The Commerce Bank Cherry Hill

Introduction The Commerce Bank Cherry Hill is a New Jersey training centre at Commerce University, with Deborah Jacovelli being the dean of the university who observed that there were many innovative methods for energizing the company’s employees that had been developed. For example, people wore Halloween costumes and embellished their cubicles, which was not a usual behavior initially for the bank staff.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on The Commerce Bank Cherry Hill specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The commerce bank was founded by Hill in 1973 and there very high expectations from all people that he would make it an exceptional bank. He reasoned that the bank should not be just like any other financial institution. He initiated a society bank with only $1.5 million in Southern New Jersey and since had developed it, without acquisitions, into Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. Additionally, he created a retail business that had outlets, and operating from 7.30am-8.00pm during the week while Saturdays and Sundays have modified hours. The company had come up with a ’10-minute rule’ which demanded that the branches be opened 10 minutes earlier and 10 minutes after the normal closing hours. The SWOT of Commerce Bank Strengths These refer to the strong points of the company; some of the highlighted strengths include the following. Customer care -There is excellent customer care service whereby making them happy is the bank’s top priority. In addition, there are ways of strengthening customers relationship that were put in place by Jacovelli and her co-workers which consisted of an internal system of incentives and cultural training. Moreover, awards, commendations, and compensation were accorded. According to Commerce Chairman and CEO, Vermon, delivering above customers expectations was their core objective. Retail Experience – According to Hill, retail ope rations pay off much better than the banking sector as exhibited by the escalating stock price at commerce bank since 1990. Although many other banks have tried to push away customers out of the branch since it is the high-delivery channel, the commerce bank decided to retain them. Other banks wanted to push their clients online, but commerce bank rejected.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the contrary, commerce bank gives customers the best of every channel knowing that they are going to utilize them all. While the big banks attitude sees customers as a liability or cost, commerce bank sees them as revenue generators, it does all it can to retain them. Good infrastructure – commerce bank provided good service infrastructure like ATMs, call centers, branches and internet. The payment mode was facilitated through electronic transfers and cheques, which made the who le process much easier and faster. In addition, Commerce bank offered deposit and loan products, which earned them more income from the accrued interest. Moreover, the bank provided a wide scope of checking accounts, which were differentiated from others by offering minimum balance required to avoid charges, checks that attracted no fees and overdraft protection. Moreover, almost all the banks were automated such that they had call-centers operating 24/7 as well as a Voice Response Unit (VRU). More development was reached when internet banking was invented in 2002, thus increasing operations. Growth – There was increase in both deposits and loans between 1998 and 2001 of over 20%. In the year, the bank loaned more than 90% of its deposit in 2001, which was an exceptional achievement as most of the larger organizations achieved above average growth through mergers and acquisitions. Primarily, the company grew through two important phases i.e. cross selling of customers’ products and growth towards fee revenue or non-interest income. Hill embraced very unique ways of attracting customers like investing back on the customers from the returns gained after offering their services unlike other banks that focused on developing themselves; to commerce bank, the customers were key. Additionally, the employees were also put into consideration as the management always ensured they were enthusiastic.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on The Commerce Bank Cherry Hill specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Weakness Despite having strength in various operation units, the bank is never devoid of weaknesses that need to be improved upon. First, the bank is embracing a wrong method of ‘cross-selling’ its products. Comparably, most of the other institutions recovered a much higher return than the average of 1.5-2.5 products that was gained by the commerce bank. Second, the Commercial bank l acked a good criterion of distinguishing the services to be provided to customers depending on individual customer’s profitability. This led to very poor outcome concerning customer satisfaction where only the customers from the smaller credit unions got satisfied by the service provided. As a result, the bank lost up to a third of its potential customers on yearly basis due to attrition. Indeed, the largest documented decline or destruction of active customers occurred in the first year of the bank’s operations, which saw up to 34 percent leave the company out of dissatisfaction with steep fees and sudden fees, poor service and mistakes. Most of these customers left because of limited bank branches while others were attracted to better services provided elsewhere. Opportunities These refer to good prospects or chances that are available for the firm in the near future, which are yet to be tapped. Incentives and training – There were several ways of ensuring tha t the customers were always satisfied. For example, when most operations of the bank became automated, the bank strongly advertised the advantages of using these self-service channels, gave monetary rewards for adopting these channels while penalizing those who continued using the expensive channels like being attended to by a teller. Indeed, these automated services promised better, faster and more convenient services.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The bank provided an opportunity for growth to its employees by offering in-house training. Some of the training entailed bank’s specific policies and procedures as well as deposit and loan accounts features. The bank’s potential market is very promising given that there are quite a number of potential customers that are yet to be provided with banking services. In order to ensure this is achieved, the bank upped its customer service to attract more customers as well as retain the existing ones. For example, the bank introduced free gifts to customers whenever they opened account, which encouraged them to return, in addition to offering many forms of entertainment thus creating more opportunity for personal growth. Threats These refer to the dangers, risks, or limitations that are at hand or are likely to be experienced. One of the threats the bank may be facing is that, with New York being the highest over-banked state, the commerce bank faced a tough competition to b e able to cause a positive impact to the country. For instance, commerce bank pumped in the largest amount of money on advertisement way above the other banks during its establishment. Hill purposed not to join the other companies that cut their cost of expenses through mergers and acquisitions but rather start from the scratch, which must have been a great challenge to keep up on top of the others. The bank therefore took a long period to achieve its goals. In terms of competition, it was discovered that some competitors imitated the Commerce Bank’s extra service features like weekend and evening hours. Conclusion The Commerce Bank has achieved a lot during the time it has been in existence. In analyzing the bank through SWOT, it has been established that the bank has strengths in customer care, delivery channels, infrastructure, and human resources. However, the bank is weak in cross selling and differentiation of products. In the external environment, the bank sees opportu nity in expansion, as there is a large untapped market; however, the bank is threatened by stiff competition to an extent that there is imitation of its strategies by competitors. This article on The Commerce Bank Cherry Hill was written and submitted by user Eli Reyes 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.

