Monday, September 30, 2019

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 20. COMPROMISE

EVERYTHING WAS READY. I was packed for my two-day visit with â€Å"Alice,† and my bag waited for me on the passenger seat of my truck. I'd given the concert tickets to Angela, Ben, and Mike. Mike was going to take Jessica, which was exactly as I'd hoped. Billy had borrowed Old Quil Ateara's boat and invited Charlie down for some open sea fishing before the afternoon game started. Collin and Brady, the two youngest werewolves, were staying behind to protect La Push – though they were just children, both of them only thirteen. Still, Charlie would be safer than anyone left in Forks. I had done all that I could do. I tried to accept that, and put the things that were outside of my control out of my head, for tonight at least. One way or another, this would all be over in forty-eight hours. The thought was almost comforting. Edward had requested that I relax, and I was going to do my best. â€Å"For this one night, could we try to forget everything besides just you and me?† he'd pleaded, unleashing the full force of his eyes on me. â€Å"It seems like I can never get enough time like that. I need to be with you. Just you.† That was not a hard request to agree to, though I knew that forgetting my fears would be much easier said than done. Other matters were on my mind now, knowing that we had this night to be alone, and that would help. There were some things that had changed. For instance, I was ready. I was ready to join his family and his world. The fear and guilt and anguish I was feeling now had taught me that much. I'd had a chance to concentrate on this – as I'd gazed at the moon through the clouds and rested against a werewolf – and I knew I would not panic again. The next time something came at us, I would be ready. An asset, not a liability. He would never have to make the choice between me and his family again. We would be partners, like Alice and Jasper. Next time, I would do my part. I would wait for the sword to be removed from over my head, so that Edward would be satisfied. But it wasn't necessary. I was ready. There was only one missing piece. One piece, because there were some things that had not changed, and that included the desperate way I loved him. I'd had plenty of time to think through the ramifications of Jasper and Emmett's bet – to figure out the things I was willing to lose with my humanity, and the part that I was not willing to give up. I knew which human experience I was going to insist on before I became inhuman. So we had some things to work out tonight. After everything I'd seen in the past two years, I didn't believe in the word impossible anymore. It was going to take more than that to stop me now. Okay, well, honestly, it was probably going to be much more complicated than that. But I was going to try. As decided as I was, I wasn't surprised that I still felt nervous as I drove down the long path to his house – I didn't know how to do what I was trying to do, and that guaranteed me some serious jitters. He sat in the passenger seat, fighting a smile at my slow pace. I was surprised that he hadn't insisted on taking the wheel, but tonight he seemed content to go at my speed. It was after dark when we reached the house. In spite of that, the meadow was bright in the light shining from every window. As soon as I cut the engine he was at my door, opening it for me. He lifted me from the cab with one arm, slinging my bag out of the truck bed and over his shoulder with the other. His lips found mine as I heard him kick the truck's door shut behind me. Without breaking the kiss, he swung me up so that I was cradled in his arms and carried me into the house. Was the front door already open? I didn't know. We were inside, though, and I was dizzy. I had to remind myself to breathe. This kissing did not frighten me. It wasn't like before when I could feel the fear and panic leaking through his control. His lips were not anxious, but enthusiastic now – he seemed as thrilled as I was that we had tonight to concentrate on being together. He continued to kiss me for several minutes, standing there in the entry; he seemed less guarded than usual, his mouth cold and urgent on mine. I began to feel cautiously optimistic. Perhaps getting what I wanted would not be as difficult as I'd expected it to be. No, of course it was going to be just exactly that difficult. With a low chuckle, he pulled me away, holding me at arm's length. â€Å"Welcome home,† he said, his eyes liquid and warm. â€Å"That sounds nice,† I said, breathless. He set me gently on my feet. I wrapped both my arms around him, refusing to allow any space between us. â€Å"I have something for you,† he said, his tone conversational. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Your hand-me-down, remember? You said that was allowable.† â€Å"Oh, that's right. I guess I did say that.† He chuckled at my reluctance. â€Å"It's up in my room. Shall I go get it?† His bedroom? â€Å"Sure,† I agreed, feeling quite devious as I wound my fingers through his. â€Å"Let's go.† He must have been eager to give me my non-present, because human velocity was not fast enough for him. He scooped me up again and nearly flew up the stairs to his room. He set me down at the door, and darted into his closet. He was back before I'd taken a step, but I ignored him and went to the huge gold bed, plopping down on the edge and then sliding to the center. I curled up in a ball, my arms wrapped around my knees. â€Å"Okay,† I grumbled. Now that I was where I wanted to be, I could afford a little reluctance. â€Å"Let me have it.