Venus in fur

I sat next toccata Saunders parents, and to see how proud they were through out the show was a special thing to be a part of. Sonata for Cello and Plano by Claude Debussy, the first piece was Jazzy, then romantic, then mysterious. It really set the tone for the rest of the concert. The first piece really showed a lot of variety In the tones and tempos of the song. And it was so interesting to listen to because I never knew what was going to happen next. The second piece was a solo, and it was so inspirational. Cantor 1 & 2 for solo cello, by Morals Noble.Jacob was breathing hard, playing an overwhelming amount of notes all so fast. You could really see the passion in his face, and his entire body language. He is such a professional and advanced performer who clearly has a very bright future in his music career. This musical number was also one that threw curve balls at me, because of the continually changing tempo and tones from romantic to suspenseful. All the pieces were long in du ration, and that really impressed me because it's clear that they put in so much effort and time with practicing, and then performing perfectly.Music is a really powerful thing, and it was the most clear how much passion he has for what he does, and that's what makes a great musician. His vibrato was impressive to watch, and it made me wish I had played cello longer. After intermission, Beets came back, which I was glad about because I love the sound of the cello and piano together; it's absolutely beautiful. This piece was called Fretters for Cello and Piano by Arbor Part. The song was slow and quiet and It sounded familiar to me.The notes had so much flow, and the two performers vided so well together; always on the same page. There was such a good build on the song, and was really moving. The short amount of time the musicians have to change their page of music is so amazing to me, because It seems critical that they don't mess up. And they TLD. Very professional. The last piece was my favorite because It was so beautiful. Sonata In C Major, pop. 119 by Serge Profile. It made me feel so fancy and classy. The whole show was romantic, but the last piece really stood out to my on the romance level.When the show was over, I was really happy that I had chosen this concert to attend, because it need up being my favorite. Venus in fur By Joyfully was great. White Christmas lights, and the position of the instruments made me feel like I was at a classy coffee shop in France. The cello and piano were the first instruments I ever learned how to play, and I went with a friend who plays the cello currently, so we both had a great appreciation for the show. I sat next to Jacob special thing to be a part of. Sonata for Cello and Piano by Claude Debussy, the first the concert.The first piece really showed a lot of variety in the tones and tempos of he song, and it was so interesting to listen to because I never knew what was going Fretters for Cello and Piano by Arbor Par t. The song was slow and quiet and it sounded together; always on the same page. There was such a good build on the song, and page of music is so amazing to me, because it seems critical that they don't mess up†¦ And they didn't. Very professional. The last piece was my favorite because it was so beautiful. Sonata in C Major, pop. 119 by Sergei Profile. It made me feel so fancy and classy.

Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 15

15. Head in the Clouds and Vice Versa TOMMY It was the words that brought Tommy back. For a week with the clutter of vampire cats, and for several weeks before, while trapped inside the bronze statue, the words had left Tommy. His mind had gone feral, as had his body after he escaped. For the first time since Jody had turned him, he turned to his instincts, and they had led him to the huge, shaved vampire cat Chet and his vampire progeny. Running with them he learned to use his vampire senses, had learned to be a hunter, and with them, he took blood prey for the first time: mice, rats, cats, dogs, and, yes, people. Chet was the alpha animal of the pack, Tommy the beta male, but Tommy was quickly reaching a level of where he would be a challenge to Chet's position. Ironically, it was Chet who led him back to the words, which led him back to his sanity. In the cloud, merged with the other animals, he felt what they felt, knew what they knew, and Chet knew words, put words to concepts and experiences the way a human did, the very thing that had kept Tommy from being able to turn to mist in the first place. As a human, with grammar hardwired into his brain, he put a word to everything, and as a writer, if he couldn't put a word to an experience it had no value for him. But to become mist, you simply had to BE. Words got in the way. They separated you from the condition. Feline Chet had not been a creature of words, as his kitty brain was not wired to file that kind of information, but as a vampire, a vampire sired by the prime vampire, his brain had changed, and concepts carried words for him now. As the cloud of hunters was streaming under the door to attack the Emperor (toward the smell of dog and recognition, for Chet had known the Emperor in life) the word â€Å"dog† fired across Chet's kitty mind, and in turn across the minds of all of the hunters, but for Tommy, it was transformational, as words, meaningless to the cats, cascaded across his mind, bringing with them memories, personality, identity. He materialized out of the cloud in the dark storeroom, where he could see the Emperor in heat signature, huddled in a corner, holding his knife at the ready. Even if the room had been light, Tommy moved so quickly it would have been hard for the Emperor to see what was happening. The vampire scooped up the old man, stuffed him into the barrel, crimped on the lid with a grip that crushed the metal edges, then placed the barrel so the weight would rest on the lid. Instinct and experience told Tommy that the hunters wouldn't find enough space inside to materialize as a whole, so even though the barrel was not air tight, the Emperor would be safe as long as the lid remained intact. There wasn't enough room in there, literally, to swing a cat, and that would save the old man. Tommy melted back into the cloud and moved out of the room, trying to will the concept of danger to the rest of the hunters, putting an image to Chet's word â€Å"dog† that the kitty minds would recognize, and slowly, the vampire cloud, its various tendrils having tested the room for prey and finding none accessible, snaked back under the door and away to look for blood that wasn't sealed so tight or smelled quite so dangerous. They streamed up the elevator shaft, through the building, and out onto the street, where a few cats and Tommy solidified and dropped out of the cloud. Tommy, self-conscious now, looked around, realizing that he was naked. Everything he'd experienced from the time he'd been released from the bronze shell was a sensory blur in his memory, now that he was thinking in words again. But he remembered the Emperor, who had been one of the first people he'd met in the City, and who had been kind to him; had in fact gotten him his job at the Safeway, where he'd met Jody. Jody. Both words and instinct overwhelmed him at the thought of her, memories of joy and pain as pure as the hunter state of mind. He searched in a whirlwind of words and images for a way to contain her. Jody. Need. That was the word. He'd need clothes and language to move in the world where he'd find Jody. He didn't know why he knew that, but he knew it. But first he needed to feed. He loped down the sidewalk after the hunter-cloud, tuned again for prey, and for the first time in weeks, the word blood lit up in his brain. The words brought him back. THE NOTORIOUS FOO DOG â€Å"Your car's all fucked up,† explained Cavuto. â€Å"I know,† said Stephen â€Å"Foo Dog† Wong. He stood aside and the two policemen walked by him into the loft. â€Å"Your jackets are done.† â€Å"Your apartment's all fucked up, too,† observed Cavuto, looking at the plywood fastened across the front of the loft where the windows used to be. â€Å"And full of rats,† added Rivera. â€Å"Dead rats,† said Cavuto, shaking one of the plastic boxes with the lid taped on. The rat inside rolled around like-well-like a dead rat. â€Å"They're not dead,† said Jared. â€Å"It's daytime. They're undead.† Jared wore a SCULL-FUCK SYMPHONY band T-shirt, over skin-tight black girl's jeans, with flesh-colored ACE elastic bandages running from midcalf to the midsole of his black Chuck Taylors. His Mohawk had been lacquered into magenta Statue of Liberty spikes. Cavuto looked at him and shook his head. â€Å"Kid, even in the gay community there are limits to tolerance.† â€Å"I hurt my ankles,† whined Jared. Foo nodded. â€Å"We've had a few rough days.† â€Å"I gathered,† said Rivera. â€Å"Where's your creepy girlfriend?† â€Å"She's not creepy,† said Jared. â€Å"She's complex.† â€Å"Home,† said Foo. â€Å"As was agreed in her black covenant with you,† said Jared, as ominously as he could manage. â€Å"Did you get an English accent all of a sudden?† asked Cavuto. â€Å"He does that when he wants to sound more Gothic,† said Foo. He was trying to stand in front of the ruins of the bronze statue of Jody and Tommy, but since it was twice his size, he only drew attention to it. Rivera pulled a pen from his jacket and ran it over the sawed edges of the bronze shell and pulled it back with the red-brown clot on it. â€Å"Mr. Wong, what the hell happened here?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Jared, without an English accent. Foo looked from one inspector to the other, hoping they would see how hopelessly smarter he was than them, and give up, but they wouldn't look away. They just kept looking at him like he was in trouble. He went to the futon that served as their couch, pushed a bunch of boxes of undead rats to the floor, sat down, and cradled his face in his hands. â€Å"I thought I'd found some kind of scientific bonanza, a new species, a new way for a species to reproduce-hell, maybe I have, but everything's so out of control. The fucking magic!† Rivera and Cavuto moved to the middle of the room, and stood over Foo. Rivera reached down and squeezed his shoulder. â€Å"Focus, Stephen. What happened here? Why is there blood all over that statue?† â€Å"They were in there. Tommy and Jody. Abby and I had them bronzed when they were out during the day.† â€Å"Then they never left town like you said?† asked Cavuto. â€Å"No, they had been in there all the time. Abby said that it wouldn't be bad for them, that when they were in mist form it was like they were dreaming. Mist form! What the hell is that? It's not possible.† â€Å"And you felt bad so you cut them out?† said Rivera. â€Å"No, Jared let Jody out.† â€Å"Totally by accident,† said Jared. â€Å"She was kind of a bitch about it, too.† Foo explained about Jared releasing Jody, Abby and Jody releasing Tommy, Jody throwing Tommy through the windows, and Tommy running off into the night, naked. â€Å"So he's out there,† Foo said. â€Å"They're both out there.† â€Å"We know,† said Cavuto. â€Å"You do?† Foo looked up for the first time. â€Å"You knew?† â€Å"She was seen at the Fairmont Hotel, and we found bags of blood in a room there. We'll find her. But the Emperor saw Tommy Flood, naked, sleeping with all the vampire cats. He said that the one cat, Chet, isn't really a cat anymore. Explain that, science boy.† Foo nodded. â€Å"I figured something like that might happen. The rats are smarter.† â€Å"That helps,† said Cavuto. â€Å"No, what I've found is that the vampire blood carries characteristics of the host species. The further from the prime vampire, the old vampire that turned Jody, or that's who we think is the prime vampire, the less change takes place. Abby said that Chet was turned by the prime vampire, so he's picking up human characteristics. He's going to be stronger, bigger, smarter than any of the cat vampires. He's turning into something new.† â€Å"Something new?† â€Å"Yeah. We found it with the rats. The first ones I turned from Jody's blood are smarter than the ones I turned from those rats' blood. Each generation away from her is less and less intelligent. I mean, we haven't had time to really test them, but in just the amount of time it takes them to learn the mazes, it's clear that the innate intelligence is higher in those closer to the human vampire sire. And they're stronger, because Jody was only one generation from the prime vampire. I thought I'd figured an algorithm that described it, but then they all turned to mist and merged and fucked up everything.† â€Å"Sure,† said Cavuto, â€Å"we'll nod and act like we have some idea of what you're talking about until you tell us what the hell you're actually talking about.† Foo got up and waved for them to follow him into the bedroom. There was a plywood maze that covered the entire bed, with small blue LEDs dimly lighting every intersection. A sheet of Plexiglas covered the top. â€Å"The UV LEDs are to keep them from turning to mist and escaping the maze,† Foo said. â€Å"It's not enough to hurt them, just keep them solid.† â€Å"Oh good, a toy city,† said Cavuto. â€Å"We have time for this.† Foo ignored him. â€Å"The rats who were turned from Jody's blood learned the maze more quickly, and remembered it faster than the ones turned from rat blood. It was consistent, until they all got loose and merged into a single cloud. After that, they all knew the maze, even if we had never put them in it.† Rivera bent down and pretended to be examining the maze. â€Å"What are you saying, Stephen?† â€Å"I think that they share a consciousness when they are together in mist form. What one knows, the others know. After they had merged, they all knew the maze.† Rivera looked at Cavuto and raised his eyebrows. â€Å"The Emperor thought that Tommy Flood was in the same cloud as the vampire cats.† â€Å"We're fucked,† said Cavuto. Rivera looked at Foo for confirmation. â€Å"Are we fucked?† Foo shrugged, â€Å"Well, from what I could tell, Tommy wasn't really that bright.† Rivera nodded. â€Å"Uh-huh, and if your girlfriend didn't have a crush on him, would we be fucked?† Foo flinched a little, then recovered. â€Å"I think they'd be limited by the brain capacity of the species, so the vampire cats would be still be cats, but they'd be very smart. Chet, on the other hand-â€Å" â€Å"We're fucked,† said Cavuto. â€Å"Say it.† â€Å"Scientifically speaking, yes,† said Jared, who stood in the doorway of the bedroom. â€Å"How do we stop them?† asked Rivera. â€Å"Sunlight. UV light will do it,† said Foo. â€Å"You have to find them while they're dormant or they'll just run away. They're not invulnerable to physical damage. If they're dismembered or decapitated it will kill them.† â€Å"You did experiments on that?† asked Cavuto. Foo shook his head. â€Å"We had some accidents when we were trying to get them back in their cages, but I'm basing that hypothesis on Abby's description of the swordsman who showed up in the street.† â€Å"He sounds badass,† said Jared. â€Å"Did you find him?† Cavuto took Jared by a hair spike, steered him into the corner, faced him there, then turned back to Foo. â€Å"So, these jackets you made us, they'll take them out?† â€Å"If you're close enough. I'd say they're lethal to about twelve feet. I suppose I can rig something higher intensity, like a high-capacity UV laser flashlight. You could cut them down from a distance with something like that.† â€Å"Light sabers!† said Jared, his voice going up. He hopped around in excitement, then winced at the pain in his ankles. â€Å"Ouch.† â€Å"That's it,† said Cavuto. â€Å"You're too much of a nerd to be gay. I'm contacting the committee. They'll revoke your rainbow flag and you will not be permitted anywhere near the parade.† â€Å"There's a committee?† â€Å"No,† said Rivera. â€Å"He's fucking with you.† Rivera turned back to Foo. â€Å"What about something that will work on a wider basis-like a vaccine or something?