The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Twenty-one

Can't sleep?† Jack looked up from where he was still sitting in his uncle's study. Thomas was standing in the doorway. â€Å"No,† he said. Thomas walked in. â€Å"Nor I.† Jack held out the bottle of brandy he'd taken from the shelf. There had not been a speck of dust on it, even though he was quite certain it had gone untouched since his uncle's death. Aunt Mary had always run a pristine household. â€Å"It's good,† Jack said. â€Å"I think my uncle was saving it.† He blinked, looking down at the label, then murmured, â€Å"Not for this, I imagine.† He motioned to a set of crystal snifters near the window, waiting with the bottle in hand as Thomas walked across the room and took one. When Thomas returned, he sat in the study's other wingback chair, setting his snifter down on the small, low table between them. Jack reached out and poured. Generously. Thomas took the brandy and drank, his eyes narrowing as he stared out the window. â€Å"It will be dawn soon.† Jack nodded. There were no hints of pink in the sky, but the pale silvery glow of morning had begun to permeate the air. â€Å"Has anyone awakened?† he asked. â€Å"Not that I've heard.† They sat in silence for several moments. Jack finished his drink and considered another. He picked up the bottle to pour, but as the first drops splashed down, he realized he didn't really want it. He looked up. â€Å"Do you ever feel as if you are on display?† Thomas's face remained impassive. â€Å"All the time.† â€Å"How do you bear it?† â€Å"I don't know anything else.† Jack placed his fingers to his forehead and rubbed. He had a blistering headache and no reason to suppose it might improve. â€Å"It's going to be hideous today.† Thomas nodded. Jack closed his eyes. It was easy to picture the scene. The dowager would insist upon reading the register first, and Crowland would be right over his shoulder, cackling away, ready to sell his daughter off to the highest bidder. His aunt would probably want to come, and Amelia, too – and who could blame her? She had as much at stake as anyone. The only person who would not be there was Grace. The only person he needed by his side. â€Å"It's going to be a bloody circus,† Jack muttered. â€Å"Indeed.† They sat there, doing nothing, and then they both looked up at precisely the same moment. Their eyes met, and Jack watched Thomas's face as his gaze slid over toward the window. Outside. â€Å"Shall we?† Jack asked, and he felt the first glimmerings of a smile. â€Å"Before anyone – â€Å" â€Å"Right now.† Because really, no one else had a place at this table. Thomas stood. â€Å"Lead the way.† Jack rose to his feet and headed out the door, Thomas right behind. And as they mounted their horses and took off, the air still heavy with night, it occurred to him – They were cousins. And for the first time, that felt like a good thing. Morning was well under way when they reached the Maguiresbridge church. Jack had been there several times before, visiting his mother's family, and the old gray stone felt comfortable and familiar. The building was small, and humble, and in his opinion, everything a church ought to be. â€Å"It does not look as if anyone is about,† Thomas said. If he was unimpressed by the plainness of the architecture, he did not indicate as much. â€Å"The register will likely be at the rectory,† Jack said. Thomas nodded, and they dismounted, tying their horses to a hitching post before making their way to the front of the rectory. They knocked several times before they heard footsteps moving toward them from within. The door opened, revealing a woman of middling years, clearly the housekeeper. â€Å"Good day, ma'am,† Jack said, offering her a polite bow. â€Å"I am Jack Audley, and this is – â€Å" â€Å"Thomas Cavendish,† Thomas cut in, nodding in greeting. Jack gave him a bit of a dry look at that, which the housekeeper would surely have noticed if she hadn't been so obviously irritated by their arrival. â€Å"We would like to see the parish register,† Jack said. She stared at them for a moment and a half and then jerked her head toward the rear. â€Å"It's in the back room,† she said. â€Å"The vicar's office.† â€Å"Er, is the vicar present?† Jack asked, although the last bit of the last word was covered by a grunt, brought on by Thomas's elbow pressing into his side. â€Å"No vicar just now,† the housekeeper said. â€Å"The position is vacant.† She walked over to a well-worn sofa in front of the fire and sat down. â€Å"We're supposed to get someone new soon. They send someone from Enniskillen every Sunday to deliver a sermon.† She then picked up a plate of toast and turned her back on them completely. Jack looked over at Thomas. Who he found was looking over at him. He supposed they were just meant to go in. So they did. The office was larger than Jack would have expected, given the tight quarters of the rest of the rectory. There were three windows, one on the north wall and then two on the west, flanking the fireplace. A small but tidy flame was burning; Jack walked over to warm his hands. â€Å"Do you know what a parish register looks like?† Thomas asked. Jack shrugged and shook his head. He stretched his fingers, then flexed his feet as best as he could within the confines of his boots. His muscles were growing tense and jumpy, and everytime he tried to hold still, he realized that his fingers were drumming a frantic tattoo on his leg. He wanted to jump out of his skin. He wanted to jump right out of his – â€Å"This may be it.† Jack turned. Thomas was holding a large book. It was bound in brown leather, and the cover showed signs of age. â€Å"Shall we?† Thomas asked. His voice was even, but Jack saw him swallow spasmodically. And his hands were trembling. â€Å"You can do it,† Jack said. He could not fake it this time. He could not stand there and pretend to read. Some things were simply too much to bear. Thomas stared at him in shock. â€Å"You don't want to look with me?† â€Å"I trust you.† It was true. Thomas could not think of a more inherently trustworthy person. Thomas would not lie. Not even about this. â€Å"No,† Thomas said, dismissing this entirely. â€Å"I won't do it without you.† For a moment Jack just stood there unmoving, and then, cursing under his breath, he went over to join Thomas at the desk. â€Å"You're too bloody noble,† Jack bit off. Thomas muttered something Jack could not quite make out and set the book down, opening it to one of the first pages. Jack looked down. It was a blur, all swirls and dips, dancing before his eyes. He swallowed, stealing a glance at Thomas to see if he'd seen anything. But Thomas was staring down at the register, his eyes moving quickly from left to right as he flipped through the pages. And then he slowed down. Jack clenched his teeth, trying to make it out. Sometimes he could tell the bigger letters, and frequently the numbers. It was just that they were so often not where he thought they should be, or not what he thought they should be. Ah, idiocy. It ought to have been familiar by now. But it never was. â€Å"Do you know what month your parents would have married in?† Thomas asked. â€Å"No.† But it was a small parish. How many weddings could there have been? Jack watched Thomas's fingers. They moved along the edge of the page, then slid around the edge. And flipped it. And stopped. Jack looked at Thomas. He was still. He'd closed his eyes. And it was clear. On his face. It was clear. â€Å"Dear God.† The words fell from Jack's lips like tears. It wasn't a surprise, and yet, he'd been hoping†¦praying†¦ That his parents hadn't married. Or the proof had been lost. That someone, anyone, had been wrong because this was wrong. It could not be happening. He could not do this. Just look at him now. He was standing there bloody well pretending to read the register. How in God's name did anyone think he could be a duke? Contracts? Oh, that would be fun. Rents? He'd better get a trustworthy steward, since it wasn't as if he could check to see if he was being cheated. And then – he choked back a horrified laugh – it was a damned good thing he could sign his documents with a seal. The Lord knew how long it would take to learn to sign his new name without looking as if he had to think about it. John Cavendish-Audley had taken months. Was it any wonder he'd been so eager to drop the Cavendish? Jack brought his face to his hands, closing his eyes tight. This could not be happening. He'd known it would happen, and yet, here he was, convinced it was an impossibility. He was going mad. He felt like he couldn't breathe. â€Å"Who is Philip?† Thomas asked. â€Å"What?† Jack practically snapped. â€Å"Philip Galbraith. He was a witness.† Jack looked up. And then down at the register. At the swirls and dips that apparently spelled out his uncle's name. â€Å"My mother's brother.† â€Å"Does he still live?† â€Å"I don't know. He did the last I knew. It has been five years.† Jack thought furiously. Why was Thomas asking? Would it mean anything if Philip was dead? The proof was still right there in the register. The register. Jack stared at it, his lips parted and slack. It was the enemy. That one little book. Grace had said she could not marry him if he was the Duke of Wyndham. Thomas had made no secret of the mountains of paperwork that lay ahead. If he was the Duke of Wyndham. But there was only that book. There was only that page. Just one page, and he could remain Jack Audley. All his problems would be solved. â€Å"Tear it out,† Jack whispered. â€Å"What did you say?† â€Å"Tear it out.† â€Å"Are you mad?† Jack shook his head. â€Å"You are the duke.† Thomas looked down at the register. â€Å"No,† he said softly, â€Å"I'm not.† â€Å"No.† Jack's voice grew urgent, and he grabbed Thomas by the shoulders. â€Å"You are what Wyndham needs. What everyone needs.† â€Å"Stop, you – â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me,† Jack implored. â€Å"You are born and bred to the job. I will ruin everything. Do you understand? I cannot do it. I cannot do it.† But Thomas just shook his head. â€Å"I may be bred to it, but you were born to it. And I cannot take what is yours.† â€Å"I don't want it!† Jack burst out. â€Å"It is not yours to accept or deny,† Thomas said, his voice numbingly calm. â€Å"Don't you understand? It is not a possession. It is who you are.† â€Å"Oh, for God's sake,† Jack swore. He raked his hands through his hair. He grabbed at it, pulled entire fistfuls until his scalp felt as if it were stretching off the bone. â€Å"I am giving it to you. On a bloody silver platter. You stay the duke, and I shall leave you alone. I'll be your scout in the Outer Hebrides. Anything. Just tear the page out.† â€Å"If you didn't want the title, why didn't you just say that your parents hadn't been married at the outset?† Thomas shot back. â€Å"I asked you if your parents were married. You could have said no.† â€Å"I didn't know that I was in line to inherit when you questioned my legitimacy.† Jack gulped. His throat tasted acrid and afraid. He stared at Thomas, trying to gauge his thoughts. How could he be so bloody upright and noble? Anyone else would have ripped that page to shreds. But no, not Thomas Cavendish. He would do what was right. Not what was best, but what was right. Bloody fool. Thomas was just standing there, staring at the register. And he – he was ready to climb the walls. His entire body was shaking, his heart pounding, and he – What was that noise? â€Å"Do you hear that?