the prices are individually charged according to the consumers’ willingness to pay, it will charge prices to the marginal customer similar to the prices and quantity of a perfectly competitive firm. In this way, the deadweight loss is eliminated from the pictures and the profits are not made. It should be

Economic Theory of Regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic Theory of Regulation - Essay Example The most known work of Stigler that affects many individuals and groups at present is that of the economic theory of regulation. This theoretical understanding of the major thoughts that has been created to help the society see through the situations mandated as part of the development of the human community creates a knowledgeable knowing on the part of the people's realization as to how they are playing an important role in the society. The economic theory of regulation basically shows how much people are affected by economy. The systems of the society and the rules that are established around the people living in it has long been derived from the many considerable thoughts of the ongoing relationship between social elements as per established through economic connections and demands. The relationship between every person and the groups that creates the entire society is shaped by needs and demands that each needs from the other. Through these demands, the creation of products and services are given way as per mandated through the different provisions allowed by the established legal regulations to exist. The theory of Stiglist suggests the strong implication as to how rules and regulations shape the society's capability of existing in the cause of creating balance among people and groups as established by each one's economic pursuits. In the discussion that follows, a careful understanding of the major issues concerned in understanding Stiglist's implicative theory on microeconomics naturally affect the author of this paper and how the entire idea affects the whole world basically shall be presented to the respective readers of this piece. Through this, the author aims to outline how much regulations of economy have naturally created rules and basic understanding on the roles of existence that each plays to benefit the others. ON Personal Views of the Economy As a regular individual, the author of this paper recognizes the real need to purchase things and get services that are necessary for life. Apparently, there are rules established for such needs and these rules are the ones greatly outlining the values that exist in the human society today. It is through these regulations that the birth of the many systems of economic operations are given way to control the ways by which consumers prefer to have the products that they ought to consume. It is through this that the regulations on how and when people buy what they need is established, and it is through this process that the monetary value of each service and product is identified as part of the demands of the human individuals given way as part of the fact that people and social groups exist for the survival of the other and vice versa. How does this idea affects the author personally Being an ordinary member of the society, the author is basically affected by the theory through becoming highly involved in the process of buying and appreciating products and services offered in the market through the scale of his monetary capability; a regulatory matter that is rather considered as

Psychological Biological Bases of Behavioral Replies to Classmates Essay

Psychological Biological Bases of Behavioral Replies to Classmates Papers- - Essay Example 41). Generally, the paper presents details in precise manners, carefully satisfying what is asked of the author. Reference Smith, F. P. (2001). Neurology and neurosurgery: Basic principles. Suffolk, UK: University of Rochester Press. sara9.doc Both the pyramidal and extrapyramidal systems have delineated functions in movement. In her paper, Holland accomplishes the tasks of describing the structures and known functions of both systems. The parts of the pyramidal systems are presented together with their anatomy and physiology, including the importance of decussation. Paralysis as a result of injury to either upper or lower motor neurons and their corresponding affected sides are mentioned, but specific conditions to exemplify them are not given. The different extrapyramidal tracts are also elaborated with their specific functions. The paper concludes by briefly passing through the discussed points, but an idea probably overlooked is that a dichotomy between the pyramidal and extrapyr amidal systems do not really exist, where both of these descending tract systems are interconnected with the basal ganglia anatomically and functionally (Noback et al., 2005, p. 419). Reference Noback, C. R., Strominger, N. L., Demarest, R. J., & Ruggiero, D. A. (Eds.). (2005). Nervous system: Structure and function (6th ed.). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press maggie4.doc Tygart’s article on the significance of the concentration of potassium ions in the neuron relative to the concentration of sodium ions in the extracellular fluid and the contrast between the inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic potentials is clearly and comprehensively stated. Beginning with a background on the fundamentals of a neuron and how it works, she enables readers not to â€Å"get lost† in her article. The importance of the sodium-potassium pump and its balance is emphasized to play key roles in life functions, and the effects of imbalances are also presented. Through this carefully-written paper, t he author implies to readers that indeed the said system is important in the human body. To take as an example, the case of using potassium chloride in lethal injection is evidence that induced unregulated amounts of potassium can cause death (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso, 2007, p. 72). Reference Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2007). Neuroscience: Exploring the brain (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lipponcott Williams & Wilkins. overlie.doc The human brain is likened to a high-rise executive office complex, and the tour given in the article is detailed in its structures and form. By emphasizing on the different divisions and then elaborating on it systematically, the investor may be more compelled to buy the investment. The article presents how the human brain is capable of performing numerous and complex tasks, and how it controls our life functions. It is also noticed that despite the wonders of the brain, malfunction may occur as a result of damage in a certain part, a nd exemplified in the paper is Huntington’s chorea. Moritz (2005) illustrates the brain’s capability to do numerous tasks in one setting in the case of an artist working his art, minding his music, the audience, and various functions and responses that would affect his performance (pp. 39-40). Indeed, â€Å"

Stress in the Workplace, Its Signs; the Key Areas of Employee Stress Essay

Stress in the Workplace, Its Signs; the Key Areas of Employee Stress in the Workplace and Work-Life Balance - Essay Example This essay explores the several causes of stress in the workplace that may result in poor performance and other negative impacts in the workplace. These may include employees facing conditions of overwork, low levels of job satisfaction, job insecurity, and lack of autonomy and/or harassment in the course of work. Workplace stress has detrimental effects on the well-being of employees as well as an effect on health. Work-life balance refers to the policies that aim at achieving a greater complementary and equality or balance between work and various home responsibilities. The policies apply to all workers whether parenting or not. Lack of these policies would result in different forms of stress in the working environment. Failure to meet the work-life balance may result to stress in employees and may affect organizational performance. Individuals and organizations should be able to identify the stressors in workplace and design amicable solution to combat the issue. If there is an ea rly address on potential stressors, individuals and organizations may be able to alleviate the negative effects associated with stress. To handle the menace well, employees need to identify signs and possible stressors. On the other hand, managers need awareness on the effects of stress on employees and general performance of the company in terms of output. It is necessary for an individual to learn how to keep away from stress as it is necessary too for employers. A person who is subject to stress may show various signs. These signs may be inward or outward depending on the different people. Inward signs may consist of immediate body changes such as the change in heart rate, nausea, or vomiting. Other internal signs may include a feeling of anger, protest, frustration, guilt, embarrassment, memory loss, prolonged sleeplessness, and strange dreams. These indicate stress and require attention before affecting work and personal life. Outward signs are noticeable by colleagues and thos e in the managerial sector. They include increased smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug taking. Reduced performance, irritability, absenteeism, complaints about ill health and deteriorating relationship with colleagues may indicate stress.

Strategic Analysis of Costa Coffee Market Entry to Azerbaijan Assignment

Strategic Analysis of Costa Coffee Market Entry to Azerbaijan - Assignment Example The chosen country is Azerbaijan which is located in Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range. (CIA 2012). It is of utmost importance that the company finds the niche factors that will guaranty its successful entry in Azerbaijan. Initial to the process is a research that analyzes the market. Objectives to be met are: a) to discover any advantage Costa Coffee may have over its competitors; b) To find if there is an unmet need or underserved needs of customers; and c) find the right segment. To complete the analysis, use of Michel Porter's model of analysis is prescribed. 1. Consumer Demographics. Azerbaijan has a total population of 9,643,000 as of 2011 (CIA). It is composed of 3,436,459 females and 3,307,88l males in the bracket of ages 15-64 and a male population of 227,172 and 367,675 bracket of 65 years and above. Population is composed of Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census). Population growth rate is 1.017% with a rank of 114 in world comparison. Baku, its capital holds 1.9 million people. 2. Product/service. Tea and coffee remain to be the favorite hot drinks in Azerbaijan. Euromonitor (2012) reports tea is consumed by almost 100% of its citizens, while coffee remains to be one of the stable areas in hot drinks, Multinationals strongly positioned here are Nestle, Unilever, and Ahmad due to the popularity of their brands. Brand loyalty is very strong in coffee. Their business structures are general partnership agreement with an LLC for Nestle, a trading company for Unilever, and corporation for Ahmad coffee. 3. Distribution channel. Hot tea and coffee products are sold in supermarkets and independent stores.  

I believe Cleopatra Essay Example for Free

I believe Cleopatra Essay It is principally in this way that I believe Cleopatra is more relevant to modern audiences than to Jacobean society. The idea of a female leader would be, after the reign of Elizabeth I, relatively unsurprising; however, women were still regarded as the property of men. It is not hard to see why a modern career woman, having gone through several relationships of her own, would find more to relate to in Cleopatra than would a Jacobean housewife. Women in the 21st century hold a much more three dimensional position than those of Shakespeares time. They were considered then unsuitable for the stage, replaced instead by some squeaking Cleopatra boy playing Cleopatra ithposture of a whore. Female sexuality in Jacobean times was considered, as written by Penny Gay, to be voraciously overwhelming, and since Cleopatra embodies that idea to the core, she would have seemed a dangerous character indeed to her first audiences. Then, she was a strange, exotic creature and an unknown quantity, but her character inspires altogether more empathy in more modern performances. In her portrayal by Judi Dench at the National Theatre in 1987, her suicide represented a grand resignation as opposed to a dark, frenzied retreat; her attachment to Anthony was pathetically touching. It is this, empathy and understanding, which the modern response adds to Shakespeares most passionate female character. Cleopatra is not done justice to by the flat, stylised Egyptian of Glenda Jackson, but flourishes as no more but een a woman. She is the poor maid of Janet Suzman, who beneath her regality is still an emotionally vulnerable character and all the more becoming because of it.  But what of Anthony? As a 21st century observer, I view it as chronically unjust that Anthony is continually referred to as the protagonist; Lord David Cecil described the play as simply the decline and fall of Anthony. Cleopatra is too often seen as the supporting act, when her character is no less rich than Anthonys and her journey no less significant. Antony is generally praised when he abandons her for politics, yet when she does what seems to her the same in the chaos of Actium, we are meant to condemn her. As L.T. Fitz writes, what is praiseworthy in Antony is damnable in Cleopatra; he can pursue power, whilst she must simply dote. It cannot be forgotten that Cleopatra too has a throne to sit upon. She does not bring about Antonys fall; in my view his political demise began before he ever met her. It is no secret that historically, his relationship with Octavius was strained regardless of Cleopatras role. Given Shakespeares reliance on historical sources such as Plutarch, this cannot be disregarded when judging his representation of her character. Furthermore, it is Anthonys choice to follow Cleopatra at Actium, as it was to become her guest when they first meet. Anthony always has the option to leave Cleopatra, for despite her charisma he always holds the greater political power. Thus, if he must be seen to have fallen, it is because he opts to do so. In fact, I see his decision to value Cleopatras love over Roman politics as an ascent rather than a fall, and it is an ascent they make together. There is no one protagonist in the play, unless the couple are viewed in a singular sense. Antony and Cleopatra combine themselves and the best values of their respective worlds. Antony retains his military valour, his ability to bear pain so like a soldier, but abandons the cold political scheming of Octavius and the new Rome. Cleopatra, on the other hand, keeps all her passion and her charisma but loses the worst of her childish wilfulness. Their love is beyond mortality, death is proud to take them, and in their mutual suicide they take on a god-like quality, articulated in Antony by Cleopatras eulogy of his legs bestrid the oceanhe was as rattling thunder. I believe that it is unfair to call this hyperbolic, which removes from its sincerity, when there can be no doubt that in her state of love and grief Cleopatra intends no exaggeration in her description of the emperor Antony. Together, Antony and Cleopatra rise above pragmatism and politics, and it is small wonder that they stun even Octavius, or that he should be moved by a pair so famous. I think it would be a dire injustice to call Cleopatra designing and blame her for Antonys political downfall; it reduces her feverish passion, her wild hedonism and the staggering extent of her love to plotting, cunning and cruelty. To me, she represents a woman of enormous courage, in her leadership but also in her refusal to compromise on emotions, however unreasonable or dramatic they might be. She is foolish, yes, but never a coward; her flight from Actium is not desertion but evidence of military inexperience and genuine fear. Her love for Antony is beyond the ordinary, it is beyond Caesar and Octavia, and how could the play be so poignant a tragedy were that not so? The very sadness of Antony Cleopatra is in the fact that the two lovers can only triumph beyond the grave, in the death of love for the pursuit of politics; an unworthy substitution if ever there was one. Cleopatra is no Iago, she has none of his manipulative malice; she is nothing more or less than a woman passionately and shamelessly in love. Bibliography Egyptian Queens and Male Reviewers L.T. Fitz  A Poem and Two Plays Robin Hamilton  The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage Stanley Wells and Sarah Stanton  (specifically Women and Shakespearean Performance Penny Gay)

