Battle of Santiago de Cuba in the Spanish-American War

The climatic naval battle of the Spanish-American War, the Battle of Santiago de Cuba resulted in a decisive victory for the US Navy and the complete destruction of the Spanish squadron. Anchored in Santiago harbor in southern Cuba, Spanish Admiral Pascual Cerveras six ships found themselves blockaded by the US Navy in the late spring of 1898. With the advance of American forces ashore, Cerveras position became untenable and on July 3 he attempted to escape with his squadron. Cervera was soon intercepted by American battleships and cruisers under Rear Admiral William T. Sampson and Commodore William S. Schley. In a running battle, the superior American firepower reduced Cerveras ships to burning wrecks. The loss of Cerveras squadron effectively cut off Spanish forces in Cuba. Situation Prior to July 3 Following sinking of USS Maine and the outbreak of war between Spain and the United States on April 25, 1898, the Spanish government dispatched a fleet under Admiral Pascual Cervera to defend Cuba. Though Cervera was against such a move, preferring to engage the Americans near the Canary Islands, he obeyed and after evading the US Navy arrived at Santiago de Cuba in late May. On May 29, Cerveras fleet was spotted in the harbor by Commodore Winfield S. Schleys Flying Squadron. Two days later, Rear Admiral William T. Sampson arrived with the US North Atlantic Squadron and after taking overall command began a blockade of the harbor. Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, USN. US Naval History and Heritage Command Commanders Fleets US North Atlantic Squadron - Rear Admiral William T. Sampson Armored Cruiser USS New York (flagship)Battleship USS Iowa (BB-4)Battleship USS Indiana (BB-1)Battleship USS Oregon (BB-3)Armed Yacht Gloucester US Flying Squadron - Commodore Winfield Scott Schley Armored Cruiser USS Brooklyn (flagship)Battleship USS TexasBattleship USS Massachusetts (BB-2)Armed Yacht USS Vixen Spanish Caribbean Squadron - Admiral Pascual Cervera Armored Cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa (flagship)Armored Cruiser Almirante OquendoArmored Cruiser VizcayaArmored Cruiser Cristobal ColonTorpedo Boat Destroyer PlutonTorpedo Boat Destroyer Furor Cervera Decides to Break Out While at anchor in Santiago, Cerveras fleet was protected by the heavy guns of the harbor defenses. In June, his situation became more tenuous following the landing of American troops up the coast at Guantà ¡namo Bay. As the days passed, Cervera waited for inclement weather to scatter the blockade so that he could escape the harbor. Following the American victories at El Caney and San Juan Hill on July 1, the admiral concluded that he would have to fight his way out before the city fell. He decided to wait until 9:00 AM on Sunday July 3, hoping to catch the American fleet while it conducting church services (Map). Spanish Navy armored cruisers Cristà ³bal Colà ³n (left) and Vizcaya. US Naval History and Heritage Command The Fleets Meet On the morning of July 3, as Cervera was preparing to break out, Adm. Sampson pulled his flagship, the armored cruiser USS New York, out of line to meet with ground commanders at Siboney leaving Schley in command. The blockade was further weakened by the departure of the battleship USS Massachusetts which had retired to coal. Emerging from Santiago Bay at 9:45, Cerveras four armored cruisers steered southwest, while his two torpedo boats turned southeast. Aboard the armored cruiser USS Brooklyn, Schley signaled the four battleships still on the blockade to intercept. A Running Fight Cervera began the fight from his flagship, Infanta Maria Teresa, by opening fire on the approaching Brooklyn. Schley led the American fleet towards the enemy with the battleships Texas, Indiana, Iowa, and Oregon in line behind. As the Spaniards steamed by, Iowa hit Maria Teresa with two 12 shells. Not wishing to expose his fleet to fire from the entire American line, Cervera turned his flagship to cover their withdrawal and directly engaged Brooklyn. Taken under heavy fire by Schleys ship, Maria Teresa began to burn and Cervera ordered it run aground. The remainder of Cerveras fleet raced for open water but was slowed by inferior coal and fouled bottoms. As the American battleships bore down, Iowa opened fire on Almirante Oquendo, ultimately causing a boiler explosion that forced the crew to scuttle the ship. The two Spanish torpedo boats, Furor and Pluton, were put out of action by fire from Iowa, Indiana, and the returning New York, with one sinking and the other running aground before exploding. End of Vizcaya At the head of the line, Brooklyn engaged the armored cruiser Vizcaya in an hour-long duel at approximately 1,200 yards. Despite firing over three hundred rounds, Vizcaya failed to inflict significant damage on its adversary. Subsequent studies have suggested that as much as eighty-five percent of the Spanish ammunition used during the battle may have been defective. In response, Brooklyn bludgeoned Vizcaya and was joined by Texas. Moving closer, Brooklyn struck Vizcaya with an 8 shell that caused an explosion setting the ship on fire. Turning for shore, Vizcaya ran aground where the ship continued to burn. Oregon Runs Down Cristobal Colon After more than an hours fighting, Schleys fleet had destroyed all but one of Cerveras ships. The survivor, the new armored cruiser Cristobal Colon, continued fleeing along the coast. Recently purchased, the Spanish Navy did not have time to install the ships primary armament of 10 guns before sailing. Slowed due to engine trouble, Brooklyn was unable to catch the retreating cruiser. This allowed the battleship Oregon, which had recently completed a remarkable voyage from San Francisco in the wars early days, to move forward. Following an hour-long chase Oregon opened fire and forced Colon to run aground. USS Oregon (BB-3). US Naval History and Heritage Command Aftermath The Battle of Santiago de Cuba marked the end of large-scale naval operations in the Spanish-American War. In course of the fighting, Sampson and Schleys fleet lost a miraculous 1 killed (Yeoman George H. Ellis, USS Brooklyn) and 10 wounded. Cervera lost all six of his ships, as well as 323 killed and 151 wounded. In addition, approximately 70 officers, including the admiral, and 1,500 men were taken prisoner. With the Spanish Navy unwilling to risk any additional ships in Cuban waters, the islands garrison was effectively cut off, ultimately dooming them to surrender.

The First Act Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House - 981 Words

The first act of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House introduces us to the main characters of the play: Mr. Torvald Helmer, his wife Nora, Dr. Rank, Mrs. Linde, and Mr. Krogstad. In this first act we are able to see what gender roles and gender systems are like in this society. The first scene opens up with Nora returning home from christmas shopping with a delivery boy who hands over a christmas tree to Nora’s maid, Helene. Nora tells Helene to make sure she hides the tree well and then gives the delivery boy an extra large tip. As the delivery boy leaves, Nora goes over to check if her husband is still home in his study, while discreetly eating some macaroons. When Torvald exits his study, the act truly begins to unfold. Act one continues with Nora wanting to show Torvald all of the christmas shopping she did while she was out. Torvald replies by subtly scolding Nora for spending too much money, calling her a â€Å"little spend thrift† (pg 785). Here we begin to see tha t Torvald, as the man of the house, holds power over the finances of the household. Nora replies that Torvald is making more money now and therefore they can manage to spend extra on christmas this year. Torvald reminds Nora that his first paycheck won’t be for another three months so they must use their money wisely until then. Nora, who often tends to behave in a very naive manner, doesn’t seem to think that it is a big deal and suggests that they just borrow money and pay it back when Torvald’s check comes in.Show MoreRelatedHenrik Ibsen s A Doll House1563 Words   |  7 Pages In the play, A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, the title itself symbolizes the dependent and degraded role of the wife within traditional marriages. Ibsen portrayed the generous nature root into women by society, as well as the significant action of this nature, and lastly the need for them to find their own voice in a world ruled by men. 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He supported himself meagerly as an apothecary s apprentice and studied at night to prepare for universityRead MoreA Feminist Literary Stance, Roles of Women in Henrik Ibsen’s Play A Doll’s House and George Eliot’s Novel Middlemarch1546 Words   |  7 PagesA feminist literary stance, roles of women in Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and George Eliot’s Middlemarch are based on events from their personal experiences. The events that lead Ibsen to feel the need to write A Doll’s House makes his approach on the feminist stance a bit more unusual from other writers. Ibsen shows his realist style through modern views and tones that are acted out by the characters in this infamousRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s A Doll s House933 Words   |  4 PagesA Hidden Identity In Henrik Ibsen’s play â€Å"A Doll’s House† the relationship between husband and wife, male and female, is portrayed in many ways. Female’s were seen as inferior and had very little expected out of them other then being a wife and mother, which is accurate for the time period Ibsen wrote the play in. This is evident in the relationship between the two main characters, Torvald and Nora Helmer. Torvald expects Nora to be a wife and mother first and foremost above being a human beingRead MoreSymbolism Of A Doll House By Henrik Ibsen937 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in A Doll House In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House, the play is framed around symbolism and its irony. Symbolism throughout the play acts as a subliminal foreshadowing, each individually hinting at the impending end. The irony is continually represented through Ibsen’s play between perception and reality - perception being the evident meaning of each symbol and reality, being the ironic opposite connotation exclusively in Nora and Torvald’s situation. Symbolism and its ironic opposite connotationRead MoreA Dolls House, Drama Analysis, Realism and Naturalism1235 Words   |  5 PagesA Dolls House, Drama Analysis, Realism and Naturalism Topic B: Character Nora Helmer frolics about in the first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of reality during the finale of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Ibsen was one of a few pioneers of the new theatrical movement of realism, and accordingly he is often called the father of modern drama. The character of Nora lives in a dream world, a childlike fantasy, where everything is perfect, and everything makes senseRead MoreNora s Essence Of Individuality2065 Words   |  9 PagesAlba Zegarra WRT201- 106LS Professor Yerenburg 28 April 2017 Nora’s Essence of Individuality The main character Nora Helmer, in A Doll s House by Henrik Ibsen, becomes infatuated when trying to find her personal identity and sense of an individuality. As shown in Act I, she was looked upon as someone who was only worried about her status and wealth. She becomes easily enlightened with money as soon as she comes home from Christmas shopping, ready to show her husband, Torvald Helmer. Her husband