Humans And The Built Environment Example

Humans And The Built Environment Example Humans And The Built Environment – Coursework Example Human and Built Environment Built environment shapes our everyday activity. Whatever we do hinges on the built environment. Individual use twitter and Facebook to communicate and convey information of interest. The built environment describes the surroundings created for humans, by humans, and to be utilized for human activities. People use Facebook on a daily to post pictures, connect with friends and even advertise. Each person in the crowd (built environment) does so for a purpose known to himself and appearance and dressing judge fit each particular setting.The article, The Man of the Crowd’ by Edgar Allan Poe illustrates the impacts of the built environment to humans on everyday activities. The man in the Crowd is amused at D Coffee-House in London. For instance, people are busy using the street heading to their respective places and bothers what other do. People attend the Hotel for entertainment and eating food. People move to building to perform their jobs and clerks a re noted in the firms dressed in coats with watches. Gamblers wore a range of dress to execute their duties. Pick pockets showcase dashing appearance and infested cities. Jew peddlers had hawk eyes dressed to showcase abject humility. Street beggars scowled upon mendicant. The Man of the Crowd describes showcase how each and every individual within the crowd (built environment) matches a specific environment based on appearance and dressing. Traders, hawker, clerks, pick pockets and gambles are within the built environment and are concerned with daily activities. No one seem concerned with what others do. Every group in the crowd uses specific built environment setting to undertake his activity. Work Citedhttp://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/eapoe/bl-eapoe-man.htm Poe, Edgar A. The Man of the Crowd. North Charleston, SC: BookSurge LLC, 2004. Print.

U.S. Real Estate Market - Commercial & Residential Market Essay

U.S. Real Estate Market - Commercial & Residential Market - Essay Example The Florida real estate market may be turning for the better. According to MLS.com, as of November 2009, the median sales price $145,800 was an increase of .09% from the previous month and an overall increase of 8.0% from the previous 6 months. Although this news sounds refreshing, the real estate market is still down 6.5% for the year. The best and worst performing zip codes measures which zip codes in Florida have had either the best or worst previous month based on their median home sales prices. The best zip codes for November 2009 were 33805, 34601, 33547, 34652, and 32720 while the worst were 33916, 33705, 32819, 33607, and 33830. (MLS.com) In 2008 the Florida population demographics consisted of 18,328,340 people with a median income of $47,804. Of this population, 12.1% live below the poverty rate. According to Florida State University Leroy Collins Institute, Florida had 82.5 million visitors in 2008 which is slightly down from 84.5 million in 2007 and 83.9 million in 2006. Of its 20 post-secondary schools, Florida universities had a total enrollment of 298,866 people enrolled. Now is the time to buy. Real estate prices are at an all time low with numerous foreclosures in every state. Foreclosures in certain cities are selling for as low as 20 cent on the dollar. In order to calculate potential profit yield, it is necessary to know what’s the market value for an arms-length transactions in that specific market area. This can be determined by having an appraisal done. It is best to have a real estate appraisal performed prior to the purchase of any property whether it is a foreclosure or an arms-length transaction. By having an appraisal performed prior to the purchase, an investor or potential home owner can ensure that the purchase price is similar to that which houses are selling for in the condition and under the terms of the purchase. Once an investor/potential home owner knows what the distressed

Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin - Research Paper Example This story was written at a time when interracial relationships were not accepted by the society. When Armand noticed that the baby has African-American blood, he instantly came to his own conclusion of Desiree’s family heritage. The story ends with a deserving lesson for Armand. Desiree who was abandoned at birth was adopted by the Valmondes. She later on gets married to Armand Aubigny. Initially they have a happy married life. They seemed to be a devoted couple and then eventually Desiree gives birth to a son. When Madame Valmonde came to see the child, she found something unusual about him but was soon relieved when Desiree exclaimed how proud Armand was of his son. When the baby was three months old, Desiree and Armand realise that the skin colour of the baby is similar to that of a quadroon boy which means he has the blood of African-American. Since the family background of Desiree was not known, Armand immediately came to the conclusion that she has mixed blood. An instant change crept within Armand as he began to mistreat his slaves and also distanced himself from his wife and son and â€Å"when he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out†. When Armand refused to listen to the denials of Desi ree, she was requested by Madame Valmonde to return to the Valmonde estate. Even Armand insisted Desiree to take herself and her son away from him. Then Desiree leaves with her child and walks off into a bayou. She was never seen again. Armand then burns all belongings of Desiree and the baby including all her letters to him. Among the letters there was one letter which was written by his mother to his father and this letter revealed the fact that Armand himself was of mixed blood. (Chopin, n.d) In this story the final fate of Desiree remained ambiguous. It was not clear whether she along with her son embraced death or whether she chose to live to bring up the baby away from Armand. One author James Trotman in his book mentions about the irony in Armand’s character. His own racial heritage was not clear to him, but still he rejected his wife and son after concluding that they are not worthy of him. When his mother’s letter revealed his own black ancestry, his own views on racism becomes pathetic. Before he noticed the skin colour of the baby, he was devoted to his wife and the baby. After he realised the mixed blood status of the baby he began to believe that â€Å"Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him†. He now considered Desiree unfit to be his wife. Trotman also analyses Armand’s views on black and white women. Armand most probably had relationship with a black woman called La Blanche with whom he had a son because of the baby’s likeness to La Blanche’s son. For Armand, La Blanche was valuable only as servant and sexual partner because she was black. For him, Desiree had the right to give birth to his heir because of her white skin. When Desiree failed to meet his expectations, he discarded her with no second thoughts. All his love for her evaporated because of his own notions on racism. In a male dominated society Desiree’s life gets ruined after being abandoned by her husband. As a woman she b ecomes legally powerless because she has no right to accuse Armand. (Trotman, 2002, pp.131,132). In the end Desiree leaves with her baby and her whereabouts remain a mystery. It will be prudent to speculate that she might have settled in some other place where racial prejudice is not so much a curse. As a mother she might have thought of her son who is totally innocent and so deserves to lead a long and happy life. There is a book by Christopher Benfey which tells about the fate of Desiree. Armand becomes extremely angry on learning that his wife has borne him a mulatto child. The author without any doubt, concludes

The Launch Of The Renault Logan Marketing Essay

The Launch Of The Renault Logan Marketing Essay Introduction The launch of the Renault Logan and the subsequent events is a happening which deserves recognition from strategists all around the world. The Logan was launched to appeal to the developing nations. Renault then launched a variation of the car for the Western European. This was immensely successful in both the regions and has been a key driver in the success of the company. The Logan, a low cost car manufactured by the French auto giant Renault SA, was intended to be its world car and was developed at the Romanian subsidiary, Dacia. Meant to be sold in the emerging markets of the world, it managed to achieve success even in developed nations like France, Spain Germany. This lead Renault SA to introduce a Logan variant especially for these markets. We discuss the factors that made Renault to get into the low cost car segment. It also examines the approach of Renault to give to the developing world a car with a pre-designated sale price, various cost reduction methods. It goes on to discuss the launch of the Logan in Western Europe where the company launched a variant based on the early success of the company. We broadly look at the following issues while discussing the launch strategy: To examine the strategic reasons behind a major auto companys decision to manufacture a low cost car for developing markets. To understand the reasons behind the success of the Logan, not only in developing nations but also in the developed