History of the Microwave Oven

History of the Microwave Oven A Brief History of the Microwave Oven Like many of todays great inventions, the microwave oven was a by-product of another technology. It was during a radar-related research project around 1946 that Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, noticed something very unusual. He was testing a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, when he discovered that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. This intrigued Dr. Spencer, so he tried another experiment. This time he placed some popcorn kernels near the tube and, perhaps standing a little farther away, he watched with an inventive sparkle in his eye as the popcorn sputtered, cracked and popped all over his lab. The next morning, Scientist Spencer decided to put the magnetron tube near an egg. Spencer was joined by a curious colleague, and they both watched as the egg began to tremor and quake. The rapid temperature rise within the egg was causing tremendous internal pressure. Evidently the curious colleague moved in for a closer look just as the egg exploded and splattered hot yolk all over his amazed face. The face of Spencer lit up with a logical scientific conclusion: the melted candy bar, the popcorn, and now the exploding egg, were all attributable to exposure to low-density microwave energy. Thus, if an egg can be cooked that quickly, why not other foods? Experimentation began Dr. Spencer fashioned a metal box with an opening into which he fed microwave power. The energy entering the box was unable to escape, thereby creating a higher density electromagnetic field. When food was placed in the box and microwave energy fed in, the temperature of the food rose very rapidly. Dr. Spencer had invented what was to revolutionize cooking, and form the basis of a multimillion dollar industry, the microwave oven. A Bit of Trivia: The Speedie Weenie Project In the spring of 1946, Percy Spencer and an associate, P.R. Hanson (Roly Hanson), were working on a secret project they called the Speedy Weenie. Muriel Withrow remembers the project well. She recalls, The Speedy Weenie Project was the nickname Mr. Spencer and my boss, Roly Hanson, gave to their secret project, the microwave [oven] Speedie Weenie meaning a quick hot dog!' (Our thanks to Mrs. Withrow for sharing this little known detail) Click HERE: 1958 Issue of Readers Digest article about Dr. Percy Spencer Click HERE: Wikiverse A World of Knowledge. Article about Percy Spencer with additional links. Nearly 6 Feet Tall, Weighing 750 Pounds Engineers went to work on Spencers hot new idea, developing and refining it for practical use. By late 1946, the Raytheon Company had filed a patent proposing that microwaves be used to cook food. An oven that heated food using microwave energy was then placed in a Boston restaurant for testing. At last, in 1947, the first commercial microwave oven hit the market. These primitive units where gigantic and enormously expensive, standing 5 1/2 feet tall, weighing over 750 pounds, and costing about $5000 each. The magnetron tube had to be water-cooled, so plumbing installations were also required. Initial Reactions Were Unfavorable Not surprisingly, many were highly reluctant about these first units, and so they found only limited acceptance. Initial sales were disappointingbut not for long. Further improvements and refinements soon produced a more reliable and lightweight oven that was not only less expensive, but, with the development of a new air-cooled magnetron, there was no longer any need for a plumber. The microwave oven had reached a new level of acceptance, particularly with regard to certain industrial applications. By having a microwave oven available, restaurants and vending companies could now keep products refrigerator-fresh up to the point of service, then heat to order. The result? Fresher food, less waste, and money saved. New and Unusual Applications As the food industry began to recognize the potential and versatility of the microwave oven, its usefulness was put to new tests. Industries began using microwaves to dry potato chips and roast coffee beans and peanuts. Meats could be defrosted, precooked and tempered. Even the shucking of oysters was made easier by microwaves. Other industries found the diverse applications of microwave heating quite advantageous. In time, microwaves were being used to dry cork, ceramics, paper, leather, tobacco, textiles, pencils, flowers, wet books and match heads. The microwave oven had become a necessity in the commercial market and the possibilities seemed endless. The First Radarange In 1947, Raytheon demonstrated the worlds first microwave oven and called it a Radarange, the winning name in an employee contest. Housed in refrigerator-sized cabinets, the first microwave ovens cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Sometime between 1952-55, Tappan introduced the first home model priced at $1295. In 1965 Raytheon acquired Amana Refrigeration. Two years later, the first countertop, domestic oven was introduced. It was a 100-volt microwave oven, which cost just under $500 and was smaller, safer and more reliable than previous models. By 1975 Sales of Microwave Ovens Exceeded that of Gas Ranges Technological advances and further developments led to a microwave oven that was polished and priced for the consumer kitchen. However, there were many myths and fears surrounding these mysterious new electronic radar ranges. By the seventies, more and more people were finding the benefits of microwave cooking to outweigh the possible risks, and none of them were dying of radiation poisoning, going blind, sterile, or becoming impotent (at least not from using microwave ovens). As fears faded, a swelling wave of acceptance began filtering into the kitchens of America and other countries. Myths were melting away, and doubt was turning into demand. By 1975, sales of microwave ovens would, for the first time, exceed that of gas ranges. The following year, a reported 17% of all homes in Japan were doing their cooking by microwaves, compared with 4% of the homes in the United States the same year. Before long, though, microwave ovens were adorning the kitchens in over nine million homes, or about 14%, of all the homes in the United States. In 1976, the microwave oven became a more commonly owned kitchen appliance than the dishwasher, reaching nearly 60%, or about 52 million U.S. households. Americas cooking habits were being drastically changed by the time and energy-saving convenience of the microwave oven. Once considered a luxury, the microwave oven had developed into a practical necessity for a fast-paced world. An expanding market has produced a style to suit every taste; a size, shape, and color to fit any kitchen, and a price to please almost every pocketbook. Options and features, such as the addition of convection heat, probe and sensor cooking, meet the needs of virtually every cooking, heating or drying application. Today, the magic of microwave cooking has radiated around the globe, becoming an international phenomenon. Inventor Spencer Doctor Spencer continued at Raytheon as a senior consultant until he died at the age of 76. At the time of his death, Dr. Spencer held 150 patents and was considered one of the worlds leading experts in the field of microwave energy, despite his lack of a high school education. On September 18, 1999, Dr. Percy LaBaron Spencer was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and took his place in history alongside such great inventors as Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers and George Washington Carver. History of the Microwave Oven History of the Microwave Oven Have you ever imagined your life without a microwave oven? To begin with, the word microwave is originated from the Greek word ‘micros, which means small and refers to high frequency radio waves, the shortest waves of the electromagnetic spectrum (ideafinder, 2009). Furthermore, it can be said that microwaves work by heating up water molecules in the food and this saves time from cooking since it is a relatively fast method of cooking compared to others (history, 2009). It all began in 1946, during World War II while a research related to radars was carried out. Dr. Percy Spencer, commonly known as an electronics genius (ideafinder, 2009), was working at that time in one of his experiment laboratories at Raytheon Company. He then realised that something strange had happened. While experimenting on a magnetron, vacuum tube, a chocolate bar situated in his pocked melted and intrigued him. Dr. Spencer did not hesitate and carried out a second experiment to identify the cause of that outcome by placing some popcorn kennels next to the magnetron and as a result the popcorn eventually popped and was thrown all over his lab. Fascinated by this outcome, the next morning Dr. Spencer carried out a further experiment using an egg which exploded from the microwaves radiation and as a result burned his workmates face. At that point the brilliant idea of why not using microwaves to cook food faster came to Dr. Spencers mind. Having made his observations Dr. Spencer designed a metal box, where by using microwaves that could not escape the box, food could be cooked in it quickly. As a result, Spencer and Raytheon during the last months of 1946 manufactured the microwave oven, which was mainly used in restaurants, ocean liners and in the coaches of the trains. By 1947 the invention launched in the market after the name ‘Radarange and it must be noticed that microwave ovens are considered as by-products of another technology, since their invention resulted from the research of another technology, the radars. However, ‘Radarange was huge, weighted 750 pounds, cost around $5000 and had to be cooled down using water after each use which required further costs and acted as a disincentive to consumers. After having made several modifications to the product, the first commercial microwave ‘1161 Radarange launched in the market in 1954 and cost $1295 and its power was 1600 Watts making it enormous and expensive again. This products consumers were restaurants and specific institutions. Later on in 1967 a turning point in the microwave ovens history was made after Amana, a division of Raytheon designed the domestic microwave oven appliance. It cost about $500 and was smaller in size. As years passed by the demand for microwaves increased and in 1975 sales of microwave ovens overcame the sales of gas ranges. As reported 17% of Japanese homes used microwaves as well as 4% of US households. However in 1976, microwave ovens usage rose to 60% in United States (gallawa, 2009). The innovatio n process of microwave ovens resulted from consumers preferences (lecture notes2, 2009). The demand of microwave ovens kept rising and its price kept falling generating competition since even more companies were entering the market. However, Nelson and Winter (1982) support, that technical modification is a guidance to human advancement but can bring about negative externalities as well, influencing the stakeholders. Some believed that microwave ovens would have adverse effects on peoples health but consumers realised that microwave ovens could help them in their everyday life cooking without doing any harm to them since there were no signs of radioactivity (gallawa, 2009). It can be said that it is a result of lateral thinking due to the fact that it eliminates criticisms and disbeliefs of stakeholders (Lecture Notes 2, 2009). As a result of combining several ideas microwave ovens took several forms in order to reflect consumers taste and needs. This means that the manufacturers ac t as business men and target several markets trying to differentiate their products in order to be unique and gain large amounts of profits. An entrepreneur is ‘the owner or manager of a business enterprise who, by risk and initiative, attempts to make profits (Richard Cantillon, 1755, Lecture Notes 1). In this case Dr. Spencer in collaboration with Raytheon, are considered as entrepreneurs since they made the first microwave oven and launched it in the market with the purpose of making profits. According to Joseph Schumpeter ‘Whatever the type, someone is an entrepreneur only when he actually carries out new combinations, and losses that character as soon as he has built up his business'(1934, Lecture Notes 2). This exemplifies that Dr. Spencer was an entrepreneur while experimenting on the metal box in order to manufacture a microwave oven but lost this character when his product got in the market. Additionally, the innovation of this product according to Schumpeters crucial distinction is a discrete change, since this innovation transformed unexpectedly in the market and no existing technology related to it. Some can argue that previous oven versions can be compared to it but the technology used while manufacturing the microwave oven is way much different since it involves microwave waves, which automatically detach it from being similar to any typical oven. Moreover, no signs of previous research concerning the product existed in the market and microwave oven reflected the customers choice. ‘Radarage had nothing similar to it in the market, and therefore predictions about the products success couldnt be made. Dr. Spencer and Raytheon were taking a risk, which was later proven to be a total failure. Improvements to the microwave oven and modifications that occurred later on resulted to gradual changes in innovation. Being closely related to previous editions of the produ ct it then reflected customers choice and remained in the market (Lecture Notes 2, 2009). Freeman (1984) explains stakeholders as ‘any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firms objectives and stakeholders can either be primary, those who have an immediate effect on the company or secondary, those who do not affect the company but can control it through primary ones. A stakeholder analysis would help while promoting the appliance and responding to the risks arising from this product being in the market. Will everybody be affected? All affected parties should be identified and considered and it must be stated how the product will affect their daily routine as well as if any legal issues might arise regarding the patent of the invention. Then, uncertainty would be reduced if all factors are considered fairly, since risks would be obvious and profits could be determined. Eventually, launch strategies would be designed like improving the current appliance and promoting it in the market by using the most suitable method (Lecture Not es 2, 2009). Nevertheless, the microwave oven plays a gigantic role on societys welfare. From the point in time when Dr. Spencer was experimenting on the magnetron and found out about the melt chocolate bar in his pocket until the conclusion was made stating that microwaves can be used to cook food, innovation started and it was defined. Then as a generating solution, Dr. Spencer through brainstorming and lateral thinking started the design of the new appliance. Afterwards, by combining several ideas he reached the ideal theory for the production of the microwave oven. Additionally, Raytheon Company helped Dr. Spencer with his idea and created the fist microwave oven to be launched in the market and this is described as selecting the optimal solution. Finally, after the construction of the microwave oven, one of the most crucial parts of the innovation process was done, that was to persuade the consumers that by investing in the product, they would get a benefit, and also persuade the company tha t microwave oven would generate profits. Abernathy and Clark (1985) and Martin (1994) highlighted the significance of the new market knowledge. The inventors of the microwave oven should have done enough research about producing exactly what the stakeholders would want and target those specific markets in order to succeed with their product, as it was later done when Amana designed the domestic microwave oven that was practical enough, small and affordable by households. Also, different markets have been approached since microwave oven is used for drying leather, paper and cork. Clarkson (1995) argues that stakeholders are of several ‘interests, claims or rights, proving again that research should be done. If it wasnt for the radical microwave oven, cooking nowadays would have taken more time. It improved peoples lives and it can be found in almost all households and where other kitchen appliances are situated since it is easy and safe to use. It is expected that gradual change will still be observed and that more advanced versions will be launched in the market in the near future just to meet peoples needs.

