e-books Essay -- Library Science, Myilibrary, Netlibrary

The library and information centres have undertaken collection management of printed books and now challenges in developing collection of electronic resources (e-resources) are waiting. Electronic books (e-books) consist of printed books being digitized or born digitally, the starting rise of new electronic formats. The increase number of e-books especially in UK also brings challenges to the publishers and aggregators, the importance in managing and promoting â€Å"e-books as the new electronic medium† (Armstrong and Lonsdale 2005). This essay will look at issues being addressed surrounding the management and promoting the e-books. One of the issues to be addressed in managing e-books is the selection and acquisition e-books. Librarians especially the academic librarians need to concern on selecting and acquisition new e-books, e-textbooks and titles associated to the students’ fields and demands. The librarians should train in considering the demands of e-books for distance learning, placements students and selecting printed books as back up to e-books’ (Armstrong and Lonsdale 2009). Acquiring the e-books from publishers and aggregators become issues in managing the e-books. The pricing and business model through subscription provides easy methods and ‘aggregators would be more attractive option than through publishers’ (Armstrong, Edwards and Lonsdale 2002). For the writer, e-book aggregators such as NetLibrary and Credo Reference give more advance access and tools for library, user of groups, relevance information and formats of e-book availability in pdf or web. However, subscript ions of e-books can be difficult. Libraries want to have ‘fewer complexes models and fair pricing structures’ (Ball 2009) and Edwards (2001) summari... ...ons. It is recommended stakeholders and JISC e-BOOK Working Group (Armstrong and Lonsdale 2005) are working together for effectively promoting strategies for e-books to all libraries. The e-book collections are no longer close entities but open widely to users. The libraries especially the academic libraries should concern on selecting e-books references for students and researchers. Issues concerned including the consideration giving effective ways on access and promotion need to be accounted. However, ‘Usage and licensing conditions vary widely and are not always library-friendly’ (Ball 2009). Licensing and bibliographical access still the crucial challenges for collection managements especially in relates to cost and legal legislate deposits. All the issues discussed above come up with literatures and approaches to issues of managing e-book collections.

Sharp

Anna S BA 3103 Critical Analysis Paper Sharp Sharp’s third quarter results showed very disappointing performance. The company reported a ? 249. 1 billion ($3. 12 billion) loss. Moreover, it is forecasting a ? 450 billion, or $5. 6 billion, loss for the fiscal year through 2013. Apparently, the company is burning through more cash than it is generating and having difficulty in securing short-term financing. Also, the company is considering selling some holding in other companies and office building in Tokyo.Furthermore, it’s thinking to sell television assembly plants in Mexico and China, which would reduce its payroll by 3,000 jobs, added to the 5,000 positions assigned for layoff earlier this year. The company has decided to cut the current Sharp’s payroll by 14%. In addition, Sharp's shares are down 75% this year. This paper will conduct a situation analysis of internal and external environment of Sharp’s weak performance. It will also summarize the prim ary causes of company’s weak performance. Internal Analysis Financial ProblemsCurrently the company faces two problems: it is under pressure to reduce interest-bearing debt, which increased to ? 1. 25 trillion since June 2011 and, also, needs to repay ? 200 billion of convertible bonds that mature in September 2013 (Daisuke Wakabayashi). At the end of June 2012, the company’s cash, accounts receivable, inventory and other assets couldn't cover its short-term liabilities. The company is struggling to raise cash. Sharp's net loss for the first half included ? 84. 4 billion in restructuring costs, including a ? 30. billion impairment of assets in its solar batteries unit, a ? 53. 4 billion write-down on inventory, and a ? 61. 0 billion write-down on deferred tax assets. Also, at the end of September, the Sharp's shareholder equity ratio fell to below 10 percent, which is half the rate generally considered a healthy minimum. Sharp remains highly dependent on short-term bor rowings. Weak internal cash flow has forced the company to pay off unsecured promissory note mostly with bank borrowings (Reuters). In addition, the company is currently considering alliance with other companies. You can read also Thin Film Solar CellExternal Analysis Product Demand The Sharp’s main products, LCD TV and flat panels, were accounted for 60% of total revenue in 2012, however, the demand substantially weakened, especially in comparison to Korean rivals. For the first time in the company history, shipments of LCD TVs fell year-over-year, declining just over 3% to 43 million units. The decline had  a  considerable  impact on the market, with total TV shipments falling almost 8% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2012, the drastic decline since the second quarter of 2009.When the market slowed down, Sharp has been left with excess capacity at its domestic plants. Sales of LCD TVs nearly halved in the October-December quarter. The manufacturer of electronics products and their components also reported quarterly sales of solar cells fell by a third from a year ago, slowing demand