† Jack whispered urgently. Horses. â€Å"They're here,† Thomas said. Jack stopped breathing. Through the window he could see a carriage approaching. He was out of time. He looked at Thomas. Thomas was staring down at the register. â€Å"I can't do it,† he whispered. Jack didn't think. He just moved. He leapt past Thomas to the church register and tore. Thomas tackled him, trying to grab the paper away, but Jack slid out from his grasp, launching himself toward the fire. â€Å"Jack, no!† Thomas yelled, but Jack was too quick, and even as Thomas caught hold of his arm, Jack managed to hurl the paper into the fire. The fight drained from both of them in an instant, and they both stood transfixed, watching the paper curl and blacken. â€Å"God in heaven,† Thomas whispered. â€Å"What have you done?† Jack could not take his eyes off the fire. â€Å"I have saved us all.† Grace had not expected to be included in the journey to the Maguiresbridge church. No matter how closely involved she had become in the matter of the Wyndham inheritance, she was not a member of the family. She wasn't even a member of the household any longer. But when the dowager discovered that Jack and Thomas went to the church without her, she had – and Grace did not believe this an exaggeration – gone mad. It required but a minute for her to recover, but for those first sixty seconds it was a terrifying sight. Even Grace had never witnessed the like. And so when it was time to depart, Amelia had refused to leave without her. â€Å"Do not leave me alone with that woman,† she hissed in Grace's ear. â€Å"You won't be alone,† Grace tried to explain. Her father would be going, of course, and Jack's aunt had claimed a spot in the carriage as well. â€Å"Please, Grace,† Amelia begged. She did not know Jack's aunt, and she could not bear to sit next to her father. Not this morning. The dowager had pitched a fit, which was not unexpected, but her tantrum only made Amelia more firm. She grabbed hold of Grace's hand and nearly crushed her fingers. â€Å"Oh, do what you wish,† the dowager had snapped. â€Å"But if you are not in the carriage in three minutes, I shall leave without you.† Which was how it came to pass that Amelia, Grace, and Mary Audley were squeezed together on one side of the carriage, with the dowager and Lord Crowland on the other. The ride to Maguiresbridge had seemed interminably long. Amelia looked out her window, the dowager out hers, and Lord Crowland and Mary Audley did the same. Grace, squeezed in the middle facing backwards, could do nothing but stare at the spot midway between the dowager's and Lord Crowland's heads. Every ten minutes or so the dowager would turn to Mary and demand to know how much longer it would be until they reached their destination. Mary answered each query with admirable deference and patience, and then finally, to everyone's relief, she said, â€Å"We are here.† The dowager hopped down first, but Lord Crowland was close on her heels, practically dragging Amelia behind him. Mary Audley hurried out next, leaving Grace alone at the rear. She sighed. It seemed somehow fitting. By the time Grace reached the front of the rectory, the rest of them were already inside, pushing through the door to another room, where, she presumed, Jack and Thomas were, along with the all-important church register. An open-mouthed woman stood in the center of the front room, a cup of tea balanced precariously in her fingers. â€Å"Good day,† Grace said with a rushed smile, wondering if the others had even bothered to knock. â€Å"Where is it?† she heard the dowager demand, followed by the crash of a door slamming against a wall. â€Å"How dare you leave without me! Where is it? I demand to see the register!† Grace made it to the doorway, but it was still blocked by the others. She couldn't see in. And then she did the last thing she'd ever have expected of herself. She shoved. Hard. She loved him. She loved Jack. And whatever the day brought, she would be there. He would not be alone. She would not allow it. She stumbled inside just as the dowager was screaming, â€Å"What did you find?† Grace steadied herself and looked up. There he was. Jack. He looked awful. Haunted. Her lips formed his name, but she made no sound. She couldn't have. It was as if her voice had been yanked right out of her. She had never seen him thus. His color was wrong – too pale, or maybe too flushed – she couldn't quite tell. And his fingers were trembling. Couldn't anyone else see that? Grace turned to Thomas, because surely he would do something. Say something. But he was staring at Jack. Just like everyone else. No one was speaking. Why wasn't anyone speaking? â€Å"He is Wyndham,† Jack finally said. â€Å"As he should be.† Grace should have jumped for joy, but all she could think was – I don't believe him. He didn't look right. He didn't sound right. The dowager turned on Thomas. â€Å"Is this true?† Thomas did not speak. The dowager growled with frustration and grabbed his arm. â€Å"Is†¦it†¦true?† she demanded. Still, Thomas did not speak. â€Å"There is no record of a marriage,† Jack insisted. Grace wanted to cry. He was lying. It was so obvious†¦to her, to everyone. There was desperation in his voice, and fear, and – Dear God, was he doing this for her? Was he trying to forsake his birthright for her? â€Å"Thomas is the duke,† Jack said again, looking frantically from person to person. â€Å"Why aren't you listening? Why isn't anyone listening to me?† But there was only silence. And then: â€Å"He lies.† It was Thomas, in a voice that was low and even, and absolutely true. Grace let out a choked sob and turned away. She could not bear to watch. â€Å"No,† Jack said, â€Å"I'm telling you – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for God's sake,† Thomas snapped. â€Å"Do you think no one will find you out? There will be witnesses. Do you really think there won't be any witnesses to the wedding? For God's sake, you can't rewrite the past.† Grace closed her eyes. â€Å"Or burn it,† Thomas said ominously. â€Å"As the case may be.† Oh, Jack, she thought. What have you done? â€Å"He tore the page from the register,† Thomas said. â€Å"He threw it into the fire.† Grace opened her eyes, unable to not look at the hearth. There was no sign of paper. Nothing but black soot and ash under the steady orange flame. â€Å"It's yours,† Thomas said, turning to Jack. He looked him in the eye and then bowed. Jack looked sick. Thomas turned, facing the rest of the room. â€Å"I am – † He cleared his throat, and when he continued, his voice was even and proud. â€Å"I am Mr. Cavendish,† he said, â€Å"and I bid you all a good day.† And then he left. He brushed past them and walked right out the door. At first no one could speak. And then, in a moment that was almost grotesque, Lord Crowland turned to Jack and bowed. â€Å"Your grace,† he said. â€Å"No,† Jack said, shaking his head. He turned to the dowager. â€Å"Do not allow this. He will make a better duke.† â€Å"True enough,† Lord Crowland said, completely oblivious to Jack's distress. â€Å"But you'll learn.† And then – Jack couldn't help it – he started to laugh. From deep within him, his sense of the absurd rose to the fore, and he laughed. Because good God, if there was one thing he'd never be able to do, it was learn. Anything. â€Å"Oh, you have no idea,† he said. He looked at the dowager. His desperation was gone, replaced by something else – something bitter and fatalistic, something cynical and grim. â€Å"You have no idea what you've done,† he told her. â€Å"No idea at all.† â€Å"I have restored you to your proper place,† she said sharply. â€Å"As is my duty to my son.† Jack turned. He couldn't bring himself to look at her for one moment more. But there was Grace, standing near the doorway. She looked shocked, she looked scared. But when she looked at him, he saw his entire world, falling softly into place. She loved him. He didn't know how or why, but he was not enough of a fool to question it. And when her eyes met his, he saw hope. He saw the future, and it was shining like the sunrise. His entire life, he'd been running. From himself, from his faults. He'd been so desperate that no one should truly know him, that he'd denied himself the chance to find his place in the world. He smiled. He finally knew where he belonged. He had seen Grace when she entered the room, but she'd stood back, and he couldn't go to her, not when he'd been trying so hard to keep the dukedom in Thomas's hands, where it belonged. But it seemed he'd failed in that measure. He would not fail in this. â€Å"Grace,† he said, and went to her, taking both of her hands in his. â€Å"What the devil are you doing?† the dowager demanded. He dropped to one knee. â€Å"Marry me,† he said, squeezing her hands. â€Å"Be my bride, be my – † He laughed, a bubble of absurdity rising from within. â€Å"Be my duchess.† He smiled up at her. â€Å"It's a lot to ask, I know.† â€Å"Stop that,† the dowager hissed. â€Å"You can't marry her.† â€Å"Jack,† Grace whispered. Her lips were trembling, and he knew she was thinking about it. She was teetering. And he could bring her over the edge. â€Å"For once in your life,† he said fervently, â€Å"make yourself happy.† â€Å"Stop this!† Crowland blustered. He grabbed Jack under his arm and tried to haul him to his feet, but Jack would not budge. He would remain on one knee for eternity if that was what it took. â€Å"Marry me, Grace,† he whispered. â€Å"You will marry Amelia!† Crowland cut in. Jack did not take his eyes off Grace's face. â€Å"Marry me.† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said, and he could hear it in her voice that she thought she should make an excuse, should say something about his duty or her place. â€Å"Marry me,† he said again, before she could go on. â€Å"She is not acceptable,† the dowager said coldly. He brought Grace's hands to his lips. â€Å"I will marry no one else.† â€Å"She is not of your rank!† He turned and gave his grandmother an icy look. He felt rather ducal, actually. It was almost entertaining. â€Å"Do you wish for me to produce an heir? Ever?† The dowager's face pinched up like a fish. â€Å"I shall take that as a yes,† he announced. â€Å"Which means that Grace shall have to marry me.† He shrugged. â€Å"It's the only way, if I am to give Wyndham a legitimate heir.† Grace started to blink, and her mouth – the corners were moving. She was fighting herself, telling herself she should say no. But she loved him. He knew that she did, and he would not allow her to throw that away. â€Å"Grace – † He scowled, then laughed. â€Å"What the devil is your middle name, anyway?† â€Å"Catriona,† she whispered. â€Å"Grace Catriona Eversleigh,† he said, loud and sure, â€Å"I love you. I love you with every inch of my heart, and I swear right now, before all who are assembled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked around, catching sight of the rectory housekeeper, who was standing open-mouthed in the doorway. â€Å"†¦even – devil it,† he muttered, â€Å"what is your name?† â€Å"Mrs. Broadmouse,† she said, eyes wide. Jack cleared his throat. He was beginning to feel like himself. For the first time in days, he felt like himself. Maybe he was stuck with this bloody title, but with Grace at his side, he could find a way to do some good with it. â€Å"I swear to you,† he said, â€Å"before Mrs. Broadmouse – â€Å" â€Å"Stop this!† the dowager yelled, grabbing hold of his other arm. â€Å"Get on your feet!† Jack gazed up at Grace and smiled. â€Å"Was there ever a proposal so beleaguered?† She smiled back, even as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. â€Å"You are supposed to marry Amelia!