Euclid’s Elements and the Axiomatic Method Essay -- Mathematics Geomet

â€Å"There is no royal road to geometry.† – Euclid Euclid’s Elements are predominantly the most fundamental concepts of mathematics, but his perspective on geometry was the model for over two millennia. He is believed by many to be the leading mathematics teacher of all time. However, little is known about his life outside of mathematics, or even when he was born or when he died. According to a passage written by Proclus, Euclid probably lived after Ptolemy and the pupils of Plato, but came before Archimedes and Eratosthenes. This places his existence sometime around 300 B.C. Euclid is most famous for having set the guidelines for geometry and arithmetic written in Euclid’s Elements, a series of thirteen books in which Euclid states definitions, postulates, and theorems for mathematical concepts that are still used today. What is most remarkable about the Elements is the simple, rational, and very logical structure in which Euclid presents the accumulated geometrical knowledge from the past several centuries of Gr eek mathematicians. The manner in which the propositions have been derived is considered to be the prime model of the axiomatic method. (Hartshorne 296). Euclid’s axiomatic method works by â€Å"starting from a small number of definitions and assumptions at the beginning, [so that] all the succeeding results are proved by logical deduction from what has gone before.† In essence it is no more than â€Å"a method of proving that results are correct.† Many of Euclid’s proofs are constructions, all of which can be done using no more than a ruler and a compass and rely only on the theorems and rules of the system. Despite having developed this rigorous system of proofs, Euclid did not actually demonstrate everyt... ... of Nebraska Press, 1991. Blumenthal, Leonard M. A Modern View of Geometry. San Fransisco: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1961. Greenberg, Marvin Jay. Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometries. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1993. Hartshorne, Robin. Geometry, Euclid and Beyond. New York: Springer, 2000. Hofstadter, Douglas R.. Gà ¶del, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. New York: Basic Books, 1975 Narkiewicz, Wladyslaw. The Development of Prime Number Theory: From Euclid to Hardy and Littlewood. Brlin: Springer-Verlag, 2000. Singer, David A. Geometry: Plane and Fancy. New York: Springer, 1998. Internet Sources: Joyce, D. E. â€Å"Euclid’s Elements.† 1997, [online]. http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/toc.html (September 18, 2002)

How to Make Ski Wax :: Process Essays

Ingredients and formula for super fast ,all temp, racing ski wax:(1) 5 lbs of paraffin wax(I use a 160 degree melt temperature wax) (2) 1/2 lb of paraflint wax hardener (3) a bar of Ivory soap (4) a regular size tube of Crest high fluoride toothpaste (5)a heaping tablespoon of spruce gum(resin from a spruce tree) The paraffin and paraflint hardener can be easily and cheaply obtained from most candle supply companies.The soap and toothpaste are easy enough.The spruce gum can be obtained from any specie of spruce tree.It exudes from wounds in the bark or broken branches.Make sure it is soft and clean,free from any dirt or bark.Spruce trees are common in many towns and suburban areas.Check ones near roads that have been recently pruned or ask the landowner permission to collect some from their tree.A lot of spruce on lawns have the bottom branches pruned. Use a pocket knife or spoon and a small jar with lid to collect the gum. In addition to these ingredients you will also need: An outdoor cookstove or grill ,a freezer,a large and small cooking pot,stove mitts,a butterknife,a cheesegrater,a handheld mixer/blender,a clock or watch,a bowl,and a few of the cheap pie tins or tin bread molds to pour the liquid wax into. CAUTION:MELTING WAX CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.IT IS ADVISABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE PRESENT WHEN MAKING THIS WAX.MELT IT OUTDOORS AWAY FROM BUILDINGS TO AVOID FIRE.KEEP CHILDREN AND ANIMALS AWAY. Step1-Put the pie tins or tin bread molds in the freezer to get them cold. Step2-With the cheesegrater, finely grate the entire bar of soap into the bowl. Step3-With the butterknife thinly spread the spruce gum on one side of all the bars of paraffin.(To make this easier you may need to warm the gum near a gentle heat source) Step4-Pour the paraflint into the small cooking pot,put it on the burner and turn on the flame(low heat). Step5-Put a bar of paraffin in the big cooking pot(gum side up),put it on the burner and turn on the flame(high heat).When the bar melts put in another and when that melts another†¦until all are melted.(If any impurities rise to the top,skim them off with a spoon or mesh spoon.There shouldn’t be any if the gum is clean.) Step6-As soon as all bars of wax are melted begin blending the wax and gum while pouring in the soap.Continue blending.(high speed) Step7-When the soap and wax are thoroughly blended, squeeze the entire tube of toothpaste into the mixture while blending and continue to blend until the toothpaste is thoroughly incorporated into the mixture.

Literary Techniques in “The Things They Carried”