† Edward laughed. He climbed onto the bed to sit next to me, and my heart thumped unevenly. Hopefully he would write that off as some reaction to him giving me presents. â€Å"A hand-me-down,† he reminded me sternly. He pulled my left wrist away from my leg, and touched the silver bracelet for just a moment. Then he gave me my arm back. I examined it cautiously. On the opposite side of the chain from the wolf, there now hung a brilliant heart- shaped crystal. It was cut in a million facets, so that even in the subdued light shining from the lamp, it sparkled. I inhaled in a low gasp. â€Å"It was my mother's.† He shrugged deprecatingly. â€Å"I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I've given some to Esme and Alice both. So, clearly, this is not a big deal in any way.† I smiled ruefully at his assurance. â€Å"But I thought it was a good representation,† he continued. â€Å"It's hard and cold.† He laughed. â€Å"And it throws rainbows in the sunlight.† â€Å"You forgot the most important similarity,† I murmured. â€Å"It's beautiful.† â€Å"My heart is just as silent,† he mused. â€Å"And it, too, is yours.† I twisted my wrist so the heart would glimmer. â€Å"Thank you. For both.† â€Å"No, thank you. It's a relief to have you accept a gift so easily. Good practice for you, too.† He grinned, flashing his teeth. I leaned into him, ducking my head under his arm and cuddling into his side. It probably felt similar to snuggling with Michelangelo's David, except that this perfect marble creature wrapped his arms around me to pull me closer. It seemed like a good place to start. â€Å"Can we discuss something? I'd appreciate it if you could begin by being open-minded.† He hesitated for a moment. â€Å"I'll give it my best effort,† he agreed, cautious now. â€Å"I'm not breaking any rules here,† I promised. â€Å"This is strictly about you and me.† I cleared my throat. â€Å"So . . . I was impressed by how well we were able to compromise the other night. I was thinking I would like to apply the same principle to a different situation.† I wondered why I was being so formal. Must be the nerves. â€Å"What would you like to negotiate?† he asked, a smile in his voice. I struggled, trying to find exactly the right words to open with. â€Å"Listen to your heart fly,† he murmured. â€Å"It's fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. Are you all right?† â€Å"I'm great.† â€Å"Please go on then,† he encouraged. â€Å"Well, I guess, first, I wanted to talk to you about that whole ridiculous marriage condition thing.† â€Å"It's only ridiculous to you. What about it?† â€Å"I was wondering . . . is that open to negotiation?† Edward frowned, serious now. â€Å"I've already made the largest concession by far and away – I've agreed to take your life away against my better judgment. And that ought to entitle me to a few compromises on your part.† â€Å"No.† I shook my head, focusing on keeping my face composed. â€Å"That part's a done deal. We're not discussing my . . . renovations right now. I want to hammer out some other details.† He looked at me suspiciously. â€Å"Which details do you mean exactly?† I hesitated. â€Å"Let's clarify your prerequisites first.† â€Å"You know what I want.† â€Å"Matrimony.† I made it sound like a dirty word. â€Å"Yes.† He smiled a wide smile. â€Å"To start with.† The shock spoiled my carefully composed expression. â€Å"There's more?† â€Å"Well,† he said, and his face was calculating. â€Å"If you're my wife, then what's mine is yours . . . like tuition money. So there would be no problem with Dartmouth.† â€Å"Anything else? While you're already being absurd?† â€Å"I wouldn't mind some time.† â€Å"No. No time. That's a deal breaker right there.† He sighed longingly. â€Å"Just a year or two?† I shook my head, my lips set in a stubborn frown. â€Å"Move along to the next one.† â€Å"That's it. Unless you'd like to talk cars . . .† He grinned widely when I grimaced, then took my hand and began playing with my fingers. â€Å"I didn't realize there was anything else you wanted besides being transformed into a monster yourself. I'm extremely curious.† His voice was low and soft. The slight edge would have been hard to detect if I hadn't known it so well. I paused, staring at his hand on mine. I still didn't know how to begin. I felt his eyes watching me and I was afraid to look up. The blood began to burn in my face. His cool fingers brushed my cheek. â€Å"You're blushing?† he asked in surprise. I kept my eyes down. â€Å"Please, Bella, the suspense is painful.† I bit my lip. â€Å"Bella.† His tone reproached me now, reminded me that it was hard for him when I kept my thoughts to myself. â€Å"Well, I'm a little worried . . . about after,† I admitted, finally looking at him. I felt his body tense, but his voice was gentle and velvet. â€Å"What has you worried?† â€Å"All of you just seem so convinced that the only thing I'm going to be interested in, afterward, is slaughtering everyone in town,† I confessed, while he winced at my choice of words. â€Å"And I'm afraid I'll be so preoccupied with the mayhem that I won't be me anymore . . . and that I won't . . . I won't want you the same way I do now.