† Lord Crowland growled. And then there was Amelia†¦poking her head around her father's shoulder. â€Å"I won't have him,† she announced, rather matter-of-fact. She caught Jack's eye and smiled. The dowager gasped. â€Å"You would refuse my grandson?† â€Å"This grandson,† Amelia clarified. Jack tore his eyes off Grace for just long enough to grin approvingly at Amelia. She grinned back, motioning with her head toward Grace, telling him in no uncertain terms to get back to the matter at hand. â€Å"Grace,† Jack said, rubbing her hands softly with his. â€Å"My knee is beginning to hurt.† She started to laugh. â€Å"Say yes, Grace,† Amelia said. â€Å"Listen to Amelia,† Jack said. â€Å"What the devil am I going to do with you?† Lord Crowland said. To Amelia, that was, not that she seemed to care. â€Å"I love you, Grace,† Jack said. She was grinning now. It seemed her whole body was grinning, as if she'd been enveloped in a happiness that would not let go. And then she said it. Right in front of everyone. â€Å"I love you, too.† He felt all the happiness in the world swirling into him, straight to his heart. â€Å"Grace Catriona Eversleigh,† he said again, â€Å"will you marry me?† â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. â€Å"Yes.† He stood. â€Å"I'm going to kiss her now,† he called out. And he did. Right in front of the dowager, in front of Amelia and her father, even in front of Mrs. Broadmouse. He kissed her. And then he kissed her some more. He was kissing her when the dowager departed in an angry huff, and he was kissing her when Lord Crowland dragged Amelia away, muttering something about delicate sensibilities. He kissed her, and he kissed her, and he would have kept kissing her except that he realized that Mrs. Broadmouse was still standing in the doorway, staring at them with a rather benign expression. Jack grinned at her. â€Å"A spot of privacy, if you don't mind?† She sighed and toddled away, but before she shut the door, they heard her say – â€Å"I do like a good love story.† Epilogue My dearest Amelia – Can it only have been three weeks since I last wrote? It feels as if I have gathered at least a year of news. The children continue to thrive. Arthur is so studious! Jack declares himself boggled, but his delight is evident. We visited the Happy Hare earlier this week to discuss plans for the village fair with Harry Gladdish, and Jack complained to no end about how difficult it has been to find a new tutor now that Arthur has exhausted the last. Harry was not fooled. Jack was proud as puff. We were delighted to – â€Å"Mama!† Grace looked up from her correspondence. Her third child (and only daughter) was standing in the doorway, looking much aggrieved. â€Å"What is it, Mary?† she asked. â€Å"John was – â€Å" â€Å"Just strolling by,† John said, sliding along the polished floor until he came to a stop next to Mary. â€Å"John!† Mary howled. John looked at Grace with utter innocence. â€Å"I barely touched her.† Grace fought the urge to close her eyes and groan. John was only ten, but already he possessed his father's lethal charm. â€Å"Mama,† Mary said. â€Å"I was walking to the conservatory when – â€Å" â€Å"What Mary means to say,† John cut in, â€Å"is that I was walking to the orangery when she bumped into me and – â€Å" â€Å"No!† Mary protested. â€Å"That is not what I meant to say.† She turned to her mother in obvious distress. â€Å"Mama!† â€Å"John, let your sister finish,† Grace said, almost automatically. It was a sentence she uttered several times a day. John smiled at her. Meltingly. Good gracious, Grace thought, it would not be long before she'd be beating the girls away with a stick. â€Å"Mother,† he said, in exactly the same tone Jack used when he was trying to charm his way out of a tight spot, â€Å"I would not dream of interrupting her.† â€Å"You just did!† Mary retorted. John held up his hands, as if to say – Poor dear. Grace turned to Mary with what she hoped was visible compassion. â€Å"You were saying, Mary?† â€Å"He smashed an orange into my sheet music!† Grace turned to her son. â€Å"John, is this – â€Å" â€Å"No,† he said quickly. Grace gave him a dubious stare. It did not escape her that she had not finished her question before he answered. She supposed she ought not read too much into it. John, is this true? was another of the sentences she seemed to spend a great deal of time repeating. â€Å"Mother,† he said, his green eyes profoundly solemn, â€Å"upon my honor I swear to you that I did not smash an orange – â€Å" â€Å"You lie,† Mary seethed. â€Å"She crushed the orange.† â€Å"After you put it under my foot!† And then came a new voice: â€Å"Grace!† Grace smiled with delight. Jack could now sort the children out. â€Å"Grace,† he said, turning sideways so that he might slip by them and into the room. â€Å"I need you to – â€Å" â€Å"Jack!† she cut in. He looked at her, and then behind him. â€Å"What did I do?† She motioned to the children. â€Å"Did you not notice them?† He quirked a smile – the very same one his son had tried to use on her a few moments earlier. â€Å"Of course I noticed them,† he said. â€Å"Did you not notice me stepping around them?† He turned to the children. â€Å"Haven't we taught you that it is rude to block the doorway?† It was a good thing she hadn't been to the orangery herself, Grace thought, because she would have peened him with one. As it was, she was beginning to think she ought to keep a store of small, round, easily throwable objects in her desk drawer. â€Å"Jack,† she said, with what she thought was amazing patience, â€Å"would you be so kind as to settle their dispute?† He shrugged. â€Å"They'll work it out.† â€Å"Jack,† she sighed. â€Å"It's not your fault you had no siblings,† he told her. â€Å"You have no experience in intrafamilial squabbles. Trust me, it all works out in the end. I predict we shall manage to get all four to adulthood with at least fifteen of their major limbs intact.† Grace leveled a stare. â€Å"You, on the other hand, are in supreme danger of – â€Å" â€Å"Children!† Jack cut in. â€Å"Listen to your mother.† â€Å"She didn't say anything,† John pointed out. â€Å"Right,† Jack said. He frowned for a moment. â€Å"John, leave your sister alone. Mary, next time don't step on the orange.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"I'm done here,† he announced. And amazingly, they went on their way. â€Å"That wasn't too difficult,† he said. He stepped into the room. â€Å"I have some papers for you.† Grace immediately set aside her correspondence and took the documents he held forth. â€Å"They arrived this afternoon from my solicitor,† Jack explained. She read the first paragraph. â€Å"About the Ennigsly building in Lincoln?† â€Å"That's what I was expecting,† he confirmed. She nodded and then gave the document a thorough perusal. After a dozen years of marriage, they had fallen into an easy routine. Jack conducted all of his business affairs face-to-face, and when correspondence arrived, Grace was his reader. It was almost amusing. It had taken Jack a year or so to find his footing, but he'd turned into a marvelous steward of the dukedom. His mind was razor sharp, and his judgment was such that Grace could not believe he'd not been trained in land management. The tenants adored him, the servants worshipped him (especially once the dowager was banished to the far side of the estate), and London society had positively fallen at his feet. It had helped, of course, that Thomas made it clear that he believed Jack was the rightful Duke of Wyndham, but still, Grace did not think herself biased to believe that Jack's charm and wit had something to do with it as well. The only thing it seemed he could not do was read. When he first told her, she had not believed him. Oh, she believed that he believed it. But surely he'd had poor teachers. Surely there had been some gross negligence on someone's part. A man of Jack's intelligence and education did not reach adulthood illiterate. And so she'd sat with him. Tried her best. And he put up with it. In retrospect, she couldn't believe that he had not exploded with frustration. It was, perhaps, the oddest imaginable show of love – he'd let her try, again and again, to teach him to read. With a smile on his face, even. But in the end she'd given up. She still did not understand what he meant when he told her the letters â€Å"danced,† but she believed him when he insisted that all he ever got from a printed page was a headache. â€Å"Everything is in order,† she said now, handing the documents back to Jack. He had discussed the matter with her the week prior, after all of the decisions had been made. He always did that. So that she would know precisely what she was looking for. â€Å"Are you writing to Amelia?† he asked. She nodded. â€Å"I can't decide if I should tell her about John's escapade in the church belfry.† â€Å"Oh, do. They shall get a good laugh.† â€Å"But it makes him seem such a ruffian.† â€Å"He is a ruffian.† She felt herself deflate. â€Å"I know. But he's sweet.† Jack chuckled and kissed her, once, on the forehead. â€Å"He's just like me.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"You needn't sound so despairing.† He smiled then, that unbelievably devilish thing of his. It still got her, every time, just the way he wanted it to. â€Å"Look how nicely I turned out,† he added. â€Å"Just so you understand,† she told him, â€Å"if he takes to robbing coaches, I shall expire on the spot.† Jack laughed at that. â€Å"Give my regards to Amelia.† Grace was about to say I shall, but he was already gone. She picked up her pen and dipped it in ink, pausing briefly so she might recall what she'd been writing. We were delighted to see Thomas on his visit. He made his annual pilgrimage to the dowager, who, I am sad to report, has not grown any less severe in her old age. She is as healthy as can be – it is my suspicion that she shall outlive us all. Grace shook her head. She made the half-mile journey to the dower house but once a month. Jack had said she needn't do even that, but she still felt an odd loyalty toward the dowager. Not to mention a fierce devotion and sympathy for the woman they'd hired to replace her as the dowager's companion. No servant had ever been so well-paid. Already the woman earned (at Grace's insistence) double what she herself had been paid. Plus, they promised her a cottage when the dowager finally expired. The very same one Thomas had given to her so many years earlier. Grace smiled to herself and continued writing, telling Amelia this and that – all those funny little anecdotes mothers loved to share. Mary looked like a squirrel with her front tooth missing. And little Oliver, only eighteen months old, had skipped crawling entirely, going straight from the oddest belly-scoot to full-fledged running. Already they'd lost him twice in the hedgerow maze. I do miss you, dear Amelia. You must promise to visit this summer. You know how marvelous Lincolnshire is when all the flowers are in bloom. And of course – â€Å"Grace?† It was Jack, suddenly back in her doorway. â€Å"I missed you,† he explained. â€Å"In the last five minutes?† He stepped inside, closed the door. â€Å"It doesn't take long.† â€Å"You are incorrigible.† But she set down her pen. â€Å"It does seem to serve me well,† he murmured, stepping around the desk. He took her hand and tugged her gently to her feet. â€Å"And you, too.† Grace fought the urge to groan. Only Jack would say such a thing. Only Jack would – She let out a yelp as his lips – Well, suffice to say, only Jack would do that. Oh. And that. She melted into him. And absolutely that†¦