A literary technique is a device employed in literature to add depth to a writer’s work. These techniques can be obvious, such as the technique of rhyme in a poem, or subtle, such as juxtaposition, which can go unnoticed by the reader. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses many such techniques to provide more depth to his book. Four literary techniques used by Tim O’Brien are symbolism, pathetic fallacy, irony, and juxtaposition. One literary technique prominent in The Things They Carried, particularly in the story by the same name, is symbolism. Throughout this story, O’Brien mentions all the things that the soldiers carry with them, both physical and emotional. However, the physical items that the men carried is more than just equipment- they are symbols that represent various facets of each soldier’s personality. For example, â€Å"Rat Kiley carried†¦ morphine and plasma and malaria tablets and surgical tape†¦ and all the things a medic must carry, including M&M’s for especially bad wounds† (O’Brien 5). The fact that Kiley carried medical necessities shows that he is a good paramedic devoted to doing his job well, but the M&M’s represent something different- Kiley’s optimistic and kind outlook on the war and life in general. Conversely, the tranquilizers carried by Ted Lavender represent his terror of the fighting in the war and his inability to face reality, rather choosing to escape from it by taking drugs. This is an effective technique because, by using these symbols, O’Brien can let the reader figure out for him/herself deeper aspects of certain characters’ personalities without actually stating them outright. Another literary device Tim O’Brien employs is pathetic fallacy, or nature mirroring humans’ emotions. In the story Speaking of Courage, Norman Bowker attempts to save Kiowa’s life but fails. He becomes depressed and remorseful about what he should have been able to accomplish. For a long time afterward, Bowker struggles with the fact that he was â€Å"braver than he ever thought possible, but†¦ not so brave as he wanted to be† (153); he is overcome with sadness and guilt. This is reflected in the weather at the time of Kiowa’s death. The soldiers were camping out in a field along the Song Tra Bong, and â€Å"the rain kept getting worse. And by midnight the field turned into soup† (145). The rain emulates the emotions of the weary and despondent soldiers. Pathetic fallacy is a very useful technique because it helps to provide the tone for the story. If the story was a sad one but the weather was bright and sunny, the tone of the story would be wrong, and vice versa. In Speaking of Courage, the fact that it was raining during the main event of the story helps the reader gain and understanding of just how bleak and dismal the events that occurred were. Irony, or a discrepancy between expectation and reality, is another literary technique used by Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried. Many of the titles of the stories contain irony themselves. For example, Speaking of Courage is more centred on the themes of failure and the inability to be courageous than it is about courage. The story Love is not, as it would seem, about mutual love, but rather unrequited love. Field Trip, an expression with a usually very positive connotation, is a story about a visit to a battleground where many lives had been lost. The Story How to Tell a True War Story also contains much irony within it. The main point of this story is that a true war story cannot be told because the simple act of telling it makes it untrue. The title of this story is ironic- O’Brien makes the reader think that he wants to instruct them how to tell a true war story, but the reader soon finds out O’Brien’s real intention- that telling a true war story is impossible. Another ironic idea within this story is the idea that war can be beautiful. You hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle†¦ has†¦ a powerful, implacable beauty† (81). This catches the reader off-guard because of how greatly it contrasts with the view of war we have been previously given. He continues to say that, â€Å"a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly† (81). This is very ironic because although the actual event may be beautif ul, if a true story is told about it, the story is ugly. This adds to O’Brien’s point that telling a story, even a true one, can only take away from the truth of the event. Using irony, O’Brien can present his message in a creative an interesting way, and this helps the readers understand his point better. Another technique used by Tim O’Brien is juxtaposition. The story The Lives of the Dead seems to be a bit of a non-sequitur to the rest of the book, however, O’Brien has put it where it is for a reason. The point of The Things They Carried is not simply to tell stories about the Vietnam War- the lesson goes deeper than that. It comes to teach that war is about more than just fighting- it is about the connection between life and death. It is about learning to detach oneself from death. It is about the sacredness and fragility of life. It is about so many things that many people never have to experience. But the Vietnam War is not O’Brien’s first time coming into contact with these kinds of issues. As a child, he had a beloved friend named Linda who died of cancer. Linda’s death was a major part of his growing up process. As a child, he already had to learn to distance himself from her death, saying, â€Å"It didn’t seem real†¦ the girl lying in the white casket wasn’t Linda† (241). And although he did not realize it at the time, her death helped him to deal with all the deaths he encountered in the war. For example, when Curt Lemon dies, O’Brien refuses to see his body as a friend who died. Instead he says, â€Å"his body was not really a body, but rather one small bit of waste in the midst of a much wider wastage† (238). The lessons that O’Brien learned as a child are very relevant and linked to his experiences in the Vietnam War, which is why he chooses to include The Lives of the Dead. But this is not the only message that O’Brien wants us to take out of the inclusion The Lives of the Dead in The Things They Carried- he wants to convey that even though something that happens in one’s life may seem horrible and meaningless, it may become of use to him or her later in life, and it may help him or her to get through an otherwise unmanageable time. O’Brien wants his reader to know that everything in life comes for a purpose. Throughout The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien makes use of many different literary techniques. In the story The Things They Carried, O’Brien uses symbolism. In Speaking of Courage, the literary technique is pathetic fallacy. Irony is used in How to Tell a True War Story, among others, and juxtaposition is used in the story The Lives of the Dead. It can be seen that literary techniques have a simple but powerful effect in The Things They Carried.

Cold War and Communism Essay

There are situations in life that can arise at any moment, without our control. Nuclear war and terrorism are two of these situations. There are things we can do to prepare for these situations, but are we ever really prepared? To live under the threat of nuclear war must have been terrible. To know that at any moment a something very catastrophic could happen to us and our family, and there are only a number of things we can do to protect ourselves, is a gut wrenching feeling. During the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war and the atomic bomb put fear into everyone’s life. There was nothing civilians could do about this, except to â€Å"Duck and Cover†. The threat of the atomic bomb was so real that schools were instructing students on what to do if and when it was to occur. â€Å"Duck and cover† is what the students were taught to do. No matter where the person was, outside or inside, duck and cover was the best thing they could do in order to protect themselves from flying debris and the extremely bright light. I’m sure that the fear that the threat of the atomic bomb scared the children very much. Living under the threat of nuclear war and living under the threat of terrorism have a lot in common. Terrorism defines many different situations, such as 9/11, a shooter entering a public place, poison being put into our air or drinking water, etc. The fear is the same, we are afraid that a situation could occur that could harm, or even kill, us or our loved ones, and there is nothing we can do to prevent it. Just like schools were teaching students what to do in case of a nuclear bomb during the Cold War, schools are now teaching students what to do in case of a terrorist attack. Since the shooting at the elementary school Connecticut, schools all over the country have been teaching the students what to do and how to handle the situation. I believe that this is a very positive thing. School shootings seem to be happening more and more often, and students should be prepared. One different between the threat of the nuclear bomb and the threat of terroristic attacks is that the nuclear bomb was expected to happen, terrorism isn’t something we expect, it tend to happen randomly with no warning. Living under the threat of any catastrophic event is very frightening. All we can do is learn what to do in the situation and be prepared.

Dishonesty in Hamlet Essay

â€Å"Many critics have suggested Hamlet chronicles the perils of life within a largely false and dishonest world. To what extent has this been your experience of Shakespeare’s play?† The world we currently know has experienced many stages and eras such as the Renaissance era and the New World Era. In each of these eras, falsehood, dishonesty, deceit and revenge all seem to grow rich, however remorse and guilt grow poor. Like a domino effect, with all this tremendous falsehood come fatal and destructive dangers in life. Whether it be due to the risks of overthinking, or perhaps the risks of taking action, they seem to grow exponentially with time. William Shakespeare portrays evidently this changing world and it’s forever increasing perils of deceit throughout the play Hamlet, representing the aftermath of lying and its effects on everything around us, specifically the Great Chain of Being and Nature itself. The world the audience is shown as they enter Hamlet is stuck in a phase between the Renaissance and New World Era. The men of the Renaissance era were warriors and put trust in themselves, whereas in the New World, more men are thinkers as they have lost a sense of existential trust. This transition is essentially portrayed in the allusion to the story of the Helen of Troy, recited by Hamlet himself in Act 2 Scene 2 where Pyrrhus, a son who vows to avenge his dead father, seeks revenge on his murderer, Priam. Pyrrhus goes on to slay Priam, but before doing so, â€Å"like a neutral to his will and matter [does] nothing†. However after this pause, he is able to follow through with his mission. Pyrrhus hence portrays a true warrior. Similarly, we see in Act 3 scene 3, Hamlet following in Pyrrhus’ legacy to avenge his father, however there is a detrimental difference in Hamlet’s methods. Hamlet, being a thinker from the new world, pauses before striking King Claudius, however he does what Pyrrhus would not dare do – think. Essentially, Hamlet changes what should have occurred, and in turn causes a ripple effect where Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, etc. all die. This ultimately demonstrates how Shakespeare intends to chronicle how as the world changes and becomes less trusting with one’s self, the perils of overthinking life become more and more real and indeed cause the perils of death. All this change in the world and the ever-increasing deceit add up and cause a significant rupture and destruction of the Great Chain Of Being (GCOB). Where a king should be a descendant of the original king, instead of Hamlet becoming king, Claudius takes his position. Claudius’ crown is an extensive metaphor for a mask he wears in which it makes himself feel much more evocative and powerful, something he is not. Throughout the entire play, Claudius’ life is ultimately an existential lie. Portrayed through a metaphor used in Hamlet’s conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act 2 Scene 2 that â€Å"Denmark’s a prison†, Shakespeare suggests that the city has spiralled into destruction, violence and unlawful sins. Also with the use of the metaphysical appearances of the ghost of Old Hamlet in multiple scenes, the audience is brought to conclude that the dishonesty of King Claudius has inflicted disruption to each and every person in Denmark. Hamlet tells the story of a real life Machiavel and how his villainous actions cause downfall and havoc to all life in Denmark. Ultimately, the anecdote of King Claudius is used to represent how one’s dishonesty to himself, and to everyone around him, create dangers to not only himself, but to nature and society itself. The idea that lies and deceit cause disturbances to every person’s lives is further enhanced by the use of structure in Hamlet. In almost every scene in which lies are being told (such as Act 2 scene 2 where Hamlet insults Polonius with his lies and where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern attempt to lie to Hamlet, and again in Act 3 Scene 2 where Hamlet teaches the players how to act or, in other words, lie, and so forth) the structure changes from Shakespeare’s famous iambic pentameter, to structure less speech. This use of transitory structures is Shakespeare’s method of metaphors to demonstrate that as people become more and more dishonest, they begin to destroy the unadulterated harmony of life and how its sequences should play out, pushing it into madness and confusion. Shakespeare attempts to portray to his audience his idea that the more lies and dishonesty, the more the perils of causing death and destroying the true sequence of events that are meant to be followed, falling back on the idea of disturbances of the GCOB. An old myth states that if you keep making faces as the wind changes, your face will remain that way. Analysing this further, if you wear a mask in many different situations, you soon begin to wear that mask forever. Shakespeare alludes to this myth in Act 2 Scene 2 where Hamlet says he is â€Å"but mad north-north-west† but â€Å"when the wind is southerly, [he] know[s] a hawk from a handsaw†. In Act 1 Scene 5, Hamlet states how he will â€Å"put on an antic disposition†, in other words put on a metaphorical mask whenever he is around those he does not trust. Shakespeare’s allusion to the myth suggests that if Hamlet continues to act like someone he is not, he will remain that way – he will remain to be crazy. Essentially, Hamlet’s dishonesty with himself and with those around him foreshadows his downfall, and, ultimately, his death. By alluding to the myth in one scene, and portraying how Hamlet is indeed wearing this mask as the wind changes in another scene, it can be extracted that Shakespeare intended to show a developing story of the dangers of lying and wearing masks to cover up the truth. If in your own world, you must lie to yourself, and continuously lie and deceive yourself, indeed you will remain that way, and henceforth lead on to much more fatal things such as becoming permanently insane. This notion of wearing masks to cover up one’s true identity is evident throughout the course of Hamlet. It is again seen where Polonius hides himself behind an arras in Act 3 Scene 4, spying on Hamlet and his mother’s conversation. Essentially, Polonius’ choice to hide behind an arras and lead himself into dishonesty unravels and causes him to be accidentally murdered. The demonstration of the consequences of lying and deceiving is genuinely strong here, where it does not lead to simply madness nor pain, but the worst punishment of our current world – death. This irreversible consequence demonstrates the desperation of Shakespeare to get his message across that with lying and dishonesty, there is a chain reaction and it may possibly lead to death, ultimately the greatest peril of life. There is a specific order in which the world works, and when one lies, or deceives those around them, indeed they denature the destined sequence of events in life. In doing so they form a sense of confusion and cause even more dishonesty with everyone around them. In conjunction with the above, it is overly simplistic to conclude that William Shakespeare depicts the ever-increasing dishonesty and deceitfulness throughout Hamlet and in turn successfully and evidently chronicles the consequences and aftermath of these sinful actions.