and increased competition from Chinese makers (James Topham). Global Economy Sharp has st ruggled with a slow economy, losing the power it once got from transition to global digital broadcasting and from subsidies for purchases of energy-efficient goods.Demand for LCD televisions in developed economies has been saturated; however, growth in developing markets is slowing. Also, the strong yen has made Sharp’s products more expensive overseas. Therefore, it is difficult for the company to compete in the global market. Product prices were also affected by Japan's relatively high labor cost, electricity, imported fuels and raw materials. In addition, euro debt crisis became another reason for the slow growth in the world economy (James Topham). Competition Sharp faces increased competition from very large electronic companies such as Apple, Samsung and LG.Samsung  Electronics  Co. , Ltd and LG Electronics, Inc. have generated better profits and strengthened market positions in the TV and panel businesses during 2012, supported by an improved product mix. Samsungâ €™s flat panel TV revenue share remains the largest in the industry, almost 26% (Dan Graziano). Samsung is also the top brand in the key segments of LCD TV, 40†+, LED-backlit LCD, and 3D TV. Also, the company benefits from favorable exchange rates and aggressive investments. Samsung’s current capitalization is $163 billion and Apple’s $634 billion.As opposed Sony, Panasonic and Sharp combined are now  worth only $54 billion at current market values  (Michael Fitzpatrick). Summary Based on internal and external analysis of Sharp’s recent activities, the primary causes of company’s poor performance are: 1) the company is struggling to raise internal cash flow and, therefore, cannot cover its short-term liabilities; 2) the demand for LCD and flat panel TVs has substantially weakened due to global economy slow down; 3) Sharp is facing a fierce competition from Samsung, LG and Apple, which currently holding the largest market shares in electronic manufacturing industry.Bibliography 1) WAKABAYASHI, DAISUKE. Sharp Says Its Future Is at Risk. 1 Nov. 2012. 7 Dec. 2012 ;http://online. wsj. com/article/sb10001424052970204712904578091761289023722. html;. 2) Reuters. TEXT-S;P summary: Sharp Corp.. 30 Nov, 2012. 8 Dec, 2012 ;http://www. reuters. com/article/2012/11/30/iduswlb148420121130;. 3) Topham, James. Sharp Corporation Blames Falling LCD TV Prices, Increase In Yen For Forecast $3. 8 Billion Loss. Feb. 2012. 8 Dec. 2012 ;http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/02/01/sharp-corporation-lcd-prices_n_1246028. html;. 4) Graziano, Dan. GLOBAL LCD TV SHIPMENTS FALL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. 21 Jan. 2012. 8 Dec. 2012 ;http://bgr. com/2012/06/21/global-tv-sales-lcd-shipments-down/;. 5) Fitzpatrick, Michael. Fear and loathing in Japan. 18 Sep. 2012. 8 Dec. 2012 ;http://tech. fortune. cnn. com/2012/09/18/fear-and-loathing-in-japan/;.

The Oneota Culture - Last Prehistoric Culture of the American Midwest

The Oneota (or western Upper Mississippian) is the name archaeologists have given to the last prehistoric culture (1150-1700 AD) of the American upper midwest. The Oneota lived in villages and camps along tributary streams and rivers of the upper reaches of the Mississippi River. The archaeological remains of Oneota villages are located in the modern states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. What Did They Know of Cahokias Complex Capital? The origin of the Oneota people is somewhat of a controversy. Some scholars argue that the Oneota were descendants of the pre-Mississippian Woodland groups who were immigrants from other as-yet unknown locations, perhaps the Cahokia area. Another group of scholars argue the Oneota were local Late Woodland groups who changed their society as a result of contact with Middle Mississippian technologies and ideologies. Although there are clear connections in Oneota symbolism to the Mississippian complex of Cahokia, the Oneota sociopolitical organization was widely divergent from that of the complex society at the capital in the American Bottom near St. Louis, Missouri. Oneota groups were mainly independent chiefly societies located on major rivers upstream and far away from Cahokia. Oneota Characteristics Over the nearly six hundred years of their (recognized) occupation of the Upper Mississippi region, Oneota people changed their style of living and subsistence patterns and as the Europeans moved into the region, they migrated far to the west. But their cultural identity maintained a continuity, based on the presence of a number of artifact types and icononography. The most commonly recognized artifact of Oneota culture is shell-tempered, globular-shaped ceramic vessels with purposefully smoothed, but not burnished, exteriors. Distinctive point types used by Oneota hunters are small unnotched triangular arrow points called either Fresno or Madison points. Other stone tools connected with Oneota populations include pipestone carved into tablets, pipes and pendants; stone scrapers for buffalo hides, and fishhooks. Bone and shell hoes are indicative of Oneota agriculture, as are the ridged fields found in the early and eastern villages of Wisconsin. Architecture included oval wigwams, multi-family longhouses and cemeteries organized in sprawling villages on terraces near main rivers. Some evidence of warfare and violence are seen in the archaeological record; and the evidence of movement west with a maintained connectedness to people back home in the east are indicated by trade goods, including pipestone and hides, and metasedimentary abrasive rocks called paralava (formerly mis-identified as volcanic pumice or scoria). Chronology cal AD 