Busy Bee v. Simon et al.

What steps should Gabrielle take in these circumstances to make the loan and also minimize the risk of loss to Busy Bee? What advice would you give Simon with respect to this franchise opportunity? Simon was recommended by his father to arrange financing through a company named the Busy Bee Trust Company In order to pay for the franchise opportunity. Two possibilities may occur If the loan Is Issued and the business Is established. The hot dog stand may turn out to be a huge success enabling Simon to fulfill all of his obligations towards Busy Bee.In contrast, Simony's franchise business may not turn out to be as profitable as expected, resulting In Simon not being able to pay off the loan Issued by Gabrielle. Chances are that If the franchise opportunity does not turn out to be successful, Simon will not have enough assets on hand to pay off the loan. As mentioned in the case, Gabrielle is leaning towards providing the loan: however, she should only issue it if the risk to Busy Bee is minimized. Listed below are a few steps that Gabrielle can take in these circumstances to minimize the risk of loss toBusy Bee: Gabrielle could issue a collateral loan for $20 000. A collateral loan is when something is put up as a security by the borrower which can be sold or repossessed in the event of a default. A chattel mortgage works in the same manner; except a chattel is personal property. There needs to be some form of security in order for Gabrielle to minimize the risk of the loan. The purpose of the collateral loan would be to reduce the risk for Busy Bee, since they would be able to get something of value in case a default occurred.In this case, Simon could offer any collateral of his choice including his car. This would enable Busy Bee to have the right to take ownership of the car or sell it if the loan is not fulfilled by Simon. It is very important to get the assurance from Simon that he will be securing one of his assets or money to minimize the risk to the loan . Gabrielle could also tell Simon that the loan will be Issued only if he signs a guarantee contract. â€Å"A guarantee is a promise to perform the obligation of another person if that person defaults. † By unshakable named the Busy Bee Trust Company in order to pay for the franchise opportunity. Two possibilities may occur if the loan is issued and the business is established. The out to be as profitable as expected, resulting in Simon not being able to pay off the loan issued by Gabrielle. Chances are that if the franchise opportunity does not turn As mentioned in the case, Gabrielle is leaning towards providing the loan; however, issued only if he signs a guarantee contract.

Enzymes and Temperature

Zaquia Austin Enzymes and Temperature Laboratory #6 3/13/2013 Purpose (Objectives): The purpose of this experiment was for students to be able to understand the enzyme-facilitated reaction and explain how enzyme activity can be affected by environment conditions. Abstract: This experiment mainly delt with enzymes and the reaction that enzymes have with different solutions in various temperatures. Three different exercises were done. The first exercise had to do with enzymes and temperature. During this exercise three different test tubes were used for three different temperates. The first test tube which involved 0 ?C water bath had a total conversion of starch to sugar in the first 15 minutes, and the second test tube which involved 37? C water bath had a total conversion of starch to sugar after the first five minutes. While the third test tube took a little longer. The second exercise had to do with enzymes and substrate concentration. This exercise took longer for the all of the starch to be removed from the test tubes, and it involved 37? C water bath for all five test tubes. The last exercise had to do with enzymes and pH. This exercise involved four test tubes all put into a water bath of 37? C.The fourth test tube had a total conversion of starch to sugar in the first five minutes while the other three took a little longer to convert. Experiment & Observation: First the water baths and the 1% Alpha-amylase was prepared. Three different water baths were prepared. One being set at 0? C, the next being set at 37? C and the last one being set at 100? C. Next a 96-well microplate was marked with times and numbers based on the test tubes number. Then using a pipet one drop of iodine was placed into each well (1,2,3) up to total of 30 minutes. Then the test tubes were marked 1cm and 6cm from the bottom.Afterward, 1cm of alpha-amylase was pipetted into each test tube. Then, test tube 1 was incubated at 0? C, test tube 2 was incubated at 37? C, and test tube 3 w as incubated at 100? C for five minutes. After that 1% starch solution was added to the 6cm mark. Next it was put back into its assigned water bath for another 5 minutes. Then two drops of solution was put into its corresponding number on the microplate in the 5 minute row. The color was immediately recorded. The steps were repeated for a interval of 30 minutes or until each well had an amber color in it.Test tube 3 did not change within the 30 minute interval so it was placed into the 37? C water bath for another 30 minutes. Then one drop of solution and one drop of iodine was added into the well. There was still no color change, so another 1cm of alpha-amylase was added to it and was incubated for another 30 minutes, the color became amber. Table 1. Effect of Temperature on Amylase Enzyme Conversion of Starch to Sugar |Time/Minutes |Test Tube 1 / 0? C |Test Tube 2 / 37? C |Test Tube 3 / 100?C | |5 |+ |- |++ | |10 |+ | |++ | |15 |- | |++ | |20 | | |++ | |25 | | |++ | |30 | | |++ | | | | | | |60 | | |++ | | | | | | |90 | | |- | The color of iodine that indicated that starch was still present in the test tube was the Black/ Blue-Black color. The color that indicated that the starch was gone was the Amber color. Amylase breaks up the starch which makes it disappear, it does not react with iodine anymore. The variable in this experiment can be an independent variable. The change in the experiment is the starch to sugar. The temperature that is optimal is 37? C.The temperature that facilitated first was the 37? C, then it was 0? C. No 37? C was chosen as the mid-range temperature because that degrees in Fahrenheit is 98. 6? F. It was important to immediately observe the color because after a while it changes colors again. If you would have just added the iodine in test tubes that would have ruined the entire experiment because there wouldn't be anything to test if it didn't work the first time. Once the test tube was incubated at 37? c nothing happen. The starch d id not disappear, maybe because there wasn't enough amylase. After 1cm of alpha-amylase was added and incubated at 37? C the starch eventually disappeared.This probably didn't happen the first time because the more amylase there is the better chance of it breaking up the starch. [pic] My initial hypothesis was that the more starch solution there is the longer it will take for it to break down amylase. My hypothesis was actually supported, there was more starch then amylase, when there needed to be more amylase then starch. I learned that amylase breaks up starch, and that its an digestive enzyme. Exercise 2: First a water bath was set at 37? C. Then the microplate was label this time five test tubes were used. One drop of iodine was placed into each well (1,2,3,4,5) up to 30 minutes. Then 1/2cm was marked from the bottom of the test tube. Next for each tube an additional cm was added.For test tube one 2cm above the bottom, test tube two 3cm above the bottom, test tube three 4cm abov e the bottom, test tube four 5cm above the bottom, test tube five 6cm above the bottom. Then 1/2 alpha-amylase was added to the 1/2 cm mark on the test tube. Afterwards the test tubes were placed into the water bath for five minutes. Next 1% starch solution was added to the next cm mark on the test tubes. The test tubes were put back into the water bath for another five minutes. Then two drops of the solution was added to each of the corresponding wells. This was done for all five test tubes. Immediately record the colors. The steps were completed for an interval of 30 minutes.The tubes that had not changed color within the 30 minute interval was put back into the water bath for another 30 minutes. Two drops of solution and one drop of iodine was put into the well and the amber color was recorded. Table 2: The Effect of Concentration on Amylase Enzyme Conversion of Starch to Sugar |Time/Minutes |Tube 1 |Tube 2 |Tube 3 |Tube 4 |Tube 5 | |Concentration of Amylase: |0. 5cm/2cm |0. 5cm/ 3cm |0. 5cm/4cm |0. 5cm/5cm |0. 5cm/6cm | |Per test tube |25% |17% |12. % |10% |8% | |5 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |10 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |15 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |20 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |25 |++ |- |++ |- |++ | |30 |++ | |++ | |++ | | | | |++ | |++ | |60 |++ | |- | |- | The variable in this exercise the substrate concentrations. Test tube 3 This experiment could be improved if each test tube had its own water bath.My hypothesis was that test tube five would convert to sugar first. The reason I hypothesized this was because test tube five had the most starch. In this exercise I learned that enzymes can be used over and over again to facilitate the conversion of substances before they are denatured. Some practical applications can be Food and Beverages D. Another way this experiment could be done is by using different temperatures of water baths. Exercise 3: First a water bath was set at 37? C. The microplate was labeled, this time only four test tubes were used. Each test tube was m arked 1cm, 2cm, and 4cm from the bottom. Next one drop of iodine was added to the weel (1,2,3,4) and u to a 30 minute interval.Then a different pH buffer was added to each test tube at the 1cm mark. For test tube one pH 3. 5 buffer was added, for test tube two pH 5 buffer was added, for test tube three pH 6. 8 was added, and for test tube four pH 11. 5 was added. Afterwards, 2cm of alpha-amylase was added. Then the test tubes was placed into the water bath to be incubated. After five minutes starch solution was added to the remaining 4cm mark, then placed back into the water bath. After five minutes two drops of solution was put into each corresponding well. Immediately record color. The steps were completed for an interval of 30 minutes. The fourth test tube showed color immediately, but the other three test tubes did not.Table 3: The Effect of pH on Amylase Enzyme Conversion of Starch to Sugar |Time/ Minute |Test Tube 1 |Test Tube 2 |Test Tube 3 |Test Tube 4 | |pH |3. 5 |5. 0 |6. 8 |11. 5 | |5 |++ |++ |++ |- | |10 |++ |++ |++ | | |15 |++ |++ |++ | | |20 |++ ++ |++ | | |25 |++ |++ |++ | | |30 |++ |+ |+ | | | | | | | | |60 |+ |+ |+ | | The variable in this exercise is the pH. Only the fourth test tube converted starch to sugar, I think this happend because it had an higher amount of buffer. Yes the first three test tube did not exhibit a change in color.. There pH was much lower then the last one. I hypothesized that the test tube with the pH buffer would convert to sugar first. My hypothesis was refute. Conclusion: Temperature, and the times of incubation.You can get different substrates if you change the incubation times. In this laboratory I learned how to recognize enzyme-facilitate reactions, and how to tell when starch is converted into sugar. Some practical applications could be yeast, detergent, leather and bioethanol. Discussion/Error Analysis/Conclusion: The first part of this laboratory was based upon testing the alpha-amylase enzyme activity on sta rch under three temperature environments, 0? C, 37? C, and 100? C. The next part was to demonstrate the effects of substrate concentration on enzyme reactivity. The last exercise was based upon testing how alpha-amylase functions at four different pH levels (3. ,5,6. 8, and 11. 5). A few errors that occurred was one, the changing of the water bath temperatures. If the bath stayed at a constant temperature then it probably would have made a difference to some of the tubes. Another laboratory error could have been that there were only a select few of pipets. If there were pipets for each exercise that could have made a difference even though the pipets were cleaned after each experiment, it still would have made a different if it was a clean dry pipet. Another laboratory error could have been the incubating times. These errors could be minimized in the future if there were a few arrangements before hand.

The Impact of Unemployment on the Economy Term Paper

The Impact of Unemployment on the Economy - Term Paper Example The success of a business relies on not only the own particular market and its own decisions but also the macroeconomic environment it operates within. The macroeconomic environment has a direct effect on the profitability and success of a business. This paper aims at dealing with one of the essential aspects of the macroeconomic environment of business, i.e. unemployment. This paper will deal with unemployment in detail and will include aspects like the meaning of unemployment, and the costs of unemployment. Also, a focus will be on the labor markets and unemployment. The study will also touch upon the two main types of unemployment, i.e. Disequilibrium unemployment and Equilibrium unemployment. Here an attempt will be made to explain the two types of unemployment and the various subcategories of these will also be touched upon. However, before moving on, it is essential to understand the meaning of a few terms like labor force, number unemployed, unemployment rate, and unemployment . Claimant Unemployment: This refers to the people who receive unemployment-related benefits (Sloman and Sutcliffe). This mainly measures all those who receive the unemployment-related benefits and claim the benefits to cover their expenses until they have a job. Standardized Unemployment Rate: This is an unemployment rate that is used by the International Labor Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (Sloman and Sutcliffe). Here unemployed refers to people of the working age and who are without work. b) Costs of unemployment: Unemployment leads to numerous costs and these costs do not only influence the person unemployed but others as well. There are three main costs that are involved with unemployment are as follows: i) The first and most obvious costs involved are that incurred by the unemployed themselves.

