Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 7

Chapter 7 And the angel said, â€Å"What prophet has this written? For in this book is foretold all the events which shall come to pass in the next week in the land of Days of Our Lives and All My Children.† And I said to the angel, â€Å"You fabulously feebleminded bundle of feathers, there's no prophet involved. They know what is going to happen because they write it all down in advance for the actors to perform.† â€Å"So it is written, so it shall be done,† said the angel. I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to Raziel. His gaze never wavered from his Soap Opera Digest. I pushed the magazine down so the angel had to look me in the face. â€Å"Raziel, do you remember the time before mankind, the time when there were only the heavenly host and the Lord?† â€Å"Yes, those were the best of times. Except for the war, of course. But other than that, yes, wonderful times.† â€Å"And you angels were as strong and beautiful as divine imagination, your voices sang praise for the Lord and his glory to the ends of the universe, and yet the Lord saw fit to create us, mankind, weak, twisted, and profane, right?† â€Å"That's when it all started to go downhill, if you ask me,† Raziel said. â€Å"Well, do you know why the Lord decided to create us?† â€Å"No. Ours is not to question the Will.† â€Å"Because you are all dumbfucks, that's why. You're as mindless as the machinery of the stars. Angels are just pretty insects. Days of Our Lives is a show, Raziel, a play. It's not real, get it?† â€Å"No.† And he didn't. I've learned that there's a tradition in this time of telling funny stories about the stupidity of people with yellow hair. Guess where that started. I think that we all expected everything to go back to normal after the killer was found, but it seemed that the Romans were much more concerned with the extermination of the Sicarii then they were with a single resurrection. To be fair, I have to say that resurrections weren't that uncommon in those days. As I mentioned, we Jews were quick to get our dead into the ground, and with speed, there's bound to be errors. Occasionally some poor soul would fall unconscious during a fever and wake to find himself being wrapped in linen and prepared for the grave. But funerals were a nice way to get the family together, and there was always a fine meal afterward, so no one really complained, except perhaps those people who didn't wake before they were buried, and if they complained – well, I'm sure God heard them. (It paid to be a light sleeper, in my time.) So, impressed as they might have been with the walking dead, the next day the Romans began to round up suspected conspirators. The men in Maggie's family were hauled off to Sepphoris at dawn. No miracles would come to bring about the release of the prisoners, but neither were there any crucifixions announced in the days that followed. After two weeks had passed with no word of the fate or condition of the men, Maggie, her mother, her aunts, and her sisters went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and appealed to the Pharisees for help. The next day, the Pharisees from Nazareth, Japhia, and Sepphoris appeared at the Roman garrison to appeal to Justus for the release of the prisoners. I don't know what they said, or what sort of leverage they could possibly have used to move the Romans, but the following day, just after dawn, the men of Maggie's family staggered back into our village, beaten, starving, and covered with filth, but very much alive. There was no feast, no celebration for the return of the prisoners – we Jews walked softly for a few months to allow the Romans to settle down. Maggie seemed distant in the weeks that followed, and Josh and I never saw the smile that could make the breath catch in our throats. She seemed to be avoiding us, rushing out of the square whenever we saw her there, or on the Sabbath, staying so close to the women of her family that we couldn't talk to her. Finally, after a month had passed, with absolutely no regard for custom or common courtesy, Joshua insisted that we skip work and dragged me by the sleeve to Maggie's house. She was kneeling on the ground outside the door, grinding some barley with a millstone. We could see her mother moving around in the house and hear the sound of her father and older brother Simon (who was called Lazarus) working the forge next door. Maggie seemed to be lost in the rhythm of grinding the grain, so she didn't see us approach. Joshua put his hand on her shoulder, and without looking up, she smiled. â€Å"You are supposed to be building a house in Sepphoris,† she said. â€Å"We thought it more important to visit a sick friend.† â€Å"And who would that be?† â€Å"Who do you think?† â€Å"I'm not sick. In fact, I've been healed by the touch of the Messiah.† â€Å"I think not,† said Joshua. She finally looked up at him and her smile evaporated. â€Å"I can't be friends with you two anymore,† she said. â€Å"Things have changed.† â€Å"What, because your uncle was a Sicarii?† I said. â€Å"Don't be silly.† â€Å"No, because my mother made a bargain to get Iban to convince the other Pharisees to go to Sepphoris and plead for the men's lives.† â€Å"What kind of bargain?† Joshua asked. â€Å"I am betrothed.† She looked at the millstone again and a tear dripped into the powdered grain. We were both stunned. Josh took his hand from her shoulder and stepped back, then looked at me as if there was something I could do. I felt as if I would start crying at any second myself. I managed to choke out, â€Å"Who to?† â€Å"To Jakan,† Maggie said with a sob. â€Å"Iban's son? The creep? The bully?† Maggie nodded. Joshua covered his mouth and ran a few steps away, then threw up. I was tempted to join him, but instead I crouched in front of Maggie. â€Å"How long before you're married?† â€Å"I'm to be married a month after the Passover feast. Mother made him wait six months.† â€Å"Six months! Six months! That's forever, Maggie. Why, Jakan could be killed in a thousand heinous ways in six months, and that's just the ones I can think of right now. Why, someone could turn him in to the Romans for being a rebel. I'm not saying who, but someone might. It could happen.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Biff.† â€Å"Don't be sorry for me, why would you be sorry for me?† â€Å"I know how you feel, so I'm sorry.† I was thrown for a second. I glanced at Joshua to see if he could give me a clue, but he was still absorbed in splattering his breakfast in the dirt. â€Å"But it's Joshua who you love?† I finally said. â€Å"Does that make you feel any better?† â€Å"Well, no.† â€Å"Then I'm sorry.† She made as if to reach out to touch my cheek, but her mother called her before she made contact. â€Å"Right now, Mary, in this house!† Maggie nodded toward the barfing Messiah. â€Å"Take care of him.† â€Å"He'll be fine.† â€Å"And take care of yourself.† â€Å"I'll be fine too, Maggie. Don't forget I have an emergency backup wife. Besides, it's six months. A lot can happen in six months. It's not like we won't see you.† I was trying to sound more hopeful than I felt. â€Å"Take Joshua home,† she said. Then she quickly kissed me on the cheek and ran into the house. Joshua was completely against the idea of murdering Jakan, or even praying for harm to come to him. If anything, Joshua seemed more kindly disposed toward Jakan than he had been before, going as far as to seek him out and congratulate him on his betrothal to Maggie, an act that left me feeling angry and betrayed. I confronted Joshua in the olive grove, where he had gone to pray among the twisted tree trunks. â€Å"You coward,† I said, â€Å"you could strike him down if you wanted to.† â€Å"As could you,† he replied. â€Å"Yeah, but you can call the wrath of God down upon him. I'd have to sneak up behind him and brain him with a rock. There's a difference.† â€Å"And you would have me kill Jakan for what, your bad luck?† â€Å"Works for me.† â€Å"Is it so hard for you to give up what you never had?† â€Å"I had hope, Josh. You understand hope, don't you?† Sometimes he could be mightily dense, or so I thought. I didn't realize how much he was hurting inside, or how much he wanted to do something. â€Å"I think I understand hope, I'm just not sure that I am allowed to have any.† â€Å"Oh, don't start with that ‘Everyone gets something but me' speech. You've got plenty.† Josh wheeled on me, his eyes like fire, â€Å"Like what? What do I have?† â€Å"Uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wanted to say something about a really sexy mother, but that didn't seem like the sort of thing he wanted to hear. â€Å"Uh, you have God.† â€Å"So do you. So does everyone.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Not the Romans.† â€Å"There are Roman Jews.† â€Å"Well, you've got, uh – that healing-raising-the-dead thing.† â€Å"Oh yeah, and that's working really well.† â€Å"Well, you're the Messiah, what's that? That's something. If you told people you were the Messiah they'd have to do what you say.† â€Å"I can't tell them.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I don't know how to be the Messiah.† â€Å"Well, at least do something about Maggie.† â€Å"He can't,† came a voice from behind a tree. A golden glow emanated from either side of the trunk. â€Å"Who's there?† Joshua called. The angel Raziel stepped out from behind the tree. â€Å"Angel of the Lord,† I said under my breath to Josh. â€Å"I know,† he said, in a â€Å"you seen one, you seen 'em all† way. â€Å"He can't do anything,† the angel repeated. â€Å"Why not?† I asked. â€Å"Because he may not know any woman.† â€Å"I may not?† Joshua said, not sounding at all happy. â€Å"He may not in that he should not, or that he cannot?† I asked. The angel scratched his golden head, â€Å"I didn't think to ask.† â€Å"It's kind of important,† I said. â€Å"Well, he can't do anything about Mary Magdalene, I know that. They told me to come and tell him that. That and that it is time for him to go.† â€Å"Go where?† â€Å"I didn't think to ask.† I suppose I should have been frightened, but I seemed to have passed right through frightened to exasperated. I stepped up to the angel and poked him in the chest. â€Å"Are you the same angel that came to us before, to announce the coming of the Savior?† â€Å"It was the Lord's will that I bring that joyful news.† â€Å"I just wondered, in case all of you angels look alike or something. So, after you showed up ten years late, they sent you with another message?† â€Å"I am here to tell the Savior that it is time for him to go.† â€Å"But you don't know where?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And this golden stuff around you, this light, what is this?† â€Å"The glory of the Lord.† â€Å"You're sure it's not stupidity leaking out of you?† â€Å"Biff, be nice, he is the messenger of the Lord.† â€Å"Well, hell, Josh, he's no help at all. If we're going to get angels from heaven they should at least know what they are doing. Blow down walls or something, destroy cities, oh, I don't know – get the whole message.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† the angel said. â€Å"Would you like me to destroy a city?† â€Å"Go find out where Josh is supposed to go. How 'bout that?† â€Å"I can do that.† â€Å"Then do that.† â€Å"I'll be right back.† â€Å"We'll wait.† â€Å"Godspeed,† Joshua said. In an instant the angel moved behind another tree trunk and the golden glow was gone from the olive grove with a warm breeze. â€Å"You were sort of hard on him,† Joshua said. â€Å"Josh, being nice isn't always going to get the job done.† â€Å"One can try.† â€Å"Was Moses nice to Pharaoh?† Before Joshua could answer me, the warm breeze blew into the olive grove again and the angel stepped out from behind a tree. â€Å"To find your destiny,† he said. â€Å"What?† I said. â€Å"What?† Joshua said. â€Å"You are supposed to go find your destiny.† â€Å"That's it?† Joshua said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What about the ‘knowing a woman' thing?† I asked. â€Å"I have to go now.† â€Å"Grab him, Josh. You hold him and I'll hit him.† But the angel was gone with the breeze. â€Å"My destiny?† Joshua looked at his open, empty palms. â€Å"We should have pounded the answer out of him,† I said. â€Å"I don't think that would have worked.† â€Å"Oh, back to the nice strategy. Did Moses – â€Å" â€Å"Moses should have said, ‘Let my people go, please.'† â€Å"That would have made the difference?† â€Å"It could have worked. You don't know.† â€Å"So what do you do about your destiny?† â€Å"I'm going to ask the Holy of Holies when we go to the Temple for the Passover.† And so it came to pass that in the spring all of the Jews from Galilee made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and Joshua began the search for his destiny. The road was lined with families making their way to the holy city. Camels, carts, and donkeys were loaded high with provisions for the trip, and all along the column of pilgrims you could hear the bleating of the lambs that would be sacrificed for the feast. The road was dry that year, and a red-brown cloud of dust wound its way over the road as far as one could see in either direction. Since we were each the eldest in our families, it fell on Joshua and me to keep track of all our younger brothers and sisters. It seemed that the easiest way to accomplish this was to tie them together, so we strung together, by height, my two brothers and Josh's three brothers and two sisters. I tied the rope loosely around their necks so it would only choke them if they got out of line. â€Å"I can untie this,† said James. â€Å"Me too,† said my brother Shem. â€Å"But you won't. This is the part of the Passover where you reenact Moses leading you out of the Promised Land, you have to stay with the little ones.† â€Å"You're not Moses,† said Shem. â€Å"No – no, I'm not Moses. Smart of you to notice.† I tied the end of the rope to a nearby wagon that was loaded high with jars of wine. â€Å"This wagon is Moses,† I said. â€Å"Follow it.† â€Å"That wagon isn't – â€Å" â€Å"It's symbolic, shut the hell up and follow Moses.† Thus freed of our responsibilities, Joshua and I went looking for Maggie and her family. We knew that Maggie and her clan had left after us, so we fought backward through the pilgrims, braving donkey bites and camel spit until we spotted her royal blue shawl on the hill behind us, perhaps a half-mile back. We had resolved to just sit by the side of the road to wait until she reached us, rather than battle the crowd, when suddenly the column of pilgrims started to leave the road altogether, moving to the sides in a great wave. When we saw the red crest of a centurion's helmet come over the top of the hill we understood. Our people were making way for the Roman army. (There would be nearly a million Jews in Jerusalem for Passover – a million Jews celebrating their liberation from oppression, a very dangerous mix from the Roman point of view. The Roman governor would come from Caesarea with his full legion of six thousand men, and each of the other barracks in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee would send a century or two of soldiers to the holy city.) We used the opportunity to dash back to Maggie, arriving there at the same time as the Roman army. The centurion that led the cavalry kicked at me as he passed, his hobnail boot missing my head by a hair's breadth. I suppose I should be glad he wasn't a standard-bearer or I might have been conked with a Roman eagle. â€Å"How long do I have to wait before you drive them from the land and restore the kingdom to our people, Joshua?† Maggie stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to look stern, but her blue eyes betrayed that she was about to burst into laughter. â€Å"Uh, shalom to you too, Maggie,† Joshua said. â€Å"How about you, Biff, have you learned to be an idiot yet, or are you behind in your studies?