† â€Å"Bella, that part doesn't last forever,† he assured me. He was missing the point. â€Å"Edward,† I said, nervous, staring at a freckle on my wrist. â€Å"There's something that I want to do before I'm not human anymore.† He waited for me to continue. I didn't. My face was all hot. â€Å"Whatever you want,† he encouraged, anxious and completely clueless. â€Å"Do you promise?† I muttered, knowing my attempt to trap him with his words was not going to work, but unable to resist. â€Å"Yes,† he said. I looked up to see that his eyes were earnest and confused. â€Å"Tell me what you want, and you can have it.† I couldn't believe how awkward and idiotic I felt. I was too innocent – which was, of course, central to the discussion. I didn't have the faintest idea how to be seductive. I would just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious. â€Å"You,† I mumbled almost incoherently. â€Å"I'm yours.† He smiled, still oblivious, trying to hold my gaze as I looked away again. I took a deep breath and shifted forward so that I was kneeling on the bed. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed me back, bewildered but willing. His lips were gentle against mine, and I could tell his mind was elsewhere – trying to figure out what was on my mind. I decided he needed a hint. My hands were slightly shaky as I unlocked my arms from around his neck. My fingers slid down his neck to the collar of his shirt. The trembling didn't help as I tried to hurry to undo the buttons before he stopped me. His lips froze, and I could almost hear the click in his head as he put together my words and my actions. He pushed me away at once, his face heavily disapproving. â€Å"Be reasonable, Bella.† â€Å"You promised – whatever I wanted,† I reminded him without hope. â€Å"We're not having this discussion.† He glared at me while he refastened the two buttons I'd managed to open. My teeth clamped together. â€Å"I say we are,† I growled. I moved my hands to my blouse and yanked open the top button. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them to my sides. â€Å"I say we're not,† he said flatly. We glowered at each other. â€Å"You wanted to know,† I pointed out. â€Å"I thought it would be something faintly realistic.† â€Å"So you can ask for any stupid, ridiculous thing you want – like getting married – but I'm not allowed to even discuss what I -â€Å" While I was ranting, he pulled my hands together to restrain them in just one of his, and put his other hand over my mouth. â€Å"No.† His face was hard. I took a deep breath to steady myself. And, as the anger began to fade, I felt something else. It took me a minute to recognize why I was staring down again, the blush returning – why my stomach felt uneasy, why there was too much moisture in my eyes, why I suddenly wanted to run from the room. Rejection washed through me, instinctive and strong. I knew it was irrational. He'd been very clear on other occasions that my safety was the only factor. Yet I'd never made myself quite so vulnerable before. I scowled at the golden comforter that matched his eyes and tried to banish the reflex reaction that told me I was unwanted and unwantable. Edward sighed. The hand over my mouth moved under my chin, and he pulled my face up until I had to look at him. â€Å"What now?† â€Å"Nothing,† I mumbled. He scrutinized my face for long moment while I tried unsuccessfully to twist away from his gaze. His brow furrowed, and his expression became horrified. â€Å"Did I hurt your feelings?† he asked, shocked. â€Å"No,† I lied. So quickly that I wasn't even sure how it happened, I was in his arms, my face cradled between his shoulder and his hand, while his thumb stroked reassuringly against my cheek. â€Å"You know why I have to say no,† he murmured. â€Å"You know that I want you, too.† â€Å"Do you?† I whispered, my voice full of doubt. â€Å"Of course I do, you silly, beautiful, oversensitive girl.† He laughed once, and then his voice was bleak. â€Å"Doesn't everyone? I feel like there's a line behind me, jockeying for position, waiting for me to make a big enough mistake. . . . You're too desirable for your own good.† â€Å"Who's being silly now?† I doubted if awkward, self-conscious, and inept added up to desirable in anyone's book. â€Å"Do I have to send a petition around to get you to believe? Shall I tell you whose names would be on the top of the list? You know a few of them, but some might surprise you.† I shook my head against his chest, grimacing. â€Å"You're just trying to distract me. Let's get back to the subject.† He sighed. â€Å"Tell me if I have anything wrong.† I tried to sound detached. â€Å"Your demands are marriage† – I couldn't say the word without making a face – â€Å"paying my tuition, more time, and you wouldn't mind if myvehicle went a little faster.† I raised my eyebrows. â€Å"Did I get everything? That's a hefty list.† â€Å"Only the first is a demand.† He seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. â€Å"The others are merely requests.† â€Å"And my lone, solitary little demand is -â€Å" â€Å"Demand?† he interrupted, suddenly serious again. â€Å"Yes, demand.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Getting married is a stretch for me. I'm not giving in unless I get something in return.† He leaned down to whisper in my ear. â€Å"No,† he murmured silkily. â€Å"It's not possible now. Later, when you're less breakable. Be patient, Bella.† I tried to keep my voice firm and reasonable. â€Å"But that's the problem. It won't be the same when I'm less breakable. I won't be the same! I don't know who I'll be then.