1700-present day. Historic and modern tribes thought to be descended from Oneota include Ioway, Oto, Ho-Chunk, Missouria, Ponca and othersProtohistoric Oneota (Classic) (cal AD 1600-1700). After direct and indirect contact with French trappers and traders, La Crosse was abandoned, and the people moved westward along the Iowa/Minnesota borders and west following bison herdsMiddle Oneota (Developmental) (cal AD 1300-1600), Apple River and Red Wing abandoned, expanded outward. Oneota settlements opened at La Crosse, Minnesota, and the central Des Moines River valley (Moingona Phase)Early Oneota (Emergent) cal AD 1150-1300. Apple River (northwest Illinois) and Red Wing (Minnesota) localities are started, decorative motifs derived from Mississippian Ramey Incised pots Initial or Emergent Phase Oneota The earliest villages recognized as Oneota arose about AD 1150, as diverse and scattered communities along the floodplains, terraces and bluffs of the rivers, communities that were occupied at least seasonally and perhaps year-round. They were horticulturalists rather than farmers, relying on digging-stick agriculture based on maize and squash, and supplemented by deer, elk, birds and large fish. Foods gathered by early Oneota people include several plants that would be eventually domesticated as part of the Eastern North American Neolithic, such as maygrass (Phalaris caroliniana), chenopodium (Chenopodium berlandieri), little barley (Hordeum pussilum) and erect knotweed (Polygonum erectum). They also collected various nuts--hickory, walnut, acorns--and conducted localized hunting of elk and deer and communal longer-distance hunting of bison. There likely was a lot of variation in these early villages, especially with respect to how important maize was in their diets. Some of the largest villages have accretional burial mounds. At least some of the villages had a tribal level of social and political organization. Development and Classic Period Oneota Middle Oneota communities apparently intensified their farming efforts, moving into broader valleys and including the preparation of ridged fields, and the use of shell and bison scapula hoes. Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were added to the diet about 1300 AD: now Oneota people had the entire three sisters agricultural complex. Their communities shifted as well, to include larger houses, with multiple families sharing the same long house. Long houses at the Tremaine site in Wisconsin, for example, were 6-8.5 meters (20-27 feet) wide and varied in length between 26-65 m (85-213 ft). Mound building ceased entirely and mortuary patterns shifted to the use of cemeteries or burials beneath the floors of the longhouses. By the late period, many Oneota people migrated westward. These dispersed Oneota communities displaced the locals in Nebraska, Kansas and adjacent areas of Iowa and Missouri, and thrived on communal bison hunting supplemented with gardening. Bison hunting, assisted by dogs, allowed Oneota to obtain adequate meat, marrow and fat for food, and hides and bones for tools and exchange. Oneota Archaeological Sites Illinois: Gentlemen Farm, Material Service Quarry, Reeves, Zimmerman, Keeshin Farm, Dixon, Lima Lake, Hoxie Farm Nebraska: Leary site, Glen Elder Iowa: Wever, Flynn, Correctionville, Cherokee, Iowa Great Lakes, Bastian, Milford, Gillett Grove, Blood Run Kansas: Lovewell Reservoir, White Rock, Montana Creek Wisconsin: OT, Tremaine, La Crosse, Pammel Creek, Trempealeau Bay, Carcajou Point, Pipe, Mero Minnesota: Red Wing, Blue Earth Sources This article is a part of the About.com guide to the Mississippian Culture, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Several good locations on the web for Oneota information include Lance Fosters Ioway Cultural Institute, the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist, and the Mississippi Valley Archaeological Center. Betts CM. 2006. Pots and Pox: The Identification of Protohistoric Epidemics in the Upper Mississippi Valley. American Antiquity 71(2):233-259. Boszhardt RF. 2008. Shell-tempered pottery from the upper Mississippi river valley. Southeastern Archaeology 27(2):193-201. Emerson TE, Hedman KM, and Simon ML. 2005. Marginal Horticulturalists or Maize Agriculturalists? Archaeobotanical, Paleopathological, and Isotopic Evidence Relating to Langford Tradition Maize Consumption. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 30(1):67-118. Estes MB, Ritterbush LW, and Nicolaysen K. 2010. Clinker, Pumice, Scoria, or Paralava? Vesicular Artifacts of the Lower Missouri Basin. Plains Anthropologist 55(213):67-81. Fishel RL, Wisseman SU, Hughes RE, and Emerson TE. 2010. Sourcing Red Pipestone Artifacts from Oneota Villages in the Little Sioux Valley of Northwest Iowa. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 35(2):167-198. Logan B. 2010. A Matter of Time: The Temporal Relationship of Oneota and Central Plains Traditions. Plains Anthropologist 55(216):277-292. OGorman JA. 2010. Exploring the Longhouse and Community in Tribal Society. American Antiquity 75(3):571-597. Padilla MJ, and Ritterbush LW. 2005. White Rock Oneota Chipped Stone Tools. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 30(2):259-297. Ritterbush LW, and Logan B. 2009. A Late Prehistoric Bison Processing Camp in the Central Plains: Montana Creek East (14JW46). Plains Anthropologist 54(211):217-236. Theler JL, and Boszhardt RF. 2006. Collapse of crucial resources and culture change: a model for the Woodland to Oneota transformation in the Upper Midwest. American Antiquity 71:433-472. Tubbs RM, and OGorman JA. 2005. Assessing Oneota Diet And Health: A Community And Lifeway Perspective. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 30(1):119-163.