Virgils Aeneid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virgils Aeneid - Essay Example Believed to have been written circa 20 BC, this rhapsody illustrates the virtues of piety and duty on part of the hero. The grand scale and difficulty of the adventure of Aeneas provides several moments of examination of his virtuous qualities. In his mission to find the prophesied place where he is to build a new Troy, he is accompanied by his father, his baby son Iulus and a group of loyal companions. One could liken the sense of duty of Aeneus to that of Augustus. This is particularly true with respect to the filial piety shown by Aeneas, as illustrated by â€Å"his care for and deference towards his aged father Anchises.† (Whitehorne, 2005, p.1) The epitome of Aeneas’ sense of duty is the scene where he leaves the destroyed city of Troy by carrying his father on his back. After his father’s death, Aeneas will pray to the Gods to invoke divine honors for the deceased soul – an act reminiscent of Octavia appeasing the departed soul of his father Julius C aesar after the completion of the civil war. Aeneas’ sense of duty is also witnesses in his relationship toward his son Julus. For example, during the funeral games for Anchises, Aeneas leads the boys’ equestrian event in the first celebration of the Lusus Troiae, the Game of Troy. The death of his father is a crucial event in the moral development of Aeneas, whose sense of responsibility and resoluteness in accomplishing his objectives increases after the event. His sense of piety and duty thus undergoes a transformation for the good. For example, during the later half of the poem, we witness how Aeneas is brave and willing â€Å"to put duty before his own feelings, however great the cost personally as when he obeys the gods and leaves Dido† (Whitehorne, 2005, p.1). The view that Aeneid is a political poem is given credence by the details of his life and adventure. For example, Aeneid illustrates Aeneas’ ability as a politician and â€Å"a maker of alli ances as well as his personal valor (and vengeful ruthlessness) which we see come to the fore in the second half of the Aeneid. There is his foundation of cities and his scrupulous observance of religious rituals.† (Whitehorne, 2005, p1) Since in Ancient Rome, the message and moral content of classic literary works were respected by the ruling elite, the subject was used as a vehicle for politics and propaganda. For example, â€Å"The subject furnished political advantages. The legend unfolded in the Aeneid provided justification for Rome’s complex relationship with the Hellenic world, which involved military and political domination coupled with a certain cultural dependency. Representing Rome as a resurgence of a Troy destroyed by the Greeks gave the Roman conquest of Greece the coloring of legitimate revenge. Virgil did not miss the opportunity to put into the mouth of Jupiter, in a lengthy prophecy addressed to Venus, a proclamation that Rome would destroy the most renowned cities of Greece, which were responsible for the fall of Troy† (Brisson, 1989, p.22) Moreover, the view that the Aeneid has propagandist elements in it is learnt from how its author, Virgil, panders and praises Augustus, the then emperor of Rome. In his book Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos, author Robert Kaplan criticizes Virgil for his assumed role as an Augustan panegyrist. But this characterization of the author and his work is contested as it overlooks centuries of critical comment on Virgil’s works, questioning his â€Å"role as a state-sponsored propagandist†. (Harper, 2008, p.117) To narrow down Virgil to a mere propagandist and to equate his work to hyperbole

Juvenile Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Juvenile Justice System - Essay Example The most important facet of all this is the "best interest of the child" theory that guided the courts lingers in the purpose clauses of juvenile codes throughout the world.4 However, it seems to have failed to address the concerns raised by victims or communities about the juvenile justice system. The therapeutic intervention and punishment models of justice also appear to be incomplete. If these two models coexist in a jurisdiction, they are in constant conflict. However, if either one of these exists by itself, it fails to serve all stakeholders in the system. There are further studies according to the framers of the code that is the balanced consideration of community protection, offender accountability and competency development. This could bring clarity and reason to juvenile system issues. Through this comprehensive philosophy it will deal with every aspect of delinquency, punishment, treatment and prevention. With the concept of these three principles, if fully implemented, it could create a juvenile system that truly operates in the best interest of the child and the community.5 In all the instances when a dual or multi-diagnosis of several problems result, experts recommend that sources of treatment if not available at the moment, should be developed and reflect the developmental needs of juveniles in conflict with the law and are not merely replications of service delivery systems originally designed for adults. According to the recommendations of specialists, useful interventions for juveniles must ensure a close match between risk of re-offending, nature, level, duration of intervention. They must employ practitioners whose teaching approaches correspond to the learning capacities of children and use material tailored for a certain juvenile. It must be community-based and closely connected to the youth's home environment than like an institution. A drawn range of methods must be developed to cover anger management, social skills training and problem solving.6 Furthermore, many practitioners suggest that a continuum of care and a set of protocols must be established to determine who will provide services to the youth. There must be a case manager whose selection will be based

Food District Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food District - Essay Example ries where its existence is very high and will be the central theme of discussion in the paper. Hawker centers in Singapore- Cost effective yet satisfying Hawker Centres are an outdoor version of food courts and the difference between two of them is that food courts are not air conditioned and the prices of the food in the hawker center is lower than the price of the foods in the food courts. But they both maintain standard hygienic rules and non smoking ban rule. The hawker center of Singapore offers multi ethnic cooking at its best. Whether it is a dish of noodles which costs around $ 3 or $ 20 for a three course meal of barbequed fish, chilli prawns and fried rice with vegetables the price is much lower than the restaurant. Apart from the cost effective food the atmosphere of the hawker provides a great reminder of city with its food crazy ambience. The celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain who stated about the street foods that, â€Å"I love the hawker centers. The whole style of casu al eating here is sensational†(Local food and drinks in Singapore, 2012). Exploration into the Singapore hawker centers The system of ordering the meal in the hawker centers is unique. If the persons ordering be in a group then one person has to sit at a table to chope which means reserving seats for the party. It is also a fact that anybody might not get surprised if they see seats covered with bags or pockets of tissue paper placed on them. The sign indicates that the seats have been already reserved. The persons who notice the table numbers must be ordering their food and shall tell the stall owner the table number in which they will be seated. If a person is single then he or she can share a table with the strangers. One of the most popular hawker food centers in Singapore is China Town Food Street. The stalls in this area offer a wide array of Chinese favorites ranging from wonton noodles to that of roasted meals. The basement of area is highly famous for producing a mark et which is highly worth exploring. The area also includes live fish, poultry as well as all manners of Asian vegetables. One of the busiest stalls in the area is Xian restaurant. The stall is known for its magnificent mutton kebab cooked in Xi’an style with cumin and chilli powder. I have personally interviewed the customers of the place about the food and the consulted with the hawkers. The interview with the customers state that the flat cut noodles are so so. Interviews also reveal that the noodles are exceptionally long and are highly difficult in handling. Some people say that the roast rack of lambs is disappointing and the stir fried potatoes with green chillies are good but they are not exceptional. From the overall estimations of the interview process with the customers’ state that the place is famous for its honest cooking and the special mutton kebabs is the most unique extravaganza. The hawkers here are trying heart out in satisfying the taste

Strategy Implementation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategy Implementation - Term Paper Example In centralized organizational structure, the authority for decision making is determined at the top, and a few people being responsible for making decisions and creating organization’s policies. Decentralized organization structure means that every level of management throughout the organization is given authority to decision and policy making. Lines of authority have limits and powers, that is, separate, different levels of an organization structure. These lines define different groups of people such as the manager, human resource team, and chief engineers. Lines of communication are the path one follows to convey given information from one level of an organization to the other until the top level is reached (Pryor, et al, 2009). This helps make efficiency of performance increase among the workers as they are free to convey their issues to the top groups with ease. According to Pryor et al. (2009), committees are the most formal of these types of work group, appointed or sele cted to perform a function on behalf of a larger group. They must be headed by a committee chair and are composed of individuals representing different points of view e.g. junior or senior faculty. A team is a group of people with complementary skills organized to function cooperatively as a group. They change the culture of an organization from one tradition to a focused level so that to forefront change. Task forces are work groups comprising experts, in specified areas of knowledge, and skills to accomplish an objective. Systems The company budget is set annually based on the previous year expenditure with considerations for expected maintenance, acquisition of new airliners and staff training, promotions and the projected cost of operation. The company’s strategic plan, e.g., expected expansion, diversification, insurance costs and cooperate responsibility, is factored. As stated by Bower (1966), planning is the process of developing and maintaining a project plan that pr ovides supporting details to the project definition in terms of resources, time, cost, scope, and schedule. In the airline company, the plan provides the framework that will ensure that the project results are achieved within defined performance objectives of time, cost, quality, and slope. The planning is both at an individual and collective levels and involves five phases: first, the purpose and principles definition, where the question why is answered and the boundaries sets and focus toward completion done. Secondly, the expected outcome is visualized. Thirdly, idea generation that is brainstorming for moving project to completion. Fourthly the suggested and brainstormed ideas are organized to set the sequence and priorities. Lastly the next course of action is identified. The performance evaluation measures in the airlines involve the use of annual net income, market value per share, quality of strategic and business plans, customer satisfaction and the skills of the employees. The team is evaluated based on; attendance and constructive participation in team meetings, contribution to a group effort independent of team meetings, ability to work as a team, and overall contribution (Bower, 1966). People According to Bower (1966), employees in an airline must possess skills that help them deliver the expectations of the organization. They include skills in catering, maintenance, machines operations, human resource and many others. They are the skills gained by employees in their various

DiscussionThe Traveling Salesman Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DiscussionThe Traveling Salesman Problem - Essay Example In particular, the paper discusses how a business manager can effectively deliver a specific food product to major hotels located in the five cities. Transport problems, in business management, are considered as networks. A network, according to Shenoy et al (1989), is a set of nodes and arcs, where nodes are destinations and arcs are routes followed. In the problem, nodes are the cities, while arcs are the routes linking the cities. Apart from the nodes and arcs, a business manager considers capacity of a route, maximum flow of an entire system, and activity times in each path or route. In solving delivery problems, business managers use Critical Path Method (CPM) and Project Evaluation Review Technique (PERT). CPM uses the concept of critical activity and critical path in solving transport problems. A critical activity, in a network, is an activity whose time of start affects completion time of the entire project. In delivery problems, critical activities include loading and offloading, fueling and servicing, and drivers’ exchange times. In the delivery problem, critical activities also include time taken by a driver and /or a turn-boy to have breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper. All these activities determine how fast or slow delivery to hotels in the five cities will be. Therefore, in CPM, a manager identifies points with these activities and organizes them such that minimum time and cost is spent in one complete flow of the food product (Shenoy et al., 1989). In PERT, direction of a flow is not fixed and is thus, considered as random variable. A probabilistic model is, therefore, used to identify a route with the shortest flow time. PERT considers activity time (t0), optimistic time (a), pessimistic time (b), and most likely time (m). Activity time measures duration of an activity, while optimistic time is the shortest possible time an activity can take. Pessimistic time is the longest possible time an activity