The Summer of the 17th Doll free essay sample

The Australian play, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, set the foreground of a new chapter in Australian Theatre, and is still seen as an important factor in the context of its evolution. Written in the 1950s by Ray Lawler, it was a first for Australian theatre, and helped to eliminate the cultural cringe which had held Australian theatre back from its full potential. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, also known as The Doll, presented to the public, a truly Australian play written by an Australian, with home grown actors, a first for its time. Australians were at last presented with a true and realistic representation of themselves which they could relate and sympathize to. This is why The Doll is seen as important in the context of Australian’s theatre evolution. 2) To understand its importance to Australian theatre one should consider the context prior to The Doll. In the early 1900s, before The Doll, and after the war, at a time when Australia was loosening its economic, social and cultural ties with England, Australia struggled with its own sense of self. We will write a custom essay sample on The Summer of the 17th Doll or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This was major setback for development of national identity in Australian theatre, and was known as the cultural cringe, a term used to describe the lack of confidence in Australian cultural values and products. As a result, the best artists and playwrights were compelled to go overseas to gain recognition. Also, overseas playwrights and actors were imported, reinforcing the belief that ‘the best’ came from overseas. In time we will see The Doll changes this perception and encourages Australians to value their own culture and what it has to offer, and thus proving pivotal in Australian theatre history. In the period leading up to The Doll, most of the plays were of a melodramatic style, therefore proving that The Doll was important in the evolution of Australian theatre. Usually consisting of a collection of Australian stereotyped characters, the melodramatic style of production gave an unrealistic representation of Australia and its people. This was mainly due to an inability to represent the outback effectively on stage, especially with floods or fires. Therefore the productions were ineffective and failed it portray Australia in a realistic form. ) Another set back for Australian theatre was that playwrights had to be careful to use ‘cultured’ or ‘refined’ dialogue, with very few slang terms and little cursing. This was a reflection of the fear of plays being removed from the stage because of perceived immoralities or offences to public decency. As a result Australian theatre was unable to present a true reflection of the Australian language, and therefore failed to represent its own country in a true light. In contrast, Lawler was able to avoid these set backs and set an example for future Australian productions. Thus prior to The Doll, Australian theatre was unsuccessful and failed to measure up to the standards of overseas productions. As a result, the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust was established in 1954 with the aim to assist and promote the growth of Australian theatre. With raised funds and grants from the Australian Government, the Trust began funding and subsidizing Australian theatre productions. The Trust’s achievement was awe inspiring for Australian drama. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll was its first truly Australian play. 6) Its performances were sold out throughout Australia, and went on to get world wide acclaim. A new era had begun, Australian drama was finally recognized. Lawler had successfully constructed a realistic representation of Australia that grasped a true and realistic Australian. He achieved this through the use of dialogue, setting, plot and characterization. This is why The Doll is viewed as important in the Australian theatre evolution. 7) Lawler’s construction of his characters set The Doll apart from prior Australian productions, and also helped revolutionize Australian theatre. Lawler’s characters come across to the audience as ordinary people with authentic and realistic constructions. Very unlike the characters in previous productions who were over emphasized and stereotypical†¦ 8) †¦He achieved this through the characterization techniques such as, similar values, dialogue and expressions of the average Australian of the time. Lawler gave his characters simple, colloquial speech, studded with Australian words such as, ‘strewth’, ‘larrikans’, and expressions including ‘up there Cazaly’ and even the occasional swear word. This relatively uncensored representation of characters set a new example for future productions and therefore helped in the evolution of Australian theatre. In conclusion, there is no doubt that The Doll was the turning point in Australian theatre history. It prompted a new evolution in theatre as proven by new battles for freedom of speech and an introduction to multicultural theatre. Most importantly The Doll inspired the production of many more Australian plays which received world wide acclaim. Australia finally found its national identity and The Doll had introduced a method of reproducing Australia’s wonderful culture onto both the Australian and international stage. That is why The Doll is important in the context of Australia’s theatre evolution.

Ist Corinthians Essays - Christology, Resurrection,

Ist Corinthians First Corinthians is a single, whole document written by Paul in the early 50's C.E. The letter was written in Ephesus, and intended for the members of a church that had been newly built in Corinth, Greece. Paul focused the correspondences, to the church, on some issues that were plaguing the citizens of Corinth. The issues included sex, Christian unity, behavior in the church, and resurrection. Through each correspondence, Paul gives rules and directions for the people of Corinth to follow. Paul's letters to Corinth were the most extensive correspondences to any one church or city in the entire New Testament. Paul converted to Christianity from Judaism because of a revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, Paul was traveling around northern Greece to churches in Phillipi, Thessalonica, and Beroea. Paul briefly stopped in Athens before taking a trip to Corinth. The fact that Paul was able to make this long trip shows the strength, stamina, and the deeply felt beliefs that carried Paul along the way. Paul stayed in the city of Corinth for about a year and a half, before sailing to Ephesus. It is from this city that Paul wrote the letters to the church in Corinth. The people of Corinth were by no means saints or angels. The Emperor, Augustus, made the city of Corinth the most luxurious and richest city in all of Greece, as well as the most inhabited. In fact, the city was the Greek capital in 27 C.E. By the time Paul arrived in 50 C.E., the city had a reputation for prosperity, trade and materialism. Corinth was also a large and very busy seaport that had many sailors, which would visit from all across Europe. These sailors were notorious for hanging around the legions of prostitutes that inhabited the city. The patron goddess was Aphrodite, and it was no surprise that many citizens of Corinth were engaging in sexual acts that they should not. It is for this very reason that Paul wrote two letters, setting forth the principles of sexual ethics that the people should follow. Also, the first letter to Corinth shows that early Christians were from different backgrounds, both rich and poor, not just the poor. It is this socioeconomic diversity tha t promotes different views and practices in the church. These different views and practices are what threatened the unity of the church in Corinth. This city was in dire need of the letters from Paul, to help show them the correct way to live their lives. The first thing that Paul wanted to do, was to end all the rivalries and problems among the Corinthians that were causing a division among the masses. As stated in 1 Corinthians 8-10, he wanted the people of Corinth to work together in a cooperative way that would be mutually beneficial to all. Now there were not that many in the congregation, maybe 50 or 100, but the group was divide into several cliques. It was the cliques that Paul wished to end. Differences in social, economic, and educational backgrounds were a big part of the reason why there was any division at all. These differences led to a competitive nature because of some groups thinking they were better, and more superior to other groups. Paul's belief was this, there was no difference if you were black, white, Greek or Roman, and each person is one in Jesus Christ. He was trying to show the people of Corinth that in the new faith, there was no place for either competitiveness or individual pride. In fact it was the prid e, or boastfulness that Paul aimed at the most. Paul knew that some of the citizens in Corinth thought themselves to be able to have a deeper understanding of things, than that of their fellow Christians. Paul wanted to put every citizen of Corinth on the same playing field intellectually. In fact, he let it be known to the citizens that they did not find Christ, Christ revealed himself to them, on his own accord. Paul also, in this first correspondence, tried to define the limits of a Christian's freedom. Paul wanted the people of Corinth to not even worry about Torah. Basically, the citizens were free