Free Essays on Pygmalion

Rappaccini’s Daughter and Eliza Doolittle are two young women who are trying to find there way in life. Although they are maturing in different environments they are both hampered in there search by society as well as a few individual men. This is illustrated in the short fiction Daisy Miller by Henry James, and in the play Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. Daisy Miller is a fiction about a young expatriate in Europe. Daisy is a very beautiful intelligent young women who attracts the attention of many young men. Daisy is very flirtatious and being that she is from America she is much more open with the young men around her than is believed to be permissible at the time. This causes her many problems both with a man who she is in love with as well as with the society around her. The other expatriate Americans are slowly repulsed by her not wanting to be associated with someone who has as bad a reputation as Daisy. Pygmalion is a play about a young flower girl in England who is taken up by a professor of phonetics. Eliza is a very poor young wretch who is trying to survive on her own by selling flowers on the street. She goes to Professor Higgins hoping to buy lessons to improve her speech and get a better job. Higgins is intrigued by her and makes a bet with another man that he can pass her off as a duchess. The rest of the play is about Eliza’s struggle to adapt to her newly found status in society. The women in Daisy Miller were very cruel to Daisy, treating her like she was a floozy and a bad person. The first woman in the play is Winterbourne’s aunt who refuses even to meet Daisy. â€Å"I must decline the honour of her acquaintance. I am an old woman, but I am not too old- thank Heaven- to be shocked!† This is what Mrs. Costello tells Winterbourne when he asks her to meet Daisy. She says this because Winterbourne tells her that he may take her to the Castle Chillon, when he has only known her a few minutes. Mrs. Costello cannot... Free Essays on Pygmalion Free Essays on Pygmalion Rappaccini’s Daughter and Eliza Doolittle are two young women who are trying to find there way in life. Although they are maturing in different environments they are both hampered in there search by society as well as a few individual men. This is illustrated in the short fiction Daisy Miller by Henry James, and in the play Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. Daisy Miller is a fiction about a young expatriate in Europe. Daisy is a very beautiful intelligent young women who attracts the attention of many young men. Daisy is very flirtatious and being that she is from America she is much more open with the young men around her than is believed to be permissible at the time. This causes her many problems both with a man who she is in love with as well as with the society around her. The other expatriate Americans are slowly repulsed by her not wanting to be associated with someone who has as bad a reputation as Daisy. Pygmalion is a play about a young flower girl in England who is taken up by a professor of phonetics. Eliza is a very poor young wretch who is trying to survive on her own by selling flowers on the street. She goes to Professor Higgins hoping to buy lessons to improve her speech and get a better job. Higgins is intrigued by her and makes a bet with another man that he can pass her off as a duchess. The rest of the play is about Eliza’s struggle to adapt to her newly found status in society. The women in Daisy Miller were very cruel to Daisy, treating her like she was a floozy and a bad person. The first woman in the play is Winterbourne’s aunt who refuses even to meet Daisy. â€Å"I must decline the honour of her acquaintance. I am an old woman, but I am not too old- thank Heaven- to be shocked!† This is what Mrs. Costello tells Winterbourne when he asks her to meet Daisy. She says this because Winterbourne tells her that he may take her to the Castle Chillon, when he has only known her a few minutes. Mrs. Costello cannot... Free Essays on Pygmalion Look again at the ‘At Home’ scene. How does Shaw make this amusing for the audience? I think that the ‘At Home’ scene is one of Shaw’s most amusing in ‘Pygmalion’. It is Eliza’s first outing in polite society. I will proceed to discuss and analyse the points that I feel make it amusing for the audience. The scene (Act III) begins with Mrs Higgins expecting visitors. It is her at-home day. Henry, her son, arrives unexpectedly. Her first words to him are amusing in themselves because instead of welcoming him with open arms as most mothers would do she says to him in dismay:- ‘What are you doing here today? It is my at-home day: you promised not to come’. She carries on throughout Act III scolding him and treating him like a naughty boy not to mention reminding him of his manners. Higgins... ‘What the devil do you imagine I know of philosophy?’ Mrs Higgins (warningly)... ‘Or of manners, Henry?’ It is hilarious that a mother would be talking to her adult son like that even more so when Henry is trying to teach Eliza manners. When the Eynsford Hills arrive Higgins tries to leave but is too late and is introduced to them. He recognises their voices but cannot remember where he has met them. The same happens when Eliza arrives and the Eynsford Hills feel they have met her before but do not recognise her as the poor flower girl. ‘I feel sure we have met before, Miss Doolittle. I remember your eyes’. It is most amusing that none of the adults recognise each other. Eliza has been primed to try to keep to two topics, health and the weather. She tries her best at first but causes some surprise when she speaks about the strange circumstances of her aunt’s death. Shaw creates a comic effect as Eliza lapses into cockney slang, her speech lessons have somewhat ‘gone out the window’. ‘But it’s my belief they done the old woman in’. ... ‘They all thought she was dead; but my fat...