nations markets. To examine the strategy employed by the company while entering new markets History of Renault 1898-1918 The Renault Corporation was founded in 1899 as Socià ©tà © Renault Frà ¨res by Louis Renault and his two brothers Marcel and Frerand in Boulogne. The founder was extremely fond of cars, the most important invention in the field of transportation in that century. He invented the first direct hold gearbox while he was working on a new design for his car. He succeeded to sell the gearbox to one of his fathers friends who was really impressed by the product. After patenting the product, he set up the company with his brothers and 2 friends. He was in charge of production and development and his brothers managed the administration stuff. Renault factories started mass production in 1905 and started following Taylorisms, a method of Scientific Management to increase economic efficiency in labour intensive industries, in 1913. The first cars were bought only by the very rich people because of the price which was around ten years worth of a normal workers salary. The company thus promptly decided to diversify by getting into the production of taxis and trucks. At the same time, the brothers understood the importance of advertising and began to field Renault cars in automobile races. The First World War presented a way for the company to become the first private manufacturer in France and it became well-known due to the participation in the war effort with production of various products ranging from munitions, military planes to tanks like the FT17. 1919-1945 After the war, the company diversified into the agricultural and industrial sectors. But the competition in the automobile sector became harder because of cheaper cars being available on the market. At this time, Renault met some financial problems in a period that was hard for the social and economic environment in France. During the 1920s, the company tried to overcome these difficulties. In 1920, the first Renault concessionaire appeared. A modernization process was launched in 1929 with the installation of the first assembly line in the Billancourt factory (in the West of Paris). Moreover, the demand for cars became very large especially for small automobiles designed for private individuals. Renault did limit its frontiers to the French market but enter foreign ones like the United Kingdom and its colonies. It was also a period which saw a lot of technical improvements in Renault cars. During the Second World War and the German occupation of France, Renault produced trucks for the Germans but stopped the civil small automobiles because of the War. Louis Renault was arrested for collaboration at the end of the war and the provisional French government decided to nationalize the company in January 1945 which became the Rà ©gie Nationale des Usines Renault (the National State Control of Renault Factories). 1945-1975 With the reconstruction time after the world conflict, the company modernized its installations, built and bought new production sites. The French economy at the time was really prosperous and amongst the fastest growing at the time. Renault tried its hand at internationalization and succeeded to a degree but failed to enter the lucrative US market. Cars during this period really became indispensable for private use and thus big successes arrived with popular cars for everybody: the 4CV, and then the Dauphine, the Renault 4, the Renault 5, etc. The first premium model was born with the Renault 16 and other Renault sports cars continued to meet a lot of success in cars races in which Renault invested a lot of money. 1975-1992 The growth stage for the company went on until the beginning of the 1980s. Many new models were launched and the premium products in particular- the Renault 25 and the Espace appeared and became big ticket selling items for the company. At the same time, the Renault brand grew strongly not in a small part due to the excellent performances in the Formula 1 world- the automobile racing championships. Nevertheless, Renault encountered big losses in the 70s and the economic crises during the 1970s accentuated the problems. A drastic policy for reducing all the costs and refocusing on the core competencies was started and started paying dividends as seen in 1987 when Renault made profits again. 1992-2005 The 1990s presented new opportunities for Renault. First, an alliance with Volvo was planned but it fell through. However, the real change came with the privatization of the company in the year 1996. 3 years later, in 1999, the company signed a merger deal with Japanese car maker Nissan a deal which through cross holding saw Renault getting 44.5% ownership of Nissan and Nissan getting 15% of Renault. Formula 1 during the period saw Renault become title challengers through Fernando Alonso. This again contributed to the brand equity for Renault. The Innovations and went on with models like the Megane and the Laguna which contributed the maximum to the sales of Renault during this time. In the 2000s, the Renault-Nissan alliance has become stronger and the companies have found synergies which can only help in the alliance. The group internationalization is a big objective now and this can be seen the buyouts of Samsung Motors and Dacia. They brought over 99% of the Romanian company and this subsidiary of Renault was the one that actually brought the Logan to the market. Renaults context The New Global Strategy Renaults necessity to capture the emerging markets stems from the fact that markets in the developed nations are not growing fast enough to cater to the growth requirement of an international car company. For this very reason, the global strategy of Renault was renewed, and it was decided that the optimal one would be to strengthen their position in their natural market, meaning the European one and to enter new market with a high potential of development, meaning emerging markets. In the year 2004, Renault-Nissan was the fourth largest manufacturer in the car industry. The objective defined in the new strategy formulated in 2004 was to become the third largest company by 2010 and to achieve an increase of 30% on the number of car sold (meaning an increase of 900 000 cars). This objective meant to sell 6.5 millions of cars in 2010 instead of 5.6 in 2004, hence capture 10% of the global market. The purpose of this plan was to take Renault into the car industrys global group. They also wanted to restore the operating margin which has been deteriorating since early 2005. An international strategy needed a global vision of the market, hence defining what was common to consumers all over the world. This was Renaults strategic context that led to the launching of the Logan. The Need to enter Emerging Nations Developing a car for developing markets has become a quest within the automobile in recent years. It all began with Fiat nearly doing it with the Palio; Launching a car in this segment- modern yet affordable- in lower-income regions is an essential tool available in the hands of automotive companies for expanding the car industry on the whole. In the absence of these models, the streets of the emerging markets are full of obsolete western designs which are still in local production, or used imported cars from developed markets that have been dumped there. The dumped cars are old and invariably never adhere to environmental standards, thus making the low-cost modern cars an even better value proposition for not only environment lovers but also for people who are sensitized to the issue. These cars match up to all the environment standards set around the world thus appealing to the people living in the developing or emerging nations. Old designs can still be seen in many countries and the factories setup over 30 years back are still making the car they were initially setup to build, albeit with some minor adjustments. An example of this is the Maruti 800 in India which has been in production from 1982. Another example of the same is the 40 year-old car, the Zhiguli, a car by Russian giant AvtoVAZ. The examples given above are not really about car makers from developed nations dumping old generation products in emerging markets. This can be seen from the example of the Nissan which still makes the Tsuru, a budget-priced version of the 1980s Sentra, in Mexico. Another of Brazils top sellers, the Fiat Uno, has also been in production since at the local factory back in 1976. All these models share the same basic economic model the production line is bought and paid for; the RD costs of the models were amortised long ago. Theyre made in simple plants with low-cost labour and using local suppliers, to tolerances that would not be acceptable in the developed world. Theyre easy to maintain and spares are readily available. In a nutshell, theyre cheap. And mostly rather nasty. The trick is to replace them with something thats equally cheap but cheap and cheerful instead of cheap and nasty. Cheerful in that its safe and clean. But thats fiendishly difficult to achieve. Fiats Project 178 of 1996 was the first concerted attempt to create such a car. Fiat has substantial interests in a number of emerging markets, principally Latin America and Central Europe, but also in North Africa, South Africa, Turkey and India. Project 178 spawned a number of vehicles off a new platform Palio hatch, Siena sedan, Palio Weekend wagon and Strada pick-up. And Fiat talked the project up, predicting