Current Strategy Essay - 3942 Words

CURRENT STRATEGY SUMMARY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES (IOSS) JOINT BASE POWELL, CA This document was compiled by the IOSS project office and summarizes how many of the Joint Base Powell Infrastructure, Operations, and Support Services (IOSS) requirements listed in the draft PWS were acquired in the past. Each service area is briefly covered by providing information about any current initiatives/contracts, current performance problems, and stakeholder comments about any changes in projected requirements. This document is intended to help the integrated acquisition project team 1) understand and consider the implications of how the various IOSS services requirements were procured in the past and/or are currently†¦show more content†¦is a large business known for their extensive work with the federal government, including working as service/capability integrators. They are one of the few companies large enough to pull together and manage the various teaming partners and subcontractors required to fulfill the various requirements for an IOSS contract. Current Performance Housing Among other performance requirements, the current contract specifies that the contractor will: * Place 98% of personnel in appropriate housing within the threshold time period * Process 95% of housing applications within the threshold time period * Complete all housing design and renovation projects no more than 8% over the established baseline cost or schedule * Respond to 100% of customer service requests within the threshold time period * Complete 95% of all required inspections on schedule Though performing well overall under these requirements, SIP has had trouble meeting the application processing (threshold time) and customer serviceShow MoreRelatedBritish Home Stores: Current Strategies3141 Words   |  13 Pages|UH | |[British Home Stores: Current Strategies] | |[Business Strategy] | |[module code:3bus0336] Read MoreGermanys Current Cyber Strategy1564 Words   |  7 Pagescountries, Belgium, and Russia, and examine what their cyber strategies are pertaining to warfare and defense or security, and current capabilities of these countries regarding cyber-attacks or warfare. 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What elements of the marketing mix are now changed from nation to nation? c. What are the benefits of the company’s new marketing strategy? Is there a downside? d. What does the Levi Strauss story tell you about the â€Å"globalization

ExxonMobile Critical Success Factors - 3661 Words

_INTRODUCTION_ ExxonMobil Corporation is the second largest integrated oil company in the world. In 2011 it ranked 3rd in the worlds largest companies with a revenue of $354,674 million and total profit of $30460 million. ExxonMobil has evolved from a regional marketer of kerosene in the U.S. to the largest trader of petroleum and petrochemical enterprise in the world. They are best known by their familiar brand names: Exxon, Esso and Mobil and they supply to more than 40,000 service stations under this name. They make products that drive modern transportation, power cities, lubricate industry and provide petrochemical building blocks that lead to thousands of consumer goods. The company has 38 oil refineries in 21 countries with a†¦show more content†¦The factors which have lead to the success of ExxonMobil are: Commitment to technology leadership Global distribution and strong brand image Large refinery capacity and financial strength Vertical integration of business Cost efficiency and increased profits Competitive advantage ï ¿ ½ _CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF EXXONMOBIL:_ COMMITMENT TO TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP Technology leadership is another critical factor contributes to the success of Exxon Mobil in the oil and gas industry. Obviously, in this area, the technology leadership is mainly used for exploring, discovering, refining, storing, and transportation oil products. Hence, the ability to find new energy sources in shortest period of time in any condition has been seen as an essential element of any oil companies want to be the market leader. It determines the efficiency, productivity, quality, reliability and high standard products of an oil company like Exxon Mobil. Commitment to technology innovation helps Exxon Mobil gains first mover advantages over its competitor in this industry. It also helps Exxon Mobil expedites and cuts down the time consuming in discovering oil sources and gas. In Addition, it enables Exxon Mobil explores oil and gas in unconventional areas such as deep sea and tar sands or in very hard conditions. On the other hand, Exxon Mobil is able to reduce costs of production and enhance bringing products into the supply chain fromShow MoreRelatedSaudi Aramco : About The Company3890 Words   |  16 PagesThe company strives to attract, groom and hold top talent and nurtures a culture that encourages teamwork, drives accountability and rewards performance. PESTEL Analysis PESTEL analysis is performed here to understand the external environmental factors that are affecting or may affect Saudi Aramco. Political: Political environment has a major influence on various SA’s operations. Policies are inspired and implemented in line with government regulations, socio-economic and socio-political needsRead MoreCross Cultural Management Research6745 Words   |  27 Pagesany corporation requires a strong management plan and involves diversity or one type or another. Organizations that become multinational corporations have an even greater challenge. These multinational corporations have to take into consideration factors such national cultures and subcultures, religious beliefs and traditions, labor laws, and local regulation. These are only a minute number of diversity issues a multinational corporation will face. This paper will highlight several multinational corporationsRead MoreMarketing Case Study9790 Words   |  40 PagesMcDonald’s prospects for success beyond the burger-and-fries model. McDonald’s spent a period of time acquiring businesses they believed to be complimentary to their core burger-and-fries model. However, during this expansion, they made the error of â€Å"taking their eye off of the ball.