Critical Analysis of the Use of Fate Imagery in The Tale of Kieu Essay

Critical Analysis of the Use of Fate Imagery in The Tale of Kieu - Essay Example In most cases, abstract imagery bears imposed characteristic. Fate imagery is one of the abstract imageries that have been traditionally used in literature all over the world from the very beginning of human civilization. In Nguyen Du’s â€Å"The Tale of Kieu† fate imagery plays a very crucial role in the development of the theme of the poem. I say this because in â€Å"the Tale of Kieu† fate has been portrayed as a villain that inflicts pains, sufferings and miseries upon the protagonist, Kieu. Indeed it is fate that takes a test of Kieu’s virtues and psychological strength. To a great extent, fate appears as a scapegoat which, in a number of ways, serves as the replacement of the oppressive patriarchy. Very often Kieu tends to blame her fate for the pains and sufferings in her life. In a male dominated society she is conventionally accustomed to accept the male hegemony as it is. Though her sufferings are mainly induced by her male counterparts, she fail s to acknowledge them as the root cause of her sufferings. She accuses fate of causing sufferings to women, while ignoring the inferior position women subjugated by men: â€Å"Since ages out of mind, / harsh fate has cursed all women, sparing none. / As I see her lie there, it hurts to think / what will become of me in later days.† (Line 106-110) Kieu believes that women are cursed by fate for ages. She is fully aware of the legacy of the social injustice that women have had to face. She knows that she is also destined to face the same fate: â€Å"As I see her lie there, it hurts to think / what will become of me in later days† (Line 109110). Indeed Kieu’s view of â€Å"cursed womanhood† is the reflection of what Confucian patriarchy teaches them to think of themselves. In Confucian women are viewed as some existence that is both physically and mentally fragile and frail. They are beautiful but weak. Therefore they should be under tutelage of their male g uardians such father, brother or husband. They should go against the decision of their male guardians. A girl needs the guardianship more than a boy does, because she is fated to be such. For Kieu, fate is somewhat that equals to God to a great extent. In some cases fate seems to be God’s decision. She believes that either fate or God is responsible for cursed womanhood. When Dam Tien’s lover mourns at her deathbed saying, â€Å"Harsh is the fate that has kept us apart! / Since in this life we are not meant to meet, / let me pledge you my troth for our next life† (Line 74-76), he essentially refers to heavenly decision. Indeed fate’s association with God’s decision is evident in the following lines in which she directly accuses God of being cruel: â€Å"How sorrowful is women's lot! -she cried / We all partake of woe, our common fate. / Creator, why are you so mean and cruel / blighting green days and fading rose-fresh cheeks?† (Line 82-5) I n these lines, â€Å"Creator† or God is directly held responsible for â€Å"women’s sorrowful lot†. Kieu considers God’s decision as women’s â€Å"common fate†. She believes that god is responsible for â€Å"fading rose-fresh cheeks†. Indeed the frequent of fate imagery in â€Å"the Tale of Kieu†, contributes a lot to the portrayal of the faith of Confucian society

Zakaria Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zakaria Reading - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the government purports that the economy is improving, it is evident that the US economy is rapidly losing the preeminent position it held for the last decades. By taking into consideration nearly all measures of economic and financial wellbeing, it is evident that the US economy is rapidly declining comparable to other economies such as China. Although the international community still regards the US as a country holding a preeminent position in terms of economic and political factors, an in-depth examination of the country’s economic situation provides a contrary view.This paper discusses that  the US economy is muddled by great debt, which is adversely impacting its economic situation. Comparable to China, the US has massive quantities of public debt. As a percentage of its GDP, the US has public debt of 73.0% and gross government debt as a percentile of its GDP stands at 102.94%. Both of these figures are extremely high for a count ry deemed to be the most economically successful country in the world. The figures essentially speak to the country’s detrimental political processes and administrative decision making, which plunge the country into greater and greater debt over time.  As part of the US government’s ploy to revamp the country’s financial and economic position, the government instituted massive bailout strategies.

Compare and contrast essay Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast essay Essay Brown Brothers; How Negative Stereotypes Affect Polynesian And Maori In New Zealand My demographic is: high school cleaning ladies, fast food burger-making, factory boxpacking, rubbish truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, sober drivers and living off the pension joy riders — I am a dropout. These are all ideas raised and challenged by Joshua Iosefos 2011 viral speech, Brown Brother. Brown Brother is one of three texts that will be examined, compared and contrasted in this essay. The second text, Manurewa, is a short film based on the South Auckland murder of Navtej Singh, a liquor shop owner. The third text is Fish Heads, a short story written by Aparina Taylor, that focuses on a group of Maori boys who live in the city. The media is a huge culprit for the negative stereotyping that has been brought upon pacifica people. Brown people are more than what they are portrayed to be through media. Films such as Manurewa reinforce many of the negative stereotypes that have been brought upon Pacific people. The stereotype of brown people is a negative one, one of unemployment, one of crime, one of violence. In Manurewa each one of these stereotypes were portrayed. The men in the short film were all unemployed, all committed crime and all showed violence. â€Å"Bro Town, Sione’s Wedding, and do I have to mention the GC? Now I dont mean to condescend I mean these shows are great, dont get me wrong but can anyone explain: will there ever be a time when our representation goes deeper than putting our own people to shame?† Joshua Iosefo, in his Brown Brother speech, spoke about this issue – how the media represents brown people in a negative light. He highlights how these types of shows create and enforce the stereotypes that brown people now have to live by. While these shows are meant to entertain, this negative reinforcement only show the bad side of Polynesian and Maori people. One of the major themes of the film Manurewa is about people being trapped by low expectations and invisible boundaries. People can become trapped from attaining success, trapped from fulfilling their potential, and trapped from being heard. The message in the film Manurewa is that not all brown  people are bad, but the expectations that their stereotypes have created for them along with the people that they are surrounded with often leads to them making horrific mistakes. In this true story, a good person has been surrounded with unemployed, violent people and ultimately ends up committing a murder. In the beginning of the film the boy shows that he does have love and passion in his heart through feeding and nurturing the horse. After the murder the three older men are happy and excited but the boy was completely distressed about what he had done. These two scenes clearly show that the boy is a good person who simply made a bad mistakes because of the people that he was surrounded by. When Joshua Iosefo performed Brown Brother at the Tedx conference, he explained how brown people are trapped because of expectations, and surroundings. Meaning that the expectations that have been set from the stereotypes as well as the people that they are surrounded by impact greatly and almost trap brown people from success. He used a box as an example, where he explained that each side of the box needs to be kicked down in order for Maori and Polynesian people to succeed. People need to make the change themselves through their own actions. Brown people need to stop being what the stereotypes expects them to be and need to start proving that they are better than the stereotype. In the short story, Fish Heads the Maori boys are short of money but they do not let this stop them. All four boys are employed, they all work for the little money that they have and they show that there is no reason to live the way that the stereotype expects them to live. They are not violent, they do not commit crimes and they do not drink alcohol excessively. They respect people and they are happy living a simple wholesome life. Similarly, Joshua Iosefo talks about beating the stereotype, about standing up and showing that you are better than the stereotype. â€Å"You can do all things through Christ, Philippians 4:13. You are more than capable. And I don’t say that just to make you feel better, I say that because I know. Cause your creator told me to tell you so. Yo u will go places, you will tell stories, so do not feel afraid or alone for your God and your family and your home will forever be inside the marrow of your bones. So do not fret, do not regret. For where you go, you take us with you. Brown brother, do not be afraid to be the first, the first to graduate, the first to climb, the first prime minister,  or the first good wife — brown brother, do not be afraid to be the change. Not in skin tone or colour, but a change in mindset. From one brown brother, to another†. These are the powerful words that Joshua pointed at people living under the expectations that the stereotype has set for them. This powerful message is aimed st those who have been beaten by the expectations that have been set by the stereotype. The three texts, Manurewa, Brown Brother and Fish Heads clearly illustrate that there are negative stereotypes and low expectations for Polynesians and Maori in New Zealand. These stereotypes can lead people to feel that they are stuck and defined by their stereotype. Joshua Iosefos speech, talked of the stereotype that was his demographic but also said that Polynesians needed to be responsible for overcoming or changing this stereotype. In the film Manurewa, the inability for Isaac to escape from this cycle of negativity lead the once caring teenager to associate with bad people and ultimately lead to him murdering an innocent man. Whereas in contrast, the text Fish Heads showed that if people are r emoved from negative environments and influences, they are able to live in a non-stereotypical way.