sales globally of close to a million units a year. In reality, it hasnt come close. So far about 3.5m units have been built including more than 2m in Brazil. But over the 10-year lifespan of the project, thats only 350,000 a year. Part of the problem was a failure to set up a meaningful alliance in China Fiat has a low-key operation with Nanjing Automobile, established in 1999, and only sells about 30,000 cars a year there. But more importantly, the Project 178 cars werent cheap enough to take over from the entry-level clunkers they were intended to replace. In Brazil, the Uno Mille soldiers on as Fiats cheapest model, with Palio positioned as something of an upmarket alternative. Brazil is an oddity among emerging markets too in that its consumers like hatchbacks. In most emerging markets, the traditional booted sedan is the carriage of choice, largely because small cars tend to carry more people on an average journey than in the west, so a separate, larger luggage compartment is preferable. The sedan version of the Palio, the Siena, is too large to be an entry model in Central Europe or India, and in these markets it is sold as a mid-range model. In India, as in Brazil, the Uno props up the range. Fiat seems to accept this its Siena/Palio replacement, codenamed D200, is due to be unveiled next month. And itll be larger than the Siena, closer in size to a Toyota Corolla, according to reports. Renault has come much closer to the holy grail with the Logan. Like Fiat, Renault has a reasonably large emerging markets footprint, which became much more appealing once it had acquired its former Communist-era partner, Romanias Dacia, which had survived the post-Ceausescu turmoil by cranking out ancient Renault 12s in a crumbling plant. Logan was created along a brief to build a car that would sell for less than EUR5,000. It involved raiding the parts bin mainly Clio, though the suspension is from the Modus and producing a simple four-door sedan to be built in Romania and other emerging markets. While the EUR5,000 target turned out to be theoretically possible, such a vehicle has never existed as the specification would have been too basic even for Romanian tastes. Logan prices start around EUR7,000, and the project has undoubtedly been a success, with more than 250,000 sold in the first 18 months of production. As well as Romania, Logan is also manufactured in Russia, where 25,000 vehicles were produced from April 2005 to May 2006, as well as Morocco and Colombia. Production will soon start at a major plant in Iran, where 250,000 units a year are targeted, followed by India in partnership with Mahindra Mahindra and Brazil in 2007. A wagon version was premiered at the Paris Show in September, and panel van and pick-up derivatives will also be built. Logan has outperformed Palio because its a bit smaller, a bit cheaper and the production is better spread. There are potentially genuine economies of scale thanks to annual volumes at full production of around 800,000 units a year. It would be an even greater success if Renault could get it into China but talks about building it in partnership with Dongfeng-Nissan stalled last year and have remained unresolved. The idea of the Logan The initial idea of the Logan came from the former CEO Louis Schwetzer, who imagined, during a trip to Moscow in 1997, an economic saloon car (Berline) for the Russian market. The Logan was one car from car manufacturers which was not a sub product of a car already in existence in the developing world. Thus the car could be designed from scratch and thus could add to its probability of success in these markets. This gave developers more flexibility right from the design phase to the actual manufacturing phase. This flexibility and ability to create the product just for the emerging nations gave Renault a big competitive advantage over competitors. They could thus follow a low cost strategy right from the very start. The  low cost strategy There are two parts in Renaults low cost strategy to ensure that the product launch is successful; firstly it lays emphasis on a specific organizational and production strategy to match the low prices thus incorporating extreme efficiency in the organization and secondly on achieving the right product positioning which is supposed to fulfil consumers needs in both developed as well as emerging countries. 1. Low cost Strategy To answer the needs of a mass market, the price of the car needs to be such that the car is accessible to everyone. The production costs will then have to be lower than for a normal car under the criterion set by Renault. But at no stage should our product not fulfil the consumers expectations, in particular concerning the safety of the car. Certain factors in cars are hygiene factors and they are a necessity no matter what the cost. This also has to be taken into account while making the final decision. As the Logan was not a product derived from some other product, the whole production process was to be adapted to the main idea underlying the concept of the car; it had to be extremely lean and efficient. We had to control the costs and thus make production less expensive and yet meet high level of expectations regarding the reliability, strength and performance of the product. Reducing the costs was a strategic phase of the project, and with this low cost approach, Renault could put on the market a car that was sold with a sub 5000 Euro price tag in emerging countries. The company also standardized its processes in all the plants across the world in order to ensure lowest possible costs. The company has taken the best practices from various companies around the world. They have incorporated concepts like Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Just in Time, etc based on the success at other firms around the world. The company is known for its logistics and follows the following principles for the same. This has been especially in practice ever since the launch of the Logan as the volumes for the company have really picked up as a result. 15,000 trucks and 26 trains are used to ship parts and cars are transported daily in around 400 wagons, 10 ships and 1,200 trucks. The transport budget totals around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 470 million for supply and another à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 725 million for vehicle distribution. 7 large function families    Logistics at Renault is divided into 7 main families covering all logistics activity, from design to project to series life apart from spare parts and accessories. They include Production Supply and Management Logistics Quality Shipment and Transport Industrial Planning and Programming Supply Chain Architecture Physical Flow Engineering Process Engineering The low cost method Renault could apply a low cost model for the production of a new car, as it had all the core competencies for it. He used the method  design to cost for the Logan, already used with the Twingo in 1992. With this method all the processes are defined regarding the feasibility of a technique and the savings it would lead to. It is a centralized method, one manager was appointed to check all the process, instead of having each business unit participating to the project. This manager had a broad decision power, and it saved time and resources. The material was chosen as per the availability of the material all over the world, as the productions sites were supposed to cater to the nearest possible consumers markets. The contractors were also chosen depending on the location of the production site. The number of components was reduced from 4000 on an average for a car to about 1400 for the Logan. Another important cost reduction was the reduction of the promotional budget (mainly in developed countries). 150 Euros is spent for one Logan, whereas the average cost of promotion is 400 Euros for one car. All these competencies are not easily imitable by Renaults competitors. 2. The Original Positioning Traditionally, consumers need for a car were analyse as opposite between developed and emerging countries. For the emerging markets, the development of a middle class is the appearance of a new market for the car industry as more and more people can afford one. Until the Logan, the consumers from this new middle class could only afford a second hand car. With the Logan, Renault is offering a new car at the same price than a second hand one, with the possibility to personalize your car with a broad choice of options. The second advantage of the Logan is the guarantee of safety as it is constructed by a well-known car constructor. Another argument for the emerging markets is the fact that it is a foreign brand. Indeed, for emerging markets consumers, it can be better for your social status to have a foreign brand car. In developing countries, the launching of the Logan was a success even if it was not meant to be launched at first in developing countries. For example in Germany, the consumers were attracted to the idea of having a popular car. In those markets, the price argument was extremely important but all the attraction of the Logan came from the fact that it could be personalized has any other car. With the Logan, Renault was able to sell a low cost car to consumers by make them forget it was a low cost car. Even if the price is the common factor in both markets, the motivations surrounding the price are different. The possibility to buy a new car is mainly