Organizational Analysis and Design

Introduction Etisalat is an international telecommunications firm based in the UAE. Many recognize it as a formidable force in data and voice services across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The organization’s net revenue illustrates this; on this basis, the company lies among the top 150 most profitable organizations in the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Analysis and Design – Etisalat specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Structural arrangement of the organization The company has a combination of the area-division structure and the product structure. Under the area division model, the organization divides its entities on the basis of their geographical regions. Through such an approach, the firm can analyze the profitability of each area and thus curve-out a strategy to correct cases of non-delivery. The firm also has a product structure that splits resources on the basi s of service portfolios. Some of them include data services, telephones, mobile network services, internet, sim-card manufacture, training services, financial management and many more (Etisalat, 2011). The company chose this approach owing to the need for greater standardization and specialization. It can also identify the non core or unproductive business services that it can eliminate. Shown below is an organizational chart for the firm. Forces for change and the obstacles to change in the organization Currently, the telecommunications sector in the UAE suffers from an oversupply. It is quite difficult for the firm to increase its penetration levels because of this fact. The degree of competition is a force for change because the company needs to innovate in order to ensure its survival. Etisalat faces a lot of competition in its international tariffs. The company’s competitors and other VoIP providers are causing the company to revisit its international tariffs. The preva lence of rigorous regulations in the international calls sector created these changes. Therefore, the organization needed to respond to these alterations in country regulations. Competition was not just limited to international tariffs; it also grew rapidly in the mobile data sector. Many rivals dwelt on smart phones, and this meant that the company’s voice revenue reduced dramatically. The need to increase its voice revenue was also a force for change.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Increased competition also emanated from the fact that Etisalat was no longer a monopoly in the UAE telecommunications market. Five years ago, a key service provider entered the market, and nothing has remained the same. This company now needs to guard it market share as it has been losing it to the new entrant (George-Cosh, 2010). Customers also required greater flexibility in connectivity arrangements. These needs applied to almost all product segments; television services, broadband services and fixed voice services. The organization needed to meet these needs promptly. However, it had to increase flexibility in a way that would not strain the consumers’ telecommunications budgets. The UAE is a high-growth state; it works on developing its economy through different sectors and channels. However, in order to achieve these benefits, the country must have a strong infrastructural base. The communications sector is imperative because it can facilitate greater transmission of oral and written information in voice and data services. Businesses now require greater convergence between data and voice, and since the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in the UAE allowed this convergence, then Etisalat needed to respond by giving clients an integrated network. Some clients did not have access to Etisalat’s services. In other words, the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s reach was not one hundred percent in the UAE. This meant that it needed to target a new client base with its products and service; this was also another force for change. Many businesses are facing a lot of pressure to produce or offer their services and products in environmentally friendly conditions (Durant, 1999). Carrying out activities in a green building has become a common requirement for many companies. Furthermore, business practices now address carbon footprints and energy efficiency. Environmental concerns are, therefore, a key driver for change. Etisalat is a profit making venture, like any other business; therefore, it needs to look for cost cutting measures at all levels. This need is even more pressing now that the UAE telecommunications market has matured. It is imperative for the company to strengthen its position in the market by increasing efficiency in its operations.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Analysis a nd Design – Etisalat specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Forces for change in Etisalat Resistance to Change Customers’ need for greater technology Staff hesitance, slow company response Dealing with greater competition Imitation, slow adoption Maximizing technology infrastructure for development Increased costs Environmentally friendly business practices Business disruptions Greater international expansion Unfavorable business climate Cost cutting Dwindling quality in services One of the main obstacles to change in this company includes reduced service offerings that may result for cost cutting measures. Employees may fear all these new changes or may be ill prepared for new technologies. Alternatively, if customers’ needs are always changing, the company may not respond promptly. With regard to greater competition, the rivals could imitate Etisalat’s new product innovations, and this may min imize company profitability. The need to practice business in an environmentally manner and the need to offer better technology infrastructure may cause increases in costs. They may also disrupt company flows. All these factors can minimize the incentive to change in the firm. Lastly, the company should consider international expansion, but it may find unfavorable business conditions in a new target market. Innovations that the organization has introduced It can be stated that this company has attained a perfect balance between incremental and quantum changes. Its innovations fall in the incremental category because it often improves its products and services (Morgan, 2006). The organization has achieved this by offering faster speeds for internet connectivity, better connectivity, greater reach and heightened value. It has done this by investing in fiber optic cables or by building its network infrastructures to a satisfactory level. In this regard, the firm has used existing techn ologies or methods that are not new to the country to alter service and product offerings. Conversely, the company has also implemented quantum changes. In this regard, the firm has introduced new technologies that did not exist before using breakthrough innovations. One such instance was the 3D TV; another was 4G technology. These emanated from the need to respond to greater pressures in the competitive landscape. Shown below is a summary of the two types of innovation prevalent in EtisalatAdvertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Source: (Morgan, 2006) How the firm sought to manage innovation through structure, culture and organization This company responded to the difficulties in penetration levels by developing broadband services and other value added services. Technological introduction of a new generation of handset services and tools ensured that the organization could deal with the shift in company revenue from the voice sector to the data sector. Therefore, innovation was at the heart of this company’s changes. One of the new services offered by the organization was an initiative called ‘My Plan’. Another scheme was ‘Business Edge’. In both these arrangements, the company sought to give its post paid consumers minutes on their international calls. Since there was a serious problem with revenue generation in the international calls department, then the organization felt that it was necessary to deal directly with this problem. Additionally, the plans also entailed pro vision of data bundles to clients (Etisalat, 2011). Since the UAE had a lot of competition in the data sector, then it was only natural to respond to these pressures through such an offering. On top of these two service packages, Etisalat also created something that addressed the need for greater flexibility in connectivity and that was ‘eLife’. This package allowed consumers to utilize optical fibers in order to access television services, fixed voice services and broadband services at enormous speeds. It also launched that plan at a reasonable price for the market. Furthermore, the company was the first to initiate 3D television. In fact, technology experts rank the UAE as one of the top five countries in the world that have achieved this fit. The firm also enhanced this need for greater flexibility by launching â€Å"Business One Super’ which is a high-speed broadband service that reaches the mass market. This has radically changed the broadband landscape in the UAE. The organization expanded its service and product reach through a new partnership with JAFZA. It did this in order to offer customers in the Dubai free Zone some of its telecom services. Since some customers did not have access to high quality networks from Etisalat, the firm launched a Fiber – to – the – home network. It hopes to have achieved 100% coverage by the end of 2012 (Etisalat, 2011). As a response to energy need pressures and green production business practices, the company has launched a brand of 4G technology called Long Term Evolution. In this plan, the firm has combined technology advancement with environmental friendliness. It has selected fiber optic cables that are exceptionally energy efficient. They also have a smaller carbon footprint. The plan is still on a trial basis, but it can alter the manner in which the company does business. All the latter responses have dealt with the company’s innovative endeavors. The forces of ch ange also necessitated a need to alter the culture and structure in the organization too. The company changed these elements through a cost optimization program. In the plan, the firm started outsourcing some of its non core services. Therefore, previous components covered by the international departments were no longer part of the company. Besides this, the organization implemented a cost-cutting measure to improve efficiency. The company had to change its culture from technology leadership alone to cost efficiency and technology leadership, as well. Value creation is now a prime issue in the company. Furthermore, the business now focuses on sharing its services and infrastructure with different partners in the communications sector. It is likely that the cost optimization program will yield full results at the end of 2012. The organization has worked on international expansion, as well. It realizes that this is the lifeblood of the company. It intends on dominating the Middle East ern market through aggressive acquisitions. One such case was in Kuwait through partnerships with Zain. The company has also worked hand in hand with other kinds of organizations in its existing regional branches in order to meet the needs of the local market. Etisalat is becoming a force to reckon with in the Nigerian telecommunications sector, and this is through a reorganization of the corporate culture within that country (George – Cosh, 2010). Since this organization has a product-based and regional-based structure, then any creation of new services and products also alters its structure. When the company introduces a new service, it often places a new body of personnel to be in charge of the product. However, most personnel come from the existing body of staff members in the institution. Most senior level staff emanate from the host countries when the firm engages in expansion strategies. Conclusion Etisalat is a leading telecommunications provider in the UAE. It has at tained this position through continual investments in technology. Etisalat has also used new-generation products (quantum change) and systematic process-oriented changes (Incremental change) to achieve the same. The major drivers for change are competition and a changing technological landscape. However, the company must contend with slow employee adoption and ineffective cost efficiencies. If it can tackle these resistors to change, then it will maintain its position as a market leader. References Durant, M. (1999). Managing organizational change. Web. CRF. Etisalat (2011). Annual report 2010. Web. Etisalat. George-Cosh, D. (2010). Competition forces change of strategy in Etisalat. Web. The National. Morgan, G. (2006). Images of organization. Thousand Oaks, Sage. This research paper on Organizational Analysis and Design – Etisalat was written and submitted by user Nickolas Roth to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Organizational Analysis and Design Introduction The analysis of the OAD case regarding two companies enables the students to understand the importance of management style in the overall performance of the organization. Those who will analyze the details pertaining to the case will come to realize that the management of a particular organization is dependent on leadership and management style of the top executive and how he or she deals with the different factors that affect the organization (Wasson, 2006, p.12).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Organizational Analysis and Design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this particular case it is important to focus not only on the management style of the two leaders but also on the different factors that contributed to the outcome of the bidding war. It is of great importance to learn from the lessons that can be gleaned from this study, especially when it comes to developing strategies to ensure th e sustainability of the company. It can be argued that ACME was at the right place at the right time and they benefited from high demand of electronic products. But in an instant the circumstances can change so quickly and it may not favor them the second time around. Background Both Acme and Omega came from the same parent company. When the parent company was bought by a Cleveland manufacturer the buyer had no interest in the electronics division of the said company. Thus, this division was subsequently divided into two smaller companies based on the location of their respective manufacturing facilities. Thus, the facility located in Waterford, Pennsylvania became the Acme Electronics Company while the facility located in Erie became the core component of the Omega Electronics Company. The two investors retained the core personnel that were working at the time when they bought their respective businesses. But Acme promoted its general manager to President while Omega hired an outsi der, to fill in the position of president of the company. In the former it was the promotion of someone who has known the electronics business for a very long time especially when it comes to the projects that both Acme and Omega are competing against. On the other hand Omega hired someone from a research laboratory. This professional background would play a major role in the development of Jim Rawl’s leadership philosophy that he utilized in dealing with the problems he encountered at Omega. The different approaches to hiring the top leader of the company can help explain why Acme surpassed Omega in all aspects of the business. Acme is more profitable than Omega. Acme can hire more people than its rival. This means that it is able to secure more contracts and expected to work on more projects as compared to Omega. However, both companies will be tested when they come across a project that forced them to build from scratch.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Linkage to OAD This case relates to the issue of organizational structure (Daft, 2007, p. 99). It highlights the pros and cons of two types of organizational structures: the organic versus the mechanistic structure of corporate governance. It is important to tackle this issue and based on the details of the case there are certain ramifications if a leader chooses organic over mechanistic form of management. In this particular case the author made a clear argument that there is no method that can be used to deal with any specific issue or problem that would crop up in the course of a business cycle. However, there are principles that can be observed based on how Rawls and Tyler dealt with the situation. In the end management styles and leadership principles are overly dependent on the context of the issues that the leader has to deal with. Compare and contrast the management styles of Acme and Omega. Omega utilized an organic management style. This is based on the philosophical beliefs of the CEO Jim Rawls. It requires a certain leadership philosophy to develop a management strategy that relies more on networking and maintaining close relationships with co-workers. It is easy to understand why many leaders prefer this management style as opposed to the more formal method utilized in big corporations. In most cases, organic management styles are common in small firms. Due to the size of the company the CEO can afford to use a more personal approach. A more technical term is the utilization of a flat structure as opposed to the hierarchical structure found in most firms (Baligh, 2006, p.15). The second reason why an organic style is chosen over a mechanistic form of management has something to do with the history of the firm. In the case of Omega, the company was an offshoot from a bigger firm. Jim Rawls was an outsider and therefore he has not mastered the form and fun ction of an electronics company. His former job required him to oversee an electronic research laboratory. Although a research firm focused on developing cutting-edge technology for the electronics market has many things in common with an electronic manufacturing firm it can also be argued that these two are worlds apart. The laboratory background of Jim Rawls also explains why he utilized a flat structure and insisted that he did not believe in the importance of organizational charts. In the laboratory there is a greater need for collaboration because engineers and scientists are dealing with theoretical problems and issues that they have never encountered beforehand. Thus, they need to build professional working relationships that entail sharing of information.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Organizational Analysis and Design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More John Tyler on the other hand believes in creat ing an organization that is managed like the military. Precision and speed is of utmost importance in a manufacturing facility. An electronics laboratory can afford to make mistakes and can afford to have slight delays in their projected goals. This is based on the fact that the laboratory does not have a clear deadline when it comes to the delivery date of their products. People working in the laboratory do not have to worry about the cost of the experiment because they are paid to produce experimental results. But there is nothing experimental with a manufacturing firm. The sub-contractors like Acme and Omega are expected to deliver on time and with lowered costs. How do the differences between the companies’ management styles explain the way they coordinated the production of the prototypes? These two types of management styles were heavily contrasted when Acme and Omega were faced with a new challenge. In the past they had to manufacture printed electronic circuits. But a t the decade of the 1960s came to a close, printed electronic circuits was about to be taken over by integrated circuits. As a consequence both Acme and Omega had to find new markets to be able to utilize the full power of their manufacturing facilities. In 1966 a photocopier manufacturer asked both companies to submit 100 prototypes of an internal memory unit that is built into the copier. This project requires the use of integrated circuits. Both companies where treading into uncharted territories and in order to deal with the new challenge Jim Rawls and John Tyler knew they had to start from scratch. How they complied with the requirements provided a glimpse into the inner-workings of a mechanistic and organic management styles. It is interesting to find out that Omega edged out Acme in the production of 100 prototypes. Omega passed the test with excellent results. Acme on the other hand failed miserably and their reputation was close to tatters. The explanation can be seen in ho w effective the organic management style can be when faced with a new problem. The secret of Acme is in its efficiency. But efficiency as demonstrated in this study is borne out of routine. In other words, Acme was able to surpass Omega for many years because John Tyler, the head of the said firm had a clear understanding of the industry. The same thing cannot be said of Jim Rawls who was relatively inexperienced when it comes to this particular industry.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although, Acme had an excellent track record it soon became evident that new projects, with new requirements require an organic management approach in the initial phase. John Tyler used a more mechanistic method in dealing with the problems of a tight schedule and unreliable suppliers. John Tyler was in unfamiliar territory for probably the first time in his life as the head of an electronics company. They had to deal with other companies that they know little about. This unfamiliarity is the reason why they did not know that the main supplier of a memory chip shuts down during the holidays. Jim Rawls on the other hand succeeded because the lack of formal structure enabled his engineers and other employees to share ideas. The purchaser may have problems with their suppliers but an engineer who is not part of the procurement departments happens to know of an alternative component that they can use. John Tyler and his management style prevented his people to share ideas that are cruci al when it comes to developing prototypes. Jim Rawls understood this perfectly because in his previous job he was familiar with the requirements of developing a prototype. If Omega was so much more effective than Acme, why didn’t it win the final contract? Omega came on top and defeated Acme in the said bidding war. However, the final contract was awarded to Acme. Part of the reason was that Acme already built a reputation when it comes to efficiency. It can be argued that Omega also demonstrated its ability to become efficient especially in the way they handled the delivery of the 100 prototypes with zero error. Nevertheless, there is one particular factor that worked in favor of Acme. The industry experienced high demand. Therefore, the client cannot afford to simply rely on one company. The electronics boom of the 1960s enabled these two companies to continually share a significant portion of the market. In the long run this was beneficial to Acme because they were able to correct their mistakes. The mechanistic approach enabled them not only to become efficient but also cost-efficient. What changes would you recommend to Acme and Omega? Based on the case, it would be best if the leaders realize the importance of using both organic and mechanistic approach (Wesson 25). In the event that a prototype is needed, the organic management style is well-suited for this project since it would be the first time that the company has to deal with the specific requirements of such an assignment. On the other hand when the firm has already made the necessary adjustments then it would be best to utilize a mechanistic approach. This is important because both Acme and Omega will encounter significant changes in the future and both must learn to adapt to changing needs of the industry (Landy Conte, 2010, p.296). Do you think Acme and Omega should merge to better compete in the future? It is not advisable for these two companies to merge. The differences in leadership philosophy are too significant to be bridged. John Tyler will never be able to work under Jim Rawls. He seems to believe that he knows more about this industry as compared to his competitor. On the other hand a merger will enable both companies to reach a high-level of efficiency. A merger enables both companies to create a competitive advantage over other firms. These two groups can secure a significant portion of the electronics manufacturing market in their respective region. But for this to succeed, Acme has to absorb Omega in order to prevent conflicts in leadership styles. Conclusion This case study demonstrates the need to be flexible especially when an organization is faced with a new challenge. Due to the need to build a prototype, Acme was forced to tread into unfamiliar territory. As a result they were unable to setup a process that would have enabled them to work more efficiently. Omega on the other hand used the organic approach to solve a problem, a technique familiar to Jim Rawls because he used to work in an electronics laboratory. But in the long run the weakness of this approach was made evident. It is important that both leaders appreciate the strengths and weakness of both management styles in order to develop a sustainable business model. Reference List Baligh, H. (2006). Organization Structures: Theory and Design, Analysis and  Prescription. New York: Springer. Daft, R. (2007). Organization Theory and Design. OH: South-Western Cengage. Landy, F., Conte, J. (2010). Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to  Industrial and Organizational Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Wasson, C. (2006). System Analysis, Design and Development: Concepts,  Principles, and Practices. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. This case study on Organizational Analysis and Design was written and submitted by user Shane Winters to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bangalore Exploring an alien city Essays