The Founding Of The Vanity Fair Brand

The Founding Of The Vanity Fair Brand Founded in 1899, Vanity Fair (VF), the worlds largest publicly owned apparel company, offers various products such as jeans, bags, sportswear, footwear and outerwear. It operates mainly in the US and Europe, but also in developing countries like India, Russia and China. In the last decade, VF made some acquisitions including The North Face, Napapijri, Nautica and Vans. Five major coalitions consist of multiple brands a total of 700 brand stores in 2009 leading the Growth Plan strategy. The company recorded, in 2008, $7,561,621 of revenues. VF brands are attempting to establish close relationships with its suppliers to reduce production costs, respond to changes in other cost factors, and shorten the lead time that occurs with the traditional suppliers. Also, Fraser, the President of the Supply Chain International for VF brands, is concerned that the companys current supply chain strategies will not satisfy the future demand that will occur in the Asia-Pacific areas. In this paper, we will analyze four alternatives that VF brands can execute for its global expansion into the Asian markets. Those 4 alternatives are as follow; (1) To abandon the Third Way; (2) To continue with the current supply chain strategies; (3) To pick the best method for each coalition and products categories; and (4) Gradually switching to Third Way altogether in the end. Based on our analyses of the 4 alternatives and the apparel industry, we will suggest the best solution that will satisfy the new demand and help the other areas to become more e fficient and effective in the future. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Since the company was established more than a century ago, it was able to develop certain competencies in various areas and a good reputation. One of them is the strong performance in its internal plants, and the know-how and expertise involved. All these led to VFs own sustainable competitive advantages. In addition, the company built a technical know-how and engineering capabilities, which are very difficult to imitate. The rapid production at the internal plants and its supply chain are very valuable. Moreover, a large number of suppliers and the experience gained accumulated over time give VF a considerable and reliable network. Also, during the various acquisitions, VF preserved the unique organizational cultures and brand identities to keep the design groups intact. Every brand has then a strong personality that can be managed and developed individually, giving more diversity. Besides, the financial situation of VF is strong with a low level of debts and a high cash position th at can help them in case of tough economic situations and give them more flexibility to respond accordingly. Weaknesses When operating such a big and diversified company, some difficulties may occur. The first one is the lack of coordination and trust among suppliers and the company. A bullwhip effect may be observed due to the lack of inventories. Also, the supply chain is often illogical and highly fragmented due to various outsourcing locations. Certain dependence may be caused by some suppliers, making it very costly (ex: Nicaragua). Thus, building a reliable supplier network is very expensive. VF has a sheer complexity of its product line, leading to different needs and priorities among its numerous brands. The diversity of ideas between coalitions and directors causes some problems in the decision-making as well. Low costs pressuring for outsourcing can lead to quality matters and lack of control. Additionally, not much differentiation can be made in terms of supplying and transportation. Opportunities As the apparel industry is changing at a very rapid rate, innovative companies can see various opportunities. The supply chain management is a very first change in the companys structural changes; then the Third Way is described as an opportunity to gain another competitive advantage, going forward. Partnerships can be developed in a long term vision. Moreover, the expansion of sales in developing countries represents a huge growth opportunity. Asian markets seem like a favourable location for new stores. Also, the development of new line products at a broad range of price can be designed at any time to satisfy a new market segment. Fashion is seen differently around the world, thus, various strategies are used to fulfill each need. Future acquisitions can also contribute to the growth of VF. Threats Apparel industry is very much affected by economic situations. In times of crisis, too much dependence on some suppliers might be fatal; especially that competition is very hard and intense with brands competing directly. Continuous investment must be made, essentially in marketing to maintain margins. Plus, the growing bargaining power of mass retailing chains put pressure to lower the price at all time. Also, the frequent changes in tariffs and quotas make outsourcing unsure sometimes, making the research for suppliers challenging. Agile supply chain and vf brands The third way seems to be a new way to deal with suppliers and with a supply chain in general. However, third way could be seen as an agile supply chain in many aspects. In the next section, we will discuss what are an agile supply chain, the differences between lean supply chain and hybrid supply chain, and the link with VF Brands third Way. This part will give basic information that will be useful for our recommendations. VF BRANDS and THE AGILE SUPPLY CHAIN In a turbulent and volatile world, the only thing that does not change is change by itself . Basically, companies compete at several competitive dimensions like cost, delivery time, quality and flexibility. However, todays intensely competitive market is more and more defined by an instability and unpredictability of demand that represent the new challenges organizations face. For many reasons, the product and technology life cycles are shortening, forcing more frequent product changes in addition to new competitive pressure. Now, companies look beyond cost and quality advantages. Speed to market, speed to delivery and flexibility are being emphasized as a way to be more reactive to the needs of customers. However, more than speed, companies require a high level of maneuverability, or in other words, a high level of agility. What is an Agile Organization? Agility is a business-wide capability that embraces an organizational structure, information and systems, logistics processes, and in particular, mindsets. The key to success of an agile business is speed and flexibility. Agile organizations are market-driven, with more product research, and short development and introduction cycles. An agile organization can be defined as an organization capable to cope with unexpected challenges, to survive unprecedented threats of business environment and to take advantage of changes as opportunities. This kind of organization must be a fast moving, adaptable, robust business able to achieve a competitive advantage in a very instable environment. The basic way to define agility is the ability to quickly match supply, however, it is important to explain that agile is not a synonymous of leanness. Indeed, lean can be seen as doing more with less by implementing a lean manufacturing (Porsche Consulting) with zero inventory or Minimum Reasonable Inventory (MRI) and just in time approach. However, lean manufacturing system does not often mean flexible manufacturing system. A lean manufacturing system can result on less waste and high efficiency, but sometimes with important inventory. Finally, a company with a lean chain of supply can make their consumers wait a longer time to receive their products. We can illustrate that with the automotive industry and more specifically with the Toyota Production System. Indeed Toyota production system can be seen as lean, but that does not mean that consumers do not have to wait, often during months, to have the car of their choice. Therefore, Lean approach works best in high volume, low varie ty, and predictable environment. Whereas, Agility is needed in less predictable environment where demand is volatile and the requirement for variety is high. The Agile Supply Chains and Characteristics All organizations have supply chains of varying degrees, depending upon the size of the organization, the depth and scope of international outsourcing, the type of product manufactured, and the international production network. A supply chain describes the series of linked activities creating a process that changes supplies and components into finished products that will be distributed to customers. The agility of a Supply Chain is a measure of how well the relationship involved in the process enhances four pivotal objectives of agile manufacturing: Customer sensitivity, Virtual integration, Process Integration, and Network integration. First, all the agile supply must have the capacity to understand and respond to real demand quickly, in other words, the supply chain must be customer sensitive. The organization must be able to make forecast based upon past sales or shipment demand and convert these forecasts into inventory. For instance, the main challenge for companies is to be able to hear the voices of the market by receiving Efficient Response from customer (ECR) using information and technology to capture data on demand directly from point-of-sale and point of use. The organization must use information and technology to share data between buyers and suppliers creating a supply chain based on information rather than inventory, basically, create a Virtual Supply Chain. Sharing information using information and system (for example EDI) with our partner will create a collaborative work environment (process integration) that can be illustrated by joint product development and process improvement between buyer and s uppliers. Integrated your process offer the potential for major performance gain. This form of co-operation in supply chain is more and more important as many companies focus on their core competencies and outsource all other activities. Partnerships between buyer and supplier are inevitable to achieve an agile supply chain. To this extent, integration can mean the combination of sell through data, exchange of inventory status information, order coordination, open-book accounting, buyer supplier team, share information about the future products, and change in manufacturing process need to be changed as well as simplified pricing schemes . Figure 1 Dimension of Supply Chain Agility Supply chain agility can be discussed in terms of two dimensions of reach and range of activities covered by networking amongst companies (13;8). The figure shows this two-dimensional framework. On the vertical axis, there is the reach from Personal Division to Global. When, in the horizontal axis, there is the Range of activities from the basic way to send a message (EMAIL for instance) to Internet integration. This figure shows three steps from Bill of Material through Purchasing efficiency with electronic commerce, Supplier coaching, and Relational Database to the top level of planning, and control with Demand Planning, and Capacity Planning, and so on. To achieve agility on the Supply Chain, an organization must go through these steps and access the highest level with planning and control. In fact, the company must achieve the highest level on Reach (Global) and on Range (Integration). Indeed, on the last step, internal operations will be transparent to suppliers and customers. T his transparency allows cross companys team to work. Local teams are able to think globally and discuss the process and requirement without restriction without major problems of communication. Any change, modification, and new project can be implemented quickly, efficiently, and easily without creating high cost, or affecting quality of the output. (Figure 2) Another study, by Vankatranan and Handerson, implemented these three steps in addition with three inter-dependent dimensions of the supply chain (customer interaction, asset configuration, Knowledge Leverage). In fact, these three stages can be implemented to evaluate progress on each dimension of the supply chain and see how well integrated and agile it is. (Figure 3) Hybrid Strategy, another Solution Lean and agile supply chain are two concepts focusing on two different issues. Lean initiative is said to focus on cost and quality and impacts on flexibility and times based technology leadership objective (e.g. TPS), whereas, agile supply chain influence costs and time based technology leadership. However, companies often need to keep in mind cost quality as well as flexibility and technology leadership at the same time. A combination of the two approaches could be appropriate to create a hybrid strategy. Hybrid Supply Chain focuses on the fact that characteristics of demand must be taken into consideration when designing the supply chain. Within a mixed portfolio of product and markets, there could be some products with stable demand and some other with unpredictable demand that is why a supply does not have to be totally agile of lean. For instance, the Supply Chain of the fashion apparel, Zara, could be shown as a agile supply chain with some lean characteristic in order to have the most effective quick-response system in its industry. Indeed Zara is able to quickly understand trends, producing some items with low flexible demand in low cost country (low cost, long time delivery, and so on), but at the same time they are able to be produced quickly in response in Spanish high-automated and very efficient factories that allow quick production, shorter time to delivery in point of sale, lower risk, and more flexibility. We can discuss another case, IKEA. IKEA deals with many suppliers mostly in European Union (more than 50%) and 20% in China. Two ideas must be underlined; Ikea usually implement long-term relationship with strong partnership with its suppliers, however, these partners must respect very strict norms created by IKEA itself. IKEA can help is suppliers (by financings machines, increasing the efficiency of the supply chain, and on) that make these supplier very efficient and very dependent to the buyer. To this point of view, IKEA supply chain can be seen as an agile Supply Chain, however, Ikea produce many products in Asia (China), but these products have a more stable demand trend. VF BRAND and The Third Way: Implementation of an Agile Supply Chain? Vanity Fair brands were used to deal with their own very efficient factories located closed to the companys main market, the US. However, the group decided to extend globally by buying other brands where the policies were sometimes to totally outsource the production. VF brands needed to deal with a very complicated supply chain, very decentralized design, and so on; a kind of mix between traditional sourcing and outsourcing, for some aspect similar to ZARA. However, just chasing low cost and building its own factories are not seen as a long-term solution for Chris Fraser, President Supply Chain international for VF Brand. At the same time, some of the inefficiency was due to lack of coordination and lack of trust between apparel companies and suppliers. A new solution was adopted, the third way. Third way means that VF should focus on supplier network. Suppliers and VF brand would work together. Suppliers would own their factories, but VF brand will help them for free using their ow n resources in engineering and management forces as well as with their purchasing power to procure fabric and other raw materials -resources previously used in their own factories. This solution looks like IKEAs solution, however, Ikea focused on a network of suppliers geographically near its location which is not the case for VF Brand that have to deal with low