linked to the social status for emerging countries consumers whereas what attracts developed countries consumers is the rationality of buying a safe new car at a low cost. Marketing strategy The originality of Renaults positioning is to have made one product and to adapt the marketing strategy to the specificity of each market. The price is the first difference between markets. A Logan is sold in France 1500 Euros more than in Romania. This difference can be explained on a strategic point of view; because Renault didnt want that the Logan became the only car sold in France by Renault. If the price had been too low, the Logan would have competed with others Renaults products. (In French it is called the cannibalism effectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ not sure if the translation exists; it is a concept in marketing) Apart from that specificity of the French market, the price is changing depending on the countries mainly because it is possible for a client to invest in options and then pay more. Sales Owing to its marketing strategy adapted to each local market, Renault intends to satisfy a maximum of different expectations and obtain an optimisation of its sales. The low cost positioning of the Logan is original because it links a low price product to a diverse offer in order to meet different consumers expectations. Emerging countries markets and their specificities In that context, an offer adapted to the revenue of the emergents countries consumers was suppose to be Renaults way to enter those markets with high growth potential. The specificities of emerging countries car market are that it is today underdeveloped, meaning that its potential growth is very high. The importance of having a product adapted to these markets for Renault was also the only way to be able to compete with the future competition coming from India and China. Launching the Logan The first production centre for the Logan was based in Romania. The car was initially sold in 16 countries Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Rep, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia,  Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Baltes countries, Moldavia, Poland). Launched the 9th of June 2005 in France, it was also sold in Germany and Spain. The decision to launch the Logan in Western Europe was a forced decision as a parallel market appeared. It was the only way for Renault to avoid competition with its others cars in Western Europe. Renault in Western Europe Renault originally did not have plans to launch Logan in Western Europe. However, the company started importing a more expensive version of the car in 2006 which was priced at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 7000. The car was a success in Western Europe contrary to the beliefs of the company. This showed the predilection of the buyers for a low cost no frills car. The car is sold under the name of Dacia Logan in the western European region. The car manufactured mainly for the developing nations in Eastern Europe was not intended to be launched in the developed markets of Western Europe. Dacia was assigned the task of developing a car which is low cost and suits the need of developing market and the success in Western Europe did come as a surprise for Renault. By 2007, over 15% of the total sales of Logan was coming from France and Germany. For people in Western Europe the looks are not that good. The Logan MCV shares the same dowdy lines as its siblings. You also dont get many features. To keep costs down, Dacia minimized the frill factor to such a low that they were almost non-existent. Nevertheless, the Logan MCV handled city streets with ease. The steering is direct. The suspension is firm but still comfortable. To deal with the often-unpaved roads of its target markets, the Logans suspension is slightly higher than other comparably sized vehicles. Like many European cars, the Logan comes with small and efficient engine options. Despite the small engine the car performed well under traffic. The major reason for the success should be attributed to the price. Compared to the others cars in the segment the price that Logan was charging were unbelievably cheap. Others cars in the segment were priced at around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 13000. The appetite for low cost cars in Western Europe is a tantalizing development and it could serve as a major point to sell more cars in the markets which are believed by most to be saturated. The low cost cars have a potential to be bought by families who want more than one car. This could also fulfill the requirement of students and the working class early into their career. The scope is wide and prospects wider. Failure of Logan in India Renault launched its low cost car Logan in India in April, 2007. The car had been hugely successful worldwide. The low cost car was conceived primarily for developing markets, but due to its huge success in Eastern Europe, Renault chose to launch it in Western Europe as well, where it turned out to be successful. Renault entered India via a joint venture with Indian automaker Mahindra Mahindra, which provide market insights and distribution reach, while the engines were to be sourced from France. During the launch, the company had projected sales of 30,000 units a year, or 2500 units per month. The actual sales in October 2009 were around 500 cars per month. The joint venture was supposed to deliver synergy and allow Renault the platform to grow its brand in India. Each partner was expected to deliver a resource which the JV could exploit. While Mahindra provided marketing and distribution, Renault brought to the table technology. However, the JV failed to deliver for the following reasons: The price point for Logan was a major problem. The petrol range starts at Rs 4.43 lakh going up to Rs 5.32 lakh and the diesel variant is priced at Rs 6.68 lakh. The competitors of Logan in the low cost segment, like Maruti Swift Dzire and Tata Indigo CS, had much more aggressive price tags, and cars like like Ford Ikon and Hyundai Accent that were available in a price bracket close to the Renault model put pressure on demand for Logan. The reason for Logan having to price higher than its other low cost competitors was the fact that 50% of Logans parts and the engine itself were sourced from France, which is higher than any other manufacturer. As a result costs went up The issue here that prevented synergy was the lack of trust between Renault and Mahindra. Renault refused to part with its technology in an attempt to retain power in the JV and it to keep open its option of having an independent future in India. Another problem that the JV faced was the rising Euro. Due to the fluctuations in currencies, the costs of the company kept going up, and it could not move to a more aggressive price point. Moreover, being just over 4 meters long, Logan was in an excise bracket higher than other low cost cars. To top it all, Renault felt that the current volumes were not large enough to justify localized supply. This showed lack of commitment towards the JV. After the JV with MM, Renault initiated talks with Bajaj for its small car and also started contacting other auto manufacturers. This strategy of having multiple partners in the same category, especially when these partners maybe competitors, is not a smart one. Due to this apparent lack of commitment from Renault, the Logan was relegated to the backstage in Mahindra outlets with no dealer push coming forth for the car. The company MM and its dealers preferred to push the Scorpio more, for obvious reasons. Therefore, the Logan entered the market with limited dealer push in spite of having one of the strongest distribution networks in India. There was very little by way of branding done for the Logan. After the initial launch campaign, there was precious little brand building. The JV tried to drive growth by discount ads, provided primarily by local dealers. As a result Logan never became a strong brand in India. This lack of customer pull, coupled with the lack of retailer push mentioned above ensured that the brand Logan never really took off in India. Moreover, news about the rocky relationship between the partners kept consumers away from the car due to uncertainty about service in the future. Lessons from the failure We can derive many lessons from the unexpected failure of the Logan in the Indian market. It teaches us how to derive value from a resource like a JV. Both partners must be committed to the joint venture for it to succeed. Renault was in talks with other manufacturers, as a result Mahindra did not take the JV seriously. This led to low retailer push, bad press and low investment in marketing activities. In its attempt to grow too quickly Renault actually jeopardized its existing brand. The partners have to share a degree of trust. The JV sourced about 50% of the parts and the engine from France. This would not have been the case if Renault could have trusted MM with its technology. Even though that would have given greater power to MM, it would have ensured a successful take-off for the Logan. Renault could have built its power in the JV by gradually developing its own distribution network over a period of a few years. However, in its rush to grow quickly it jeopardized a very good product. Renault could also have signaled its commitment and trust by building manufacturing facilities in India, but refrained from doing so.