† Foo thought for a second. â€Å"Sure, what is it, Tuesday? I'm curing Ebola in the morning, but I can work on your vampire vaccine after lunch.† Rivera smiled. â€Å"People are dying, Steve. Lots of people. And the only people who have a chance to stop it are in this room.† â€Å"Not you,† Cavuto said to Jared. â€Å"Bitch,† Jared replied. â€Å"I'll work on it,† said Foo. â€Å"But it's not as bad as you think it is.† â€Å"Brighten our day, kid,† said Cavuto. â€Å"They can't all handle it. Four out of every ten animals that are turned vampire don't survive to the second night. They either just break down on the spot-sort of decay from the inside, or they go crazy-it's like the heightened senses overwhelm them and they just have sort of a seizure that scrambles their brains and they end up with no survival instincts. They don't feed or hide from the light. The first sunrise after they're turned burns them up. It's like accelerated evolution, taking out the weak the very first day.† â€Å"So you're telling me what?† â€Å"The cat cloud won't grow exponentially. And the only way it will pass to other species is if they bite their attacker during the attack and ingest vampire blood-that's why you haven't had any more human vampires.† â€Å"Then why no dog vampires?† asked Cavuto. â€Å"I'm guessing the cats tear them apart before they change,† said Foo. â€Å"I'm not a behavioral guy, but I'd guess there's no brotherhood among vampires. If you're a vampire cat, you're essentially still a cat. If you're a vampire dog, you're still a dog.† â€Å"Except for Chet,† said Rivera. â€Å"Who is kind of a cat plus something else.† â€Å"Well, there are anomalies,† said Foo. â€Å"I told you, this is very fuzzy science. I don't like it.† Rivera's phone chirped and he flipped it open and looked at the screen. â€Å"The Animals,† he said. â€Å"And?† asked Cavuto. â€Å"They're at a butcher shop in Chinatown. They say they have a way to kill the vampires but they can't find them.† â€Å"We can take them Marvin. Tell them we're on the way.† Rivera held the phone like it was a foul dead thing. â€Å"I don't know how.† Foo snatched the phone out of Rivera's hand, nine-keyed a message, hit SEND, and handed it back. â€Å"There, you're on the way. I thought you said the only people who could fix this were in this room.† â€Å"They are, and now they're leaving.† â€Å"Don't forget your sun jackets,† said Jared. â€Å"We charged the batteries and everything. Do you think you'll be able to turn them on, or should I come along to help?† â€Å"He's a kid.† Rivera grabbed Cavuto's arm. â€Å"You can't hit him.† â€Å"That's it, kid. You're out of the tribe. If I hear you've touched a penis, even your own, I'm sending you to butch lesbian jail.† â€Å"They have that?† Rivera looked past his partner at Jared and nodded, slowly, seriously. KATUSUMI OKATA The burned-up white girl was not healing very quickly and Okata was running out of blood. All he seemed to do was watch her, sketch her, and squeeze his blood into her mouth. While her red hair had returned, and most of the ash had flaked away to reveal white skin underneath, she was still wraith-thin, and she only seemed to breathe two or three times an hour. During the day, she didn't breathe at all, and he thought that she might be dead forever. She had not opened her eyes, and had made no sound except a low moan when he was feeding her, which subsided as soon as he stopped. He was not feeling well himself, and on the second day he became light-headed and passed out on the mat beside her. If she did come alive as a demon, he'd be too weak to defend himself and she would drain the last drops of his life. Strangely, he was not okay with that. He needed to eat and recover and she needed more blood. â€Å"We will have to find a balance,† he said to the white girl in Japanese. He had been talking to her more lately, and found that he no longer flinched at the sound of his voice inside the little apartment that had been without a human voice for so long. A balance. When it was light and she had been still for an hour, he locked up his little apartment, took his sword, and walked into Chinatown, feeling ashamed of the little, old-man steps he was taking because he had become so weak. Perhaps he would actually go into a restaurant and have some tea and noodles, sit until his strength returned. Then he would find a better way to feed the burned-up white girl. He only spoke a dozen words of Cantonese, despite having lived near Chinatown for forty years. They were the same dozen words he spoke in English. He told his students at the dojo it was because Bushido and the Japanese language were inseparable, but in fact, it was because he was stubborn and didn't really like talking to people. His words were: hello, good-bye, yes, no, please, thank you, okay, sorry, and suck my dick. He made it a rule, however, to only say the last three in junction with please and/or thank you, and had only broken that rule once, when a thug in the Tenderloin tried to take his sword and Okata forgot to say please before fracturing the man's skull with the sheathed katana. Sorry, he'd said. It had been over a week since Okata had been to the dojo in Japantown. His students would think he was testing them, and when the time came to face them, he would say through his translator that they should learn to sit. Should learn patience. Should anticipate nothing. Anticipation was desire and didn't the Buddha teach that desire was the cause of all suffering? Then he would proceed to trounce each and every one of them with the bamboo shinai as an object lesson in suffering. Thank you. He didn't care much for prepared Chinese food, but Japantown was too far to walk, and Japanese food in his neighborhood was too expensive. But noodles are noodles. He'd eat just enough to get his strength back, then he would buy a fish, maybe some beef to help replace his blood, and take them home and prepare them. After he slurped down three bowls of soba and drank a pot of green tea at a restaurant named Soup, he made his way to the butcher. Near the old man who sat on a milk crate playing a Gaohu, a two-string, upright fiddle that approximated the sound of someone hurting a cat, the swordsman passed two policemen, who had paused as if considering whether they should give money to the old fiddler or whether it might not be better for everyone if they just Tased him. They smiled and nodded to Okata and he smiled back. They were mildly amused by the little man in the too-short plaid slacks, fluorescent orange socks, and an orange porkpie hat, who they had seen walking the City since they were boys. It never occurred to them that he was anything but an eccentric street person, or that the walking stick with which he measured his easy strolls, wasn't a walking stick at all. It took considerable pointing and pantomime to get the Chinese butcher to understand that he wanted to buy blood, but once he did, Okata was surprised to find out not only was it available, but it was available in flavors: pig, chicken, cow, and turtle. Turtle? Not for his burned-up white girl. How dare the butcher even suggest such a thing? She would have beef, and maybe a quart or two of pig, because Okata remembered reading once that human flesh was called â€Å"long pig† by Pacific island cannibals, so pig blood might be more to her liking. The butcher taped the lids on eight, one-quart plastic containers containing all the nonturtle blood he had, then carefully stacked them in a shopping bag and handed them to a woman at the cash register. Okata paid her the amount on the register, picked up the bag, and was pocketing the change when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned. No one there. Then he looked down: a tiny Chinese grandmother dressed in thug-wear that made her look vaguely like a hip-hop Yoda. She said something to him in Cantonese, then said something to the butcher, then to the woman behind the counter, who pointed at the shopping bag, then she said something else to Okata. Then she put a hand on his shopping bag. â€Å"Thank you,† Okata said in Cantonese. He bowed slightly. She didn't move. Being confronted by a Chinese grandmother while shopping in Chinatown was not unusual. In fact, more than once he'd had to push through a dog pile of Sino-matrons to simply buy a decent cabbage, but this one seemed to want what Okata had clearly already purchased. He smiled, bowed again, just slightly, said, â€Å"Good-bye,† and tried to push past her. She stepped in front of him, and he noticed, as he should have before, that a whole group of young men stepped in behind her; seven of them, Anglo, Hispanic, black, and Chinese, they all looked slightly stoned, but no less determined. The old lady barked something at him in Cantonese and tried to grab his bag. Then the young men behind her stepped up. THE ANIMALS â€Å"Have you been washed in the blood?† said Clint, the born-again ex-heroin addict to the detectives as they entered the butcher shop. He grinned over his shoulder. Clint was splattered head to toe with blood. Everyone in the shop was splattered with blood except the two uniform cops, who were trying to keep the three groups-the customers, the butchers, and the Animals-separated. They had the Animals lined up opposite the counter, facing the wall, their hands restrained with zip ties. â€Å"Inspector, these guys say they're supposed to meet you here,† said the younger of the uniforms, a gaunt, Hispanic guy named Muà ±ez. Rivera shook his head. â€Å"He started it,† said Lash Jefferson. â€Å"We were just minding our own business, and he rolled up on us all badass.† Rivera looked at the Asian officer, John Tan, who he'd worked with before when investigating a murder in Chinatown and had needed a translator. â€Å"What happened?† Tan shook his head and pushed his hat back on his head with the end of his riot baton. â€Å"Nobody's hurt. It's beef and pig blood. The butcher says these guys attacked a little old Japanese man, a regular customer, because he had bought the last of the beef blood.† â€Å"We needed it for bait,† said Lash. â€Å"You know, Inspector, like beer for slugs.† He winked. â€Å"You attacked an old man because he bought the last cow blood?† asked Cavuto. â€Å"He attacked us,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"We were just defending ourselves.† â€Å"He had a sword,† said Drew, who turned back around quickly. Officer Tan rolled his eyes at Rivera. â€Å"The butcher says the old man had a stick of some kind. He used it to defend himself.† â€Å"Just because he didn't draw it out of the scabbard doesn't meant it wasn't a sword,† said Jeff, the tall, blond jock. â€Å"It was a battle of honor,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"One little old guy with a stick, seven of you?† said Rivera. â€Å"Honor?† â€Å"He told my grandma to suck his dick,† said Troy. â€Å"Still,† said Cavuto. â€Å"But she said okay,† Troy said. â€Å"That shit is just wrong,† said Lash. Grandma, who was standing with the other outraged, blood-splattered customers across the butcher shop, fired off a volley of Cantonese at the policemen. Rivera looked to Officer Tan for translation. â€Å"She says she misunderstood what he was saying because his accent was so bad.† â€Å"Don't care,† said Rivera. â€Å"Where's the guy with the alleged stick?† â€Å"He ran out before we got here,† said Tan. â€Å"We called in backup, but we put the responding unit on finding the victim, when these guys didn't resist.† â€Å"Resistance is futile,† said Clint in a robot voice. â€Å"I thought you were Christian,† said Cavuto. â€Å"What, I can't love Jesus and Star Trek?† â€Å"Oh for fuck's sake. Rivera, let's just arrest these morons and-â€Å" Rivera held up his hand for silence. â€Å"Officer Tan, I'm afraid I do need them. You have their names if the stick guy shows up and wants to press charges. Have all those people leave their names with the butcher. These guys will pay for their dry cleaning.† â€Å"Yes, sir,† said Tan. â€Å"They're all yours. You want me to clip the restraints?† â€Å"Nope,† said Rivera. â€Å"Come along, boys.† He led the Animals, their hands cuffed behind their backs, out of the butcher shop and into the flow of the Stockton Street sidewalk-a river of people. â€Å"You'd better bring Troy Lee's grandma,† said Lash, rolling to the side as a vendor with a handtruck full of crates bumped by. â€Å"Yeah, Grandma has a secret weapon,† blurted out Troy Lee. â€Å"I heard,† said Cavuto. Jeff, the tall jock, said, â€Å"Hey, did anyone wonder why a little old Japanese guy would need eight quarts of animal blood?†