Kenyas Rose Imports to Holland Essays

Kenyas Rose Imports to Holland Essays Kenyas Rose Imports to Holland Essay Kenyas Rose Imports to Holland Essay 2008). The Future Prospects and Trends of the Flower Industry in Kenya The new trend shows the cost of production is increasing while the overall consumption is declining. Therefore, there is need to shift more attention to consumption oriented approaches. Quality, cost and diversity of products will be determinants for survival in the industry. Consumer demand for fair traded flowers shall take a front stage. Good production practices, competitive advantages and strategic behavior will determine the sustainability of the industry. Modern distribution will dominate the market with new business drivers. Different product concepts and positioning (flowers and plants arrangements) that will satisfy the increasing consumer demand for variation in personal gifts and taste will account for a significant percentage of the turnover of the flower market. Kenya will continue to dominate production in Africa because of the favorable investment policy for the flower industry, the production conditions and the improved infrastructure. It will remain a net exporter of flower products. Like China, it should focus on research so as to improve on its local varieties, strive to develop the home market, be innovative and become a self-bearing industry. In conclusion, Kenya is a very promising country to diversify the Input supply portion of the value chain. (Karabo et. Al, 2011) Background on The Netherlands (Holland) Background and Market Information Holland is located in Europe. Germany lies on Holland’s eastern border and Belgium on Holland’s southern border. On the western and northern borders, Holland lies next to the North Sea. Holland’s total land area is 41,848 km? , of which 8478 km? are under flower and foliage crops. Holland’s land area has a water mass of 18. 41%. Holland has an estimated population of 16,491,852. The average growth rate is 0. 436%. Holland’s fertility rate is below the 2. 1 –rate required to replace natural population. Life expectancy is high; 79 for woman and 78 for men. Senior citizens are seen as a potential market group, as their children left the house and the mortgage are paid off. Thus leaving this target market group with more spending money for luxuries. The opposite of this again, shows an increase of one and two person households, creating an increase in the household market. The most spoken language is Dutch, with recognized regional languages is Low Saxon, Limburgish, Frisian, English and Papiamento. Holland declared their independence on 26 July 1581, and their independence was recognized on 30 January 1648. Holland is ruled by a Parliamentary democracy under a Constitutional Monarch. The current Monarch is Queen Beatrix. Mark Rutte from the VVD is the current Prime Minister. Holland has been playing a key role in the European economy since the 16th century. Shipping, fishing, trade and banking have been leading sectors in the Dutch economy. Holland is one of the worlds 10 leading exporting countries, and has the 16th largest economy in the world. Inflation is 1. 3% and unemployment is 4. 0%. This unemployment percentage is the lowest of all the European Union member states. Holland has a relatively low GINI coefficient of 0. 326. Amsterdam is the 5th busiest tourist destination in Europe, and gets more than 4. 2  million international visitors per year. The Aalsmeer flowers uction is the largest flower market in the world, and is run by FloraHolland. The current sales of cut flowers in Holland are â‚ ¬893 Million. The consumer market is the most important offset market in Holland, since they consume two thirds of these sales. Research had shown that Holland consumers bought fewer flowers in 2005 than in 2000. The ongoing economic crisis in Holland h ad a major effect on consumer spending. Consumers blamed it on less spending money and the high prices of flowers. Quality is one of the most important criteria for buying flowers, but the cost price has become a more important priority, especially to woman. Holland consumers also look at the perishable effect of flowers. About 60% of cut flower sales are spent on flower gift bouquets. This percentage is comparable to France. About 30% of this 60% are spent on birthday bouquets. Mother’s day is also a special day with the highest percentage of sales. In 2004 sales had grown to 26% from the 20% in 2002. Valentine’s Day has also grown the past two years, respectively to 10% and 11%. Flower Industry Background The world’s two biggest flower auctions are based in Aalsmeer (VBA) and in Naaldwijk/ Bleiswijk (BVH). On average 30 million flowers are traded in 100 000 transactions annually. During 1996 each of these markets had an annual turnover of 30 Billion Dollars. These flowers originate from countries such as Holland, Israel, Kenya and Zimbabwe. The Dutch flower auctions play a crucial role in Holland’s leadership in this type of industry. Holland provides efficient centres for price discovery and transactions between buyers and sellers. These auctions use the â€Å"Dutch auction† as the means for price discovery. These auction markets are established as cooperatives by Dutch growers. The Dutch Flower Auction Concept The Dutch auctions are characterized by using a computerized auction clock. The clock provides the buyers information regarding the producer, product, unit of currency, quality and minimum purchase quantity. Flowers are then transported through the auction room, and shown to all the prospective buyers. The clock hand then starts at a high price, which is predetermined by the auctioneer, and drops until a buyer stops the clock by pushing a button. The auctioneer will then communicate with the buyer regarding the quantity he/she would like to buy. After the transaction, the clock is reset or the flowers which are left on the floor, and the process begins all over again. Sometimes a new minimum quantity is set, until all the flowers are sold. The Dutch flower auction is an exceptionally efficient auctioning system, as it can handle a deal every four seconds. Caused by the increased imports, the VBA and BVH were close to its limits in terms of capacity, complexity and expansion room. One of the answers to these limitations was the introduction of new electronic auctioning systems. Four electronic auctioning systems were introduced to the markets. * The Vidifleur Auction (VA) The Sample Based Auction (SBA) * The Tele Flower Auction (TFA) – â€Å"Buyers have to trust the quality blindfold† * The Buying at Distance Auction (BADA) Unfortunately the VA and SBA failed, but the TFA and BADA deemed great successes. The VA was terminated in late 1991, as trading was difficult through screen-based trading. The SBA was discontinued the late 1995, due to decreased numbers of transactions per hour, and the negative effect on the functioning of growers, the auction house and buyers. The TFA The TFA was created by East Africa Flowers (EAF) after the Dutch flower auctions imposed import restrictions. During the traditional import season 30% of the EAF’s flowers could not be traded. During the summer season 100% of EAF’s flowers could not be traded. In December 1994 the EAF announced the creation of the Tele Flower Auction (TFA). On 24 March 1005 TFA was initiated with 70 buyers and 2 growers. A few months later the EAF decided that growers from other countries were also allowed to use the TFA. These were countries such as Colombia, Spain, India, France and Israel. After the TFA had been in use for one year the network increased to 35 growers and 150 buyers. Buyers bid via their personal computer (PC). Their PC’s are connected to a fully computerized auction clock. Flowers are not visible to buyers, as they are not present in the auction room. Each buyer can earmark interesting lots before the auction starts. The system will then warn the buyers before each of his earmarked lots are up for sale. The system provides information regarding the producer, product, unit of currency, quality, and minimum quantity for purchase. For each lot of flowers, 2 images are presented on the PC. The auction system remains the same: Dutch Flower Auction. The buyers see the Dutch auction clock on the PC screen. When the buyer needs to buy, he will stop the clock, the auctioneer will then communicate over an open telephone connection about the quantity of flowers he would like to purchase. The clock is then reset, and the process is repeated, until the lot of flowers is sold. All flower producers send the flowers to EAF, which is situated in Amstelveen. Distribution of the sold flowers is done by transporters of EAF. All transport costs are paid by EAF. The whole TFA process in EAF is done with considerable speed, as some deliveries are made to buyers within half an hour after a sale. 30% of TFA’s buyers regularly inspect the premises and flowers. Quality control is done by TFA’s inspectors at the producers, at the distribution pint in Nairobi and at the TFA in Amstelveen. The flower prices on average were not significantly higher or lower than the traditional Dutch flower auctions. TFA expected a 50 million dollar turnover for the growing season of 1995/1996. Compared to the seven Dutch flower auction markets, TFA ranks forth. On 14 January 2010 the Mavuno Group (Kenya) and the flower auction FloraHolland announced that all activities of TFA would be integrated into FloraHolland. This means a broader sales network to all TFA suppliers. The Mavuno Group in Kenya consists of the Oserian Development Company (250 ha farm) in Naivasha, Bloom (flower exporter/ retail supplier in Holland), World Flowers (Retail supplier in the UK), Fast Track Flowers (Retail supplier in the UK, grown product), East African Flowers (EAF, clearing in Holland) and Airflo (freight forwarding ) in Nairobi. By integrating the Mavuno group and TFA with FloraHolland all their producers were able to access to the virtual clock system, alternative digital selling systems and the direct sales of FloraHolland. For the TFA suppliers and buyers this meant increased efficiency in the logistical chain. The BADA The Buying at Distance Auction (BADA) was started by the Flower Auction Holland in 1996. The concept uses the idea that buyers can connect via a modem to several auction clocks in auction rooms. This project started off with 16 buyers and six clocks. By 1997, 60 buyers were on the waiting list. Lower travel costs were reported for this auctioning system. Some Lessons the Auctioneers Learned 1. The increased use of information technology and the separation of informational and physical trading will permit more varied forms of trading, customized to different buyers’ requirements. 2. Conformance of the actual and perceived quality of the product, logistical performance and IT performance result in an increased trust factor and to a successful electronic auction system. 3. New entrants can quickly build competitive advantage with a modern auction system model. FloraHolland Since the 1950’s Holland has been at the centre of the world flower trade. It has a functional trade system to facilitate the movement of cut flowers. Flower producers from around the world assemble at the famous flower actions. These auctions offer at a central marketplace for the buying and selling of floricultural products. Flowers are imported from various parts of the world, in order to create the largest selection possible. FloraHolland is a modern business with six auction centres, a nationally-operating intermediary organization, and an import department. FloraHolland is a primary cooperative: it is owned by its 6000 members. There is no legal separation between the cooperative and the business. This joining of forces is unique in the world. 39 Clocks are operated daily at the FloraHolland centres. This means 125 000 auction transactions every day, and 12 Billion cut flowers and over half a million plants a year. FloraHolland uses Image Auctioning. This means that flowers and plants are no longer taken into the auction rooms; but stays in the cold stores. Instead, photographs of the flowers are displayed in the auction rooms, from which the buyers can purchase. The advantage of this system is that the flowers and plants can be taken directly from the cold stores to the customer after the sale. The auctioning process continually needs to be renewed and improved. Thus, at the Aalsmeer location, all the traditional clocks have been replaced by projected clocks. These clocks have been redesigned to offer more information to buyers. Now, buyers are assisted with producer logos and photographs to encourage their purchasing decisions. FloraHolland Connect offers customized services to all buyers and their retail buyers. Their intermediaries are able to assist with targeted National and International product sourcing. These FloraHolland Connect packages include negotiation support, proper registration of all agreements between producers and buyers and comprehensible logistic agreements. They also offer assistance with resolving any disputes between producers and buyers. FloraHolland Connect is also an innovative associate for customers to offer commercial support and to contribute creative ideas. Figure 1 Top 10 Cut Flowers Auction Turnover in Euros 1 000 000 Our Current Situation De Roos Florist – Amsterdam Sloten We have a 250m? shop at 8 Ditsloot Laan in Sloten, Amsterdam. We are across the highway from Schipol Airport in Amsterdam and 15 kilometers from Aalsmeer Flower Market. Our marketing consists of a web dress and advertisements in our local newspaper, the Amsterdam News. We supply flowers and gifts for all occasions, specializing in flowers, potted plants and foliage plants. We offer a wide choice of bouquets, wines, champagnes, bears, chocolates and balloons. Orders are easily processed on our website, as customers only need to register once with all their information, and then on their second and later purchases only need to log in. Purchasing methods is possible by cash transfers, iDeal, Visa, Mastercard and American express. For a delivery in Amsterdam, same day deliveries are possible if the order was placed before 12pm. For the rest of Holland, deliveries will be made the day after the order was placed. A delivery fee of â‚ ¬8 will be charged for deliveries outside of Amsterdam. Currently we are daily buying flowers from FloraHolland at the Aalsmeer Flower Market. We have skilled employees who repack the flowers and create the bouquets. Supply Chain Diversification Definition: Supply chain diversification Supply chain diversification is a manufacturing business terminology used to describe the act of increasing choices for when to order what supplies from whom to bring products to the market. In short, it describes the abundance and flexibility of the suppliers for a certain product. Supply chain diversification is not a simple method of making suppliers compete with each other for the best price. It is more about preparing ones supply chain to be flexible for any kind of problem that the market throws at you. Advantages of diversification More emphasis on value chain innovation Efforts to reinvent the industry value chain can have a fourfold payoff: Lower costs, better product or service quality, greater capability to turn out multiple or customized product variations (upgrades), and shorter design-to-market cycles. Growers can mechanize high-cost activities, re-design production practices to improve labor efficiency, build flexibility into the â€Å"assembly† process so that customized product versions can be easily produced, and increase use of advanced technology (robotics, computerized controls, and automated/guided vehicles. ) Suppliers of parts and components, input manufacturers, distributors, and buyers can collaborate on the use of internet technology and e-commerce techniques to streamline various value chain activities and implement cost-saving innovations. A stronger focus on cost reduction Stiffening price competition gives growers extra incentive to drive down unit costs. Company cost-reduction initiatives can cover a broad front. Some of the most frequently pursued options are pushing suppliers for better prices, implementing tighter supply chain management practices, cutting low-value activities out of the value chain, developing more economical product designs, streamline order processing and pulling, reengineering internal processes using e-commerce technology, and shifting to more economical distribution arrangements and systems (e. . racking systems). Increasing sales to present customers In a mature market, growing by taking customers away from rivals may not be as appealing as expanding sales to existing customers. Strategies to increase purchases by existing customers can involve providing complementary items and ancillary services, and finding more ways for customers to use the product. Developing