Bangalore Exploring an alien city Essays Bangalore Exploring an alien city Essay Bangalore Exploring an alien city Essay How exciting would that be, the moment I imagine of starting a life in Bangor, my dream city. Strange thoughts filled in my mind, anticipating the outcome. I started my Job search and found the Job market quite responsive. I got the first call, then one and then another for the Job opportunity as filtered by me in Nikkei and monster. Well!! Now its the time to take it all at my stride. And finally, there it is. To my utter surprise and Gods blessings, I got my first break in a privately owned company located near my PEG at Grammarian. My Joys knew no bounds! Of course, now I am employed, I can try out many places, the food delicacies, the enchanting city life, different attires, and ways of grooming myself at my best. Oh, I loved the taste of yummy birdbrains, bar pap, panaches , sizzlers and the rocking time I had in barbeques nation on a grand office gala party. The colors of freedom taking its toll! I can do anything which I desire! But of course, I always make it a point to share those experiences with my family and keep them informed about my move. Enjoying the posh lifestyle, I came across many friends from diverse ultra and origin. Each day is happening and inviting something new, and I loved the newness protruding into my life. Transforming myself from a typical village looking girl to chic look lass had a lot added benefits! Right from a single Faceable update to a status change has its impact so much so that I bagged 80 likes for my new pick update!! And comments with posts flooded my inbox. A new look and a new girl in town, I had many things in my mind to do, to enjoy! So many invites to add me in Faceable. Oh! I am loving it! Talking about the city, the city is clean and its people ere are quite helpful, welcoming and compassionate, despite the auto rickshaw pullers who annoy the new bees and charge high on fares. Being a victim of overcharging, I still recall the fights I encountered such cumbersome situations with the rickracks. Vendors such as catwalks, pain purr Wallas, Juice/corn sellers, or the ice cream Wallas wont bother you much for chillers, unlike other places. And one thing I noted here, no question of bargaining!! If you like, you pick at the price fixed. No arguments and no word of mouth! Strange enough, sometimes it astonishes me to mind that all the Archie rich, elite class dwells in the city clearly manifesting the extravagant touch in the air. Once your wallet is full, you will find it easy to go, else be in limits. Coming across the travels and tours in and around the city, I visited Nadia hills, Tip sultan palace, and Moser. I was so charmed by the malls and the parks which beautify the city more. There are many other places yet to be visited, to be seen. Exploring the city itself is so fun and exciting . I have still much more to find out and explore. Bangor Exploring an alien city By shabbiness