Storm Born Chapter Twelve

I finally worked up the courage to see my mom and Roland a few days later. Tim had left for the day, but he'd apparently baked this morning. A plate of almond poppy seed muffins sat on the kitchen table, and I grabbed two for the road. My ability to think clearly had improved with some rest, but my anger and pain hadn't really faded. I still felt betrayed and not just by Wil. If anything, I could forgive him more easily than anyone else. He had not fostered a years-long secret. His actions had been open and desperate. They had not been so insidious as Kiyo's, my mom's, and Roland's. When I arrived at the house, I didn't bother knocking. The front door was open, and I pushed inside, slamming it loudly behind me. â€Å"Genie?† I heard my mom call. â€Å"Is that you?† I walked across the wood floor, my shoes echoing in the foyer. Mom and Roland sat at the kitchen table, eating lunch. Bread and cold cuts were laid out, along with assorted condiments. It looked so normal. So peaceful and innocent. My mom half-rose when she saw me. â€Å"Thank God you're back safe. I've been so – what's the matter?† I loved these people so much, but seeing them increased my fury, maybe because I did love them so much. For a moment, I couldn't get the words out. I just stared at them, looking from face to face. â€Å"Eugenie?† she asked tentatively. â€Å"Who's my father?† I demanded of her. â€Å"Was I born in the Otherworld?† I saw her go pale, her dark eyes widening in fear. In an instant, Roland was up beside her. â€Å"Eugenie, listen – † The look on his face spoke legions. â€Å"Jesus. It really is true.† I saw him open his mouth to protest, but then he thought better of it. â€Å"How did you find out?† Honesty, at least. â€Å"It's all over the Otherworld. Everyone knows. I'm apparently next in line for world domination.† â€Å"That's not true,† he said. â€Å"Forget about it. You aren't like them.† â€Å"But I am one of them, right? At least half?† â€Å"By blood only. Everything else†¦well, for all intents and purposes, you're human. You have nothing to do with them.† â€Å"Except killing and banishing them. How could you set me up for that†¦if I'm†¦?† One of them, I wanted to finish. But I couldn't get the words out. â€Å"Because you have a talent for it. One we need. You know what they can do.† â€Å"Yes. And you've made sure I do, telling me all the horror stories growing up. But there's a hell of a lot more than that. They're weird, yes, but not all evil.† My mother suddenly joined the conversation, eyes wild and frantic. â€Å"Yes! They are! You don't know what you're talking about. When did you have this revelation? A day ago? A week ago? I lived with them for three years, Eugenie. Three years.† Her voice dropped to a whisper. â€Å"Three years, and I never once encountered a decent one. No one who would help me. No one who would keep me from Tirigan.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Storm King,† said Roland. â€Å"That's his name. Was his name.† â€Å"They say you saved her from him.† He nodded. â€Å"I was there chasing down a kelpie when I heard rumors of a captured human woman. I went to investigate and found her and you. You were a baby. I slipped you both out of there and hid you.† â€Å"But Dorian†¦someone I met†¦said Storm King came looking for us.† â€Å"He did. And he found you.† I frowned. From what Dorian had said, I should have been a young teenager then. â€Å"I don't remember that.† Roland nodded again. â€Å"Once close enough, he could reach out and call to you. He summoned you to him. By the time I tracked you down, you were out in the desert, very near a crossroads. You'd walked miles to get to him.† â€Å"I don't remember that,† I repeated. In some ways, what Roland told me now was crazier than what I'd learned at Aeson's. â€Å"His magic spoke to yours. He wanted to take you back with him, and you fought against him. You were struck by lightning in the process.† â€Å"Wait, I know I'd remember that.† â€Å"No. I hypnotized you and repressed it. I killed him, but your magic had still been awakened. After seeing what I'd seen, I was afraid you couldn't control it – that it would control you instead.† â€Å"I don't have any magic. Not gentry magic anyway.† â€Å"Not that you know of. It's hidden away. I made you forget. After that, I started teaching you the craft in the hope of protecting you. I didn't know if others would follow him or if someone else could reawaken you or summon you. I needed to give you the tools you'd need for defense.† He suddenly looked tired. â€Å"I never realized how well you'd take to them.† I felt as tired as he looked, despite all the sleep. I pulled up one of the chairs and sat; they continued to stand. So I had met Storm King. I had answered his summons. And I had been struck by lightning? That was interesting, because in a lot of cultures, shamans are called to their art through some traumatic event. Lightning strikes are actually common ones. Many of the local Indian shamans – already skeptical of the plethora of New Age white shamans – did not consider me authentic since I'd had no such profound initiation. Turns out I had. Score one for me. â€Å"You made me forget. You got inside my head, and you made me forget. All this time†¦both of you have known and never told me.† â€Å"We wanted to protect you,† he said. â€Å"And what then? Did you think I'd never find out?† The heat rose in my voice again. â€Å"I had to hear it from gentry. I would have rather heard it from you.† My mother closed her eyes, and one tear trailed down her cheek. Roland regarded me calmly. â€Å"In hindsight, yes, that would have been better. But we never thought it would actually come out.† â€Å"It's out,† I said bitterly. â€Å"Everyone knows it. And now everyone wants a piece of this prophecy – and of me.† â€Å"What prophecy?† I told them. When I finished, my mother sat down and buried her face in her hands, crying softly. I could hear her murmuring, â€Å"It'll happen to her. It'll happen to her too.† Roland rested a hand on her shoulder. â€Å"Don't put much stock in gentry prophecies. They come out with a new one every day.† â€Å"Doesn't matter, if they believe it. They're still going to come after me.† â€Å"You should stay with us. I'll help protect you.† I stood up, glancing at my mother. No way would I expose her to more gentry. â€Å"No. This is my problem. Besides, don't take this too badly† – I felt myself start to choke up – â€Å"but I don't really want to see you guys for a while. I guess you meant well, but†¦I need to†¦I don't know. I need to think.† â€Å"Eugenie – † I saw raw pain on his face. My mom's sobs grew louder. I stood up, averting my eyes from both of them. Suddenly, I couldn't stay here anymore. â€Å"I've got to go.† Roland was still calling after me when I practically ran out of the house. But I needed to get away, or I'd say something stupid. I didn't want to hurt them, even though I probably had. But they'd hurt me too, and we all needed to deal with that. While opening my car door, I looked up and saw a red fox watching me from the same spot as last time. I strode toward him, close but not too close. â€Å"Go away!† I shouted. He stared at me, unmoving. â€Å"I mean it. I'm not speaking to you. You're as bad as the rest of them.† He lay down, resting his chin on crossed paws while he continued to regard me solemnly. â€Å"I don't care how cute you are, okay? I'm through with you.