† Those laughing eyes, even as the Romans passed by only an arm's length away. God, I miss her. â€Å"I'm learning,† I said. Maggie put down the jar she'd been carrying and threw her arms out to embrace us. It had been months since we'd seen her other than passing in the square. She smelled of lemons and cinnamon that day. We walked with Maggie and her family for a couple of hours, talking and joking and avoiding the subject that we were all thinking about until Maggie finally said, â€Å"Are you two coming to my wedding?† Joshua and I looked at each other as if our tongues had suddenly been struck from our mouths. I saw that Josh was having no luck finding words, and Maggie seemed to be getting angry. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Uh, Maggie, it's not that we're not overjoyed with your good fortune, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took the opportunity to backhand me across the mouth. The jar she carried on her head didn't even waver. Amazing grace that girl had. â€Å"Ouch.† â€Å"Good fortune? Are you mad? My husband's a toad. I'm sick at the thought of him. I was just hoping you two would come to help me through the ceremony.† â€Å"I think my lip is bleeding.† Joshua looked at me and his eyes went wide. â€Å"Uh-oh.† He cocked his head, as if listening to the wind. â€Å"What, uh-oh?† Then I heard the commotion coming from ahead. There was a crowd gathered at a small bridge – a lot of shouting and waving. Since the Romans had long since passed, I assumed someone had fallen in the river. â€Å"Uh-oh,† Josh said again, and he began running toward the bridge. â€Å"Sorry.† I shrugged at Maggie, then followed Josh. At the river's edge (no more than a creek, really) we saw a boy about our age, with wild hair and wilder eyes, standing waist-deep in the water. He was holding something under the water and shouting at the top of his lungs. â€Å"You must repent and atone, atone and repent! Your sins have made you unclean. I cleanse you of the evil that you carry like your wallet.† â€Å"That's my cousin, John,† Joshua said. Trailing out of the water on either side of John stood our brothers and sisters, still tied together, but the missing link in the string of siblings was my brother Shem, who had been replaced by a lot of thrashing and bubbling muddy water in front of John. Onlookers were cheering on the Baptist, who was having a little trouble keeping Shem under water. â€Å"I think he's drowning Shem.† â€Å"Baptizing,† Joshua said. â€Å"My mother will be happy that Shem's sins have been cleansed, but I have to think we're going to be in a lot of trouble if he drowns in the process.† â€Å"Good point,† Josh said. He stepped into the water. â€Å"John! Stop that!† John looked at him and seemed a little perplexed. â€Å"Cousin Joshua?† â€Å"Yes. John, let him up.† â€Å"He has sinned,† John said, as if that said it all. â€Å"I'll take care of his sins.† â€Å"You think you're the one, don't you? Well, you're not. My birth was announced by an angel as well. It was prophesied that I would lead. You're not the one.† â€Å"We should talk about this in another place. Let him up, John. He's cleansed.† John let my brother pop out of the water and I ran down and dragged him and all the other kids out of the river. â€Å"Wait, the others haven't been cleansed. They are filthy with sin.† Joshua stepped between his brother James, who would have been the next one dunked, and the Baptist. â€Å"You won't tell Mother about this, will you?† Halfway between terrified and furious, James was tearing at the knots, trying to untie the rope from around his neck. He clearly wanted revenge on his big brother, but at the same time he didn't want to give up his brother's protection from John. â€Å"If we let John baptize you long enough, you won't be able to tell your mother, will you, James?† Me, just trying to help out. â€Å"I won't tell,† James said. He looked back at John, who was still staring as if he'd dash out and grab someone to cleanse any second. â€Å"He's our cousin?† â€Å"Yes,† Joshua said. â€Å"The son of our mother's cousin Elizabeth.† â€Å"When did you meet him before?† â€Å"I haven't.† â€Å"Then how did you know him.† â€Å"I just did.† â€Å"He's a loony,† said James. â€Å"You're both loonies.† â€Å"Yes, a family trait. Maybe when you get older you can be a loony too. You won't tell Mother.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Good,† Joshua said. â€Å"You and Biff get the kids moving, will you?† I nodded, shooting a glance back to John. â€Å"James is right, Josh. He is a loony.† â€Å"I heard that, sinner!† John shouted. â€Å"Perhaps you need to be cleansed.† John and his parents shared supper with us that evening. I was surprised that John's parents were older than Joseph – older than my grandparents even. Joshua told me that John's birth had been a miracle, announced by the angel. Elizabeth, John's mother, talked about it all through supper, as if it had happened yesterday instead of thirteen years ago. When the old woman paused to take a breath, Joshua's mother started in about the divine announcement of her own son's birth. Occasionally my mother, feeling the need to exhibit some maternal pride that she didn't really feel, would chime in as well. â€Å"You know, Biff wasn't announced by an angel, but locusts ate our garden and Alphaeus had gas for a month around the time he would have been conceived. I think it might have been a sign. That certainly didn't happen with my other boys.† Ah, Mother. Did I mention that she was besought with a demon? After supper, Joshua and I built our own fire, away from the others, hoping that Maggie would seek us out, but it turned out that only John joined us. â€Å"You are not the anointed one,† John said to Joshua. â€Å"Gabriel came to my father. Your angel didn't even have a name.† â€Å"We shouldn't be talking about these things,† Joshua said. â€Å"The angel told my father that his son would prepare the way for the Lord. That's me.† â€Å"Fine, I want nothing more than for you to be the Messiah, John.† â€Å"Really?† John asked. â€Å"But your mother seems so, so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Josh can raise the dead,† I said. John shifted his insane gaze to me, and I scooted away from him in case he tried to hit me. â€Å"He cannot,† John said. â€Å"Yep, I've seen it twice.† â€Å"Don't, Biff,† Josh said. â€Å"You're lying. Bearing false witness is a sin,† John said. The Baptist started to look more panicked than angry. â€Å"I'm not very good at it,† Joshua said. John's eyes went wide, now with amazement instead of madness. â€Å"You have done this? You have raised the dead?† â€Å"And healed the sick,† I said. John grabbed me by the front of my tunic and pulled me close, staring into my eyes as if he was looking into my head. â€Å"You aren't lying, are you?† He looked at Joshua. â€Å"He's not lying, is he?† Joshua shook his head. â€Å"I don't think so.† John released me, let out a long sigh, then sat back in the dirt. The firelight caught tears sparkling in his eyes as he stared at nothing. â€Å"I am so relieved. I didn't know what I would do. I don't know how to be the Messiah.† â€Å"Neither do I,† said Joshua. â€Å"Well, I hope you really can raise the dead,† John said, â€Å"because this will kill my mother.† We walked with John for the next three days, through Samaria, into Judea, and finally into the holy city. Fortunately, there weren't many rivers or streams along the way, so we were able to keep his baptisms to a minimum. His heart was in the right place, he really did want to cleanse our people of their sins, it was just that no one would believe that God would give that responsibility to a thirteen-year-old. To keep John happy, Josh and I let him baptize our little brothers and sisters at every body of water we passed, at least until Josh's little sister Miriam developed the sniffles and Joshua had to perform an emergency healing on her. â€Å"You really can heal,† John exclaimed. â€Å"Well, the sniffles are easy,† Joshua said. â€Å"A little mucus is nothing against the power of the Lord.† â€Å"Would – would you mind?† John said, lifting up his tunic and showing his bare privates, which were covered with sores and greenish scales. â€Å"Cover, please cover!† I yelled. â€Å"Drop the shirt and step away!† â€Å"That's disgusting,† Joshua said. â€Å"Am I unclean? I've been afraid to ask my father, and I can't go to a Pharisee, not with my father being a priest. I think it's from standing in the water all of the time. Can you heal me?† (I have to say here that I believe that this was the first time Joshua's little sister Miriam ever saw a man's privates. She was only six at the time, but the experience so frightened her that she never married. The last time anyone heard from her, she had cut her hair short, put on men's clothes, and moved to the Greek island of Lesbos. But that was later.) â€Å"Have at it, Josh,† I said. â€Å"Lay your hands upon the affliction and heal it.† Joshua shot me a dirty look, then looked back to his cousin John, with nothing but compassion in his eyes. â€Å"My mother has some salve you can put on it,† he said. â€Å"Let's see if that works first.† â€Å"I've tried salve,† John said. â€Å"I was afraid you had,† said Joshua. â€Å"Have you tried rubbing it with olive oil?† I asked. â€Å"It probably won't cure you, but it might take your mind off of it.† â€Å"Biff, please. John is afflicted.† â€Å"Sorry.† Joshua said, â€Å"Come here, John.† â€Å"Oh, jeez, Joshua,† I said. â€Å"You're not going to touch it, are you? He's unclean. Let him live with the lepers.† Joshua put his hands on John's head and the Baptist's eyes rolled back in his head. I thought he would fall, and he did waver, but remained standing. â€Å"Father, you have sent this one to prepare the way. Let him go forth with his body as clean as his spirit.† Joshua released his cousin and stepped back. John opened his eyes and smiled. â€Å"I am healed!† he yelled. â€Å"I am healed.† John began to raise his shirt and I caught his arm. â€Å"We'll take your word for it.† The Baptist fell to his knees, then prostrated himself before Joshua, shoving his face against Josh's feet. â€Å"You are truly the Messiah. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I shall declare your holiness throughout the land.† â€Å"Uh, maybe someday, but not now,† Joshua said. John looked up from where he had been grasping Josh's ankles. â€Å"Not now?† â€Å"We're trying to keep it a secret,† I said. Josh patted his cousin's head. â€Å"Yes, it would be best not to tell anyone about the healing, John.† â€Å"But why?† â€Å"We have to find out a couple of things before Joshua starts being the Messiah,† I said. â€Å"Like what?† John seemed as if he would start crying again. â€Å"Well, like where Joshua left his destiny and whether or not he's allowed to, uh, have an abomination with a woman.† â€Å"It's not an abomination if it's with a woman,† Josh added. â€Å"It's not?† â€Å"Nope. Sheep, goats, pretty much any animal – it's an abomination. But with a woman, it's something totally different.† â€Å"What about a woman and a goat, what's that?† asked John. â€Å"That's five shekels in Damascus,† I said. â€Å"Six if you want to help.† Joshua punched me in the shoulder. â€Å"Sorry, old joke.† I grinned. â€Å"Couldn't resist.† John closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, as if he might squeeze some understanding out of his mind if he applied enough pressure. â€Å"So you don't want anyone to know that you have the power to heal because you don't know if you can lie with a woman?† â€Å"Well, that and I have no idea how to go about being the Messiah,† Josh said. â€Å"Yeah, and that,† I said. â€Å"You should ask Hillel,† John said. â€Å"My father says he's the wisest of all of the priests.† â€Å"I'm going to ask the Holy of Holies,† Joshua said. (The Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant – the box containing the tablets handed down from God to Moses. No one I knew had ever seen it, as it was housed in the inner room at the Temple.) â€Å"But it's forbidden. Only a priest may enter the chamber of the Ark.† â€Å"Yes, that's going to be a problem,† I said. The city was like a huge cup that had been filled to its brim with pilgrims, then spilled into a seething pool of humanity around it. When we arrived men were already lined up as far as the Damascus gate, waiting with their lambs to get to the Temple. A greasy black smoke was on the wind, coming from the Temple, where as many as ten thousand priests would be slaughtering the lambs and burning the blood and fatty parts on the altar. Cooking fires were burning all around the city as women prepared the lambs. A haze hung in the air, the steam and funk of a million people and as many animals. Stale breath and sweat and the smell of piss rose in the heat of the day, mixing with the bleating of lambs, the bellowing of camels, the crying of children, the ululations of women, and the low buzz of too many voices, until the air was thick with sounds and smells and God and history. Here Abraham received the word of God that his people would be the Chosen, here were the Hebrews delivered out of Egypt, here Solomon built the first Temple, here walked the prophets and the kings of the Hebrews, and here resided the Ark of the Covenant. Jerusalem. Here did I, the Christ, and John the Baptist come to find out the will of God and, if we were lucky, spot some really delicious girls. (What, you thought it was all religion and philosophy?) Our families made camp outside the northern wall of the city, below the battlements of Antonia, the fortress Herod had built in tribute to his benefactor, Marc Antony. Two cohorts of Roman soldiers, some twelve hundred strong, watched the Temple courtyard from the fortress walls. The women fed and washed the children while Joshua and I carried lambs with our fathers to the Temple. There was something unsettling about carrying an animal to its death. It wasn't that I hadn't seen the sacrifices before, nor even eaten the Passover lamb, but this was the first time I'd actually participated. I could feel the animal's breathing on my neck as I carried it slung over my shoulders, and amid all the noise and the smells and the movement around the Temple, there was, for a moment, silence, just the breath and heartbeat of the lamb. I guess I fell behind the others, because my father turned and said something to me, but I couldn't hear the words. We went through the gates and into the outer courtyard of the Temple where merchants sold birds for the sacrifice and moneychangers traded shekels for a hundred different coins from around the world. As we passed through the enormous courtyard, where thousands of men stood with lambs on their shoulders waiting to get into the inner temple, to the altar, to the slaughter, I could see no man's face. I saw only the faces of the lambs, some calm and oblivious, others with their eyes rolled back, bleating in terror, still others seeming to be stunned. I swung the lamb from my own shoulders and cradled it in my arms like a child as I backed out toward the gate. I know my father and Joseph must have come after me, but I couldn't see their faces, just emptiness where their eyes should have been, just the eyes of the lambs they carried. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't get out of the Temple fast enough. I didn't know where I was going, but I wasn't going inside to the altar. I turned to run , but a hand caught my shirt and pulled me back. I spun around and looked into Joshua's eyes. â€Å"It's God's will,† he said. He laid his hands on my head and I was able to breathe again. â€Å"It's all right, Biff. God's will.† He smiled. Joshua had put the lamb he'd been carrying on the ground, but it didn't run away. I suppose I should have known right then. I didn't eat any of the lamb for that Passover feast. In fact, I've never eaten lamb since that day.