Plastic – Boon or Bane

Did you know the very first plastics were produced by German chemists in the 19th century via a fermentation processes. Plastics are everywhere! Plastics are â€Å"one of the greatest innovations of the millennium. The fact that plastic is lightweight, does not rust or rot, helps lower transportation costs and conserves natural resources is the reason for which plastic has gained this much popularity. Plastics are everywhere and have innumerable uses! Plastics are durable, lightweight, and reusable. Also, the are used in packaging many goods. Did you know that if the Titanic was made of plastic, it might still be cruising around the world? Below, I will discuss some of the countless number of ways that plastics change your life:Plastic has replaced metals and glass as the primary material used.Used in pillows and mattresses (cellular polyurethane or polyester)Used in cars and hi-tech computersThey provide good insulation for the wiring and are durable in extreme weather conditions.They provide as a good non-reactive medium as water pipes.They are light weight and colourful.Safe for children when they are food grade plastics.Ordinary plastics cause health hazards to humans when eaten in them. Handy as disposable bags, carry bags, wrapping paper, etc. â€Å"Plastic has benefited our society in a number of ways. In fact, plastic has helped in advancements in satellites, shuttles, aircraft, and missiles. As a result, civilian air travel has improved, as well as military air power and space exploration. In addition, the building and construction, electronics, packaging, and transportation industries have all benefited grea tly from plastic. † Did you know that researches are trying to make a television (made of plastic) that will roll up in your living room? Plastic – Health and Environmental Hazards Although plastic has many positive influences in everyday lives, there have been instances when plastics have posed some health and environmental hazards. Most plastics do not pose any health or environmental hazards, but some monomers that are used in manufacturing plastics, have been proved to cause cancer. Even though recycling continues to reuse plastics, most plastics do not rot and cannot be reused. Unfortunately, this has become an environmental problem: Where will the plastic be disposed? But, many researchers hope to find a solution to this dilemma in the future. When every plastic can be broken down, plastic will truly become the most useful product! Plastic – BaneNon biodegradable.Obstruct underground water percolation.Microbes cannot destroy them.Produce harmful gases when burnt.Plastic bags thrown into the open drains and sewers clog them and cause stagnation of water, which in turn poses health hazardsDisposable syringes, drip bottles, blood and urine bags and other medical accessories when disposed off in an irresponsible manner, cause a lot of serious health problems.Animals sometimes feed on plastics and die painfully as plastic chokes their digestive and respiratory tracts. What we can do: Avoid using plastic bags for shopping. Avoid disposing plastic bags with organic wastes. Avoid using plastic chairs and tables. Plastic is made of crude oil. So lesser usage of plastic saves the crude oil. Plastic from Plants: Is It an Environmental Boon or Bane? Plant-based plastics are beginning to replace petroleum. But as the price drops and usage rises, will the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Facts:-More than 2. billion plastic bottles partially made from plants * PlantBottle from the Coca-Cola Co. is made by converting sugars from sugarcane farmed in Brazil into the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) * Most importantly from Coke's point of view, none of the six other major varieties of plant-based plastic can keep the carbonation from leaking out.PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA Plastic waste is recycled in India in an â€Å"unorganized† way. 60% of the plastic-waste collected and segregated gets recycled back into materials for further processing into consumer products, while the balance is left unutilized. Regulations and legislations are being enforced in two States of India viz. Haryana and Himachal pradesh, while a National Plastic Waste Management Council Task Force has been set up by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment of Forests, with the association of Department of Petroleum and Chemicals, Ministry of Urban Affairs, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and various groups/associations of plastic manufacturers. Scope is there for the recycling/management of plastic waste, as an `organised activity’ in India Municipal solid waste in India contain 1-4 per cent by weight of plastic waste. India’s rate of recycling of plastic waste is the highest (60%) in the world as compared to other countries (China 10%, Europe 7%, Japan 12%, South Africa 16%, USA 10%). As a source of hazard to environment, plastic account for 16% of chlorine in the environment and have 54 carcinogens, polythene bags for disposal if burnt irresponsibly releases highly toxic gases like phosgene, carbon monoxide, chlorine, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, besides deadly dioxin. Polymers are gradually replacing natural materials like metal, timber and fibres and thereby conserving the natural environment. Polymers are now finding diversified uses through blends and alloys and giving higher standards of performance and life cycles to various products. Plastics waste forms a wide range. Predominantly it is film packaging and polythene carry bags, followed by blow moulded containers, and broken and discarded moulded items. POLICY MEASURES IN INDIA Various policy measures are being taken to check the nuisance caused by plastic waste in India, through there is no definite policy and legislation ramed in respect of mitigating the plastic waste in the country. These are – Regulations and legislation: (a) Until recently there has been no definite environmental policy and legislation framed in respect of plastic waste in India. The plastics waste gets generated, collected, traded, and reprocessed by known methods into useful products, thereby supplementing supply3 of raw materials, and at economic price. However, a HP Non-biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1995, has been introduced by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The Act appropriately envisages prohibition of throwing or depositing plastic articles in public places and to facilitate the collection through garbage in identifiable and marked garbage receptacles for non-biodegradables, placed at convenient places. Haryana State has announced a Bill (1997) on Non-biodegradable Garbage on similar lines as that of Himachal Pradesh. The National Plastics Waste Management Task Force of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, has recommended a strategy and action programme of Plastics Waste Management in India. b) Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India have issued criteria for labeling `plastic products’ as `Environmental Friendly’ under its `Ecomark’ Scheme, in association with the Bureau of Indian Standards. One of the requirements for plastic products, is that the material used for packaging shall be recyclable or biodegradable. (c) The Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi (BIS) has issued guidelines on recycling of plastics waste including code of practices for collection, sorting through conventional practices continue to be adopted and accepted, need has been voiced to upgrade these, both by the authorities and NGOs. However, while formulating Indian standard specifications for various plastic products, used for critical applications like plastic piping system, water-storage tanks, packaging for food articles, a clause is included which reads â€Å"no recycled plastics waste shall be used†. An exercise has also been carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Forest in association with Bureau of Indian Standards to include use of recycled plastic waste wherever appropriate in the manufacture of plastic products and this should be specified accordingly in the relevant Indian Specifications. (d) The Prevention of Food Adulteration Department of the Government of India, has issued directives to various catering establishments to use only food-grade plastics, while selling or serving food items. Rules have specified use of `foodgrade’ plastic, which meets certain essential requirements and is considered safe, when in contact with food. The intention is to check possible contamination, and to avert the danger from use of recycled plastic. The Scheme announced in February, 1995 is being implemented in cooperation with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) which has formulated a series of standards on this subject. The Bureau of Indian Standards Sub-committee PCD 12. 17 is charged with formulating guidelines, codes and specifications for recycling of plastics. Two documents, viz. , â€Å"Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics â€Å" and `Recycled Plastics for Manufacture of Products, Designation’ have been finalised. (e) The Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi had assigned a study on â€Å"Status of Waste Plastics Recycling in NCR Delhi† to Shri Ram Institute for Industrial Research Delhi. Among the conclusions of this study, the following deserve particular mention: – There is need to formulate and enforce code of good practice both for the processor and the consumer. In particular, standards need to be laid down for products from various plastics waste including the co-mingled one. – Directives should be imposed for a periodic air quality and health/hygienic check in the reprocessing units. (f) During September 1996, (and earlier during September, 1994) a National Conference on `Plastics and Environment’ was organised at New Delhi, by FICCI and Plast India Foundation. It was during the Conference that the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India announced the setting up of National Plastics Waste Management Task Force, with representations of Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Urban Affairs, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Plast India Foundation, The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association, All India Federation of Plastics Industry, NOCIL, IPCL, and experts from BMTPC, FICCI and CII. The Task Force has submitted its report (August 1997) and drawn Strategy and Action Programmed for Plastics Waste Management in India. (g) A National Association of PET industry has recently been formed by PET manufacturers and users in India which is expected to look after the organized collection and recycling of PET bottles/containers waste. CONCLUSION Plastic Waste Management has assumed great significance in view of the urbanization activities. Plastic waste generated by the polymer manufacturers at the production, extrusion, quality control ; lab. Testing etc. , stages, as well as, by the consumers require urgent disposal and recycling to avoid health hazards. Various strategies are being devised to mitigate the impact of plastic waste in India. Banning plastic bags oversteps the role of government The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4-3 on Oct. 4 to authorize an environmental impact report on the possible effects of banning plastic grocery bags in the city. The study is the next step in the council’s ill-advised crusade to eradicate single-use plastic grocery bags from within city limits and impose a fee of 10 cents per bag on shoppers who opt for paper bags from merchants. The proposed ban would be unwise, invasive and overreaching public policy because it attempts to use the coercive means of government to alter behavior and because it imposes a new fee on shoppers in Huntington Beach — the equivalent of a new tax. Residents of Surf City should be offended. Technically non-partisan Mayor Joe Carchio and council members Don Hansen and Matthew Harper voted against the proposal; all three are Republican, though the council is technically nonpartisan. Council members Connie Boardman, Keith Bohr, Joe Shaw and Devin Dwyer voted to move forward with authorizing the EIR. We find it peculiar that Mr. Dwyer would vote for such a policy, given that he describes himself as a conservative Republican. The council selected Rincon Consulting to conduct the study, which will cost nearly $30,000. The city will front the money for the report, but it is to be eventually borne by local environmental groups. The city will also pay an additional $10,000 in printing and copying costs for the study. Legislating personal behavior This second vote brings the council closer to making a bag ban a reality. But before proceeding, council members supporting the proposed ordinance ought to reconsider and ponder several questions: Is there sufficient evidence to suggest plastic bags actually have a significant impact on the environment compared with socalled reusable bags? Is it the role of the local city council to legislate personal behaviors and purchasing choices? Is it fiscally prudent to impose a paper-bag fee on residents? The Huntington Beach council majority is pursuing a reckless policy that will have a negative economic impact on the community and be a blow to the individual liberties of residents. Voters ought to reach out to City Hall, and, if that does not work, hold the council members who support the bag ban accountable at the ballot box.

Cooperative Bank A Case of Corporate Restructuring Essay

Cooperative Bank A Case of Corporate Restructuring - Essay Example The paper tells that troubles that may threaten the very existence of an organization can affect all types of organizations, irrespective of size, brand name or type of industry. Some companies that experience extreme difficulties usually seek to apply for insolvency. A larger percentage of companies in the world at the moment are facing strategic issues, liquidity issues and outcome issues. Before an organization applies for insolvency, it usually passes through the three crisis stages. The first is the strategy crisis in which the company is unable to meet its strategic goals or attain long-term success potential. The second stage is the decline of the company’s market share in its respective index. Finally, if the company fails to implement the required corrective actions, its profitability goals will not be met and the company sinks into an earning crisis. In an impending disaster is identified in a timely manner, corrective actions can be undertaken to ensure the company stays afloat. Corporate restricting can also take place due to a change in the ownership structure, demerger or a reaction to company troubles or major business changes such as a buyout. The main purpose of restructuring management is to ensure that a given company under crisis survives in the short term and to reclaim the company’s competitiveness. Corporate restructuring, mainly relies on the zero-sum game. The process of restructuring decreases financial losses and in the process lowering tensions between debt and equity holders in order to jump start a fast resolution of a troubled situation.

Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) in China - Essay Example al or economic mediation has caused other nations, chiefly the ones in Asia Pacific region, to go abroad on preferential trading agreements, thereby, causing consideration from the World Trade Organization regarding the propagation of prejudiced trade agreements (Jiang, 2008). Hence, we will discuss China’s two-pronged free trade agreements, thereby, discussing their ramifications for the World Trade Organization. Moreover, the centralization will totally be on the Chinese viewpoints regarding the association between FTAs and the World Trade Organizations. Also, we will discuss about China’s impetus behind its vigorousness in FTAs and its approach to the negotiations of the same, along with the local roots of China’s FTA strategies. The ramifications of FTAs in China for the World Trade Organizations are inclusive of whether China has discarded mutualism for bilateralism for the sake of its global trade cooperation, whether it anticipates the facilitation of trad e liberalization under the World Trade Organization by means of Free Trade Agreements, or whether China has been attempting to maintain its FTAs acquiescent with the rules and regulations of World Trade Organization (Jiang, 2008). One of the most striking developments in foreign relations maintained by China and the Asian financial system in current times is that China, being a developing economy, is vigorously shoving for free trade agreements or FTAs in Asia and the world (Shulong, 2006). In a matter of few years, it is hooked with proposing and incorporating in the free trade agreement talks and discussions with various countries. China has signed a fundamental agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, thereby,