† A woman working in her yard next door gave me an uneasy look. I turned my back on the fox, got in the car, and drove home. Yet, as I did, I couldn't help but feel relieved Kiyo had survived. I honestly hadn't known if he would. Strong and vicious he might be, but Aeson had been slinging fire at him. The question was, had Kiyo merely escaped? Or had he managed to kill the king? What had happened to Jasmine? Tim still wasn't back when I got home. I decided then I didn't want to leave my house that day or make any pretense of productivity. I wanted to hit the sauna, put on pajamas, and then watch bad TV while eating Milky Ways. It seemed like a pretty solid plan, and I set out to make it happen. Twenty minutes later, I sat immersed in hot steam, draped in humidity. Heat was great for loosening muscles, although that only made me realize how much I'd hurt them. At least I'd made it out alive. That was the real miracle, considering what a disaster last night had turned into. I didn't want to think much about it or about Mom and Roland, but it was hard not to. Part of me still believed – still hoped – that all of this was a mistake. After all, wasn't it just everyone's say-so? Of course, somehow I doubted my parents would make all that up. But really. Where was the DNA test? The photographic evidence? I had nothing tangible. Nothing I could see and believe. Except my own memories. The memories Roland had covered up for me. Hypnotism wasn't uncommon in our line of work. It was just another state of unconsciousness. Shamans who served as religious leaders and healers used similar techniques on their followers and patients to heal the body and mind. Roland and I, as â€Å"freelance shamans,† didn't really have much need for it. Our contact with the spirit world often became more physical and direct. But I had done some healings and soul retrievals, so I knew the basics. Leaning my head against the wall, I closed my eyes and thought about the tattoo of Selene on my back. She was my earthly connection, the grounding of my body and soul and mind in this world. I focused on her image and what she represented and then slowly altered my state of mind. Rather than slipping out to another plane, I crossed inward, back into the far reaches of myself and the parts of me buried in my unconscious. It probably didn't take long, but in that state, it was painstakingly slow. I browsed through pieces of me, both memories and hidden truths alike. All the things that made me Eugenie Markham. I concentrated on lightning, hoping it would snag my attention. Surely a lightning strike couldn't be buried forever. There. A faint tug. I dove in after it, trying to grasp it and the memory it linked to. It was difficult. The image was slippery, like trying to hold on to a fish. Each time I thought I had it, it wriggled away. Roland had done a good job. Steeling myself, I fought against the layers, clawing and fighting until – I woke up in bed. But it wasn't the bed in my house. It was a different bed, a smaller bed covered in a pink comforter. The bed of my childhood. I lay in it, staring up at a ceiling covered in plastic stars just like the one I had as an adult. It was the middle of the night, and I couldn't sleep. I'd been an insomniac then, just as now. This time, however, it was different. Something other than my churning mind was keeping me awake. Somewhere, outside, I could hear a voice calling me. No, not a voice exactly, but it was a pull. A pull I couldn't shut out. Climbing out of bed, I slipped my feet into dirty sneakers and put a light jacket on over my pajamas. In the hallway, the door to Mom and Roland's room was closed. I moved past as quietly as possible, down the stairs and then out the door. Outside, the air was still warm. It was high summer. Earlier temperatures had been in the 100s; even now, they had dropped only to the 80s. I walked down the quiet street of our neighborhood, past all the familiar cars and houses. With each step, the call grew louder. I followed, my feet moving on their own. The call led me away from our street, our subdivision, and even the small suburb we lived in. I traveled off of main roads, moving onto trails I'd never known existed. Then, after almost two hours, I stopped. I didn't know where I was. The desert, obviously, because that and the mountains were all that surrounded Tucson. The foothills were larger than at home, so I must have gone north. Otherwise, there were no distinguishing features. Prickly pears and saguaros spread out around me in quiet watchfulness. Suddenly, I felt the air around me charge. There was a presence with me. A person. I turned and saw a man standing and watching me, far taller than my twelve-year-old self. His features were indistinct; I could not make them out no matter how hard I tried. He was only a dark shape, crackling with power. â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I took three steps back, but he held his hand out to me. â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook off the thrall that had brought me out here. Desperately, I realized I had to get away as quickly as I could. But I no longer knew the way back. The trails I'd followed were a blur. So, I backed up farther, but he kept coming, beckoning to me. My feet stumbled, and I fell. Still facing him, I tried to get up, but he stood over me now. In his indistinct features, I could make out a crown on his head, glittering silver and purple. â€Å"Come,† he said, extending his arm to help me up. â€Å"It's time to go.† I was trapped. Helpless and trapped and out of options. I had never felt so desperate in my young life. It terrified me. I decided then and there that if I survived this, I would make sure I could never be helpless again. His hand touched my shoulder, and I screamed. As I did, some part of me reached out beyond my body and grasped the power lying around us – I blinked. Steam swirled around me in the sauna, and I felt lightheaded. I'd been in there too long; it was a wonder I hadn't passed out. Standing up, I had to grip the wall for support and close my eyes. My heart raced from the vision, the vision that finally convinced me all of this was true. I knew – knew with absolute certainty – that the dark man had been Storm King, my father. I could feel it within me. In my soul. Overcome, I sat back down, needing a few more moments to consider all this and get my bearings. Yet, the longer I sat there, the more I began to despair. Storm King really was my father. And as for the rest of my life†¦well, things were bad. And they were only going to get worse. Every horny gentry wanted to knock me up; the rest probably still wanted to kill me. I'd never have a moment of peace again. Minutes passed as I ruminated on all this, falling deeper and deeper into depression – as well as exhaustion. I felt fatigued, too apathetic to care about any of it now. What was the point? I had snubbed my parents today. I'd let Jasmine Delaney down. I had nothing to look forward to ever again except a life of fighting and running. And really, why should I even bother fighting anymore? Nothing mattered. It was hopeless. I should just cross over to the Otherworld and give myself up. At least it'd stop the agony of – I opened my eyes and sat bolt upright. What was wrong with me? Things were grim, but this†¦this wasn't natural. I blinked rapidly, trying to gain focus as I took deep breaths. There it was. I could feel it. A thick, unseen darkness wrapping itself around me. It touched me, crawling along my skin. It was trying to drag me down, to suck away all of my energy. All of my hope. Standing up, no longer dizzy, I pulled my robe off its hook and put it on. Slowly, I opened the door of the sauna and stuck my head out. I saw nothing too disconcerting, but that bleak feeling continued to swirl around me. The light almost seemed dimmer, darker than it should be for late afternoon. I squinted, trying to break the illusion, for that's what it was. Stepping completely out of the sauna, I tried to assess the source. The sauna was in the center of my house. Turn