How to Write a Good Speech Essay

Writing a good speech isn’t the same as writing a good essay. It can be achieved by considering a few extra necessary but simple points. The audience needs to be engaged and thinking about what you’re talking about. A good way to do this is to ask a question the audience hadn’t considered, and force them to think of the only obvious answer. This is called a rhetorical question. Rhetorical questions aren’t meant to be answered, but still allow the audience to think about the question and relate to what you’re talking about. These questions are great to use as an introduction to your speech and can never be overused throughout the rest of your speech. Using complicated language in essays is fine. If the reader misreads or doesn’t understand, they can just track back a few words or do a quick Google search of the phrase in question. This is the opposite in a speech. Hammering your audience with a few clauses in one sentence can cause you to lose your audience very quickly. Use simple language that you can read and the audience will understand well. This can be achieved by reading your speech aloud a few times before presenting it. Reading speeches aloud allow you to filter out those confusing statements. It helps a lot if you have a test audience to tell you when there is something a bit too tricky for them. It’s a good idea to replace the trouble sentence with one or two extra sentences, spreading the information out giving the audience more time to think. Don’t drag the speech on for too long. It’s good to end when your information starts to seem irrelevant or repetitive. If possible, don’t just keep the most interesting or important information at the beginning of the speech. If the audience thinks that your information is unnecessary or repetitive, they’ll stop paying attention to what you’re saying. Don’t include a personal introduction or farewell in the written speech. For instance don’t include â€Å"Hi, my name is Ashneil and I’ll be talking about soup standards across Australia†. You should always introduce yourself on the spot because this prevents reading line by line of your speech. Basically, to write a great speech, it’s important to use rhetorical questions to engage the audience, avoid complicated language and lengthy speeches to keep the audience’s attention, and not include a personal introduction in your written speech to keep yourself from reading line-by-line.