deeper relationships with key buyers (through personal visits , customized mailings, etc. ) will more often than not pay big dividends. Building new or more flexible competition The stiffening pressures of competition in a maturing or already mature market can often be combated by strengthening the company’s resource base and competitive capabilities. This can mean adding new competencies or capabilities (by either making or buying them), deepening existing competencies to make them harder to imitate, or striving to make core competencies more adaptable to changing customer requirements and expectations. Disadvantages Perhaps the biggest strategic mistake a company can make as the floricultural industry matures is steering a middle course between low cost, differentiation, and focusing; blending efforts to achieve low cost with efforts to incorporate differentiating features and efforts to focus on a limited (niche or cache) target market. Such strategic compromises typically result in a firm ending up stuck in the middle, with a fuzzy strategy, too little commitment to winning a competitive advantage, an average image with buyers, and little chance of springing into the leading ranks of the industry. Other strategic pitfalls include being slow to adapt existing competencies and capabilities to defend against stiffening competitive pressures, concentrating more on protecting short-term profitability than on building or maintaining long-term competitive position, waiting too long to respond to price cutting by rivals, over-expanding in the face of slowing growth, overspending on advertising and sales promotion efforts in a losing effort to combat the growth slowdown, and failing to pursue cost reductions and/or production efficiencies soon enough or aggressively enough. Supply Chain Decisions Supply chain management decisions are classified into two broad categories strategic and operational. As the term implies, strategic decisions are made typically over a longer time horizon. These are closely linked to the corporate strategy, and guide supply chain policies from a design perspective. On the other hand, operational decisions are short term, and focus on activities over a day-to-day basis. The effort in these types of decisions is to effectively and efficiently manage the product flow in the strategically planned supply chain. There are four major ecision areas in supply chain management: 1) location, 2) production, 3) inventory, and 4) transportation (distribution), and there are both strategic and operational elements in each of these decision areas. 1. Location Decisions: The geographic placement of production facilities, stocking points, and sourcing points is the natural first step in creating a supply chain. The location of facilities invol ves a commitment of resources to a long-term plan. Once the size, number, and location of these are determined, so are the possible paths by which the product flows through to the final customer. These decisions are of great significance to a firm since they represent the basic strategy for accessing customer markets, and will have a considerable impact on revenue, cost, and level of service. These decisions should be determined by an optimization routine that considers production costs, taxes, duties and duty drawback, tariffs, local content, distribution costs, production limitations, etc. Although location decisions are primarily strategic, they also have implications on an operational level. 2. Production Decisions A. The strategic decisions include what products to produce, and which plants to produce them in, allocation of suppliers to plants, plants to DCs, and DCs to customer markets. As before, these decisions have a big impact on the revenues, costs and customer service levels of the firm. These decisions assume the existence of the facilities, but determine the exact path(s) through which a product flows to and from these facilities. Another critical issue is the capacity of the manufacturing facilitiesand this largely depends the degree of vertical integration within the firm. Operational decisions focus on detailed production scheduling. These decisions include the construction of the master production schedules, scheduling production on machines, and equipment maintenance. Other considerations include workload balancing, and quality control measures at a production facility. * Increase production of summer flowers and lilies * Increasing scale of production of Roses and deliver to supermarkets and other mass retail chains B. Market channels in production decisions * Value-oriented customers Value in terms of prices has a significant effect on flower and plant expenditures and eventually plays an important role in explaining part of the trends in marketing these products. For example, the flats in the bedding and garden segment are assumed to be cheaper flower products compared to the others. Therefore, they are increasingly available in mass merchandise stores. People with low income who tend to buy these flowers are attracted to these low-price super centers. Value segmentation appears to be the most important market driver in selling De Roos flowers. Value will play an important role in raising sales from De Roos florist by introducing cheaper bedding plant cultivars and make large-volume sales through mass merchandise stores and supermarkets. Price will play a selective role in raising sales from potted flowering plants, foliages and cut flowers. With the increasing demand for large containers that have high-quality combinations, roses would continue to be expensive for value-oriented consumers. * Convenience Convenience will have an important role in raising sales from cut flowers and potted flowering plants. The indulgence market segment also plays a moderately important role in selling Roses, and other plant products. These market segments will provide broad opportunities for cut flower products that are mainly used as gift items, especially during calendar holidays and for special occasions. Cut flowers and potted flowering plants also fit into the coordinated and seasonal fashion trend and mostly they are a key element in indoor designs and decorations. As foliage plants continue to be widely used for interior decorations, the fashion and design market segment would also play a significant role in selling these plants. Convenience is becoming increasingly important for consumers when buying different flower and plant products. An increasing number of consumers are busy and perceive that they have less time for feeding and watering plants. Or some consumers want to buy plants and flowers that do not take weeks and months to mature. Others want to buy them in convenient containers and pots or they want products that are easily portable from one place to the other. Convenience is also one of the key factors in selling De Roos flower products. In particular, convenience would have an important role in raising sales from ut flowers and potted flowering plants. Convenience-oriented consumers will not be attracted to some of the bedding and garden plants, particularly the flats. Because these consumers do not have the time to continuously water and feed plants and flowers. They rather look for larger near-mature potted flowering plants or cut flowers. Large container and pot innovations that make plant ha ndling and growing easier or packaging innovations that improve the outside look of the container maintaining and improving plant quality would help to increase sales in this market segment. Cut flowers are coming well prepared and ready for use in arrangements, boutiques or consumers can buy them in single stems and they are easily transportable products. * Indulgence Indulgence considers a broad array of flower and plant attributes designed to meet consumers’ desires, as opposed to their needs. In this market segment, the consumers have unique attachment to the products, and they are buying not the item but the experience expressed in some ways. These consumers will buy the product because they might have connection to the products since childhood, they may like gardening and working with the plants, etc. In this group, there are also luxury or impulse buyers who pursue their intense emotion in purchasing flowers and plants. Holidays and special occasions are other aspects of indulgence that influence the market for flowers and plants. Cut flowers are the leading floral products that are used as gift items, especially during calendar holidays and for special occasions. They are also becoming increasingly appealing to the impulse purchaser. Therefore, the indulgence market segment will provide broad product development opportunities for De Roos florist. In the indulgence market segment, foliage plant will benefit from different consumer groups that purchase these plants for different purposes. Some consumers may want to have these plants, simply because they like them from experience or they know the performances of the plant from previous years. 3. Inventory Decisions These refer to means by which inventories are managed. Inventories exist at every stage of the supply chain as either raw material, semi-finished or finished goods. They can also be in-process between locations. Their primary urpose is to buffer against any uncertainty that might exist in the supply chain. Since holding of inventories can cost anywhere between 20 to 40 percent of their value, their efficient management is critical in supply chain operations. It is strategic in the sense that top management sets goals. However, most researchers have approached the management of inventory from an operational perspective. These include deployment strategies (push versus pull), control policies the determination of the optimal levels of order quantities and reorder points, and setting safety stock levels, at each stocking location. These levels are critical, since they are primary determinants of customer service levels. 4. Transportation Decisions The mode choice aspects of these decisions are the more strategic ones. These are closely linked to the inventory decisions, since the best choice of mode is often found by trading-off the cost of using the particular mode of transport with the indirect cost of inventory associated with that mode. While air shipments may be fast, reliable, and warrant lesser safety stocks, they are expensive. Meanwhile shipping by sea or rail may be much cheaper, but they necessitate holding relatively large amounts of inventory to buffer against the inherent uncertainty associated with them. Therefore customer service levels and geographic location play vital roles in such decisions. Since transportation is more than 30 percent of the logistics costs, operating efficiently makes good economic sense. Shipment sizes (consolidated bulk shipments versus Lot-for-Lot), routing and scheduling of equipment are key in effective management of the firms transport strategy. Kenya’s Cut Flower Cluster Value Chain Growers Growers grow flowers, suppliers procure them, they then sell these flowers to the wholesalers or retailers before the flowers finally reach consumers. This sounds like a simple value chain, except that the players involved come from all over the world. The vast majority of flowers are grown in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America and the consumer base comprises of Western Europe along with North America and Japan. However, despite this fact, the biggest trade center is the Netherlands. The world cut flower trade is characterized by a high degree of concentration by sources. Germany is the main market for imports, and the Netherlands the worlds leading exporter. Exports from the Netherlands to Germany are a principal component of the world cut flower trade; they make a significant part of the intra EU trade, which itself accounts for a large part of the world trade. In the Americas, Colombia is the major supplier to the United States. Japan receives its supplies from a more diversified base, with Taiwan, New Zealand and Europe being the most important ones. Since the 1950? s Netherlands has been at the center of the world flower trade. It has a good and functional trade system to facilitate the movement of cut flowers, which form a majority of flowers which are traded. Flower growers from all over the world assemble at the famed flower auctions to find suitable buyers for their produce. These flower auctions offer a central marketplace for buying and selling of floricultural products with good facilities for growers and buyers and effective logistics. Flowers are imported from various countries in order to create the largest possible assortment of flowers. This allows the industry to overcome the handicap of wholesalers not having the opportunity to import directly out of these countries. Roses Roses need labour-intensive watering, pruning and treating before they can be clipped and flown daily to buyers in Amsterdam and London. The best are sold through (Dutch) auctions to florists; the less good end up in European supermarkets. Kenya emerged as a flower power when Israel scaled down its own industry. It has since lost business to neighbouring Ethiopia, which offers tax breaks and better security, but Naivashas perfect intensity of sunlight and days of near-constant length should keep it on top. In any case, the owners are stoical. Figure 2 EU Consumption of Cut Flowers and Foliage Inventory Control Inventory is the stored accumulation of any item which can be used in a process; usually applies to material resources but may also be used for inventories of information. This can include: raw materials, finished goods, and work – in – process. Operations Management; 6th Edition; Slack, Chambers, Johnston) As a retailer / wholesaler / distributor, we have decided to follow the ‘Single – Period Model’ for stock inventory. This model is used to handle ordering of perishables and items that have a limited shelf life. Currently as a retailer, we function with the following Inventory which is ordered, distributed, processed and kept on site: * Cut flowers * Ex. Roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, orchids * supply flowers to wholesale florists across Netherlands and Europe * Potted flowering plants * Ex. Poinsettias, chrysanthemums, Easter lilies, African violets * Pot and plant shipped to market * Foliage plants * Ex. Philodendrons, dieffenbachia’s, figs, scheffleras, dracaenas * Potted plants to be grown and sold for their leaves instead of their flowers (houseplants) * Flower Themes: * By Occasion Birthdays, anniversary, sympathy * By Sentiment Congratulations, Romantic occasions, thank you, get well soon * By variety Roses, tulips, plants and orchids Inventory Rules Rules which we will follow in order to optimise our Inventory Decision making will include: 1) Simplistic inventory policies work well. Using the ABCD inventory policies or simple weeks-of supply rules frequently get 15-30% more inventory than needed and lower service levels. 2) Holding all items at all levels in our finished goods network will give us the highest service levels. Companies with multiple tiers of finished goods distribution frequently hold wrongs amount of inventory in wrong locations and suffer out of stocks despite high inventory investments. 3) It’s fine for each location or tier in the supply chain to set its own service level targets and replenishment planning frequencies. The lack of synchronized inventory policies across manufacturing stages and distribution tiers builds up unneeded inventory across the supply chain. 