left to go to the kitchen and living room, right toward the bathroom and bedrooms. My weapons were in my bedroom; that was where I wanted to be. But if the thing was in the front of the house, I didn't want to turn my back on it. At last, I compromised by putting my back up to the hall's wall and sliding down it toward my bedroom. The distance wasn't far, but when you had to inch your way there, it felt like miles. Creeping, I passed Tim's closed bedroom door, grateful he wasn't here. He knew about my shamanic adventures, but that didn't mean I wanted him exposed to them. Next came the bathroom. Yeah, the only bathroom. The thing about cute little houses was the â€Å"little† part. I loved everything else about this place, but next time, I'd make sure my house had at least as many bathrooms as occupants. Tim and I had gotten into some nasty rumbles when – A hand reached out for me from within the dark bathroom, but I saw it coming out of my periphery. I ducked and slid across the hall as he lumbered out. A Gray Man. That had been one of my top three culprits for the negativity zone my house had become. Gray Men cast an aura of despair around them, feeding off physical energy and positive feelings. This one was, well, gray, of course. Other than that, he looked more or less human-shaped, with dark eyes and scraggly white hair. He was even dressed, which I took as a plus since other monsters and sometimes elemental gentry often came over in loincloths or nothing at all, depending on their strength. Considering what everyone wanted to do to me, I was pretty happy about keeping genitalia covered up. I tried to scramble toward my bedroom, but his long arm reached out and grabbed me by the hair. I yelled out as he dragged me toward him, pressing me to his body. At least he didn't say anything suggestive; Gray Men were apparently strong, silent types. But the way he grappled with my robe left little to the imagination about what he wanted to do. Struggling in his strong grasp, I tried to break free but mostly managed to loosen my robe more. Swearing, I decided if I couldn't get away, then I'd at least delay his amorous actions. My knee jutted up in one hard motion, hitting him in the groin. His hold on me loosened, and he groaned as one hand instinctively reached down between his legs. I broke away from him, still trying to make for my bedroom. Deciding he could ignore the pain, he lunged toward me, just stopping me from getting to my bedroom doorway. Gripping me by both shoulders, he shoved me up against the wall so that I faced it. Using that hard surface as a constraint, he held me with one arm against it while his other finished pulling off the robe. I felt his tongue lick my neck, but the truly disgusting nature of that couldn't really permeate me. I was in survival mode now. I struggled against him, hoping to make it difficult for him to get his own pants off. Being pinned liked this gave me fewer options for escape. Moving my hands against the wall, I groped around for something – anything – I could use as a weapon. Then my fingers brushed over a small decorative mirror that had been my grandmother's. It wasn't very big, but its frame was shaped like a sun – with sharp, pointed metal rays. Not only that, they were silver rays. Grabbing it from the wall, I held it in my left hand, not my dominant hand, but the hand I wore my amethyst ring on. The amethyst could cut through magic and glamour and also focus my own intentions. It wasn't as good as a wand, but it had to do. Concentrating on the stone, I let my will pour into it. The stone amplified my energy and then sent it into the silver frame. In as fluid a motion as I could manage in my confined state, I swung the mirror back, driving it into any flesh I could find. The Gray Man screamed, and I smelled something burning. He released me, and I turned around, not wasting any time, though I uneasily realized I'd dumped more energy into that silver than I should have been capable of. The mirror had stuck in his side and was smoking. It wouldn't kill him, but having it lodged in there was pretty serious. He reached out toward it with hesitant fingers, knowing he had to touch it to pull it out. I sprinted to my bedroom. He was only seconds behind me, but it was all I needed to arm myself in my bedroom. He came running in after me, but this time I was on the offensive. I used the silver athame to draw the death symbol on his chest, eliciting a tortured scream from him. Iron was the bane of gentry, but for whatever other reasons, silver hurt anything else Otherworldly. I didn't know why, but I didn't question it either. Especially when it had just proven so handy. Hurt or no, he pushed me backward. I landed on my bed, head hitting with a crack against the wall. It slowed me, but I had already started connecting beyond this world. I reached out, touched the world of death, and sent that connection through the wand. It leapt out at the Gray Man, sucking him in. He fought it, thrashing as though physical action might fight the pull. It couldn't. A moment later, he vanished. Almost immediately, the spell of despair in my house disappeared. It was like emerging from underwater. I could breathe again. I let my body slump and relax. I wanted to lean my head against the wall but knew that wouldn't feel too good after the hard blow I'd just sustained. A loud sound cracked out from the front of my house, like the door being kicked open. I jerked up, adrenaline going a second round as I heard footsteps pounding down the hall. I was reaching for the gun when a familiar voice yelled, â€Å"Eugenie?† Relaxing – only slightly – I watched as Kiyo burst into my room.

Benefits of Internet and Social Media to Students Essay

Internet and social media is student best friend. They provide needed materials within a short span of time. They allow interactions among student to be easy and convenient. Most of the times are when students get required information from the internet and this helps them in their studies. Since plagiarism is not allowed in their work, there is online plagiarism checker which verifies zero percentage plagiarism before the work is forwarded for marking. Internet benefits are more than its demerits, although parents and guardians are always opposed to the idea of their children being exposed to internet materials, it reaches a point where they cannot control it anymore. Being in college exposes one to various mediums of communication. One of them is the internet social media. It is efficient and reliable, onset of social groups such as Facebook and twitter helps students to interact with their fellow friends. see more:social topics for speech Education is also passed through these media; there has been a lot of idea exchange in the internet today. Almost everything can be confirmed in the internet regardless to its sensitivity and significance, plagiarism software are also available in the internet today. They help reduce cases of copying directly from the internet. Important education matters can also be passed from one student to another; this is usually very fast as compared to word of mouth or other written documents. Internet provides leisure activities to the students, they engage in games and other plays that help them relax their minds. This is one way of ensuring academic progress among student in universities and colleges. There is also online learning which have been adopted by many students and colleges, it’s a convenient way of studying and hence it has been embraced by many students with positive attitude. Despite internet being misused by few individuals, its benefits cannot be measured to any other data source. Its effective and reliable way of obtaining information.