South Korean History and Analysis of Social, Technological, Economic, Research Paper

South Korean History and Analysis of Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political Issues - Research Paper Example Some resentments of that period in history still weigh heavy on the memories of some older Koreans. It was a time when Japanese influence became a threat to the language and culture of the Korean people (History of South Korea, 2004). Regardless of the Japanese efforts, today younger Koreans willingly follow Japanese pop culture. When Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945, it brought the end of World War II; however, it brought further turmoil to Korea. In 1948 the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) was established with Rhee as the first President. Later that same year the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) was formed under Kim II Sung (History of Korea, 2004). Two years later North Korea invaded South Korea, which prompted the first action under the United Nations Command. Bombings of the North brought devastation and casualties and China to the North’s’ behalf. However, armistice negotiations were started in 1951 and concluded in 1953. It was not until 1987 that South Korea was able to hold its first democratic election (History of South Korea, 2004). Social Atmosphere: The Korean people share a common culture and language history. Today only a small Chinese community of around 20,000 people reside within and influence South Korea. The population has grown to 48.7 million people in a small area the size of Indiana. Populations are very dense in the areas of the Northwest, Southeast, and the plains south of Seoul-Incheon area. Many Koreans have migrated to China, the United States, Japan and other countries that were formerly under Soviet Union rule (US State Department, 2011). The language of the Korean people is influenced by Japanese and Mongolian culture. It does differ from Chinese, as it does not use... This paper stresses that at the end of the 19th century Chinese power became weakened, therefore, Korea was once again open to Western and Japanese invasion. When Japan annexed Korea in 1910, it began a period of imperial rule that lasted 35 years. Some resentments of that period in history still weigh heavy on the memories of some older Koreans. It was a time when Japanese influence became a threat to the language and culture of the Korean peolpe. This discussion declares that the Korean people share a common culture and language history. Today only a small Chinese community of around 20,000 people reside within and influence South Korea. The population has grown to 48.7 million people in a small area the size of Indiana. Populations are very dense in the areas of the Northwest, Southeast, and the plains south of Seoul-Incheon area. Many Koreans have migrated to China, the United States, Japan and other countries that were formerly under Soviet Union rule. The language of the Korean people is influenced by Japanese and Mongolian culture. It does differ from Chinese, as it does not use tones. The earlier well-learned classes spoke Korean, however, read and wrote Chinese. A writing system using phonics was invented in the 15th century to provide a writing system for lower classes that could not read classical Chinese. Today the modern Korean uses hangul with Chinese characters almost exclusively. There are approximately 1300 Chi nese characters being used within the modern Korean language. What about the use of English?

Patents provide competitive advantage for Kodak Essay

Patents provide competitive advantage for Kodak - Essay Example Therefore, these companies are given a chance to create a form of temporary monopoly on their products, and through this way, they are able to make profits. In addition, they are able to encourage innovators in the company to develop more products. Once a company infringes Kodak’s patents is liable to be charged in a court of law, and through this way Kodak can receive settlement money. For example, there were cases where Kodak had sued Samsung and LG, and they compensated them $550 and $400 million respectively. Moreover, the company acquires negotiated licensing deals concerning the patents. On the other hand, the company able to reduce chances of other companies infringing their patents and this can facilitate full utilization of their patents. In fact, due to the high amounts of money charged in courts for settlement, this can be a source of discouragement for other companies to infringe the Kodak’s patents. Therefore, the company operates in a market without competition that can affect their pricing strategy, which can lead to low income. In fact, a company like Kodak is willing to go to the extent of suing companies that infringe the patents in order to protect the favorable business environment provided by these patents. After the patent has expired, any company is given the freedom to copy the technology; thus, Kodak maximizes their profit out of the patents before they expire. However, in order to achieve this, ensures that the patent is generating substantial money as a source of intellectual property income. Therefore, Kodak is able generate a lot of income from the intellectual property by establishing a large catalogue and ensuring that their shares do not fall. Moreover, increasing the catalogue and using substantial marketing strategies they are able to make high volumes of sales that can generate high profit margins. The patents offer a form of temporary monopoly for the company; thus,

The Bullwhip Effect Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Bullwhip Effect - Assignment Example The Bullwhip Effect is of great concern because it can lead to low profits, increased costs, poor use of transport and storage facilities, inefficiency in the use of limited resources and even crisis in placing orders. All these reasons explain why this is a great area of interest (Bhattacharya & Bandyopadhyay, 2011). It is also a significant area that should be studied in order to increase efficiency in how enterprises carry their day to day activities. I am also interested in this topic because I would like to contribute to its solution. Moreover, an aspect of academic curiosity sparked my interest in the topic. The research conducted shows a number of similarities with what I learned in the Module. For instance, the definition of the Bullwhip Effect tends to be the same. Even the environment and circumstances in which it occurs is very similar. For both, the phenomenon occurs in a supply chain where there are members placing orders to each subsequent member in the upstream. In both, the fact that Bullwhip Effect results in an increased or exaggerated variability in the upstream end more than the downstream is recognized. The Bullwhip effect arises as a result of various factors. Some of the causes are rationing and shortage gaming, price fluctuations, demand forecast, updating and order batching. These causes coupled up with the manager’s decisions, most of which are rational, lead to the Bullwhip Effect. Forecasts made based on information from the member down the stream lead to amplification of demand. Dependence on these downstream pieces of information to plan for inventory ofte n misleads. As such, many upstream members end up having a greater variability of demand (Lee et al., 2014). Another cause is the frequent change in prices in the market. Sometimes the manufacturers reduce the prices of their products. This makes more suppliers in the downstream end to do ‘forward buying’. This is in a

Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property Rights Intellectual Property Rights Intellectual property can be instrumental to the value of any business. The ability to protect a business or an individuals ideas, inventions and original processes is something that is considered essential to many establishments, particularly those that rely on innovative ideas and products as their unique selling point. Intellectual property rights span a wide range of situations and products, although the most common rights are designs, copyright, patents and trade marks. Each of these intellectual property rights aims to protect a different area of invention. Copyright protects works such as art or music; design protects the physical appearance of a product; trade marks protect the way in which a trader separates himself from his competitors; and patents protect the method by which a product is technically made up and functions. This latter category of intellectual property right can cause considerable difficulty to those applying for protection and those attempting to enforce existing rights. Technology and the associated functions are changing constantly and often being tweaked or altered to meet a new requirement. At what point does this become patentable and distinct from the original technology? This requirement to be innovative in some way is the subject of much debate. Determining when that extra step results in a new protectable technological item is the key to ensuring that the correct items are offered protection. Courts have grappled with the relevant issues in determining whether or not a patent should be protected and when an attack on validity should be successful. Throughout the years, various tests have been forwarded by the courts; however, consistency in relation to obviousness and the concept of novelty and invention have proved particularly troublesome and are often hotly debated in court proceedings. Elements of Patent Law Before determining the way in which the courts deal with the issues surrounding obviousness and novelty, it is first important to gain an understanding of what must be established in order to establish a valid patent, successfully. The basic definition of what is patentable is contained in Section 1(1) of the Patent Act 1977 (the Act). This Act states that in order to be patentable the invention must be new, must involve an inventive step and be capable of industrial application. The Act then goes on to consider each of these requirements, in more detail. Section 2 deals with the requirement that the invention is new. This requirement is commonly referred to as the novelty requirement. Section 2(1) states that for an invention to be novel or new it must not form part of the state of the art. Section 2(2) goes on to consider what state of the art actually encompasses. It defines state of the art as any matter (i.e. product, process, etc. ) that has previously been made available to the public by either a written or oral description. Simply put, if the invention has already been made available to the public, it is not going to be eligible for patent protection. When determining whether or not an invention is new or novel, the issue of whether or not it has been made available to the public will become central. The invention, in order to be considered in the public domain, must have been disclosed to at least one member of the public, who could if he wished use the information freely and the disclosure had to be sufficiently enabling. Sufficiently enabling means that the information contained must be such that someone who has a reasonable level of skill in the area to which the invention relates would be able to implement and make use of the disclosure. The disclosure must be in relation to one document (or one document with several others interlinked) and cannot simply be disclosure obtained from a mosaic of documents. There are exceptions to this rule in relation to disclosure that allow a patent still to be established where the disclosure has been made within six months of the patent application and has been done in confidence. Pulling these factors together, it is clear that the need for novelty insists on the patent being completely new and innovative. Although, based on the mosaic rule, the collection of previous documents and information to create a new invention will not be barred from receiving patent protection. The Issue of Novelty From looking at the above breakdown of what an individual has to prove in order to establish a valid patent, it is clear to see that the issue of novelty is central to most patent decisions. The Section 2 requirement for novelty contained in the Act is a corresponding provision of Articles 54 and 55 of the European Patents Convention (1973) (EPC). As a general rule, an invention is not novel if the amalgamation of features has already been anticipated in a previous disclosure. This point was considered in detail in the case of SmithKline Beecham Plcs Patent [2006] RPC 10. In this case, it was held that for there to have been that degree of anticipation, there must firstly have been a disclosure and there must secondly have been the element of enablement. That is, based on the disclosure, the suitably skilled individual receiving the details of the process would have been able to replicate the process disclosed. Pulling together both of these elements will allow the court to decide whether or not the patent before them is novel or not. Let us first consider the element of disclosure. When it comes to determining whether or not the specific invention has been previously disclosed, the question is not whether the prior disclosure was for an item of similar utility, i.e. it does not necessarily have to solve exactly the same problem as the current invention. In deciding this matter, courts have stated that in order to be a conflicting patent, the situation previously disclosed must be so close to the new invention that the utility gained by the new invention would be a practical certainty. This suggests that in order to establish a valid objection to a patent application on the basis of a prior disclosure, it would have to be shown that the prior invention was inextricably linked in terms of function to the new invention. Therefore, even if something similar has been previously disclosed, provided it is not close with the degree of inevitability that is required, the patent application will not necessarily fail on the basis of not being novel. A general disclosure of a possible process does not impact on the novelty of an invention; however, where there is a series of processes, each individual process could be the reason for a future patent application failing, due to lack of novelty. Secondly, there is the element of enablement. This means that whatever has been disclosed must be sufficient for a person, skilled in the relevant art, to copy or replicate the process or invention. This enablement provision should be thought of separately to the disclosure, as in the case of disclosure the information must be sufficient for a skilled individual to understand the disclosure. For the purpose of enablement, the skilled person must be capable of actually utilising or at least trying to utilise the relevant invention. When it comes to determining whether or not the invention is novel, therefore, several issues need to be considered. It is not simply a matter of determining if something similar has ever been made public. It must have been made public with sufficient clarity as to allow the invention to have been understood and put into effect by another third party. The patent, therefore, in order to gain protection, must offer a solution to a situation that has not been possible to achieve before and not simply a fanciful possibility of a solution given enough further experimentation. As stated in the case of General Tire Rubber Co. v Firestone Tyre Rubber Co. Ltd, the disclosure must contain clear and unmistakable directions to do what the patentee claims to have invented. Pharmaceutical Application The pharmaceutical industry as a whole has been one of the most litigated and dynamic areas in relation to the test of novelty. The recent case of Actavis UK Limited v Merck Co. Inc changed the way in which UK courts look at the test of novelty in relation to medical products. Prior to the Actavis case, it was thought that a new dosage or way of taking a particular drug could not be seen as novel; this has now been reversed by the Court of Appeal. In this case, it was held that a new regime for taking medicine could constitute a novel invention for the purpose of obtaining a valid patent. Furthermore, the court dealt with the issue of obviousness, stating that it had to be obvious at the date of priority, not before or after, to defeat the patent, on this basis. The leading case of Merrell Dow v. Norton and Penn, commonly referred to as the Terfenadine decision, held that when looking at a pharmaceutical process the definition of new had to be applied to the actual processes and not to a new result or outcome. In this case, it was held that although Merrell had discovered a new reaction from Terfenadine, it was not novel as the composition had previously been disclosed to the public (albeit not for that specific purpose). This produces an interesting position. Based on this judgment, it would seem that whether or not the process or invention produces a solution for a previously unsolvable issue is irrelevant; the issue is whether the actual matter itself has been disclosed. The focus of the test is on the physical items and not on the resulting outcome. Bearing this decision in mind and the way in which the courts have chosen to deal with pharmaceutical claims, it would seem impossible to conclude that the issue of patentability is based purely on finding a solution for a technical problem that could not be solved before. Obviousness This leads us on to consider how important the actual resulting process or invention is to the determination of whether or not it is patentable. Aside from the requirement of novelty, the process or invention must involve and innovative step. This has been interpreted to mean that the invention would not be obvious to someone skilled in the art when presented with the relevant matter. One of the ways in which this test has been interpreted is to consider whether or not it fills a gap in the market, thus becoming an immediate business success. If this is the case, it is more likely that the invention would be seen as non-obvious and, therefore, patentable. The requirement for this inventive step is contained in Section 3 of the Act. Deciding on what exactly is obvious and what is not has been a matter for the courts. In the case of Windsurfing International Inc. v Tabur Marine (Great Britain) Ltd, the main test for obviousness was laid down and remains the starting point for judges when deciding whether or not the invention is obvious. It was held that the court should take a four stage approach. Firstly, it should look at the inventive step itself in isolation, i.e. separating it from any supplementary aspects of the invention. Secondly, once the court is clear what the inventive step in question actually is, it should put itself in the position of the common person, skilled in the relevant art with the knowledge that was available at the date of priority. Thirdly, the court needs to consider the difference between what is known by the common man and what the invention professes to display. Finally, the court needs to determine whethe r the step between what is known and the invention would have been obvious to the common man. For example, in the case of Sabaf SpA v. MFI Furniture Centres Limited and others, the House of Lords considered the issue of whether the gas burner in question was obvious. In this case, the argument that Sabaf was presenting to the court was that its patent for a gas burner had been infringed. The respondents (MFI and others) claimed that they were using a new invention as it was, in fact, the combination of two inventions that had generated their specific gas burner. The crucial point here was that it was not possible to take two existing inventions and put them together to establish a new invention, where this new invention would be the obvious product of the two original inventions. The test for being obvious seems to be reasonably wide with the court requiring a definite inventive step and not simply a natural progression, even if the natural progression is novel. Conclusions The area of patent law and, in particular, determining whether or not an invention is novel and / or obvious is by no means clear. The courts take a very individual approach to each case as it is presented to them based on the individual facts. Despite this, it seems that both elements, i.e. novelty and obviousness, remain instrumental. It is not true to say that provided an invention is novel it does not matter whether or not it is obvious. The courts have widened their view of obviousness but not so far as to remove it entirely. Therefore, if the patent in front of the court fails the test of obviousness and a person skilled in that specific area could have also established the invention it would fail, regardless of how novel the invention turns out to be. Both tests must be suitably established in order to gain patent protection. Producing a solution to a problem is highly important to the decision, but it is not the only deciding factor. The issue of obviousness simply cannot be ignored. Bibliography (14 required) Bagley, Margo A. , Patent First, Ask Questions Later: Morality and Biotechnology in Patent Law, William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 45, 2003 Bainbridge, David I. , Intellectual Property, Pearson Education, 2006, Pages 374 407 Colston, Catherine, Principles of Intellectual Property Law, Cavendish Publishing, 1999, Pages 86 105 Cornish, William Rodolph, Vaver, D. , Bently, Lionel, Intellectual Property in the New Millennium: Essays in Honour of William R. Cornish, Cambridge University Press, 2004, Pages 91 95 Grubb, Philip W. , Patents for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotechnology: Fundamentals of Global Law, Practice, and Strategy, Oxford University Press, 1999 Hodkinson, Keith, Protecting and Exploiting New Technology and Designs, Taylor Francis, 1988, Pages 32 71 Johnston, Josephine, Wasunna, Angela A. , Patents, Biomedical Research. And Treatments: Examining Concerns, Canvassing Solutions, The Hastings Center Report, Vol. 37, 2007 Karet, Novelty under English Law. Appeal in Merrell Dow v Norton 16(5) European Intellectual Property Review 204, 1994 Muir, Ian, Brandi-Dohrn, Matthias, Gruber, Stephan, European Patent Law: Law and Procedure under the EPC and PCT, Oxford University Press, 1999 Patterson, Mark R. , Contractual Expansion of the Scope of Patent Infringement through Field-of-Use Licensing, William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 49, 2007 Pressman, David, Patent It Yourself, Nolo, 2008, Pages 15 20 Taylor, Christopher Thomas, Silberston, Aubrey, The Economic Impact of the Patent System: A Study of the British Experience, CUP Archive, 1973, Pages 12 23 Thomas, John R. , Litigation beyond the Technological Frontier: Comparative Approaches to Multinational Patent Enforcement, Law and Policy in International Business, Vol. 27, 1996 White, The Novelty-Destroying Disclosure: Some Recent Decisions 9 European Intellectual Property Review 315, 1987