Corning Incorporated : the Growth and Strategy Council

CORNING INCORPORATED: THE GROWTH AND STRATEGY COUNCIL Company Background : Corning Glass Works was founded in 1851 by Amory Houghton, in Somerville, Massachusetts. The company was known as Corning Glass Works until 1989, when it changed its name to Corning Incorporated. Corning Incorporated is an American manufacturer of glass, ceramics, and related materials, primarily for industrial and scientific applications. In 1998 Corning divested itself of its consumer lines of Corning Ware and Corelle tableware and Pyrex cookware.As of 2008 Corning had four business segments: Display Technologies, Environmental Technologies, Life Sciences, and Telecommunication. Innovation was the core of corning’s Identity, because coning is a science based company, Innovation is the engine for the company. Fact 1 : The Formed of Growth and Strategy Council Corning has formed the Growth and Strategy Council (GSC) in 2001 the core group member are CEO, COO, CTO, heads of research, development and engi neering and the head of HR. The role of GSC is varied from making decisions about pacing and investment, advising businesses on pricing strategy etc.The GSC is about establishing best practices and getting all innovation programs to the same level of rigor. Lesson learned 1: GSC as Change Agent Management. Corning needs to maintain their performance in a long term condition. It needs strategy and great people who involved and have willingness to improve the performance for sustainability. The individual or group that undertakes the task of initiating and managing change in an organization is known as a change agent and that what’s corning did when fomed GSC.In many innovative-driven companies, managers and employees alike are being trained to develop the needed skills to oversee change (Tschirky, 2011). My experience I am working at bank bjb which the ownership is 100 % by the government of west java province and Banten province. By 2010 the company had their IPO so some of t he ownership goes to public. And it makes change to the company business overall. To make the company keep sustain my company formed change agent management program that include the director, Groups head, and Branch Managers that made decision about varied company problems. Fact 2 : Corning’s Stage Gate Innovation ProcessInnovation at Corning followed what was called the ‘innovation recipe’ its involved the management that used Corning’s gate innovation process that’s are : Stage I : Gather Information, build knowledge Stage II : Determine feasibility Stage III : Test Practically Stage IV : Prove Profitability Stage V : Manage the life cycle Advancing to the next stage required meeting deliverables and advancing through the ‘Decision Diamond’ Lesson learned : Innovation as a Process and Philosphy For Corning Innovation was as much a set of principles as it was a process, innovation is about idea creation.Innovation at Corning also about being willing and able to take failed ideas and apply them elsewhere Innovation is much more than invention – the creation of a new idea and its reduction to practice and it includes all the activities required in the commercialization of new technologies (Freeman and Soete 1997) Others company experienced We can learned from 3M company that produce the product Post It from accident. A man named Spencer Silver who worked in the 3M research laboratories in 1970 was working on developing a strong adhesive to incorporate it to some of 3M’s current products.After some trial and error he finally developed an adhesive, but for his own disappointment, it was even weaker than what 3M already manufactured at the time. It stuck to things but could easily be lifted off. A couple of ants could lift it up. Then four years later, another 3M scientist named Arthur Fry was singing in his church’s choir. He used markers to keep in the hymnal but they kept falling out of the boo k. Then he remembered Silver’s weak adhesive and used to coat his markers. With the weak adhesive the markers stayed in place, yet lifted off without damaging the pages.Fact 3 : The Concept of Patient Money in Corning Key businesses Corning lost money for 14 years before becoming profitable in 1999. And optical fiber took 20 years to become profitable despite the hundreds millions of dollars the company invested during the 1960 – and 1970s. In 2001 the company approved the appropriations request for a $250 million new factory for the diesel business at a time when telecom business was crashing and the emission regulations for 2007 were not yet in place.Lesson learned : Sustainability investment on Technology Innovation . Innovation at corning meant being willing to make significant. Sustained investments knowing that the payback would likely be well into the future. Corning’s Emphasis on innovation and its long term outlook-made the company unique. Unlike conven tional investments in plant and equipment, which generally have declining returns over time, technological investments are argued to produce positive returns through creating new knowledge, options and opportunities (Arthur 1990). My ExperienceIn early 2011 bank bjb cooperate with western union to facilitate customers who wants to transfer their money to other countries. One of the problems sometimes the transfer didn’t get on time and many system failure. So to solve that problem bank bjb do the research to choose another vendor that more appropriate. Bank bjb also develop their own Information Technology system to create independent remittance to other countries. The result are bank bjb has cooperate with BNI in remittance and also will launch independent remittance system in 2013 that will serve customer better in the future.

Realism in the play Mulatto written by Langston Hughes Essay

Realism in the play Mulatto written by Langston Hughes - Essay Example The realness of this protagonist comes from the fact that he resembles or represents a real person who exists, or had existed, in certain historical time and place. The representation of the protagonist in the physical world makes Robert, at certain level, a real person. The realness of the protagonist is made possible by the human reader him- or herself; Robert becomes alive within the mental frame of the reader. Upon â€Å"seeing† Robert’s character in the play, the sensible reader is able to grasp the resemblance or representation of this protagonist to the real world. Evidently, the real world that the reader perceives is a material and/or perceptual realm in which he or she possesses based from an aspect or element of knowledge. In lieu to the Mulatto play, the knowledge that is at work here is a historical one: racism in the early 20th-century South. Second, the Mulatto playwright uses real place-and-time continuum in narrating the drama’s reality. Mentioni ng the names Georgia and Eleanor Roosevelt suggests a particular geography and historical time-period in which the narrative takes place. Georgia, for one thing, is one of the States in America, which is located in its Southern region. Historically speaking, Georgia was a state that politically belonged to or supported the Confederate Government. And one of the objectives of the Confederate States was the maintenance or preservation of black slavery within its geopolitical domain. In the narrative, Hughes portrays the existence and persistence of slavery in the South through the symbolism or representation of Colonel Thomas Norwood, a slave owner from Georgia. The realness of the play comes from, among other elements, the spatial context of the narrative. Moreover, the name Eleanor Roosevelt is a very familiar name especially to the Americans, both North and South. She is well known for her civil-rights activities, particularly that which relates to women’s rights. Mrs. Roose velt is a historical figure who lived beyond the literary text. And the mere mention of her name in the Mulatto evokes the near reality of the drama: early 20th century. Third, Hughes employs dialogue that is ordinary or â€Å"real life† conversation. For instance, the phonology or textual character marked in the play sounds like real Southerners, especially the black people. The way the characters utter a word or two sounds like the speech prominent in the black community. In addition, the ideas or meanings contained in their utterances or dialogue are very similar to the context of everyday conversation. By and large, the Mulatto play written by Hughes utilizes, in an effective manner, realism as a literary device via the representations of its real characters, setting, and

Should football managers be sacked when results (on the field) are Essay

Should football managers be sacked when results (on the field) are poor - Essay Example A football manager can have the best players in the world, but without credible managerial skills, less talented players who have a better managing team will beat his team. Each player has their own talents, qualities and strengths that proper workout on a daily basis that is meant to sustain morale, motivation and competence the player’s capabilities will not be portrayed in the games. They will be wasted. The secret to football success is in the backroom stuff and management. The best way to ensure staff competence is by understanding what the different football manager stuff attributes mean for training, transfer handling and scouting- this is what is called the ‘non-play attributes’. The decision to hire or sack a manager implies the consideration of aspects linked to environmental pressures, the importance of experience and skill of the manager and the emotional empathy of the manager with the institution. It is important that the manager be sacked based of f ield performance because just as Tena said, there are other external factors to be considered. These factors include the sponsors, the fans, the stakeholders, and the prestige of the football club among others. If a team keeps losing, then there is pressure from these external attributes on the management to take measures towards the rectification of the problem. These measures may lead to the sacking of the manager and other staff members. ... If a team keeps losing, then there is pressure from these external attributes on the management to take measures towards the rectification of the problem. These measures may lead to the sacking of the manager and other staff members. Apart from external factors, there are internal factors that would lead to the sacking of a manager in football. Paolo Di Canio was sacked from being Sunderland’s manager after a player rebellion where several players refused to play for him again. This made it impossible for him to continue managing the team (The telegraph, 2013:16). For the effective management of a football club, the manager should show certain coaching attributes that he should ensure the players are good. These include; attacking, defending goalkeeping coaching and fitness. The lack of these skills will lead to game loses and so if the manager cannot ensure proper training of the players then he should be sacked. The manager should also have a good mental capability i.e. his ability to observe, and act upon an individual’s state of mind and be able to act accordingly. Apart from this, the manager’s ability to work with the youth should be a contributing factor to how well the team will act in the games. The relationship between the players and the manager needs to be good for there to be effective management and good results. It this relationship is compromised, for example, if the players feel that the management is like a dictatorship, or there is no respect for the management, then the manager will not be effective in his managerial duties, and he should therefore be replaced. These are some of the factors that will lead to poor performance; the manager should be replaced when the team has poor performance because it is a