† This allowed competitors to make inroads and resulted in their core business flagging. By reasserting themselves in their core business, they are reestablishing themselves as innovators in the market. Success beyond their coreRead MoreCompany Valuation Report for Bp20320 Words   |  82 Pagesnote that despite higher revenues in 2010, the Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) was negative. This indicates that BP was making a loss of $3,702 million that year. EBIT measures the level of profitability of the firm by disregarding external factors such as the financing model of the firm and corporation taxation policies. This allows the EBIT to focus solely on the businesses’ capacity to generate profit on its sales. In the case of BP, EBIT margi ns are generally positive except for the year

The Golden Compass Chapter Twelve Free Essays

Chapter Twelve The Lost Boy They traveled for several hours and then stopped to eat. While the men were lighting fires and melting snow for water, with lorek Byrnison watching Lee Scoresby roast seal meat close by, John Faa spoke to Lyra. â€Å"Lyra, can you see that instrument to read it?† he said. We will write a custom essay sample on The Golden Compass Chapter Twelve or any similar topic only for you Order Now The moon itself had long set. The light from the Aurora was brighter than moonlight, but it was inconstant. However, Lyra’s eyes were keen, and she fumbled inside her furs and tugged out the black velvet bag. â€Å"Yes, I can see all right,† she said. â€Å"But I know where most of the symbols are by now anyway. What shall I ask it, Lord Faa?† â€Å"I want to know more about how they’re defending this place, Bolvangar,† he said. Without even having to think about it, she found her fingers moving the hands to point to the helmet, the griffin, and the crucible, and felt her mind settle into the right meanings like a complicated diagram in three dimensions. At once the needle began to swing round, back, round and on further, like a bee dancing its message to the hive. She watched it calmly, content not to know at first but to know that a meaning was coming, and then it began to clear. She let it dance on until it was certain. â€Å"It’s just like the witch’s daemon said, Lord Faa. There’s a company of Tartars guarding the station, and they got wires all round it. They don’t really expect to be attacked, that’s what the symbol reader says. But Lord Faa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What, child?† â€Å"It’s a telling me something else. In the next valley there’s a village by a lake where the folk are troubled by a ghost.† John Faa shook his head impatiently, and said, â€Å"That don’t matter now. There’s bound to be spirits of all kinds among these forests. Tell me again about them Tartars. How many, for instance? What are they armed with?† Lyra dutifully asked, and reported the answer: â€Å"There’s sixty men with rifles, and they got a couple of larger guns, sort of cannons. They got fire throwers too. And†¦ Their daemons are all wolves, that’s what it says.† That caused a stir among the older gyptians, those who’d campaigned before. â€Å"The Sibirsk regiments have wolf daemons,† said one. John Faa said, â€Å"I never met fiercer. We shall have to fight like tigers. And consult the bear; he’s a shrewd warrior, that one.† Lyra was impatient, and said, â€Å"But Lord Faa, this ghost – I think it’s the ghost of one of the kids!† â€Å"Well, even if it is, Lyra, I don’t know what anyone could do about it. Sixty Sibirsk riflemen, and fire throwers†¦Mr. Scoresby, step over here if you would, for a moment.† While the aeronaut came to the sledge, Lyra slipped away and spoke to the bear. â€Å"lorek, have you traveled this way before?† â€Å"Once,† he said in that deep flat voice. â€Å"There’s a village near, en’t there?† â€Å"Over the ridge,† he said, looking up through the sparse trees. â€Å"Is it far?† â€Å"For you or for me?† â€Å"For me,† she said. â€Å"Too far. Not at all far for me.† â€Å"How long would it take you to get there, then?† â€Å"I could be there and back three times by next moonrise.† â€Å"Because, lorek, listen: I got this symbol reader that tells me things, you see, and it’s told me that there’s something important I got to do over in that village, and Lord Faa won’t let me go there. He just wants to get on quick, and 1 know that’s important too. But unless I go and find out what it is, we might not know what the Gobblers are really doing.† The bear said nothing. He was sitting up like a human, his great paws folded in his lap, his dark eyes looking into hers down the length of his muzzle. He knew she wanted something. Pantalaimon spoke: â€Å"Can you take us there and catch up with the sledges later on?† â€Å"I could. But I have given my word to Lord Faa to obey him, not anyone else.† â€Å"If I got his permission?† said Lyra. â€Å"Then yes.