Applied economic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Applied economic - Assignment Example Given that model 2 is the correct model, the Gauss-Markov theorem tells me that the model’s ordinary least square estimators are the best estimators under classical linear regression models. This implies that the coefficients are the best for the model and the R2 is the highest that the model can attain (Wooldridge 102). Suppose a test was conducted on the hypothesis at 15 percent level of confidence and a p-value of 0.119 obtained, the test result would mean that no significant relationship exist. This is because for a two tailed test, implied by the alternative hypothesis that ÃŽ ²1≠ -3, then the confidence level for the test is 0.075. The p-value is therefore greater that the confidence level and this means that the null hypothesis is not rejected. Conducting the test 10 percent level could change the conclusion on significance. This is because of the associated increment in confidence interval that could extend to cover the critical value. Assuming that Ram (2009) is correct in his model in which openness is a significant factor to government’s expenditure, then expected value of error term in the model that omitted the openness variable cannot be zero and the expression is not valid. This is because of effects openness that was factored in the error term and meant that what was perceived to be the error term was not error but effects of an unidentified variable. Even though both models leads to rejection of the null hypothesis, the greater absolute t-statistic from model two offers better evidence for rejecting the null hypothesis because it would ensure rejection of the null hypothesis at a greater level of precision than would model 1. The greater absolute value of the statistic in model two explains this because greater statistic than a reference value implies significance. Suppose population is added to model 1, then

Financial Accounting Week 4- Individual Work Assignment

Financial Accounting Week 4- Individual Work - Assignment Example If the solvency ratios reveal a higher turn, then the business is worth to be given loan because it is in a position to meet its obligations. On the other hand, the liquidity ratios show that the business can easily convert its assets to meet its obligations. The following ratios will be used to test the business credibility for the loan. The working capital ratio is increasing as the years increases; it is more in 2015 than in 22014. This shows that the business is doing quite well hence can manage its financial obligations. It can therefore viable to be given loans. This indicates presence of working capital and the business is in a position to meet its financial obligations as the ratio increases with the change in the years. The banker on considering the current ratio will be able to approve the loan for the business this is because the banker will have confidence that the business will be able to repay their loans without default given their wide financial stability, strength and base. This ratio gives the short term liquidity of a business. It is vital in the measuring of the business short-term debts in relation to its liquid assets. The higher the ratio the better the position of the business.it is calculated as: Since there are no inventories, the quick ratio is similar to the current ratio. From all the above ratios, it is a clear indication that the business is in a position to meet its financial obligations, therefore the banker will be find it viable to advance the loan to the business. From the ratios calculated it is noted that the company has good performance as it is in a position to meet all its financial obligations both in the short-term and in the long-term. The leverage and solvency ratios are large showing that the company is very stable and has very good financial base. The company also enjoys very good returns as shown by

The origins of the Arab- Israeli wars Term Paper

The origins of the Arab- Israeli wars - Term Paper Example agenda and conflict emanated in 1948 after Israel was born; resultantly, this aspect makes the comprehensive conflict an international and modern marvel especially due to the five wars that followed. Additionally, also other significant political events arose from the same occurrence i.e. uprisings by the Palestinians. In 1880’s, there was an increase in the European-Jews that immigrated to Palestine causing many rigidities between the Palestinian-Arab residents and the different movements under Zionism. Nonetheless, the Jews in Palestine continued to increase and this affected even parts of land that were under the rule of Ottoman, where the Jewish communities settled and started agricultural projects. Moreover, some of the Jewish communities also acquired land from individual prominent Arabs with the number of Christians and Jews increasing by day. However, according to Ottoman and Robert (Statistician General of Israel), it took time before the Jews and Christians were nearly as half the number of Palestinians and Muslims. Later on in 1917, political actions took an unexpected turn especially through the Balfour Declaration of Palestine that gave the power of recognition to the settlement of Jews in the Palestinian land. The Great Britain Government facilitated the declaration during the period of the Obligatory Palestine, and a result it was the source of major conflicts between the full-time dwellers and the immigrants. Ottoman was a significant factor of the tensions as the immigration took place during his time and ruling. Faisal- Weizmann Agreement followed two years after the declaration to try to reduce the tension between the two groups. The agreement encouraged collaboration between the Arabs and the Jews especially on the aspect that both communities would live together in Palestinian Land. However, the idea of leaving a part of the Palestinian Land did not entirely impress the Arabs and the agreement did not have much of an impact to the

Theories of Conflict Resolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theories of Conflict Resolution - Assignment Example When it comes to conflict resolution, the NGOs and IGOs have access to territories and theories that enable them to participate in eliminating and mitigating conflict. The conflict theories and intervention strategies used by NGOs and IGOs have significantly influenced world politics; thus resulting in negative implications in conflict resolution. There are several theories that attempt to explain the causes of conflict in the society. These theories include the fundamentalist theory, the conflict theory and symbolic interaction theory. Each of these theories has their assumptions and ideologies regarding the cause of conflict in the society. For example, the conflict theory argues that conflict is as a result of a need in the society. Resultantly, individuals or groups in the society spur conflict so that the other party can meet their needs. This theory is different from the functionalist theory in that it acknowledges the societal change. Therefore, conflict is not undesirable but a necessary factor for change (Shepard 2012). Arguably, the functionalist theory assumes societies are complex and at the same time organized. According to the Functionalist theory, conflict arises when certain elements do not make a positive contribution to the society. (Shepard 2012). For example, if there are bureaucratic rules in the society that inhibit justice. Supporters of this theory argue that once the dysfunction is dealt with, the society often resumes to its original structure (Shepard 2012). The three theories are integral in examining how intergroup dysfunction can contribute to the emergence of conflict. Through the efforts of psychology, we are also able to comprehend how individual cognitive processes can contribute to the onset of a conflict, thus facilitating the adoption of effective conflict resolution strategies. The International Community uses

From Hunger to Greed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

From Hunger to Greed - Essay Example Having excess optimism and over ambitions in life usually makes someone to try to achieve more than one can handle at that moment and this habit at times make someone to lose his or her target. The rock song you cannot always get what you want gives a good example of a person wanted a woman but he did not succeed to woe her although he ended up getting someone else. The song ‘you can’t always get what you want’ was about the Mick encounter in life when he was drinking with a group of his friends in a pub in 1960’s. He saw a beautiful woman and he immediately fell for her and he just pondered on how he could get her because the woman had a relationship with another man. After realizing that, the woman was someone else’s Mick decided to woo her away from the other man and luckily he succeeded in getting her. It lingered in Mick’s minds that he wanted the woman when she was with another male and after getting her, he ended up in jail. Mick finall y thought that he did not get what he wanted and blamed the girl for the failure but he ended up in getting what he needed and the experience made him realize where his life was heading (Song Meaning.com). During my school life, I had purposed myself to focus on education in order to achieve a great life in the future. When I finished my education, my point of focus shifted to the women and one time when I was taking a walk with my friends I spotted a girl whom I thought could be the woman of my dreams. I gathered enough courage and I approached the girl and luckily I exchanged contacts with her and I thought that all was going well. We dated for a while and to my surprise, the woman loved another man and the two were already having an affair. I decided to ask about our relationship but she really broke my heart when she told me that she did not have any feelings for me and I had to respect her decision. I quitted dating her and I accepted the defeat, moved on with my life, and sett led on another girl where I succeeded in wooing her although she was not my target. Although I did not get the woman I wanted in life, I ended up getting another woman because I needed one in life even if she was not my target. Many people in life never get satisfied with their achievements even if everything seems to be flow good with them. No matter how great the things appear to them, people find them not enough for them because of over ambitions. The main reason is that, most of them are after fame and this leads them to greed in life. The competition of wealth in the current world has led to lack of satisfaction since everybody wants to be a hero in his or her society. This kind of competition has led to the current trends of criminal activities in order for the people to amass wealth as much as possible within a small period. This character of greed and selfishness creates a rift between the people in the society. There are many literature materials that have explained the cha racter of greed, how and why it arises in the societies. Thomas Aquinas wrote an article that stated that, greed is a sin against God because most people are not satisfied with what God has provided to them and as a result, they end up forsaking God for earthly materials. According to Keltner and Piff (Para. 2-4), greed inspires people to carry out several criminal actions such as robbery with violence, manipulating the authority to evade tax and hoarding of goods among

Management - Elements of Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management - Elements of Decision Making - Essay Example Management helps to overcome these problems at the time of making any effective decision (Monahan, 2000). In this paper, the complex problem of ethical concerns especially in decision-making relating to quality assurance and determining competitive market price will be taken into concern. Ethical Concerns in Decision-Making Every managerial decision affects the performances of the organizations by a considerable level. In general, ethical concerns in decision-making involve conflicts of interest in which individuals had to select and implement their own ideas. The issues relating to shareholders, customers as well as companies can be considered as one of the important ethical concerns in decision-making. Moreover, the other imperative ethical concerns particularly in decision-making encompass misuse of available resources, intimidating behavior of the individuals, discrimination, environmental issues, fraud, intellectual property rights along with privacy related issues. It can be st ated these ethical concerns can harm the overall performances of a company by a greater extent (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2012). Significant Areas of Ethical Concerns in Decision-Making There are certain crucial areas of ethical concerns in decision-making. ... In this competitive market, the organizations often face the challenge to provide quality products at a lesser price. The organizations must ensure the deliverance of quality products to their valuable customers by considering the significant ethical concern of price. The decision-making about the ethical concern towards pricing might support an organization to compete with its chief business market competitors at large (Harinder, Attracta, & Jimmie, 2004). Competitive Market Marketing decisions that undertakes by different organizations are considered to be quite uncertain. It has been viewed that the organizations determine competitive market price while offering their different products to the customers with the intention of attaining superior competitive position over the chief business market participants. With regard to the ethical concerns in decision-making, the organizations should remain fair in setting the prices of the products (Erkan & Tunker, 2007). Critical Evaluation From the overall analysis, it can be comprehended that management plays an imperative role in the process of decision-making. It possesses certain critical barriers that could be overcome. The decisions that adopts by the managers on behalf of an organization ultimately observed to affect the purchasing behavior of the customers and its overall performances. In relation to determine the ethical concern in decision-making, it is quite important for the business managers to keep in mind the interests of the people involved with the company. Apart from these, the organizations also need to keep in mind certain other major aspects that include issues related to business, production as well as marketing that will ultimately benefit the company in the long run. In addition, the