The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien - Research Paper Example However, not only does the work of john use imaginative writing, it also incorporates other styles of literature in a bid to compliment the various themes and consequently enhance the plot while at the same time creating memorability of the particular piece of literature. Evidently, since johns work are majorly fictional stories, they are aimed to target audience who are young in terms of age and therefore read literature that is captivating while at the same time helps them to get an insight into the world of literature. However, in this paper we are going to focus on the novel, the hobbit written by john. In addition to that, we try to establish the various style of literature employed in this particular work of art and highlight on the relevance in the development of the plot and the themes of the story. Perhaps, in this paper we are going to focus on the role of imaginary writing approaches used by john in this particular novel. On that note, in order to get a glimpse on the role of imagery in this particular narrative, it is essential to read and consequently read and properly understand the plot of the story. First and foremost, the hobbit was first published in September 21st, 1937. On that note, it is one of the most successful works of literature produced by John (Watson, 253). For instance, the New York Herald Tribune named this book as being the best juvenile fiction and a prize was awarded. The hobbit is a story about elves and dwarfs. Apparently, Gandalf who is a wizard uses trickery on Bilbo Baggins who is a hobbit, in a bid to enable Bilbo to welcome and host a group of reunion of Thorin and his dwarf counterparts (Walker, 7). On that note, the meeting is purposed to addressing ways in which they can reclaim their homeland; Lonely mountains. Notably, they use the element of musicality to air their views and as the song come to a halt, Gandalf the wizard, reveals that he is in possession of a map that highlights a secret entrance into the mountain. On their endeavour to reach this destination, they pass through the misty mountain where they are attacked by goblins that live in tha t area and they are forced to go deep into the ground through canyons. However, Gandalf was able to save them but Bilbo was separated from this group as they escaped from the goblins (Nelson, 38). At this point in the story, john uses imagery to describe the structural makeup of the goblins in comparison to the dwarfs. In addition to that, we are able to learn that the dwarfs were small in size and thus at a disadvantage as compared to the goblins (Nelson, 38). Notably, at this juncture, the use of imagery to create mental pictures in a bid boost the understanding of the situation better in relation to the audience was essential. In the course of the separation with his fellow comrades, Bilbo gets lost in the goblin tunnels and it is at this point that he acquires a mysterious ring from Gollum, who eventually helps him find his way out of the goblin tunnel as a reward of unravelling the riddles posed to him by Gollum (Christensen, 10). However, Bilbo was able to use the abilities of the ring; provide invisibility to the one wearing it, to escape the goblin tunnels and was able to reunite with his fellow dwarfs thus boosting his reputation among the dwarf who previously viewed him as weak and full of fear. Despite their

THE LAW OF TORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE LAW OF TORT - Essay Example Simon had a dizzy neck after his car accident and had gone to see the doctor who diagnosed him of whiplash. After hearing that he has a vital presentation to present before the final of the programme, he advised Simon to return to the gym and work out through the pain. This was a wrong advice on the part of the Company doctor. After listening to his advice, he worked through the pain, and as a consequence, Simon passed out during the presentation and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with trapped nerves in his neck and as a consequence, was unable to appear in the finale. Applying the rule of law laid down in the Boman Case, the Company doctor is liable for Simon passing out in the presentation and the subsequent diagnosis in the hospital. Simon would not have gone and worked out if he was not advised by his doctor to do so. Therefore, applying the tort of professional negligence, we come to the conclusion that the Company doctor is liable for the injuries which happened subsequent to training after getting diagnosed of whiplash. Looking at the remedy available to Simon, the doctor is liable to pay for the damages which occurred after he worked out at the gym, which includes the cost of treatment for getting diagnosed at the hospital, but not the losses incurred due the failure of Simon to attend the finale.These costs must be paid by the doctor to Simon as damages for the tort he committed,. He was negligent in his services and deserves to pay a price for such inefficient and nonprofessional advice. In the second issue, the case is whether Simon has a defence against the claim of the pedestrian for the damage to her laptop, her loss of book and her illness. The answer to this problem is yes Simon does have absolute defence against the claim of the pedestrian. The pedestrian was not remotely anywhere close to Simon’s responsibility of duty of care while the accident occurred. Simon does not owe her any duty of care in the first

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide - Essay Example As of 31st December 2007, Starwood group’s portfolio included a total of 897 Hotels with 275,000 rooms across 100 countries that primarily cater to the upscale markets of the lodging industry. The company employs about 145,000 people and has its headquarters in White Plains, New York (Starwood, 2008). It is clear that the level of competition in the hotel and lodging sector is very high. Hence it is essential that Starwood has to undertake immediate efforts to improve its services and market share in order to survive in this competitive environment. This consultancy report will analyze the company’s current situation and aim at improving the organization on the whole. This method is based on the product life cycle theory. This provides a means to correctly give importance to the product portfolio of a business unit. It is essential that companies have a combination of both high growth products as well as low growth products. The diagram below explains the BCG Matrix. Stars refer to businesses use huge amounts of cash and also generate large amounts of monies as well. Here the company has a high growth as well as high market share. These generally include businesses that have a large market share in a fast-growing industry. These businesses do generate cash, however, this is very limited as all of it is required to be used to keep in sync with the rapid growth. Businesses that are successful in this area mature to become ‘cash cows’, as the industry matures. Cash Cows, this is where the investments are low and the growth is also low, however, the profits and cash generation should be high. Businesses with a large market in a slow-growing industry fall into this category. The investments are low for these kinds of business units however these generate cash that can be used as investments in other business units.

Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde as Variations of the Outlaw Couple on Essay

Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde as Variations of the Outlaw Couple on the Run Story - Essay Example Thus, films of the same genre were perceived differently by the viewers. One example of this the way viewers perceive Bonnie and Clyde and Breathless in two different contexts given the tone developed by the movie. While the director, Arthur Penn infused both tragedy and comedy in the movie, Bonnie, and Clyde, Breathless’s director, Jean-Luc Godard explored only the element of tragedy in this movie. In this paper, we attempt to compare both the movies in the way they were differently presented by the viewers while belonging to the same sub-genre.The Outlaw Couple on the Run is a sub-genre often associated with crime movies. This sub-genre became popular in the 1990s with movies such as Bonnie and Clyde. Even though this genre existed earlier with movies such as They Live by the Night and Gun Crazy but the name was coined after Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde. A movie is classified in the sub-genre of outlaw couple on the run when it has three elements namely, outlaws, co uple and being on the road (Cook, 122). The couples within the outlaw movies break social order and construct their own order. Though they are not sincere towards their government or towards another entity, they have a sense of belonging and responsibility towards their partners. Thus, the couples in such movies do not fit in dictates of the society and for this reason; they are shunned by the society. However, since they are the protagonist of the movie, the viewers accept them with their faults and are even willing to support them despite the crimes they have committed.One element that makes such movies so popular is the majestic landscape presented in the movie. As the couples take to the road, they explore the different parts of the country and this increases the appeal of the movies for the audience.

How to Develop an Evangelistic Lifestyle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How to Develop an Evangelistic Lifestyle - Essay Example In this book, the author reveals how one may keep the belief that Gospel can clearly and effectively communicate the message without any legalism that turns grace confusing. Moreover, with the help of this book, one can learn more about his ultimate faith in Christ as a Savior. As it is believed and gospel message that all the believers in Christ are the representatives and the ambassadors for Jesus having responsibility to declare His message to the entire world, in fact the fallen word. Apostle Paul is an enormous example of a loving and bold representative for Jesus. He came forward with the message of cooperation and reconciliation to all those who come in contact with him. He was the person who really did faithful evangelism throughout his life. Conversely, most of us cannot prove to be Apostle Paul. For many believers of Jesus Christ, the job of evangelism is something this may turn them into guilt and fear. For most of the believers, it is not a joyful experience than what it should be. Although many believers put in great efforts to develop evangelistic lifestyle and declaring the magnificent gospel’s messages but at the same time some fail to understand the urgency of this spiritual nourishment. So, Dr. Moyer points out what can be done to develop more faithful evangelistic efforts. In the first chapter, How to Develop an Evangelistic Lifestyle, Dr. ... Christ commands to his representatives â€Å"Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.† This verse simply tells that evangelism requires true dedication and the obedience of God. On the other hand, according to Dr. Moyer, some people excuse while spreading the message of gospel to their surroundings which is absolutely contradictory in achieving evangelistic lifestyle. It is also presented in the book that those individuals who present themselves entirely to evangelism also offer themselves to prayers. They also request God to offer them with courage to speak about Gospel. This gave them strength to understand that God can do this or He will surely do that. Personal contact is also essential in developing evangelism. We may have contact with non- Christians in a get together or in an informal discussion regarding spiritual things. Moreover, we should not let fright and panic set in our way. With the help of this initial information put forward by Dr. Moyer, it is obvious that evangelistic lifestyle always deals with true commitment and obedience. It also demands sincere efforts and involvements rather than just developing a mere intention. It is a great way to bring lost individuals to the right path of God. Next to these initial details presented by Dr. Moyer, the second chapter of the book under title How to Turn a Conversation to Spiritual Things is far more interesting. According to Dr. Moyer, talking about spiritual things is nothing difficult but only to those who are already interested. So, the question is that what to do with those non- Christians who are not interested in such topics. How we can bring up the subject of Spiritual things to discussion. How we can turn the topic of discussion from Golf to God, from secular to