† She turned and ran back through the snow. â€Å"Lord Faa! If lorek Byrnison takes me over the ridge to the village, we can find out whatever it is, and then catch the sledges up further on. He knows the route,† she urged. â€Å"And I wouldn’t ask, except it’s like what I did before, Farder Coram, you remember, with that chameleon? I didn’t understand it then, but it was true, and we found out soon after. I got the same feeling now. I can’t understand properly what it’s saying, only I know it’s important. And lorek Byrnison knows the way, he says he could get there and back three times by next moonrise, and I couldn’t be safer than I’d be with him, could I? But he won’t go without he gets Lord Faa’s permission.† There was a silence. Farder Coram sighed. John Faa was frowning, and his mouth inside the fur hood was set grimly. But before he could speak, the aeronaut put in: â€Å"Lord Faa, if lorek Byrnison takes the little girl, she’ll be as safe as if she was here with us. All bears are true, but I’ve known lorek for years, and nothing under the sky will make him break his word. Give him the charge to take care of her and he’ll do it, make no mistake. As for speed, he can lope for hours without tiring.† â€Å"But why should not some men go?† said John Faa. â€Å"Well, they’d have to walk,† Lyra pointed out, â€Å"because you couldn’t run a sledge over that ridge. lorek Byrnison can go faster than any man over that sort of country, and I’m light enough so’s he won’t be slowed down. And I promise, Lord Faa, I promise not to be any longer than I need, and not to give anything away about us, or to get in any danger.† â€Å"You’re sure you need to do this? That symbol reader en’t playing the fool with you?† â€Å"It never does, Lord Faa, and I don’t think it could.† John Faa rubbed his chin. â€Å"Well, if all comes out right, we’ll have a piece more knowledge than we do now. lorek Byrnison,† he called, â€Å"are you willing to do as this child bids?† â€Å"I do your bidding, Lord Faa. Tell me to take the child there, and I will.† â€Å"Very well. You are to take her where she wishes to go and do as she bids. Lyra, I’m a commanding you now, you understand?† â€Å"Yes, Lord Faa.† â€Å"You go and search for whatever it is, and when you’ve found it, you turn right round and come back. lorek Byrnison, we’ll be a traveling on by that time, so you’ll have to catch us up.† The bear nodded his great head. â€Å"Are there any soldiers in the village?† he said to Lyra. â€Å"Will I need my armor? We shall be swifter without it.† â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"I’m certain of that, lorek. Thank you, Lord Faa, and I promise I’ll do just as you say.† Tony Costa gave her a strip of dried seal meat to chew, and with Pantalaimon as a mouse inside her hood, Lyra clambered onto the great bear’s back, gripping his fur with her mittens and his narrow muscular back between her knees. His fur was wondrously thick, and the sense of immense power she felt was overwhelming. As if she weighed nothing at all, he turned and loped away in a long swinging run up toward the ridge and into the low trees. It took some time before she was used to the movement, and then she felt a wild exhilaration. She was riding a bear! And the Aurora was swaying above them in golden arcs and loops, and all around was the bitter arctic cold and the immense silence of the North. lorek Byrnison’s paws made hardly any sound as they padded forward through the snow. The trees were thin and stunted here, for they were on the edge of the tundra, but there were brambles and snagging bushes in the path. The bear ripped through them as if they were cobwebs. They climbed the low ridge, among outcrops of black rock, and were soon out of sight of the party behind them. Lyra wanted to talk to the bear, and if he had been human, she would already be on familiar terms with him; but he was so strange and wild and cold that she was shy, almost for the first time in her life. So as he loped along, his great legs swinging tirelessly, she sat with the movement and said nothing. Perhaps he preferred that anyway, she thought; she must seem a little prattling cub, only just past babyhood, in the eyes of an armored bear. She had seldom considered herself before, and found the experience interesting but uncomfortable, very like riding the bear, in fact. lorek Byrnison was pacing swiftly, moving both legs on one side of his body at the same time, and rocking from side to side in a steady powerful rhythm. She found she couldn’t just sit: she had to ride actively. They had been traveling for an hour or more, and Lyra was stiff and sore but deeply happy, when lorek Byrnison slowed down and stopped. â€Å"Look up,† he said. Lyra raised her eyes and had to wipe them with the inside of her wrist, for she was so cold that tears were blurring them. When she could see clearly, she gasped at the sight of the sky. The Aurora had faded to a pallid trembling glimmer, but the stars were as bright as diamonds, and across the great dark diamond-scattered vault, hundreds upon hundreds of tiny black shapes were flying out of the east and south toward the north. â€Å"Are they birds?† she said. â€Å"They are witches,† said the bear. â€Å"Witches! What are they doing?† â€Å"Flying to war, maybe. I have never seen so many at one time.† â€Å"Do you know any witches, lorek?† â€Å"I have served some. And fought some, too. This is a sight to frighten Lord Faa. If they are flying to the aid of your enemies, you should all be afraid.† â€Å"Lord Faa wouldn’t be frightened. You en’t afraid, are you?† â€Å"Not yet. When I am, I shall master the fear. But we had better tell Lord Faa about the witches, because the men might not have seen them.† He moved on more slowly, and she kept watching the sky until her eyes splintered again with tears of cold, and she saw no end to the numberless witches flying north. Finally lorek Byrnison stopped and said, â€Å"There is the village.