Iron Crowned Chapter 7

I signed the tax return and left a check before heading out. It figured: I owed. Self-employed people always owe. It was a credit to Lara that she'd managed my books well enough that the amount was low, but after seeing her run off with my roommate, I decided it was a good thing our working relationship didn't include performance reviews. She'd also left me a jam-packed day, which turned out to be beneficial. A busy schedule kept my mind off Dorian (mostly) and what was transpiring in the Otherworld. I fought with ferocity, as though each ghost or monster I battled was Katrice herself. It was the drives in between that were the roughest on me. There was no action then. Just my own thoughts. My last job of the day was the most difficult, undoubtedly scheduled that way on purpose so that I didn't walk into the little ones tired and injured. True, I was feeling weary, but concern for Dorian kept a spike of adrenaline burning through me, one that I knew would get me through this last job. Yet, walking up to the client's house, I couldn't stop asking the same questions in my mind. Why hasn't Volusian reported to me yet? Isn't the fight over? A nervous-looking young woman answered the door, introducing herself as Jenna. She was the one who had made the call, though it wasn't exactly on her own behalf. â€Å"She's in the living room,† Jenna whispered to me, letting me inside the foyer. Her eyes were wide with fear. â€Å"Just sitting there. Staring.† â€Å"Does she speak?† I asked. â€Å"Does she answer your questions?† â€Å"Yes †¦ but †¦ it's not her. I know that doesn't make sense, but it's not. The people at work think she's just gone crazy. I'm pretty much the only one who still talks to her. She's about to lose her job, but †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jenna shook her head. â€Å"I swear, it's just not her.† â€Å"You're right.† I held my wand in my left hand and my silver athame in the right. â€Å"Is she †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jenna's voice dropped even lower. â€Å"Is she possessed?† â€Å"Not exactly.† Lara had warned me about this one. It had initially sounded like possession, but further data suggested otherwise, unfortunately. A possession would have been easier. â€Å"It's a fetch. It's like †¦ I don't know. Her double. Kind of.† â€Å"Then †¦ what happened to Regan?† I hesitated. â€Å"I don't know.† I didn't want to tell Jenna there was a strong possibility that Regan was dead. That was the usual fate for a fetch's victim. Of course, fetches usually left once they'd sucked all the energy and goodness from someone's life. If this one was still here, the odds of Regan still being alive were marginally higher. â€Å"If †¦ er, when we find her, she may be in bad shape.† I stared off down the hallway, where I could hear the sound of a TV in the living room. I shifted my grip on my weapons and prepared myself. â€Å"What should I do?† asked Jenna. â€Å"Wait outside. Don't come back inside until I tell you to – no matter what.† Once she was safely away, I set off down the hall. There, in the living room, I found a woman sitting perfectly straight on the couch, her hands folded neatly upon her lap as she stared at the TV. There was a blankness in her brown eyes that told me she wasn't really watching. She didn't even acknowledge my arrival. Glancing around the living room, I took in its space and features, assessing them for a fight. I also noticed a couple pictures on the wall, group shots with Jenna and a smiling brunette who looked exactly like the woman on the couch. Yet, glancing between them, I knew Jenna was right. This wasn't Regan. â€Å"Where's Regan?† I asked. The fetch didn't look at me. â€Å"I am Regan.† â€Å"Where's Regan?† I repeated harshly. â€Å"What have you done with her?† Please, please let her be alive. This time, the fetch turned her head, those cold eyes taking me and my weapons in. â€Å"I told you. I am Regan.† I had a moment's debate on what to do. Killing the fetch without learning Regan's location would make the next part of this job even more difficult. Yet, as the fetch continued staring at me, I knew she'd recognized what I was and what threat I represented. I had to take her out now, banking on the fact that fetches usually kept their victims close. I held out my wand and began chanting the words that would drive this creature back to the Otherworld. It was where fetches came from, and a forceful enough banishing was usually enough to deter them from returning. I'd only have to get the Underworld involved if she decided to – She attacked. The fetch didn't transform into her true shape as she sprang at me. Rather, she turned into something in the middle. She still wore Regan's face, but it had a sickly green hue. Her eyes were bigger and darker and looked like they'd been stretched out. Her hands and feet were bigger too – and clawed. She came at me with her full strength, knocking me into a wall mercifully free of furniture. I kneed her in the stomach, needing to get distance between me and the claws trying to rake my face and neck. She fell back a little, not much, but enough to give me more maneuvering room. I swung out with the silver blade, and she recoiled. Iron could inflict lethal blows on the gentry, but silver was the metal of choice for almost any other creature. â€Å"Tell me where Regan is,† I said, advancing forward. â€Å"Tell me, and I'll simply banish you back to the Otherworld. Make this difficult, and you die.† I was managing that balance I always did: weapon ready to attack while part of my mind focused on a connection to the Otherworld. Hecate's tattoo, a snake on my upper arm, began to tingle. The fetch decided I wasn't a full threat yet and rushed me again. I dodged this time, anticipating her movements based on the last attack. A fetch might be able to replicate someone, but their fighting style was mostly brute force. My athame caught her arm as I moved, and she snarled in pain, showing fangs that dripped with green saliva. It hurt her but didn't slow her down as she lunged back at me. I sidestepped her again but overlooked what was behind me, hitting painfully against a cabinet. I winced, and she pressed her advantage, swinging those claws at me. I barely escaped them, managing to squirm away and hurry to the other side of the room. A banishing, I decided. I'd just keep my distance and do a banishing. I just needed a couple minutes – and to stay alive. I began chanting words to send her from this world, words that didn't have to follow any ancient form so long as my power and intent were clear. She paused briefly, realizing what I was doing, and seemed to consider her options. A circle. I should have put a circle of protection around the house. There was a very real possibility she might try to flee. That and killing me were pretty much her only options. The former would probably be easier for her – and would release Regan. But I didn't want this fetch freely walking the world. I needed to send her on. Power surged in me and through me, out to the wand and toward her. This was her last chance to run – or, as it turned out, throw a coffee table at me. I admit, I didn't see that coming – literally or figuratively. I should have, though. Furniture, props, whatever †¦ they were all fair game in a fight. The fetch had no reason to rely simply on hand-to-hand combat, and my athame gave her good reason to attack from a distance. The coffee table was a simple one, a smooth circle of glass on iron legs. A wood-framed one would have been better. The frame would have slowed the spread of glass. This table had nothing to stop it, except me. I tried to jump out of its way, saving my head and face. I wasn't far enough away when it hit the wall and shattered, though. Stinging, burning pain went through my back and left arm as glass scraped and – no doubt – embedded itself in my flesh. My sense of self-preservation kept me moving through the pain, but my connection to the Otherworld had shattered with the glass. The fetch knew this and leaped forward, risking the athame in the hope I was too addled and injured from the glass to stop her. I wasn't. I had never let go of my weapons, and my athame was ready and waiting when she came. I plunged it into her heart and started the banishing again. Over the years, as I'd grown in power and spent so much time in the Otherworld myself, these banishings had become easier. Not easy, but easier. There was a time when I couldn't have held a fetch off with my athame while simultaneously attempting a quick banishing. But now, the power flowed through me as the fetch pulled herself off my blade. She had no time to react, attack, or flee. The magic seized her, and she disappeared before my eyes, fading into sparkles and then nothing. I didn't know the extent of the athame's damage. I might have just sent her back to die. Or, she might survive and come after me in the Otherworld as some creatures tried. I wasn't worried. My abilities stayed consistent in both worlds, but my magic was a bit stronger over there – especially in the Thorn Land. I took a deep breath of relief and stuck the weapons back in my belt as I hurried toward the front door. Jenna was sitting on the lawn, face pale with worry. She sprang up when she saw me. â€Å"What happened? Is she okay?† â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said, wiping sweat off my brow. My hand came away red with blood. â€Å"We have to find her. Does she have a basement?† â€Å"No.† Jenna followed me inside and then halted. â€Å"Oh my God †¦ your back †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's nothing. I'll deal with it later.† â€Å"At least – † She reached toward a spot between my upper arm and shoulder blade, wincing as she did. I yelped in pain and watched as she pulled away a huge piece of jagged glass. â€Å"That's bleeding †¦ really bad †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm in better shape than Regan,† I said brusquely, trying to ignore both pain and the sight of my blood all over the shard she'd taken. â€Å"No basement. Closets? Attic?† â€Å"Both.† We checked the closets with no luck, and Jenna stuck her head in the attic's tiny space. Still nothing. â€Å"Shit,† I said. I shouldn't have let the fetch go without getting Regan's location. What if Regan wasn't nearby? What if the fetch had broken habit and hidden her victim far from home? Jenna looked as defeated as I felt, then her head shot up. â€Å"The shed. There's a shed out back.† We were out the back door in a flash, jerking open the door to a little garden shed that was mercifully unlocked. There, curled up on the ground in a fetal position, was Regan. Jenna let out a strangled cry, and we both dropped to the ground. Jenna propped Regan up while I gently shook her. â€Å"Regan, Regan. Wake up. Please wake up.† For a few moments, I feared the worst. Then, Regan's eyes fluttered open, her expression frightened and confused. Her breathing came in short rasps, and she futilely tried to sit up on her own. Her failure didn't surprise me. When a fetch took over someone's life, it put its double into a sort of magic coma. It required no ropes or gags, simply leaving behind a silent and immobile victim. Regan's ability to wake up verified that the fetch was gone, but the woman had spent days without food, water, or using her muscles. â€Å"She's dehydrated,† I said. Studying Regan's state, I knew this was beyond a few glasses of water. â€Å"Let's get her to the hospital.