Ethanol As An Alternative To Gasoline Essay Example for Free

Ethanol As An Alternative To Gasoline Essay Ethanol has lately been considered as a promising alternative to gasoline as fuels for automobiles. According to researchers, ethanol may be employed as fuel through the process of reformation, which involves the breakage of a water molecule to generate hydrogen and oxygen gases (Hill et al. , 2006). The hydrogen gas that results from this chemical reaction is employed as source of energy. Carbon dioxide is also generated as a by-product of the chemical reaction. It has been estimated that approximately 1 ounce of carbon dioxide gas is emitted from 4 ounces of hydrogen produced from ethanol. One advantage of using ethanol as fuel for automobiles is that there is ease in the transport of fuel instead of the previous candidate alternative of using solar power to run automobiles. In the case of solar-based automobiles, the accessibility of energy for fuel an automobile will be limited by the presence of sunlight, from which solar power is generated. Another advantage is that the conversion of ethanol to hydrogen is approximately 70 to 80% in energy efficiency, which is the same in terms of the energy efficiency using gasoline. Ethanol is also much cheaper than gasoline hence the switch from using gasoline to ethanol is advantageous. Ethanol also enhances the performance of the engine of an automobile. There is also less smoke emissions when ethanol is employed as fuel to automobiles. One disadvantage in using ethanol as an alternative to gasoline is that only a number of car brands design vehicles that carry engine that can utilize ethanol as fuel. There is still a need in creating more car models that are specialized to consume ethanol as fuel. In addition, the engines of ethanol-using vehicles are smaller in volumes hence there is still a need to produce engines that can take in larger volumes of ethanol.

Homeostasis Of Skeletal And Muscular Systems

Homeostasis Of Skeletal And Muscular Systems Living cells of plants and animals are only able to survive under a narrow range of certain conditions that include nutrient availability, pH concentration, temperature, ion concentration among other factors. The human body, usually called inner environment has to time and again adapt to the outside environment which is ever experiencing weather changes and great climate diversification that occurs from one hour to another, one day to another day and from one season to another. It is in this respect that human beings have to device physiological mechanisms in order to survive because any inability by the human body to adjust to these changes leads to either diseases or to death. Human beings for example can only survive under a narrow range of pH values of 7.35 and 7.45.Any value below these results to a situation called acidosis whereas any excess of this causes a situation called alkalosis. It is of paramount importance to note that either condition is as life threatening as the ot her. Likewise, the normal body temperature of 37.2 to 37.7 degrees Celsius has to be equally maintained to ensure survival of a living organism. Any deviation from these results to a condition called hypothermia (if the core body temperature goes below 33 degrees Celsius or 91 degrees Fahrenheit) or hyperthermia (if the core body temperature goes above 42 degrees Celsius or 108 degrees Fahrenheit) This is done through the process called Homeostasis. Homeostasis is the tendency of a system of a living organism, either closed or open, to regulate an internal environment while maintaining a constant and stable condition. Homeostasis is made possible through multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustment and regulation mechanism and not a stable equilibrium as such. This is because internal body conditions are never absolutely stable but varies within a narrow range of average commonly referred to as set point. Several body systems are involved in the process of homeostatic regulation. The Nervous system is in charge of controlling other body parts by sending an electrochemical signal to the brain whenever there is any change from optimum levels. The brain then corresponds by sending the required stimulus to the respective body organ. The Circulatory system, made up of arteries and veins, maintains this balance through the circulation of blood to all other body parts. Through capillaries , an exchange of nutrients in each cell is initiated. This system also enhances the transportation of toxic excretory wastes and other liquid material to the excretory organs. Through lymphatic vessels, the Lymphatic system is involved in homeostasis by collecting excess tissue fluids and taking them back to the veins. The Endocrine system, the main regulator of this process of homeostasis, on the other hand contains hormones (chemical messengers) that keeps circulating throughout the blood stream and acts on the respective target organs. As much as the Endocrine system cannot work without coordinating with the Nervous system, its effects as long lasting even thou they are slow. The process of Homeostatic regulation takes place under a mechanism called feedback. This feedback can either be negative-to ensure stability or positive-to enhance a rapid change. A negative mechanism loop is where a body senses a change in the internal environment and activates methods to negate, reverse or counter that change. A very relevant example of negative mechanism is the process of temperature regulation. A rise in blood temperatures is sensed by specialized neurons located in the hypothalamus found in the brain. This is then signaled to other nerve centers which in turn relay them to the blood vessels of the skin. The dilation of the blood vessels pushes the blood to flow closer to the body surface and excess heat is radiated from the body. If this does not cool the body back to the set point, sweating is activated by the brain. A strong cooling effect is thus felt on the skin due to evaporation of sweat. In the event that the body temperatures fall too low, the same hypo thalamus senses this and signals this to the cutaneous arteries (that supply the skin with blood) to perform an action called constriction. Deeper retention of warm blood in the body is initiated thus less heat is lost from the body surface. If this effect is inadequate, the brain likewise activities the act of shivering and in the course of shivering, each muscle tremor releases heat energy to return the body back to the set point of 37 degrees Celsius. The second mechanism of homeostasis, a counterpart to the negative feedback loop is that of positive feedback and rapid change. In this positive feedback loop mechanism, once the body is able to sense a change, it activates a mechanism to either accelerate or increase that change. As much as this mechanism aids in homeostasis, it mostly produces opposite results and can be life threatening or fatal. A good example of a beneficial positive feedback is exhibited in the process of blood clotting where an enzyme that is used to form the matrix of blood clot thrombin in the complex biochemical pathway is catalyzed thus the process is speeded up. Another beneficial positive feedback is seen in the process of childbirth where the secretion of hormone oxytocin is triggered by the stretching of uterus and this enhances uterine contraction that speeds up labor. Similarly, a beneficial positive feedback is experienced in the process of protein digestion where secretion of hydrochloric acid and enzyme pepsin is initiated by the presence of partially digested protein particles that once digestion begins, it becomes a process that is self-accelerating. However, this mechanism has more harmful and more potential fatal consequences that often results to rapid loss of internal stability. The death of a small area of a heart tissue for example triggers myocardial infarction, a kind of heart attack, because the heart is not able to pump an adequate amount of blood hence the heart itself is deprived of blood and more tissues begins to die. In many cases, this leads to rapid cardiac mal-functioning leading to death. It is therefore important to bear in mind that many deaths that occur are as a result of positive feedback loop. However both the skeletal and the muscular systems work hand in hand in the process of homeostatic regulation in a combined system otherwise known as the muscular skeletal system or rather musculoskeletal system. This system consists of the bones and joints- skeletal system and voluntary or striated muscles-skeletal muscle system. Skeletal muscle fibers contain numerous nucleuses on each cell and the cell nuclei are found beneath the plasma membrane of the skin. Both the skeletal and the muscular systems work together in the process of performing basic and essential functions necessary for life that includes protection (of the brain and other internal organs), supportive services of maintaining an upright posture, blood cell formation in a process called hematopoesis, storage of minerals and fats among other minor duties like leverage that involves magnifying movement or force speed. Musculoskeletal system comprises of five major tissues that include bones, tendons, ligaments cartila ge and skeletal muscles. The ligaments are the tissues on which one bone is attached to another bone. Cartilages are protective and gel-like substances that line interveterbral discs and joints while tendons usually attach muscles to bones. Each of these tissues has four connective blocks that build tissues. They include fibroblasts, collagen, elastic fibers and proteoglycans. Fibroblasts are the mother of all these other connective tissues as it is the one that produces them. Collagens are the principal proteins that are long and thin and are organized into various intertwining fibers to form strong ones that do not stretch. Elastic fibers are found in the walls of arteries whereas proteoglycans are ground substances normally called matrix in which the other connective tissues reside. This combination of functions by both the muscular and skeletal happens mostly when there is a change in both the body pH and the central venous pressure. Active body muscles usually respire and in the process carbon dioxide is produced. The carbon dioxide that is produced dissociates in the blood to produce both hydrogen and carbon ions which have an impact of lowering this pH. Once there is such a decrease in the pH, the chemoreceptors that are centrally located in the brain detect this and induce respiration that accelerates expulsion of the carbon dioxide gas thus maintaining the internal body temperature. The second way in which muscular skeletal homeostasis in the body is evident happens during exercise. Here, more blood is diverted into body muscles as a result of relaxation of arterioles hence a considerable decrease in the volume of blood flowing to the heart. This brings about an impact in the central venous pressure. In order to correct this defect and bring about homeosta sis, the aortic and carotid barroreceptors via the cranial nerves detects this and relays this information in the cardiovascular (medulla) part of the brain. This then lowers the action potential rate in the brain thereby increasing and decreasing the sympathetic and the parasympathetic outputs respectively. The overall result is an increase in not only the inotropy (heart rate) and chronotropy (contractility) but also in vasoconstriction and total peripheral resistance (blood pressure).