† They were looking down a broken, rugged slope toward a cluster of wooden buildings beside a wide stretch of snow as flat as could be, which Lyra took to be the frozen lake. A wooden jetty showed her she was right. They were no more than five minutes from the place. â€Å"What do you want to do?† the bear asked. Lyra slipped off his back, and found it hard to stand. Her face was stiff with cold and her legs were shaky, but she clung to his fur and stamped until she felt stronger. â€Å"There’s a child or a ghost or something down in that village,† she said, â€Å"or maybe near it, I don’t know for certain. I want to go and find him and bring him back to Lord Faa and the others if I can. I thought he was a ghost, but the symbol reader might be telling me something I can’t understand.† â€Å"If he is outside,† said the bear, â€Å"he had better have some shelter.† â€Å"I don’t think he’s dead,† said Lyra, but she was far from sure. The alethiometer had indicated something uncanny and unnatural, which was alarming; but who was she? Lord Asriel’s daughter. And who was under her command? A mighty bear. How could she possibly show any fear? â€Å"Let’s just go and look,† she said. She clambered on his back again, and he set off down the broken slope, walking steadily and not pacing any more. The dogs of the village smelled or heard or sensed them coming, and began to howl frightfully; and the reindeer in their enclosure moved about nervously, their antlers clashing like dry sticks. In the still air every movement could be heard for a long way. As they reached the first of the houses, Lyra looked to the right and left, peering hard into the dimness, for the Aurora was fading and the moon still far from rising. Here and there a light flickered under a snow-thick roof, and Lyra thought she saw pale faces behind some of the windowpanes, and imagined their astonishment to see a child riding a great white bear. At the center of the little village there was an open space next to the jetty, where boats had been drawn up, mounds under the snow. The noise of the dogs was deafening, and just as Lyra thought it must have wakened everyone, a door opened and a man came out holding a rifle. His wolverine daemon leaped onto the woodstack beside the door, scattering snow. Lyra slipped down at once and stood between him and lorek Byrnison, conscious that she had told the bear there was no need for his armor. The man spoke in words she couldn’t understand. lorek Byrnison replied in the same language, and the man gave a little moan of fear. â€Å"He thinks we are devils,† lorek told Lyra. â€Å"What shall I say?† â€Å"Tell him we’re not devils, but we’ve got friends who are. And we’re looking for†¦Just a child. A strange child. Tell him that.† As soon as the bear had said that, the man pointed to the right, indicating some place further off, and spoke quickly. lorek Byrnison said, â€Å"He asks if we have come to take the child away. They are afraid of it. They have tried to drive it away, but it keeps coming back.† â€Å"Tell him we’ll take it away with us, but they were very bad to treat it like that. Where is it?† The man explained, gesticulating fearfully. Lyra was afraid he’d fire his rifle by mistake, but as soon as he’d spoken he hastened inside his house and shut the door. Lyra could see faces at every window. â€Å"Where is the child?† she said. â€Å"In the fish house,† the bear told her, and turned to pad down toward the jetty. Lyra followed. She was horribly nervous. The bear was making for a narrow wooden shed, raising his head to sniff this way and that, and when he reached the door he stopped and said: â€Å"In there.† Lyra’s heart was beating so fast she could hardly breathe. She raised her hand to knock at the door and then, feeling that that was ridiculous, took a deep breath to call out, but realized that she didn’t know what to say. Oh, it was so dark now! She should have brought a lantern†¦. There was no choice, and anyway, she didn’t want the bear to see her being afraid. He had spoken of mastering his fear: that was what she’d have to do. She lifted the strap of reindeer hide holding the latch in place, and tugged hard against the frost binding the door shut. It opened with a snap. She had to kick aside the snow piled against the foot of the door before she could pull it open, and Pantalaimon was no help, running back and forth in his ermine shape, a white shadow over the white ground, uttering little frightened sounds. â€Å"Pan, for God’s sake!† she said. â€Å"Be a bat. Go and look for me†¦.† But he wouldn’t, and he wouldn’t speak either. She had never seen him like this except once, when she and Roger in the crypt at Jordan had moved the d^mon-coins into the wrong skulls. He was even more frightened than she was. As for lorek Byrnison, he was lying in the snow nearby, watching in silence. â€Å"Come out,† Lyra said as loud as she dared. â€Å"Come out!† Not a sound came in answer. She pulled the door a little wider, and Pantalaimon leaped up into her arms, pushing and pushing at her in his cat form, and said, â€Å"Go away! Don’t stay here! Oh, Lyra, go now! Turn back!† Trying to hold him still, she was aware of lorek Byrnison getting to his feet, and turned to see a figure hastening down the track from the village, carrying a lantern. When he came close enough to speak, he raised the lantern and held it to show his face: an old man with a broad, lined face, and eyes nearly lost in a thousand wrinkles. His daemon was an arctic fox. He spoke, and lorek Byrnison said: â€Å"He says that it’s not the only child of that kind. He’s seen others in the forest. Sometimes they die quickly, sometimes they don’t die. This one is tough, he thinks. But it would be better for him if he died.