† Jenna drove, with Regan laid out carefully across the backseat. She said little, only making the occasional moan. Meanwhile, in the passenger seat, I attempted to clean myself off with baby wipes and to pull glass bits out of my back. The blood on my face was cleaned off when we reached the ER, as was most from my body, but I didn't want to answer questions about what had happened to me. I borrowed Jenna's jean jacket, figuring the few scratches on my face weren't enough to attract attention. We told the staff that Regan had been depressed and starving herself. We went on about how we hadn't seen her for days and had only just found her tonight. Since there was no ostensible bruising or signs of binding, they took us at our word and hurried to hook her up to fluids. We'd also probably landed her in therapy, but that was of little concern now. I waited with Jenna just outside Regan's room as a nurse finished attaching the appropriate tubes and a doctor performed further examination. When they were done, they told us we could go in and that Regan would recover once her body had sustenance again. I had no intention of going with Jenna. Now that Regan was safe, my plan was to get a taxi back to my car and go home to clean up before an Otherworldly jump. Lara could bill these women later. â€Å"Wait,† said Jenna, as the doctor and nurse were about to leave. â€Å"My friend's hurt. She broke a window to get in Regan's house and got cut.† I shook my head. â€Å"No, really, I'm fine – â€Å" I shut my mouth when I followed everyone's gaze. Even I could see that the left sleeve of the jacket was soaked with blood. There was little argument to make after that. Jenna stayed with Regan, and I was ushered off to a cubicle in the ER. The nurse shut the curtain, and I took off my shirt. The doctor's eyebrows rose. â€Å"You broke a window? With what, your entire body?† He called for another nurse, who began assisting the other with glass removal and sanitizing. â€Å"I threw a rock,† I said. â€Å"It didn't make a very big hole, but I didn't have time to make it bigger. I just had to get to Regan.† â€Å"Noble,† said the doctor, whose attention was on the larger shoulder gash. â€Å"If stupid.† Someone with a better understanding of physics might have realized my injuries didn't quite line up with what I'd get crawling through a jagged hole in a window. Fortunately, this group's talents were elsewhere. The myriad scratches and cuts were dealt with by bandages and painful antiseptics. The big cut required a fair number of stitches. I was restless the whole time, wanting only to get back and see what had happened to Dorian. The medical staff was thorough in its work, however. I decided I should just be grateful that they were letting me go and not forcing a longer stay. I was the walking wounded, in bad shape but not in life-threatening danger. â€Å"Here,† said the doctor, just before letting me go. He scrawled out a prescription and handed it to me, along with reams of paper on wound care and cleaning. â€Å"Antibiotics. Get it filled tonight.† â€Å"I will,† I said glibly. He gave me a warning look. â€Å"I mean it. I know your type. You think you're invincible, but any of that could get infected. Get the prescription. Clean and change the bandages on the cuts.† He was right that I thought I was invincible. I'd had stitches and wounds before, my gentry blood usually expediting the healing. But I nodded meekly, promising I'd obey. â€Å"Good,† he said, following me out to the waiting room. â€Å"Follow up with your family doctor in a week. I think your ride's over there.† â€Å"My ride †¦?† I stared around the room, freezing when I saw a familiar face. â€Å"Mom?† She'd been leaning against a wall, eyes anxiously studying everyone in the room. Spotting me, she practically ran over, staring at my bandages in alarm. I had no coat, and the tank top showed my battle wounds. â€Å"Eugenie! Are you okay? What have you done now?† For some reason, that made the doctor snort a laugh before walking away. â€Å"I'm fine,† I told her automatically. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I'm your emergency contact. And that is not fine.† I was still stunned to see her. It felt like it had been so long. Ages. â€Å"It is now,† I said dazedly. â€Å"All patched up. And I've got all this †¦ stuff.† I waved my stack of paper around. She brushed dark hair from her face, her expression both weary and distraught as we headed for her car. â€Å"It never gets easier. Not with you, not with him.† I gave her a sidelong look. â€Å"Does he know you're here?† â€Å"No,† she said, getting out her keys. â€Å"Not that it would matter if he did. Nothing could have stopped me from coming when they called me. I thought †¦ Well, I never know what to think†¦.† I couldn't look at her as I sat gingerly in the car. My eyes were filling with tears. I'd missed her so much. I'd missed her, well, momness. Lots of people cared about me, but it wasn't the same. Plus, I felt horrible, horrible that I made her worry. And because of me, Roland was out endangering himself again too. I hastily ran a hand over my eyes and turned to her as we pulled out of the parking lot. â€Å"When did you get glasses?† I asked in surprise. Delicate wire frames rested on a face very similar to mine. It was our coloring that was different. My red hair and violet eyes had come from Storm King. â€Å"A few weeks ago. They're just for night driving.† I looked away, fearing the tears would return. Glasses. Such a stupid thing. There was a time, though, when I would have known every little detail of her life. There was so much distance between us now. My churning, guilty thoughts only came to a standstill when she turned into a pharmacy a few blocks from the hospital. â€Å"Mom, no! I have to get back to my car and – â€Å" â€Å"You can go back to endangering your life again soon enough. Here, let me see those.† â€Å"It's not my usual pharmacy,† I said petulantly. She was skimming the wound care instructions. â€Å"Yes, well, I'm sure this one still has a couple bandages stashed away somewhere.† â€Å"You're such a mom.† She glanced up, a small twinkle in her eyes that reminded me of how things used to be between us. â€Å"I'm your mom.† I followed her sullenly as we waited for the prescription, and she forced me to get a basketful of gauze, bandages, and other first aid supplies. I already owned a lot of them, but she wouldn't rest easy until she actually saw them in my hands. â€Å"I really appreciate you coming,† I admitted as we waited. â€Å"It †¦ it's good to see you.† Her expression softened. â€Å"It's good to see you too, baby. I've missed you.† â€Å"I don't suppose Roland's forgiven me?† â€Å"It's more complicated than that,† she told me. â€Å"He still loves you. Really. But he's worried. And he doesn't like you being over †¦ there. Neither do I.† I averted my eyes again. I knew she didn't – and she had good reason. My conception was the result of her captivity and rape in the Otherworld. She'd spent years keeping that knowledge from me, hoping to protect me from both my heritage and the agony she believed that place caused. â€Å"Well, that's complicated too. I have to be there, Mom. I know you guys don't approve, but there are people counting on me. They're not all like you think. I can't let them down. They're †¦ they're dying because of me.† â€Å"Is there a man involved?† I considered a flippant remark, then chose honesty. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"The obvious problem aside †¦ would I like him?† I tried to picture my mom meeting Dorian and couldn't stop a small smile. â€Å"Probably not.† â€Å"Do you ever talk to Kiyo anymore?† I looked up sharply, my smile fading. â€Å"It's over with us. He let me down. You know that. This other guy †¦ he won't.† I was saved from further conversation when my name was finally called. I added the prescription to my portable hospital bag and felt grateful that my mom didn't pursue the topic of my love life anymore. I was equally grateful when she drove me back to Regan's house. It wouldn't have surprised me if she'd left me carless in Tim's care. Leaving my mom stirred conflicting feelings in me. After missing her so much, part of me just wanted to stay and gaze at her, to drink in those features I loved so much. I wanted her to hold me, to be my mom and take care of everything. And yet †¦ always, always, the Otherworld was pressing on me. I didn't have the luxury of being a little girl right now. I didn't have the luxury of being her daughter. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, giving her as careful a hug as we could manage. â€Å"Thank you for †¦ I don't know. Everything.† She held me for a few moments and then pressed a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"There's nothing to thank me for. Just be careful.† She broke from the embrace. â€Å"Do what the doctor says. And for God's sake, don't end up there again. I don't want another call.† â€Å"I'll try,† I said. This made us both smile, largely because we knew my trying to stay out of harm's way was pretty futile. â€Å"And tell Roland †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish, but she nodded. â€Å"I know.† I left her then, loading my loot into my own car and driving home. Regan didn't live too far from me, only about ten minutes. The time flew by. I had so many things to think about that when I arrived at my house, I hardly knew how I'd gotten there. Tim's car was parked out front – as was Lara's. I dragged myself out of my own self-pitying miasma, uneasily wondering what I'd find inside. Seeing the two of them naked on my kitchen table would not be cool. Instead, they were cuddled up on the living room couch, watching a movie. All seemed innocent, but some vibe made me suspect they hadn't been actually watching too much of it. I shook my head in exasperation. â€Å"How is this my life?† I muttered, setting my bag on the counter. â€Å"Did you say something?† called Tim. The living room and kitchen were mostly open to each other. He muted the film. â€Å"Nothing important.† â€Å"We figured you'd be out for the night,† he said. I was pretty sure there was an accusatory tone in his voice. I opened the cupboards, rummaging for food. I was suddenly starving. â€Å"Well, rest easy. I'll be gone soon enough, right after I get dinner.† Lara turned and peered over the couch's back. â€Å"Pop-Tarts aren't – oh my God! What happened to you?† Tim noticed my bandages now too. He didn't look as shocked as her – he saw me come home after fights a lot – but worry had replaced his snark. â€Å"What have you been doing?† â€Å"Earning the mortgage.† I put two blueberry Pop-Tarts in the toaster. â€Å"Isn't that what you told me to do?† â€Å"Jesus, Eug. I didn't – â€Å" â€Å"Forget it,† I told him. â€Å"Everything's fine. But you're going to have to send a bill to Jenna Benson, Lara. I wasn't able to collect.† Lara nodded without a word, still aghast at seeing what my real life looked like. I poured some water and choked down one of the antibiotics while waiting for the Pop-Tarts. As soon as they were done, I retreated to my room, eating quickly as I threw together an overnight bag. While I was packing, my eyes lingered on a half-finished puzzle on my desk. I sighed. How long ago had I started that one? A month ago? I loved jigsaw puzzles. I used to do one a night. I was almost finished packing – I even included the first aid supplies, thanks to some residual mom-guilt – when the temperature dropped. An unsettling yet familiar presence filled the room, and soon Volusian appeared before me. I nearly dropped the bag. â€Å"Mistress,† he said with a mock bow. â€Å"I've come to report on the battle.†