4) Inventory minimization should is our goal. 5) Using purchase orders or release notices for replenishment is efficient. A growing number of companies that use cut purchase orders or release notices for their suppliers are discovering it is more effective to ask suppliers to take responsibility for maintaining inventory between min/max levels. These misconceptions around inventory impact both top line and bottom line revenue. In order to improve our inventory turnover, we have followed the following guidelines: * Keeping our purchases in small batches to keep items fresh, reduce maintenance labour, and maximize the use of our selling space * Not filling prime retail space with boring inventory items * Large volume shipments may have a lower initial unit cost but when considering the additional floor time to maintain the volume and take the risk of not selling all items before the stock wilts might not be worth the savings * To fill the empty spaces, we can display already made arrangements which can be used for special occasions * Track our profitability by categorising the perishability of: * Cut flowers / Potted Flowering plants / Foliage Plants * Cut flowers and blooming plants typically have greater perishability that demands closer accounting and greater mark-ups. * Use green plants as the safest inventory back-up for funerals and holidays. * Keeping a reasonable mark-up because of the differing deg rees of perishability and maintenance one should use a different mark-up factor for the different categories of inventory. However, because of the high perishability potential, leftovers, and cooler expense, our inventory needs the highest mark-up. * Maintaining a high standard of quality as this: * Reduces spoilage of flowers * Sells easier and faster * Easier to maintain. * Less risk of problems * Commands a greater mark-up * Ability to Upgrade into special containers * Ability to add an array of items including figurines, trellis, balloons, twigs * Design into a unique arrangement * Have something unusual. Types of inventory There are currently 5 types of inventory. These include: 1. Buffer 2. Cycle 3. De-coupling 4. Anticipation 5. Pipeline Our current day to day inventory decisions are based on: 1. How much to order? In order to determine the amount of inventory to order we consider the difference between the costs associated with holding stock and compare it against the costs associated with placing an order. * We use a well known formula to assist in the abovementioned calculations is the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) formula. * By using different stock behaviour assumptions, the EOQ formula can be adapted to different types of inventory profile. * Inventory costs directly associated with the size of the order include: * cost of placing the order * price discount costs * Stock out costs * Working capital costs * Storage costs * Obsolescence costs * Operating inefficiency costs 2. When to order? * This depends partly on the uncertainty of demand. When the order arrives, a certain level of average safety stock is retained. This is how orders are usually timed. * The level of safety stock is influenced by the viability of the lead time usage distribution which is made up of: * demand * lead time of supply * Inventory levels should be continuously reviewed when using the re-order level as a trigger for placing replenishment orders 3. How to control inventory * Computer based information systems are used to manage inventory. These systems have the following functions: * updating stock records * generation of orders * generation of inventory status reports and demand forecasts Supply Chain for Import The figure below describes the domestic part of the export supply chain. The largest flower companies have vertically integrated most of (and in at least one case, all of) the functions described above. However, the social and environmental standards used in the flower industry do not apply to parts of the supply chain beyond the â€Å"Cold room†. When the stock arrives on the aircraft, the aircraft needs to travel at a constant cool to cold temperature to the final destination. In order to maintain the freshness of the inventory throughout the supply chain, the following needs to be considered when transporting and storing: * Inventory, flowers and plants, need to be stored in appropriate packaging to enable it to have as little human handling as possible. Cut flowers and potted plants need to be kept and maintained at cool temperatures throughout the end to end supply chain * Distributors need to drive improvements in flower and plant temperature management during distribution (demand-pull) * Day-ahead flower and plant ordering by growers is requ ired to ensure that adequate time is available to cool the products prior to transportation * Transportation should offer precooling services to ensure that all flowers and plants are transported within the desired cool temperature * Investing in equipment needed to ensure adequate initial cooling and to prevent breaks in the supply chain end to end Source: nri. org/projects/NRET/2607. pdf Export and Import Regulations and Taxes Duties and VAT It is vital to ensure that you pay the correct duties and VAT on all products that you import. There are number of different excise duties (e. g. Alcohol or Tobacco duty) that apply to goods, and you need to be sure that you are paying the correct rates. As small businesses may not be VAT registered, the rules will vary depending on the product, you should be certain to clarify the duty or VAT you will need to pay, and how this will change if you register for VAT in the near future. Depending on the amount you import and export, some business will be entitled to claim back some of the duty or VAT payments that you make. A number of businesses are also entitled to delay payment of duties (mainly for goods imported from outside the EU). Customs Entries If you are importing from outside of the EU or from special EU territories (including the Canary Islands and the Channel Islands), then the goods you bring in will almost always need to be entered and declared to Customs and Excise as they arrive (Either yourself or by an approved agent). If you are importing or exporting from within the EU, then a customs declaration is not usually necessary. Although if you are VAT registered, and your EU imports or exports exceed a set amount (currently ? 233,000 a year) you will need to fill in a supplementary declaration form each month. Payment Currency It is important to remember that when you import or export goods, you may be required to pay (or accept payment) in a number of currencies. You need to arrange with the supplier or buyer in advance who will bear the costs of exchanging the currency (e. g. From Euros to Pounds); this can affect the costs a considerable amount and may need some negotiation to find the fairest option. In most cases the buyer (importer) will pay the currency conversion charges, although it now a lot easier for payment to be converted as it enters the bank account (particularly with Euro payments). Open Account (OA) This type of payment is preferable to small businesses when importing, helping you keep positive cash flow. It is however much more preferable to have payment in advance when exporting. Documentary Letter of Credit (LC) This is where the customer’s bank provides a ‘letter of credit’, which promises to pay the supplier as long as the terms are met (and the bank has the money to pay) (ILC). There s also a ‘confirmed irrevocable letter of credit’ (CILC). This is a promise by a UK (or a large world bank) to pay the supplier, and is even more secure than an ordinary letter of credit. A letter of credit is the most secure way to be paid, but you must be careful to ensure that all documents related to the sale are correct, as a serious mistake can make the letter of credit worthless. Terms of Delivery It is essential that all importing or exporting be covered by an effective set of delivery terms. In the event of a late or damaged delivery, the costs to the importer could be huge. Incoterms are a set of international standard definitions that allow terms to be set without the risk of confusion, even when translated into different languages Incoterms help to set out fair compensation rules in the event of a late, damaged, or missing delivery. They can also set out fair payment details once a complete delivery has been made. Import Duties All merchandise coming into the Netherlands must clear Customs and is subject to customs duty assessment unless the goods are duty or tax exempt by law. Customs duties are, generally, an ad valorem rate (a percentage), which is applied to the transaction value (EU Euro) of the imported goods based on the cost of the goods, insurance, and freight charges. A commercial shipment below 22 Euros: no duty and no VAT collected. * A commercial shipment between 22 Euros and 150 Euros: no duty but VAT is collected. * A commercial shipment over 150 Euros: duty and VAT are collected. Import Taxes On imports the tax is assessed on the CIF d uty-paid value at the port of entry in the Netherlands; if excise taxes or other charges (excluding VAT) are applicable, the amount levied also is included. The VAT rate is the same for both domestic and imported goods Import Regulations of the Netherlands on Plant Health Phytosanitary import requirements of the Netherlands are directly based on the plant health regime of the European Community and its Member States. The purpose of these requirements is to prevent the introduction and spread of (quarantine) pests and diseases within the European Union. Points of entry All points of entry of the Netherlands can be used for the import of plants or plant products for which a phytosanitary certificate is required. The following main points of entry are in use in the Netherlands: * The Airport of Amsterdam Schiphol * The Airport of Rotterdam * The Airport of Maastricht List of importers and Approved places of inspection Upon entry all regulated objects are subject to inspections by the Netherlands Plant Protection Service. Inspections are carried out at an approved place of inspection. In the Netherlands most of these inspections are carried out at the place of destination, such as a place of production, approved by the Netherlands Plant Protection Service, in line with Council Directive 2000/29/EC. Import Declaration Form (IDF) An IDF must be applied for and obtained from the Kenya Revenue Authority for any Commercial Importation. The Importer is responsible for applying for the IDF but may consult us for purposes of Customs Classifications which form the backbone of the information drawn from the Pro-Forma Invoice. The IDF Fee is 2. 75% of the CIF Value of the goods. A minimum payment of Ksh. 5000/= is payable for the IDF to be issued, while the difference if any, will be paid alongside the Import Taxes. Quality Inspection The Kenya Bureau of Standards has appointed two agents namely INTERTEK and SGS for the Pre export Verification of Conformity inspection of the commodities listed on the Guidelines referred bellow. These agents will issue to the Shipper/Supplier a Certificate of Conformity and the Test Results. An IDF will be required before any Inspection can be performed Customs Import Entry The following documents are required for Customs Import Entry Purposes 1. Original Commercial Invoice 2. Packing List 3. Original Bills of Lading – Two Original 4. Original Certificate of Conformity 5. Original Test Result/Report/Analysis 6. Original Certificate of Origin for Preferential Trade Area Partners e. g. COMESA. 7. Import Declaration Form and the Receipt 8. Insurance Debit Note 9. Importers Declaration(C52) Special Permits/Certificates Certain types of Importations are subject to control measures and therefore Permits must be obtained from the concerned authorities such as: * Department of Agriculture (KEPHIS) Plants Importations Permit * Fumigation Certificates The role of the exporters Exporters play an important role in the flower supply chain. They have to perform several functions, and if they are unable to, these functions act as barriers to entry. According to Dolan et al. (1999), exporters have to ensure consistency of quality, reliability of supply and the perseverance of the products. Therefore, they have to help manage the production and processing systems to ensure quality, install control mechanisms to ensure reliability of supply and monitor the use of chemicals to ensure perseverance. Exporters also have to make sure that post-harvest care is done properly so that the products have a longer shelf life. The retail sector demands flexibility and reliability in the supply, and so logistics and transport are two of the most important aspects in this chain (the products only have a short period in which they can be marketed). The exporters, so as to be able to react quickly to orders, have installed a Just-in-Time (JlT) management system. This system reduces time between harvesting, packing and delivery. Efficient logistics depend on the quick exchange of information and knowledge between the participants in the global competitive chain. Integrating the participants in the chain electronically could accomplish this. Thus, the flow of the products throughout the chain could be traced. Exporters have to secure air cargo space to be able to transport the products rapidly in a reliable manner. Large exporters are able to pre-book airfreight services because they have the resources and volumes required. Small exporters, however, have to compete with passengers for air space, which can only be arranged just before departure. Exporters need to constantly develop new products and diversify the existing ones. By working closely with the importers, this could be achieved. Once they develop new products and innovative packaging, they reduce the risk of being substituted by the supermarkets. Exporters are also dependent on importers for market information about the changes in consumer preferences, as well as for technical information. With this information the exporter is able to ensure that the product mix and product packaging adhere to the customer preferences. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Distribution and Transportation ProcessA proper management of the logistics system, that is, the unique combination of packaging, handling, storage and transportation, will ensure that the product is imported and made available to the consumer at the right time and place and in the right condition. International logistics allows country’s to export products in which they have a completive advantage and import products that are either unavailable at home or produced at a lower cost overseas. Natural resource advantages and low-cost labour has enabled countries like Kenya to export flowers to places like the UK by airfreight where in turn the products are distributed nationwide by air, water or by truck. (Seyoum)Flowers take a number of routes to the consumer, depending on where they are grown and how they are to be sold. Some growers cut and pack flowers at their nurseries, sending them directly out to the consumer by mail order. Some flowers are sent to packing companies, who grade the flowers and arrange them in bunches for sale to supermarkets or to deliver by mail order. Some flowers are graded and sleeved by the growers and sold at wholesale flower markets; the wholesalers then sell them on to florists who condition and arrange the flowers for the consumer. Africa is currently responsible for 95% of Dutch rose imports. Our import roses are primarily from Kenya and Ethiopia. The import roses include many different flower types, with a relatively long shelf-life. We have recently begun offering boxed import roses. The advantage of boxed import roses is that the roses from Kenya and Ethiopia can be directly resold to Dutch exporters. The accelerated process gets the roses to the Dutch market two days earlier than those imported in water. Furthermore, we offer boxed import roses at even better prices. Thanks to the extensive purchasing organisation and partnerships with various growers, we are able to offer (almost) all import roses on a daily basis. Even the cultivars that are not auctioned are available from us. We are therefore able to offer you a total package of import roses. Billions of flowers and plants are distributed through the wholesale markets in Holland each year. The flowers are shipped fresh daily to florists, achieving a reliable rate of safe delivery. Most shipping goes by high speed trains. The rest reach their destination by air. Specialized packaging and handling help make the worldwide trade possible. Buyers can make Dutch flower market purchases live from anywhere in the world and have delivery usually within 24 to 48 hours. Most Dutch flowers are sold to European countries, but the eastern United States and the Chicago area are sizable importers as well. (Unknown)Some flowers are sent packed flat in boxes. This enables large amounts of flowers to be packed in small spaces like aircraft holds. Other flowers cannot survive for long periods out of water such as orchids and water lilies. These are either sent with their own sealed water container (called picks) on each stem end for more expensive or tropical flowers or are transported in buckets of water. The latter method extends the life of flowers and reduces labor time as flowers are ready for sale, but obviously also reduces the amount of flowers that can be transported as they are much heavier than dry-packed flowers and hence air transportation charges are higher. (Unknown)The Cool ChainRoses are perishable goods and therefore require a little bit of extra care and attention when they are being exported or transported. Though we might not consider flowers and plants to be perishable in the same way that food stuffs are, we know that cut flowers will continue to bloom but storing them in very low temperatures will slow down their physiological development significantly, which prolongs their life and keeps them fresher for longer. With the exception of tropical breeds, cut flowers and plants should be cooled rapidly to temperatures of around 33-35 F throughout their travelling time. Truck transport of flowers can be a preferable method because temp