† â€Å"Ask him if I can borrow his lantern,† Lyra said. The bear spoke, and the man handed it to her at once, nodding vigorously. She realized that he’d come down in order to bring it to her, and thanked him, and he nodded again and stood back, away from her and the hut and away from the bear. Lyra thought suddenly: what if the child is Roger? And she prayed with all her force that it wouldn’t be. Pantalaimon was clinging to her, an ermine again, his little claws hooked deep into her anorak. She lifted the lantern high and took a step into the shed, and then she saw what it was that the Oblation Board was doing, and what was the nature of the sacrifice the children were having to make. The little boy was huddled against the wood drying rack where hung row upon row of gutted fish, all as stiff as boards. He was clutching a piece of fish to him as Lyra was clutching Pantalaimon, with her left hand, hard, against her heart; but that was all he had, a piece of dried fish; because he had no daemon at all. The Gobblers had cut it away. That was intercision, and this was a severed child. How to cite The Golden Compass Chapter Twelve, Essay examples

Inventory and Reebok free essay sample

When dealing with a market segment that has high variable demand, it is important to analyze not only your current inventory levels, but also generate future demand forecasts. This is because an inventory shortage can cause the company to lose future profits and lost goodwill. In the case of Reebok, the former NFL licensed jersey producer, many key decisions must be made to reduce inventory costs in periods of low demand while maximizing profits in periods of high demand for player specific jerseys. Using the newsvendor model to determine the optimal order quantity and leftover inventory, we will present a possible approach to inventory planning with uncertain demand. Uncertain Demand: Within the replica jersey industry, seasonality plays a vital part in keeping sufficient inventory to cover customer demand. Seasonality is regular periodic fluctuations, usually within a 12 month period whereas trend is an overall, persistent, long-term movement. For instance, â€Å"the NFL season drives much of the demand† with sales highest in August/September in anticipation of the upcoming NFL season. We will write a custom essay sample on Inventory and Reebok or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Later in the season, consumer demand is driven by holiday presents and the anticipation of the playoffs†. After the season is over, sales decline rapidly until the start of the next season. From a supply chain perspective, however, it is maximizing revenues from â€Å"lumpy† hot-market items as much as limiting obsolesce costs. Postponement: Reebok must order must it’s ordering decision at the start of a period, though it is concerned with inventory at the end of the period. Postponment allows Reebok to extend the life cycle of its jerseys as well as capture lumpy â€Å"dressed† product demand. Blank jerseys are shipped directly to the Reebok distribution center with no player name or number†. However, teams often change the style or color of their uniforms between seasons. Further, the consumer may want the latest and most up-to-date â€Å"dressed jersey† for each individual player that they are a fan. Given â€Å"player demand changes so much from year to year† along with the fact that â€Å"player movements† occur during the off season ( February to April), holding â€Å"dressed jerseys† at end-of-season is most risky. Indeed, â€Å"Reebok’s general practice is to sell leftover dressed jerseys at $7 but hold blank jerseys for next season†. End-of-season inventory: Reebok uses â€Å"blank† jerseys during the off-season to meet immediate demand for [popular] player movements, using its Indianapolis capacity to print (dress) up to 10,000 units per day. Given a lead time for all jerseys from contract manufacturers of 30 days, these â€Å"blanks† must already be on hand as end-of-season inventory to catch any player movement value during February, March and April. The 30 day lead time along with the 60 sea-shipping means ordering CM â€Å"dressed† jerseys can be delayed as late as May to meet the August rush, assuming CM’s have the blanks on hand. (CM’s carry 4 weeks inventory of blanks. Figure 5-11). In reality, the sequence by which inventory is added or subtracted does not matter. Jump-start ordering: In January/February, retailers are offered discounts so that 20% of their annual order arrives 8-12 weeks later, in May. This is a key strategy that Reebok needs to continually employ because it shifts inventory holding costs to retailers. It also allows Reebok to place orders with CM’s given a known demand. Then, throughout the rest of the year, retailers place up-to-level orders on a weekly basis. However, â€Å"we cannot be sure of inventory levels at any other point within a period (because of random demand)† MSD pg. 290. Reebok’s Management Focus: It takes 4-8 weeks on average for the Reebok contract manufacturers to deliver the jerseys to the warehouses from the beginning to end. While this is happening, the demand is changing before the jerseys even reach the warehouse. Thus it is critical that Reebok provide flexible contracts with the distribution centers to get their orders fulfilled on time. Reebok must work with their contract manufacturers to always make sure they have the appropriate resources and materials to deliver the quantities needed, as well as continuously maintain some level of inventory ready for customization and super-fast delivery; even air transport is available. Reebok should also continue to give the option of early order discount jerseys so that the retail distribution centers can have their own inventory prior to the season.