Ludwig van Beethoven Essay Example for Free

Ludwig van Beethoven Essay Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer who brought about gigantic alterations in the nature and techniques of music—an achievement matched by few other artists. He found music a rococo-dramatic art, the orchestra a relatively small ensemble, and the piano a newly established successor to the harpsichord. By his aggressive, iconoclastic, even egotistic nature, and by his huge ability to manipulate and balance musical ideas and forces, Beethoven marked his later creations with his own stormy, tender, lyrical, and intellectual character. By employing text less music to communicate philosophical ideas and to serve as autobiography, he pushed music far along the road toward 19th century romanticism and bequeathed to his successors the portrait of the great creator as culture hero (Bekker, 2005). He expanded the size of the orchestra and the possible length of orchestral compositions, preparing the way for Schubert, Berlioz, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Anton Bruckner, and Richard Strauss. He is considered one of the greatest composers of all time. Beethoven has been called the â€Å"Shakespeare of Music† for the manner in which he combined mastery of technique with depth of feeling and variety of form. Beethoven’s composing was slow and painstaking. He had to revise, polish and work. His life was plagued by family problems and ill health. He was totally deaf in the last years of his life, yet this did not stop him from composing. Beethoven was a temperamental man and often quarreled with his associates. He had tempestuous love affairs but never married. He went far toward establishing the piano as the foremost musical instrument. Not a great craftsman when handling the human voice, Beethoven excelled in all other branches of music. The taste of the 20th century inclines to call Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven the greatest of all musical creators (Bekker, 2005). Thesis Statement: This study scrutinizes the life of Ludwig van Beethoven and be aware of his unusual or significant contributions to music. II. Background A. Early Years Beethoven was born at Bonn, probably on December 16, 1770, and was baptized on December 17. Of Flemish-German descent, he was the second of seven children of Johann van Beethoven, who sang tenor in the chorus of the elector of Cologne. Ludwig’s mother was Maria Magdalena Laym. The boy demonstrated musical talent as early as his sixth year, and his father tried to develop him into a child like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At 10, Ludwig was sent to study with Christian Gottlob Neefe, the elector’s court organist. Neefe nourished him on Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and wrote in 1783: â€Å"If he goes on as he has started, he will certainly become a second Mozart. Young Beethoven later studied under several court musicians, who helped him master the violin, organ, and piano. In 1787 he went to Vienna and there met Mozart, who was impressed by his piano improvisations. Beethoven returned to Bonn when his mother became ill. After her death, his father became an alcoholic and Beethoven helped support his younger brothers. In the following years, Beethoven held several important music posts at the court and also gave private music lessons. In 1792 he moved to Vienna, probably at the request of Haydn, who was Beethoven’s teacher for a time, but the two composers did not get along well and Beethoven continued his studies with Johann Schenk and Antonio Salieri. Beethoven began to play at private musical soirees given by the Viennese aristocracy and quickly won fame as a virtuoso pianist. He gave his first public concert in 1795, performing his Piano Concert No. 2 in B flat and soon became well known as a composer. Except for occasional trips, Beethoven spent the rest of his life in Vienna. There he enjoyed both artistic and social success, as noblemen became both his patrons and his friends. Beethoven first noticed a hearing loss in the late 1790’s. As the condition grew worse he became irritable, suspicious, and quarrelsome. He continued to compose, however, and wrote his final compositions, including the magnificent Ninth Symphony â€Å"Choral†, while totally deaf. Scholars disagree on the cause of his deafness. It may have resulted from a childhood illness, from syphilis, or from otosclerosis, a condition in which bony growths form between the inner ear and the middle ear (Grove, 2003). Beethoven’s music forms a transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in music. He is most famous for his symphonies, sonatas, concertos, and quartets but also composed songs, cantatas, masses, and incidental theater music. Beethoven used the Classical forms but enlarged their formal structure and enriched their emotional content with a personal expressiveness (Grove, 2003). III. Discussion A. His contributions †¢ Middle Period Beethoven’s personal eccentricities, his proud boorishness, and even his lack of personal cleanliness were accepted as the marks of the genius he was. A short, muscular, stocky man, he had a bush of wild hair and fierce, piercing black eyes in a notably ruddy face. His upper-class friends suffered at his hands but stubbornly remained faithful to him. They supported him by providing comfortable lodgings, by giving him money, and by patronizing his concerts and publications. By 1804, he was composing such of his great piano sonatas as the Waldstein and the Appassionata, and probably had embarked on his only opera, Fidelio (Newman, 2004). Meanwhile, by 1805, Beethoven had begun to sketch his Fifth (C Minor) Symphony, his Fourth (G Major) Piano Concerto, and the first of his Rasoumovsky string quartets. In 1806, in the midst of the Napoleonic disorders, he composed his only violin concerto, first heard on December 23 of that year. While Beethoven worked on the concerto, his desk was littered with advanced sketches of his Fourth Fifth, and Sixth symphonies. The Fourth was first heard in the spring of 1807; the Fifth (C Minor) and Sixth (Pastoral, F Major) were played at a concert on December 22, 1808, which included half a dozen others of his works (the premieres of the Choral Fantasy and the Fourth Piano Concerto)(Grove, 2003). On completing his Third (Eroica) Symphony, in E Flat, in 1804, Beethoven had inscribed it to Napoleon, thinking of him as a democratic liberator; this inscription he later angrily struck out. Nevertheless, he seriously considered, as late as 1808-1089, an offer from Jerome Bonaparte, king of Westphalis, to become his Kapellmeister at Kassel. Hearing of this, three of Beethoven’s Viennese patrons, including the young Archduke Rudolf, joined to offer him a yearly income, and he decided not to emigrate (Anderson, 2001). †¢ Last Works Between 1817 and 1823, Beethoven completed the last 5 of his 32 piano sonatas. In 1818, he began a mass intended for use at the installation of his friend Archduke Rudolf as archbishop of Olmutz (Olomouc). He did not complete it until February 27, 1823; the Missa solemnis was first sung at a private performance in ST. Petersburg on April 6, 1824. Beethoven had planned a symphony in F minor. He worked at it desultorily in 1823, when he seriously set to work to complete it. He decided to make its last movement a choral setting of Friedrich von Schiller’s Ode to Joy and pronounced the Ninth Symphony complete on September 5, 1823. He had accepted 250 from the Philharmonic Society of London in return for a promise that it would receive his new symphony in manuscript. But he had also promised the premiere to Berlin and had dedicated the symphony to the King of Prussia. When his Viennese patrons insisted that it be heard in Vienna first, he yielded, salving his conscience by sending the actual autograph score at London. The first hearing of the Ninth Symphony occurred in Vienna on May 7, 1824. When the audience broke into frantic applause, the deaf Beethoven was unaware of the enthusiasm until someone turned him around so that he could see the demonstration (Anderson, 2001). IV. Conclusion As a conclusion, custom long has divided Beethoven’s numerous works into three periods. These inexact, overlapping categories represent actual changes in styles. The first period shows Beethoven as the direct heir and imitator of Haydn and Mozart. Opening about 1800, the second period, far more idiosyncratic, includes the majority of his most popular works: symphonies Nos. 2 to 8 inclusive, Fidelio, the last three piano concertos, the violin concerto, the Leonore, Egmont, and Coriolan overtures, the Rasoumovsky string quartets, other chamber music, and 14 of the piano sonatas. The third of the Beethoven periods, one of distillation and summation, encompasses the Ninth Symphony, the five final string quartets, and the Missa solemnis (Anderson, 2001). Critics still discuss whether or not Beethoven’s deafness influenced the special character of his later works. Reference: 1. Anderson, Emily. (2001). The Letters of Beethoven, 5 vols. Pp. 23-27. London and New York. 2. Bekker, Paul. (2005)Beethoven, tr. By M. M. Bozman, pp. 114-116, London. 3. Grove, George. (2003). The Life and Works of Beethoven, pp. 24-36, New York. 4. Newman, Romain. (2004). The Unconsciousness Beethoven, pp. 67-68, London and New York.

Internship Report on Zong Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Internship Report on Zong Pakistan Essay Groups individuals according to the occasions when they purchase, use or think of buying a product. 2. Benefits Sought : Groups individuals according to the benefits they seek from the product. 3. Usage Rate : Groups individuals according to the level of usage they make of the product, be it Heavy, Medium or Light usage. 4. User Status : Groups individuals according to whether they are non-users, potential users, first-time users, regular users, or ex-users of a product Loyalty Status : Groups individuals according to their level of loyalty to the product. Hard core loyals always purchase the product / brand in question. Whilst Soft core loyals will sometimes purchase another brand, and Switchers will not specifically seek out a particular brand, but rather purchase the brand available to them at time of need, or that which was on sale. 6. Buyer Readiness Stage : Groups individuals according to their readiness to purchase the product. This segmentation model is particularly useful in formulating and monitoring the marketing communication strategies employed to move consumers towards purchase of a product or brand. Role of Segmentation: Segmentation is the first step towards customer understanding, which allows organisations to build healthy relationships with their customers. Money is made by keeping customers, and the whole idea of segmenting customers in order to build customer relationships is to turn it into a mutually satisfying relationship, says Ovum analyst (David Bradshaw, 2000).