Relationship Between Business and IT Strategies at PRASA

Relationship Between Business and IT Strategies at PRASA 1 Introduction 4.1 BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM For almost three decades practitioners, academics, consultants, and research organizations have identified â€Å"attaining alignment between IT and business† as a pervasive problem, Luftman and Kempaiah (2007). Gutierrez,Nawazish,Orozco,Serrano and Yazdouni (2007) add that despite the wide acceptance of strategic alignment (the strategic use of Information Technology), there is no consensus on how to achieve alignment and with few references that detail the process, there is no common agreement on the term alignment. Terminology such as linkage Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) harmony, integrated, linked, and synchronocity Luftman and Kempaiah (2007) have been suggested and used. Steiner (1979b) points out that there no consensus as to the meaning of strategy in the business world. An example of the definitions which he uses include the following Steiner (1979a): Strategy is that what executives do they that empower the organization. Strategy is the direction the organization takes which is aligned with it’s purposes and missions. Strategy consists of the important activities necessary to realize these directions. Strategy answers the question: What should the organization be doing to achieve success? Strategy answers the question: What are the means to end? Mintzberg (1994), says that people use strategy in several different ways, the most common being: Strategy is a plan, a how, a means of getting from here to there. Strategy is a pattern in actions over time; for example, a company that regularly markets very expensive products is using a high end strategy. Strategy is perspective, that is, vision and direction. Strategy is position; that is, it reflects decisions to offer particular products or services in particular markets. Porter (1998) states that strategy positioning attempts to achieve sustainable competitive advantage by preserving what is distinctive about a company and that strategy, is the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities, requires that trade-offs be made in competing, to chose what not to do and involves creating â€Å"fit† among a company’s activities. Fit has to do with the ways a company’s activities interact and reinforce one another. To improve the strategic management of information technology, Henderson and Venkatraman (1993), developed a framework which they called the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM). This model was defined in terms of four fundamental domains of strategic choice namely business strategy, information technology strategy, organizational infrastructure and processes and information technology infrastructure and processes. The model is defined in terms of two fundamental characteristics of strategic management namely the strategic fit (the interrelationship between external and internal components) and functional integration (integration between business and functional domains). Luftman (2001) improved on the Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) SAM model by developing the Strategic Alignment Maturity Model (SAMM). The model measures IT–business alignment maturity. Six interrelated components for assessing alignment maturity are identified. These are communications, value, governance, partnership, scope and architecture and skills. The scores an organization achieves for these six components of maturity are then compared to a five-level maturity model to denote the organization IT-business alignment maturity Luftman (2001).The levels range from level one to level five where level five is the highest level of maturity. A higher alignment maturity correlates with higher firm performance measures Luftman (2001). Tying performance measures to strategic goals is a critical step Fonvielle and Carr (2001). A tool to measure performance and to align strategic goals within organisations is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC was developed by Kaplan and Norton (1992) to overcome the business’s reliance on financial measures. They contend that reliance on only financial measures does not give a complete overview of the organisations measures. The BSC provided a framework to look at strategy, used for value creation from four different perspectives these being financial, customer, internal business process and innovation and learning Kaplan and Norton (1992).One of the principles recommended by the authors, is that for an organization to be focused on strategy, there needs to be alignment among departments to the strategy of the organisation. The alignment sequence recommended by Kaplan and Norton (2006) starts when the corporate headquarters articulates enterprise value proposition that wil l create synergies among operating units, support units and external partners. This sequence includes aligning IT strategy with the business strategy. 4.1 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Business and IT strategies at PRASA need to be better aligned. 4.1 What is passenger rail agency of south africa (PRASA)? Appendix A, gives a comprehensive overview of the historical context and the introduction of PRASA taken from the companie’s business plan. Following is a summary of the key issues PRASA was created by Government to advance its agenda for the transformation of the public transport system into a vibrant, efficient one, As part of its strategy, PRASA (2009), to secure the future of its business, PRASA will focus its resources and energies during the current medium term expenditure framework (METF) on the following three Strategic Priorities: Service Excellence within Metrorail, Shosholoza Meyl and Autopax Property and Asset Development, and Technology Upgrade or Modernization of its key transport systems The key objectives identified by Government in addressing the challenges of passenger rail transport moving forward PRASA (2009) are as follows: Sustainable passenger rail service delivery; Improved performance of passenger rail services in terms of the quality and levels of services to passengers; Improved efficiency in the delivery of services; Improved effectiveness of asset management; Effective targeting of subsidies to achieve desired socio-economic transport objectives; Improved oversight by Government; and Improved accountability to the users. 4.1 Why prasa? PASSENGER TRANSPORT CHANGE IMPERATIVES 1..1 The Public Transport Challenge After many years of neglect, the existing commuter transport system, inherited from the apartheid past, has reached saturation levels and is unable to satisfy passenger demands while its infrastructure is not able to meet the requirements of a rapidly changing and modern society. The dysfunctional institutional arrangements have meant poor accountability in the provision of public transport services, which were found to be largely disempowering. Government’s socio-economic and transport policies could not be supported adequately by such institutional arrangements. The country is seeking to move away from the current commuter-based transport provision into a more integrated public transport system that meets growing and changing passenger demands in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner. The twin challenges for public transport is to simultaneously transform through meaningful integration whilst at the same time enhancing capacity through upgrading and modernization to meet long-term need PRASA (2009). 1..2 Inadequate Passenger Service Provision Passenger rail in South Africa faces many challenges as a result of a long history of inadequate investment in rail rolling stock, infrastructure and operations as well as the loss of appropriate managerial and technical (engineering) skills within the industry. The shortage of such critical skills has a direct negative impact on the delivery of services. In the urbanising metropolitan areas the provision of new rail corridors has not kept pace with the rapidly changing urban landscape resulting in limited coverage in key areas of urban expansion with the consequential loss of significant market share. Over time, commuter rail services have continued to fail to respond adequately to changing passenger demands PRASA (2009). 1..3 Customer-Centric Delivery A dynamic and customer-centric public transport system is required where passengers contribute to and shape the service delivery agenda. The need for a Passenger or Quality Charter and the emergence of strong, vibrant structures championing both the interests of passengers and public transport transformation are vital to the development of a public transport system that will effectively respond to the travelling needs of passengers. The past few years has seen the emergence of vibrant, community-based structures championing public transport transformation and demanding quality services from Government and transport service providers. This movement seems to be growing and shows the determination of South Africans to participate in the construction of a transport system that will effectively respond to their demands PRASA (2009). 4.1 PRASA Vision, Mission Values Vision A provider of integrated public transport solutions for improved mobility Two fundamental principles underpin the vision:- Integration – PRASA should facilitate integrating individuals and communities, enabling a better quality of life through access to socioeconomic opportunities Mobility Solutions – PRASA should connect individuals and communities through the provision of public transport solutions that are founded on an integrated network of mobility routes PRASA (2009) Mission Sustainable Public Transport Solutions through Service Excellence, Innovation and Modal Integration PRASA (n.d.) The mission reflects four key intentions:- Service excellence – superior performance that is safe, reliable and affordable, that makes a lasting impression, and builds brand loyalty – both internally (employees) and externally (customers) – that adds benefit to the passenger. Sustainability a focus on sustainable development in business that considers not just the financial ‘bottom line’ of prosperity and profit, but also the other ‘bottom lines’ of environmental quality and social equity. Mobility solutions – reframing the basis of business delivery, favouring innovation, integration and partnerships Integration – safe, seamless dignified travel experiences across all modes of public transport, PRASA (n.d.) Values The values that will guide PRASA, which will underpin the performance ethos of the organization derived from and are guided by the fundamental and progressive human values of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa:- Service Excellence, Participation, Integrity, Fairness and Innovation, PRASA (2009) 4.1 OPPORTUNITY FOR Passenger Services 1..1 Commuter Rail Services The provision of efficient and affordable public passenger transport services is integral to Government’s drive to create employment opportunities, stimulate economic development and reduce levels of poverty. Enhanced mobility will facilitate greater access to socio-economic opportunities for the urban and rural poor whilst contributing to an efficient transport system to the benefit of all South Africans – highlighting the need for a vibrant public passenger transport network to support sustainable growth and development PRASA (2009). Commuter rail has the potential to be the most efficient, affordable and safe mode of travel. It plays a significant role in key Metropolitan areas such as Cape Town and has the potential to become an important public transport player in all metropolitan areas, significantly contributing to an efficient and reliable public transport system in these areas. Despite the acknowledged increase in the growth of car-ownership and usage, public transport and walking continue to dominate the mobility needs of the majority of South Africans and this is likely to continue for the next decade. Metropolitan areas in South Africa are experiencing rapid urbanization. Rail is in a unique position to facilitate greater integration between land use planning and transport infrastructure provision, and providing security, to private and public sector investment, of stable long-term public transport provision. This is vital to creating sustainable communities where peoples access to economic and social o pportunities is improved. In this context, railway lines need to be positioned, located, aligned with evolving spatial developments and formalised within the statutory planning processes undertaken primarily by local government. The creation of PRASA and the integration of rail and road-based transport services will, over time, provide the user with public transport choices – moving away from a market of captive users to one where dignified travel choice is a real option PRASA (2009). 