cost countries regulation and particularities and many brands in order to achieve its agile supply chain. The results are not very good for the moment: difficulties to convince shareholders that sharing resources with outsourced suppliers is a good solution, and as well as difficulty linking with the country where products are supplied; which probably is the reasons why. As a conclusion, results from studies like shows that only a few companies have adopted agile supply chain practices. However, most companies have created long term collaboration with suppliers as well as customers; it can be seen as lean Supply chain or hybrid strategy. Indeed study suggests that lean supply chain has a higher level of impact on competitive objectives in contrast to agile supply chain. Nevertheless, this result would probably be discussed within a few years as it will take some time before current companies investments and research effort on agile supply chain lead to more concrete and enjoyable results on competitive outcome compared to lean supply chain. Lets see what VF Brand can achieve if it pursue this third way. ALTERNATIVES Alternative 1 Abandon the Third Way go back to the old way The Third Way could potentially cause many difficulties for VF, hence abandoning this way before investing too much money is a possible alternative. Firstly, you maintain the flexibility to change volumes or to change to a supplier who is offering a lower price. You are also independent from the suppliers problems, for instance if you are not satisfied with the quality of the product, you can simply switch to a different supplier. Following the old way, you do not need to spend money and time until the problem is fixed. Secondly, it is tough to find suppliers willing to form a partnership with the given conditions. To agree to not supply the same category of products to competitors anytime in the future is a huge barrier for a supplier and drags him into dependence on VF. Since the price paid is vague at the establishment of the relationship, the supplier faces the risk to be exploited. The fact that one of the test Third Way suppliers could not manage to survive financially is a hint that the relationship might not work out for suppliers. In Addition, VFs existing suppliers were carefully selected and since they were not interested in a closer relationship. Thus, VF needs to establish the Third Way with unknown companies, a great risk if you are concerning the trust needed. Thirdly, there is still the possibility that VFs knowledge leaks out to competitors. The technology you provide your supplier is not necessarily limited to a specific category of product, but you relationship might be. In this case, the technology could be used by competitors if they buy products of a different kind from that supplier. Since VF is not the owner of the supplier, it is also harder to control the knowledge leaking. For example, an employee may change to a competitors supplier. Fraser and Green called VFs technical capabilities a trump card, therefore it should be highly protected and not being risked. Another point is that the problem of switching costs is also an issue. To establish a Third-Way-relationship VF has to invest money to transfer their knowledge to the supplier. Since the latter is not losing any money in case of termination of the contract, the chance for dropping out is higher. Regardless whether the supplier drops out or is closing down for some reasons, it takes a long time until a new relationship is established, so VF might face severe supply difficulties. Lastly, in a study there was no significant relation between strategic sourcing and gaining competitive advantage. Therefore, the effort spent on the Third Way might not return the expected results. On the other hand, the same study showed that strategic sourcing (and therefore the Third Way) has a positive influence on business performance. A close relationship is also speeding up goods entry. Also keep in mind that the total costs for a five pocket jeans were the lowest of all three ways. Alternative 2 Continue the current supply chain strategies Another alternative strategy for the situation which Vanity Fair brands are facing could be to keep working on the current strategy. As explained in the article and supported by its strong financial performance compared to its competitors, the company has maintain its competitive position in the apparel industry. VF brands have been well established through a series of successful mergers and acquisitions of different brands, products, and styles. In the course of these acquisitions, the company was able to gain huge competitive advantages from operating its own manufacturing plants and traditional outsourcing, simultaneously. This combined strategy allowed the company to juggle between based on the geographic markets, demands, different products and coalitions. Frasers Third Way strategy seems very attractive for VF going forward. Many of the challenges the company faces are due to production inefficiency and supplier relationship based on little or no trust. Fraser and VF brands are at a crucial stage to decide which means to carry on international expansion goals in the future. Despite many benefits of the Third Way, the company must examine if this supply chain strategy is a strong fit for Asian markets. As mentioned previously, there is no doubt that a combination of full integration and traditional sourcing is a VF brands strength. Internal manufacturing sites are able to produce high quality products more efficiently and reliably compared to not only its competitors but also its outsourcing suppliers. The significantly reduced production time is a great strength with respect to the products that experiences a high inventory turnover rate. Another advantage arises in unexpected crisis such as the global economic downturn in 2008-2009. If the company operated solely based on outsourcing, it would have been very difficult to survive due to the shutdown of small shops and short notice of their discontinuation. On the other hand, outsourcing for certain coalitions or products due to the nature of its operations is inevitable. Cut and make (CM) contracts allowed the company to oversee cost drivers at each stage, mostly for heritage lines supplied in Central American and Caribbean. Full package sourcing was mainly used for the lifestyle brands in Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa. Outsourcing strategy provides VF brands with more flexibility when dealing with different suppliers across different geographic regions, especially with regards to tariffs and quotas. While the Third Way has many benefits going forward, this strategy also involves a high risk and costs associated, more so if executed without thorough research and examinations. Besides the concerns from different areas of the company itself, the Third Way should be carefully selected and applied to the most suitable product lines. For example, the strategy is most suitable for products that require the steady and regular supply of its inventory with the staffs of a certain level of education. Also these potential suppliers should be willing to build the strategic partnership for a long term. As mentioned before, switching costs are another hindrance. Since it is much easier to persuade new suppliers than existing suppliers, the company needs to thoroughly examine the qualifications of potential suppliers and there is always a risk that the supplier might not meet the standards later on. Rather than expanding globally extensively through the Third Way, Fraser and the company must fi rst identify the strategic fit for certain geographic regions for certain products/coalitions, and then pursue this strategy. A product line which makes up a small volume or not much techniques or skills should rather be outsourced. Alternative 3: Hybrid Supply Chain VF Corporation world headquarters is located in Greesboro, North Carolina where the senior management team is based, along with the corporate strategy, Finance, Global Business Technology, Law, Human resources and finally, Global Supply Chain. VF Brand Business model focuses on supporting the individuality of lifestyle of each VF Brand and has to deal with each headquarter. Indeed, each Brand has its own headquarter and focuses on its own consumers and customers.(1) However, VF Brands had divided the globe into 4 areas: US Region, Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Asia-Pacific. VF Corporation has a specific strategy for each region even some brands are in different regions and are often global. Each brand has specific suppliers that can deliver globally and deal with the headquarter of this specific brand (not with VF Corporation). However, different brands in different regions might need the same supplier for almost the same product. For instance, two brands may need the cheapest supplier as possible for a specific type of product that can accept a long lead time whereas some other products may need a short lead time as the demand trend could fluctuate a lot. The next recommendation could be for VF Brand to have a more original and customized production and purchasing strategy. The basic idea is to create more coherence between where suppliers are based and where products are distributed. Lets take backpacks for example. Backpacks are needed for many companies inside the group, however the demand for backpacks is not fluctuating a lot and the demand is often lower for a backpacks than for jeans or a shirts or t-shirt. This implies that these backpacks could be produced in Asia with lower prices and longer lead time with classic suppliers. However, Jeans for the US market could be manufactured in Mexico in highly automated factories owned by VF Brand, and shipped quickly to the US. Manufacturing these Jeans in Mexico allowed shorter lead times and flexibility depending on fashion trend and thus, demand. The idea is to base suppliers where it is more significant for distribution. If goods are produced in Eastern Europe or Asia, these produc ts should be shipped directly from suppliers to a distribution center that will be located near where products will be sold. Indeed, nowadays, many products are produced in Asia and shipped to the US to finally be sold in Asia. This new approach will significantly reduce lead times and cost. Previously, we only talked about regular suppliers and factory owned by VF. However, VF Brands do not own their own factories for instance in the European and Asian markets. The key idea is to implement the third way in this case. Indeed, some products in the Asian or European market could have a very fluctuating demand trend; for these specific products some brand may need suppliers as efficient as VF Brands factories. Choosing specific suppliers and implementing the third way with them could be a good solution. These third way suppliers could produce for different brands of the VF Corp when they want to produce common products for a specific period of time or deal with specific products for different brands of the group. These third way suppliers could act like VF Brands factories; but in this case, close to EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region or Asia-Pacific region markets. To avoid sending products to other part of the world and then send them back to the original region , regional centers could be created. These centers will received product from normal suppliers (common for all VF Corp Brands) and then send these product to other regional centers, reducing lead time and cost. At the same time, Third Way suppliers will only focus on production for their actual area of the world. VF Brands must act local and think global. However as I will show, VF Brands do not have to think global just with its supply chain. Indeed, as we previously said, some products -like backpacks- are not often a trendy product. These not-so-specific products could have a common base -platform- share between the brands that will allow mass production with the same suppliers-reducing cost by dealing with more significant volumes-. In other words, some products could probably be designed by and for a different brand of the group but with the possibility of customization to differentiate these products. Exhibit 1 shows you an example for 3 areas, (EMEA, USA, ASIA) 1- VF Corporation Website http://www.vfc.com/about/global-presence VF CORP, how to think Globally Alternative 4: Gradually switch to Third Way altogether in the end Another alternative is that VF could gradually change their strategy to Third Way altogether in the end. As mentioned in the given case, VF can achieve more efficiency and long term stability through the Third Way. In our previous alternatives, we mentioned our concerns about the Third Way that it would not succeed. According to this point of view, the Third Way will bring loss of flexibility, leakage of VFs technology to outside and many other losses that will not benefit the company. However, to survive in apparel market of today, it is crucial for a company to satisfy various needs of consumers while supplying products as quickly as possible, which can be achieved by the Third Way. In order to quickly respond to market changes, it is important for VF to have a simplified, efficient production process so that it can immediately act when necessary. By achieving the Third Way, VF can gain two advantages. First, it can bring efficiency to its supply process. Second, it will result in a long term and sustainable supplier relationship. First, by implementing the Third Way, VF can make its supply process more efficient. By providing high technology engineering resources of VF, suppliers of VF can improve its production processes. This will result in cost benefits for VF as it will shorten lead time, and decrease production and inventory cost. Not only that, improving production process and shortening lead time mean VF can act more quickly. It is important for an apparel company to react quickly to changes to satisfy ever changing needs of the fashion market. Second, VF can create a long term and sustainable supplier relationship with its suppliers by following Third Way. As previously mentioned, contract of Third Way includes long term contract with its supplier in producing goods. By having a long term relationship, VF can decrease cost of finding new supplier for every new season. Also, by providing VFs engineering resources to improve the production process for suppliers, VF can gain trust from its suppliers. By building trust with suppliers, VF can minimize the cost of excess inventory and long lead time. Those against the Third Way argue that it will result in low flexibility, technology leakage. However, recent experiments in countries like Bangladesh showed the Third Way suppliers were able to greatly shorten lead time, allowing VF to respond to market more quickly than compared to traditional ways. Also, no leakages of VFs technology were reported. Those against the Third Way argue that the Third Way has many holes and also it is unable to persuade existing suppliers to change into the Third Way and therefore risky and ineffective strategy. However, this is a myopic view of the issue. Such problems are transitional errors that can be dealt with in the long term. Holes that might appear through the Third Way can be revised when such problems are found. Also, the supplier persuasion issue can be dealt by gradually replacing existing suppliers with the Third Way suppliers while continually trying to convert existing suppliers into the Third Way. It is essential for VF in order to sur vive in apparel market to build a supplier relationship that is sustainable and interactive; hence, the Third Way is the answer. RECOMMENDATION The company is currently in a no-return process. It needs to find the best way to satisfy the growing demand all around the world but parti