Environmental Impacts On Pfizer Business Operation Commerce Essay

Environmental Impacts On Pfizer Business Operation Commerce Essay The operations management is involved in all types of organizations and it is considered as a core value of the organization. Business is a typical field where operations management fits in. However, several other fields require good understanding of operations management such as industry, Healthcare, education, and governmental sectors. The scientific background of these sectors is quite different from each other but the managers in these fields usually share same management qualification. The pharmaceutical companies always reflect the field of science and rarely been thought of their highly demand of operations management. Sales and researches are the main activities in pharmaceutical companies which require certain procedures to be carried out in a specific sequence. Despite its scientific background, pharmaceutical companies procedure would reflect the operations in this type of organization; thus, managing these operations are highly demanded to avoid errors. Pharmaceutical companies are one type that host scientific from several backgrounds. Despite its necessity for high sales achievement, pharmaceutical companies aim to keep their image as a trusted source of information and adding values to the health care culture. As a result, operations in Pharmaceutical companies require indeed a high level of operation management, and challenges that apply to organizations in the business field are applied here as well. Operations management consists of several aspects such strategy, process design, planning and control, supply chain management, and improvement which could be applied on the laboratory work. However, the current study will emphasis only on three aspects related to operations management, which are IT and decision making, performance measurements, and productivity, in the Pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies now face a lot of challenges which need more agility to react properly with. Many of those problems are external and unpredicted as what is going to be discussed later. Literature review Information Technology (IT) and Decision Making The emergence of Information Technology (IT) as most efficient tool made the communication, monitoring operations and performance, and managing data easier than before. Sometimes it is used as a product delivery medium in software developing companies for example. As consequence, it becomes a powerful for tool that influences the decision makers for its accuracy and clarity. Numerous researches have been carried out that showed the significant influence of IT on the decision makers. This section will covered various aspects related to IT and decision making in different type of organizations. One obvious example of using IT is the internal communication within an organization. Anderson carried out hypothesis testing research to study the effect of enhanced telecommunication capability on performance while practicing improved strategic decision making and improved coordination of strategic actions. The study investigated the influence of internal communication by using computer networks (Intranet) and external communication through (Internet). The investigation was associated with two strategic decision making approaches (autonomous and participatory) alongside the strategic planning. In order to assess probable environmental contingencies, two different industrial settings that are characterized by low and high levels of dynamism and complexity were used to test the relationship. The use of intranet showed positive association with innovation in less dynamic and complex industries. Whereas internet use indicated positive association with profitability and innovation, but companies following participatory decision approach. On the other hand, the combination of intranet usage and autonomous decision approach was found positively associated with high profitability and sales growth in highly dynamic and complex industries. The combination of internet usage and participatory decision making was found positively associated with higher innovation. Finally, the study revealed that using both internet and participation are highly related to innovation in general. Also, use of Intranet and autonomy has a positive relation with the economic efficiency in dynamic and complex industries. The effect of IT in term of network speed was found to influence the decision making of medical personnel. Networking specialists execute an empirical investigation by constructing testbed to control the network impairment levels. A video obtained from a medical institution was used as well as physicians who evaluated the contribution of video quality to their diagnosis. Despite the utilization of one video and small number of physicians, investigators concluded that medical decision making capability are dependent on video frames instead of overall video quality. Internet . The study was able to show the significant effect of one small aspect of computer networking on the decision making of medical personnel. The effect of IT on strategic decisions in the industrial companies was studied. Executives from thirteen companies in The Netherlands and in Germany were interviewed. Information about decision process followed in thirty two recent decisions . Executives found to apply a rational approach while collecting and using ample information. The structured decision-making process undergoes number of distinct phases before decision is made. The necessary information gathered by IT increases confidence and reduces uncertainty. Authors stated clearly that circumstantial evidence was obtain about changes in the decision making process. The underlying causes of these changes were regarded to developments in new information acquisition and analysis methods, ex. Internet use became common practice. The study revealed that with more relevant information available, decision making process can be controlled efficiently in addition to facilitating rational decision making. The necessity of IT is not restricted to industrial or business firms, the role of information delivery enhances decision-making capabilities of Indian farmers within Indian Tobacoo Companys, e-Choupal initiative . E-Choupal implemented information communication technology (ICT) to increase information deliver among farmers in different areas. On various agricultural practices across the agricultural supply chain, users of e-Choupal significantly show better decision-making aptitudes compared to non e-Choupal users. The study emphasizes the importance of designing information communication technology (ICT) which enables information systems to suit different socio-demographic groups. It is obvious that implementing up-to-date applications in business firm become a priority in highly competitive market. Business environment remain changing every while and required modifiable and scalable IT application to adapt itself instantly when it is required. Often, a dramatic change in market environment requires essential system upgrade. However, decision for investing in system upgrade sometimes remains tough task for managers in term of cost and time to upgrade. Mukherji et.al. clarifies a decision support model able to determine the optimal time and choice of upgrades. Their analysis confirmed that feasible continuous upgrading is not always optimal strategy when the cost is significant. They suggest that necessary upgrade has to take place after measuring the gap between current technology and new technology. As the gap increases and reaches a critical threshold, system upgrade become essential and company priority. Performance Measurements In its general meaning, performance measurement is action of measuring and evaluating particular process of the entire operations performance. Therefore, organizations performance is most important concern for stockholders and company owners. This activity is a helpful tool to know how effective the current operations are as well as how much the organization meets the market demands. Performance measurements vary according to the organization field. Some measurements are very critical at particular organizations and useless in others. A literature review was performed on supply chain performance measurement recommended the adaptation of partnership development, collaboration, agility, flexibility, information productivity and business excellence metrics in performance measurement system. The study indicated further research is required as the environment of this business is changing . Along the same way, most of performance measurement systems practiced is proposed to improve the productivity only. As a result, managers utilize insufficient measures to increase performance, which in turn does not reflect the reason of using this tool. Developing a performance measurement remains challenge. The desired performance measurement system needs to serve both purposes, improved performance and accountability . The human factor was found to play a significant role in improving performance. In practice, performance measurements serve the higher level managers who monitor the overall organization and therefore draw the suitable strategy. Involving managers on the operation level showed a significant impact on performance. It is the consequent enhancing the employees beliefs in performance measurements system and the commitment of operation managers to performance improvement . Authors adopted a developmental approach for performance measurement based on five principles. Among these, building on employees professionalism, transparency and employee ownership, and outside facilitators were more toward employees and leadership rather than measurements themselves. (I advise to remove the below part as Pfizer RD is only in USA Europe and not relevant to the focus case of Pfizer Gulf States) Performance Measurements vs. RD In the field of research and development (RD), defining performance measurement system is very critical and was found to be challenging mission. It is still uncommon among RD organizations. Avoiding the under or over estimating performance is more important issue when it reaches decision making level and motivates people in RD companies. Designing effective performance measurement system properly found hard to achieve and was regarded to the lack of intensive studies in actual context, such as pharmaceutical research field in a biotech company . In healthcare organization, selecting an appropriate performance measurement system is still unresolved issue. One study suggested that performance measurement system has to be sensitive to both changes in the external and internal environment of such organization . Authors proposed a framework that measures performance from both multi and interrelated perspective, specifically effectiveness, flexibility, and efficiency. An early effort seeking a proper definition for performance measurement system for RD activities took place but it was very difficult. The most likely reason is the uncontrollable factors which influence the measurement elements used and hence delay the assessment. These studies was focused mainly on performance measurement such as dimensions of performance to be controlled and the metric measurement of such performance . The drawback of these studies is the ignorance of managerial and organizational meaning of each measure. Taking them into consideration would allow an appropriate use of each measure. This approach will lead to better RD performance analysis with respect to the organizations strategy. Later, Kerssens-van Drongelen and Bilderbeek applied the same idea using Balance Scorecard (BSC) to RD, a performance measurement method that link all four measurements to each other and was suggested by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton . In general, numerous attempts was found in the literature suggest that efficient performance measurements depend desperately on the type organization and should take its internal and external environment into account. Performance Productivity Measures In principle, productivity is a measurement that used to evaluate the performance. It is necessary to implement various processes in performance measurement but it is more important to include at least one process that has a significant influence on the productivity. They are quite linked to each other and derive confusion often. Performance measurement is highly demanded when goals achievement is under assessment in the top managerial level. It illustrates how efficient the resources are used so it has high impact on the company overall. Productivity Measuring productivity is a challenge and is a result of many factors contributing separately or together. A ratio of output to input is a basic measurement company performance. Thus, variety of ratios can be defined based on the measurements type such as physical or financial terms as well as type of resources implemented in performance assessment . A ratio of current output to current inputs will yield the production technical efficiency. A ratio of current outputs to the maximum possible outputs for a given set of inputs will yield the production cost efficiency. A ratio of current inputs to the minimum possible inputs for a given output level will yield the production capacity utilization efficiency. Therefore, the relationships of productivity propose that productivity ratios are interlinked with various internal processes. It is influenced by the mixture of input factors. Input resource is a combination of capital, labor, etc. and every type of resource has its own effect on productivity to a certain level. Likewise, non-production labor (e.g., product designer, engineers, administrators, and quality inspectors) was found to have a value in manufacturing plants productivity. However, a comparison of the effect of non-production labor with other input resources was not investigated deeply. As a result, lacking the understanding of individual input resources affect might lead to mismanage resource investment hinder the growth of productivity afterward. In this manner, a study was conducted to examine relative elasticity of three input resources on factory productivity (production workers, non-production workers, and capital equipment) away from comparing relative productivity levels . 508 samples from 16 countries were used in the study. Authors developed three hypotheses: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-production workers or capital equipment, have higher elasticity than production workers in most countries studied. This finding suggests factories studied are more automated and require non-production workers to support output. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In developed countries, concentrating the investment on capital equipment showed a significant impact on output, which means that improved productivity is a consequence of improved capital investment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some countries have higher levels of non-production employee elasticity than other countries. How do you measure the productivity or evaluate the total performance in an organization of professional functions such as purchasing, accounting, personnel, and data processing? Operations Challenges Pfizer Inc. Pfizer was founded by Cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart in 1849. Since that time, it has remained dedicated to the discovery and development of disease treatment and healthcare improvement. The company focuses on meeting the worlds diverse health needs and continually evolves to keep pace with the needs and expectations of its stakeholders and society as a whole. The production of Penicillin, Pfizer Helpful Answers, and Medicine Safety website are strong evidence of Pfizers flexibility. Pfizers Executive Leadership Team is the companys senior-most leadership and decision-making body. It brings together top leaders to focus on major financial, strategic and operational decisions. A series of decisions has been made by this team which provides extra evidence of Pfizers high flexibility management. One example is the establishment of two distinct research bodies, Pharma Therapeutics Research Development Group and BioTherapeutics Research Development Group. The decision was made to maximize new opportunities in biomedical research, and bring more innovative medicines to more patients more quickly. Pharma Therapeutics Research Development focuses on the discovery of small molecules and related modalities where BioTherapeutics Research Development Group focuses on large-molecule research such as vaccines. Pfizer has also developed an enhanced commercial operating structure and has nine diverse health care businesses: Primary Care, Specialty Care, Oncology, Emerging Markets, Established Products, Consumer Healthcare, Nutrition, Animal Health and Capsugel. Each of these businesses is managed by an executive who has strong accountability through the entire processes that start at product development level to proof of concept followed by providing access to patients all the way to the end of product life cycle. The businesses are supported by resources to pursue attractive growth opportunities and to deliver benefits to everyone require certain medications around the world. The strategy was made to enable rapid investment on opportunities which would develop the business in turn. The strategy was focused on supporting new successful medicines, increasing partnerships with key customers, entering co-promotion and licensing agreements, investing in new technologies, and acquiring new products and services from outside the company. Environmental Challenges Pfizers Evolution Product uniqueness was the cornerstone of pharmaceutical product success but the whole environment has been changed. The high competition and patency expiration were the most underlying causes the recent dramatic changes in pharmaceutical market. For example, Lipitor Norvasc, the widely used medicines for cholesterol hypertension, is not restricted within Pfizer anymore. These changes placed a huge force on Pfizer to move from a Product Focused company to a Customer Focused company. This mind shift was clearly reflected on the strategies as well as plans operation, which will be discussed shortly in the following context: Information technology its effects on operation decisions Performance measurements which satisfy all stakeholders Performance productivity measures its framework Pfizers Operations and Current Challenges Information Technology and Decision Making It is very crucial for Operations Managers to have clear, consistent reliable data to be able to make right and precise decisions. The role of IT is to make these data manageable and usable rapidly and accurately. Accordingly, decisions are usually about budget setting, processes, performance improvement, and revenue analysis within the company. Many examples would illustrate the importance of IT in Pfizer: 1. Business Technology Department: The information technology solutions unit. 2. Weighting Matrix Project: Customer targeting -segmentation program. 3. e-SMART: Sales force comprehensive reporting system. 4. Gulf States Portal: A Portal where all the different aspects of the commercial activities (Sales, Marketing logistics) executed are analyzed together to measure our ROI. Performance Measurements: A set of performance measures was used by the company to monitor the daily and the short term and long term performance. It ensures how close the company operations are to the right track in terms of achieving the strategic objectives resources usage. These measurements consider all the stakeholders. Performance measurements are dubbed Key performance Indicators or KPIs. The KPIs is helpful signs for an operations manager in Pfizer Gulf States to judge the operation and pinpoint errors. Pfizers Performance Measures: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Financial achievements: Evaluate revenues and profits of short and medium term and monitor sales and overheads to ensuring they match the plans. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ On time commitments achievements: in terms of on time supply to the accounts and on time payments to the internal suppliers and on time payments of salaries and expenses of the employees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consistency of performance in the operations: Observing fluctuation in the performance. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Budget restricting processes: The company operates within the budget or not? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk and change management: plan the company response to risks or changes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clear guidelines for the operations: clarity of the processes in each department i.e. criteria of hiring people and qualification of people recruited à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Discipline of the company employees: in terms of in and out timings, and their complying with the values and ethics of the company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Optimization of the company design: Evaluate the company structure to estimate the future needs i.e. establishment of key account management department à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Data reliability: evaluate data reliability and accuracy The need for a performance measurements framework: Performance measurements are all interrelated and interlinked with each other, so they are all encompassed together for achieving the goals. Analysis of the Operation Challenges Information Technology in the Operations Decision Areas Business Technology Department Offering innovative IT solutions improved the performance of several processes and helped in achieving the overall Pfizer Gulf States objectives. Developing an automated dash board where all the data (sales, consumption stocks, and market data) are encompassed on regular basis to enable both operations manager and senior managers make the right decision forecast. It allows a rapid response to any risk or change before it virtually harms the performance. Weighting Matrix Project It has an essential role in stating the concept of (customer focused) company. The system filters the costumers to different layers by weighting them according to coverage area and value of investment. The system then suggest particular layer to be focused on. e-SMART Reporting system enables all the operations processes of the field force (sales teams) to be reported. The system delivers and analyzes both field force activities performance and feedback. It enables senior managers make their decisions about operations reforms or changes. Gulf Portals The latest innovation of the company is the Gulf Portals that evaluate the performance of the operation processes. Gulf Portals is deep analysis achieved by comparing directly the input of the company to the output. Gulf Portals receives all the information about the number of visits, and number of activities investment per account, Then it compare those data to the revenue of each account. For example, if a sales person has 2 accounts A B, and he spent 2000 visits equally for those account annually. Account A achieved 30% of the total budget, while Account B achieved 70%, so was that the optimal exploitation of the time effort? The answer is no, hence we need to reallocate visits between these 2 account, and the same is true regarding any other resource. So, its a matter of reallocating the company resources for a better outcome. Performance Measurement to Satisfy Various Stakeholder Groups According to Pfizer operations manager, KPIs has to be a real measurement for the job description of operations manager as it is summarized below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Participating with senior managers in plans setup, forecast and budgets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Aligning the resources of Enabling Functions (HR, Finance, Logistics and IT) with the opposite part (commercial parties) of the Core Functions(Sales, Marketing and medical) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Facilitating decision making related to employees, investments and strategies in all the departments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continuing improvement of the process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Re-engineering the company design when needed to cope with changes and risks. Performance objectives or KPIs has to satisfy all stakeholders, internally and externally, for reasons shown below: Financial objectives are vital to satisfy the senior managers and external audits because every business will end up with the level of profits. Moreover, on time commitments is a common interest for all stakeholders such as employees, senior managements, internal suppliers and customers which become priority according to customer focused strategy. Senior managers concern is performance long term consistency and prepared for market dynamics. Reducing the operation cost will increase the net profit directly and will satisfy the senior management and the audits. Having clear guidelines to follow and to minimize errors may occur within the operations. Discipline of the employees is a good indicator the people compliance inside the company to the rules and strategies applied. Company design is a crucial issue for reacting with the changes. For instance, new regulations in the market, based on new policies and cost cutting, gave Pfizer an indication of the necessity to establish new department called (Key Account Management) to focus on the key accounts and to secure the business. Reliable data is the basis of any successful plan and determining the achievements also needed by stakeholders. The Need for a Performance Measurements Framework Productivity is part of performance measurements as it is the ultimate goal of the company. The direct link between each performance measurement and represented productivity measurement can be noticed. Financial achievements: improvement in achieving financial goals is an indication of productivity increment, the more Pfizer achieves goals with cost effective the more its productive On time commitments achievements: on time commitment allows more product consumption and prescriptions loss. It increases the demand and the sales consequently. More Commitment with suppliers will force them to be restricted to time frame which enables smooth steadiness supply to maintain Pfizers productivity. Along the same way, employees will becaome more motivated to achieve their target, which is a very important element for improving productivity. Consistency of performance in the operations: Consistency ensures high productivity level and avoids backlog. For example, satisfying the customers demands and expedite their shipments by increasing performance of some products would help increasing sales. Budget restricting processes: complying with budget is certainly a synonym for doing the best cheaply. So, restricting with budget leads to optimum use of the resources and ends up with increasing the profit. Risk and change management: It reflects the reliability and the agility of the company to react properly to any change or risk to keep the company productive and profitable constantly. That is, fast reaction to the exclusion of one product from Health Authority Formulary will help the company to return it to the Formulary after two weeks only to secure the business. Clear guidelines for the operations: Understanding operations guidelines is critical to do the job correctly within time frame to reach high level of professionalism. Along the same way, it minimizes errors and failure in the operations, reduces the cost, and raises performance and productivity. For instance, setting up a criterion for marketing approvals prevents time and investment loss. Discipline of the company employees: According to Pfizer ethics and laws, employees discipline minimizes errors and reduces loss. if a product manager put an off-label indication for a medicine in a campaign, the company will be entitled to millions of dollars as a penalty. Also ensuring that employees effort will be reflected on the productivity. Optimization of the company design: A proper design maximizes the use of human resources. The recent restructure of business units in Pfizer to serve customer focused strategy showed better performance and productivity. Also creating new departments helped the company in maintaining business growth, such as the key account managers dept. which allowed the company to build relationships to the decision makers in the market. Data reliability: data can be used to show an adequate description of productivity and performance; however, it demands high level of accuracy and consistency to give the company a clear vision to current situation. Finally, we can say that performance measurements are closely related to the productivity so that to achieve the company goals. The need for clear framework that includes satisfaction of the internal and external stakeholders was achieved by Pfizers management (see figure 1). Figure 1. Performance Measurements used by Pfizer Conclusions Comparison of Case with Theory Information Technology and Decision Making Pfizer Gulf States has improved its business operations in the past two years through the utilization of tailored IT solutions to fit in pharmaceutical industry in the Gulf. Considering customer centricity, the operational decisions which was made to expose both resources and established projects to the right customer within precise program was successfully achieved. Managers utilized right applications that were fed with data about the market which interpreted significant information about the market demand and business opportunities. The holistic approach application analyzes sales, projects, and competition performance data to retrieve clear guidance for operations managers. The integration of this approach highlighted areas where alignment across different functions is required. Therefore, it ensures successful execution and customer satisfaction for service and value added programs Performance measurement to satisfy various stakeholder groups: The satisfaction of the various stakeholders has been always the prime objective of the executive team in any successful organisation, especially in pharmaceutical industry. Hence, the operations managers are always keen to have clear KPI to both internal team members and relevant stakeholders. These managers ensure successful execution of the different tactics corresponded to the relevant strategies to meet the companys objectives. At Pfizer Gulf States, as a part of the Pfizer Global company, various stakeholders within Pfizer Africa Middle East leadership team expect clear KPIs that ensure operational objectives along with the overall business objectives. These KPIs focus on measuring the level of employees engagement with clear metrics every year. Therefore, proper evaluation and continious improvement to employees performance. The Need for a Performance Measurement Framework In matrix structured organizations, ensuring alignment across all functions working together to create deliver the service or product is vital for business success. A framework of KPIs and productivity measures has proven to be with a synergic effect on business revenues in Pfizer Gulf States. Working on growth opportunities which was sought out from the market potential is linked with clear framework for the KPIs. This clarity enables operations manager to make adjustments and follow up easily. Recommendations With no doubt, IT showed positive impact in operations within Pfizer Gulf States. Nevertheless, it indicates the success of movement toward more innovative approaches in utilizing IT with more concentration on customer information. Basically, it analyzes costumers data for