1..2 Inter-City / Regional Passenger Services Historically, long distance rail and road based services have not received the attention required to make them demand responsive in key market areas including migrant workers, students, tourists and occasional travellers. The Department of Transport’s Public Transport Strategy Action Plan notes that: There is a significant potential for the growth in migrant worker long distance public transport provision. The dominant generators of migrant movement are Gauteng and KZN The increase in tourism provides opportunities for segmenting the market that build upon the strengths of both long distance rail and coach operations. Rural areas in South Africa are undergoing a process of economic and social restructuring with a shift in emphasis towards rural trade and agro-processing. These factors reinforce the need for a public transport service sector that responds to the emerging needs of these rural / regional development nodes since transport links between the rural trade areas and t he rural regions (hinterlands) remains unreliable, rendering access to services and emerging economic opportunities extremely difficult. This lack of access will continue to trap many in the poverty cycle. Government’s decision to consolidate passenger rail entities and road-based long distance bus services into a single entity, PRASA, reporting to the Department of Transport are underpinned by a number of key drivers. The recognition by Government that rail consolidation was required to deal with the under-performance of rail passenger services as well as the historical under-investment in the passenger rail business. Institutional arrangements did not promote efficiency and accountability and significant change was required to overcome the inherent institutional dysfunctions that had been created. Confusion existed between the contractor and regulatory functions implicitly embodied in the SARCC/Transnet relationship PRASA (2009). The critical need for sustainable funding to reverse the decline in commuter rail levels of service being experienced by commuters has been identified. This funding profile was captured in the National Rail Plan, which was accepted by Cabinet in December 2006, where the funding and investment requirements were identified for passenger rail over the following ten years PRASA (2009). 4.1 PRASA Objective PRASA (n.d.) primary objective is: To ensure that at the request of the Department of Transport, rail commuter services are provided within, to and from the Republic in the public interest; and To provide, in consultation with the Department of Transport, for long haul passenger rail and bus services within, to and from the Republic in terms of the principles set out in section 4 of the National Land Transport Transition Act, 2000 (Act No.22 of 2000)†.. 4.1 Strategy of prasa PRASA (2009) objectives are supportive of the Board of Control’s (BOC) key performance areas as seen in figure 2 below Figure 2 Key Performance Area and Strategic Objectives 4.1 CHALLENGES FACING PRASA 1..1 Consolidation / Turnaround / Restructuring The sequential amalgamation, in quick succession, of the SARCC, Metrorail, Shosholoza Meyl and Autopax bring with it the normal challenges that are posed when merging disparate organizations in related but different operational arenas. A key driver in Government’s decision to consolidate these entities into a single delivery arm of the DOT was to effect operational and asset â€Å"turnaround† of what were acknowledged to be declining businesses, albeit, some with the potential for growth. Linked with both these processes is the need to internally restructure the various businesses to align them with the new mandate given to PRASA through the amendment to the Legal Succession Act that was promulgated on 23 December 2008 PRASA (2009). 1..2 Sustainable Funding The ability to provide the requisite level of funding (substantial) to address both the investment capital and rapidly expanding operational requirements to affect the mandate is fundamental to the successful performance of PRASA. The integrated passenger transport plan requirements will need to be developed. Fully motivated funding requirements, covering both operations and investment capital, in line with the 5-year financial plan requirements of the various Integrated Transport Plans (ITPs), will be developed to begin to align the funding requirements with statutory plan requirements. The approved funding base makes no provision for two key activities that need to be accommodated: The incorporation of Autopax, an operating company that is currently materially dependent upon Transnet Limited for funding to re-capitalize and sustain the business going forward. The acquisition of new rolling stock. Analysis has indicated that the rolling stock refurbishment and upgrading programs are not maintaining pace with the requirements to buy time before the inevitable purchasing of new fleet becomes unavoidable. While the profile reflects a rising trend in investment funding support, the allocation of these funds to the different asset classes (Rolling Stock Infrastructure) will need to be reviewed. A careful balance needs to be struck to ensure that the sustainability of the asset base is not compromised PRASA (2009). 1..3 Ageing Rolling Stock and Infrastructure PRASA (2009) reports that the prolonged under-investment in passenger rail of almost thirty years is manifestly experienced in the deterioration of the general rail asset i.e. Rolling Stock and Infrastructure (Signalling and telecommunications, electrical systems, perway). This has resulted in a situation where services are experiencing continued decline, primarily due to poor availability and reliability of rolling stock and ageing infrastructure. The lack of investment in the asset base has also had a negative impact in the skills base of the passenger rail industry over a period of time. For example, the average age profile of commuter coaches is 40 years and has been left behind by international advancements in rail technology over the past few decades. The life expectancy of railway rolling stock is of the order of 54 years. The railway industry norms are that the coaches will be upgraded at half life (27 years) and overhauled every 9 years, so as to ensure the structural and su b-systems integrity is not compromised by metal fatigue, age, wear and tear or environmental condition. Thirty-three percent (33%) of the commuter rail fleet is already above 36 years and therefore would be uneconomical to upgrade. 1..4 Human Capital Development Human capital development is generally understated and under-rated in supporting the development of an organization. It is a multi-faceted process that requires clear understanding to enable human capabilities to be built that will support the key performance drivers of the business and ultimately the business results that can be expected from that performance. The key challenge for PRASA is to formulate human capital development processes that facilitate and fast-track the appropriate human capital capabilities at all levels within the organization that will enable delivery on the key drivers of which, in the case of PRASA are : increased productivity (operational efficiencies), improved service quality (service excellence), customer focus and innovation in the provision of integrated public transport solutions The nature of the various operational divisions, while related and providing synergistic opportunities for service co-operation and delivery, are by their very nature, different business environments, each requiring a specific set of human capabilities to perform optimally. PRASA needs to provide guidance in the process framework that delivers this requirement PRASA (2009). 1..5 Change Management The finalisation of the PRASA consolidation process, the turnaround and restructuring necessitate that a number of parallel change management processes are undertaken. Numerous change management processes will be identified that are needed to combine the five organizations into a consolidated organization. The very ability of PRASA to ensure effective implementation of such processes becomes critical as is the capacity of the organization (including divisions and subsidiaries) to manage them successfully PRASA (2009). 1..6 Leadership Skills Development There is currently an acknowledged shortage of key skills as well as a lack of depth of skills in critical areas within the organization. For PRASA to meet the expanded mandate of supporting government’s socio-economic and transport objectives in both urban and rural contexts, the organization will need a focused approach to human capital development, on leadership development, talent management and the progressive training of a strong base of key skills that will lay the foundation for sustaining rail passenger transport sector PRASA (2009). 1..7 Rail Technology Development PRASA, of necessity, will need to become a technology based organization that blends best practice policies with intelligent asset management philosophies to leverage organisational productivity and efficiency gains to provide shareholder value. PRASA recognises that technology upgrade is critical to the modernisation of South Africa’s railways and is well aware that the capacity for technology upgrade may not be immediately available in South Africa or the African Continent as a whole. Technological obsolescence is a major factor that will inhibit PRASA from delivering on its mandate. A rail technical strategy that guides technological renewal, upgrading, replacement and development over the next 30 years is a critical requirement. The average age of the metropolitan rail commuter networks/system in South Africa ranges between 60 80 years and still supports 1940/50’s technology. The system in SA is showing serious age related condition decline with increasing systemic risks and technological obsolescence. Railway systems are designed for an extended economic life, but it is acknowledged that the current ad hoc investment flows into the ageing system in South Africa are not productive in terms of future demand, operational performance requirements and escalating maintenance costs. Global technology advancement in rail has moved beyond the limited application of heavy rail, regional and long distance passenger rail. Various new rail based technologies of alternative applications have evolved globally to ensure the competitiveness and attractiveness of rail solutions. If South Africa is serious about ensuring environmentally friendly and energy efficient transportation for its cities to counter growth in private vehicle travel, congestion and spiralling cost of fossil fuels, a selective conversion of appropriate new and improved rail based and mass transit technologies needs to be evaluated, introduced, and established in South Africa ensuring that these take their place in the hierarchy of public transport service provision. The technological needs of PRASA over the next 30 years need to be clearly articulated and incorporated into PRASA’s long-term planning if passenger rail is to be sustained over the longer-term. The development of a rail technology strategy, together with the appropriate migration requirements over this period will assist in guiding decision-making in much critical technology upgrade or replacement areas within the organisation. The phased implementation of the strategy will be captured in each of the Business Plans roll-outs over time PRASA (2009). 4.1 RESEARCH AIM, QUESTION, SUB-QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES Research Aim The aim of this research is to understand to what extent alignment between Business and IT strategies exists, at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Research Questions The research question derived from the problem statement is What can PRASA do to improve business and IT strategies, alignment? The sub questions to answer the main question are: What are business and IT strategies? What is alignment between business and IT strategies? What factors contribute to an alignment gap between business and IT strategies? What factors contributes to an improved alignment between business and IT strategies? Objectives of the research Based on the sub questions the objectives of the research are to 1. Analyse the Business’s and IT strategy 2. Carry out a literature review on the alignment between Business and IT strategies. 3. Analyse the factors that contribute towards Alignment Gap 4. a. Establish strategic alignment best practice. b. Formulate a methodology for aligning Business and IT strategies. c. Propose recommendations to improve PRASA’s Business and IT strategies alignment. 4.1 CURRENT STATUS OF THE RESEARCH AREA The literature review will be based on the research into alignment of business and IT strategies. There is a plethora of research available on the alignment of business and IT strategies. Chan and Reich (2007) have carried out comprehensive research on this topic. 4.1 Business and IT strategies 1..1 Business Strategies Croteau and Bergeron (2001) define business strategy as â€Å"the outcomes of decisions made to guide an organisation with respect to the environment, structure and processes that influence it’s organisational performance†. Hambrick (1980) states that business strategies may be textual, multivariate or typological. Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) architects of the SAM model, view strategy as involving both strategy formulation (decisions pertaining to competitive, product market choices) and strategy implementation (choices that pertain to the structure and capabilities of the firm to execute it’s product market choices).The SAM model presents two business strategy perspectives where business strategy is the driver namely strategic execution, and technology transformation. figure 3 presents the key attributes of these perspectives. Figure 3 Attributes of Business Strategy perspectives (Henderson Venkatraman 1993) One of the six components of the SAMM Luftman and Kempaiah (2007), is partnership which includes IT’s role in defining the business’s strategies. Both of these models (SAM and SAMM) are about aligning business and IT strategies and can be criticised because it does not define what business strategy is. Kay (1996) says that there is much debate on the substance but that