† â€Å"You'll still be Bella,† he promised. I frowned. â€Å"If I'm so far gone that I'd want to kill Charlie – that I'd drink Jacob's blood or Angela's if I got the chance – how can that be true?† â€Å"It will pass. And I doubt you'll want to drink the dog's blood.† He pretended to shudder at the thought. â€Å"Even as a newborn, you'll have better taste than that.† I ignored his attempt to sidetrack me. â€Å"But that will always be what I want most, won't it?† I challenged. â€Å"Blood, blood, and more blood!† â€Å"The fact that you are still alive is proof that that is not true,† he pointed out. â€Å"Over eighty years later,† I reminded him. â€Å"What I meant was physically, though. Intellectually, I know I'll be able to be myself . . . after a while. But just purely physically – I will always be thirsty, more than anything else.† He didn't answer. â€Å"So I will be different,† I concluded unopposed. â€Å"Because right now, physically, there's nothing I want more than you. More than food or water or oxygen. Intellectually, I have my priorities in a slightly more sensible order. But physically . . .† I twisted my head to kiss the palm of his hand. He took a deep breath. I was surprised that it sounded a little unsteady. â€Å"Bella, I could kill you,† he whispered. â€Å"I don't think you could.† Edward's eyes tightened. He lifted his hand from my face and reached quickly behind himself for something I couldn't see. There was a muffled snapping sound, and the bed quivered beneath us. Something dark was in his hand; he held it up for my curious examination. It was a metal flower, one of the roses that adorned the wrought iron posts and canopy of his bed frame. His hand closed for a brief second, his fingers contracting gently, and then it opened again. Without a word, he offered me the crushed, uneven lump of black metal. It was a cast of the inside of his hand, like a piece of play dough squeezed in a child's fist. A half-second passed, and the shape crumbled into black sand in his palm. I glared. â€Å"That's not what I meant. I already know how strong you are. You didn't have to break the furniture.† â€Å"What did you mean then?† he asked in a dark voice, tossing the handful of iron sand to the corner of the room; it hit the wall with a sound like rain. His eyes were intent on my face as I struggled to explain. â€Å"Obviously not that you aren't physically able hurt me, if you wanted to . . . More that, you don't want to hurt me . . . so much so that I don't think that you ever could.† He started shaking his head before I was done. â€Å"It might not work like that, Bella.† â€Å"Might,† I scoffed. â€Å"You have no more idea what you're talking about than I do.† â€Å"Exactly. Do you imagine I would ever take that kind of risk with you?† I stared into his eyes for a long minute. There was no sign of compromise, no hint of indecision in them. â€Å"Please,† I finally whispered, hopeless. â€Å"It's all I want. Please.† I closed my eyes in defeat, waiting for the quick and final no. But he didn't answer immediately. I hesitated in disbelief, stunned to hear that his breathing was uneven again. I opened my eyes, and his face was torn. â€Å"Please?† I whispered again, my heartbeat picking up speed. My words tumbled out as I rushed to take advantage of the sudden uncertainty in his eyes. â€Å"You don't have to make me any guarantees. If it doesn't work out right, well, then that's that. Just let us try . . . only try. And I'll give you what you want,† I promised rashly. â€Å"I'll marry you. I'll let you pay for Dartmouth, and I won't complain about the bribe to get me in. You can even buy me a fast car if that makes you happy! Just . . . please.† His icy arms tightened around me, and his lips were at my ear; his cool breath made me shiver. â€Å"Thisis unbearable. So many things I've wanted to give you – and this is what you decide to demand. Do you have any idea how painful it is, trying to refuse you when you plead with me this way?† â€Å"Then don't refuse,† I suggested breathlessly. He didn't respond. â€Å"Please,† I tried again. â€Å"Bella . . .† He shook his head slowly, but it didn't feel like a denial as his face, his lips, moved back and forth across my throat. It felt more like surrender. My heart, racing already, spluttered frantically. Again, I took what advantage I could. When his face turned toward mine with the slow movement of his indecision, I twisted quickly in his arms till my lips reached his. His hands seized my face, and I thought he was going to push me away again. I was wrong. His mouth was not gentle; there was a brand-new edge of conflict and desperation in the way his lips moved. I locked my arms around his neck, and, to my suddenly overheated skin, his body felt colder than ever. I trembled, but it was not from the chill. He didn't stop kissing me. I was the one who had to break away, gasping for air. Even then his lips did not leave my skin, they just moved to my throat. The thrill of victory was a strange high; it made me feel powerful. Brave. My hands weren't unsteady now; I got through with the buttons on his shirt this time easily, and my fingers traced the perfect planes of his icy chest. He was too beautiful. What was the word he'd used just now? Unbearable – that was it. His beauty was too much to bear. . . . I pulled his mouth back to mine, and he seemed just as eager as I was. One of his hands still cupped my face, his other arm was tight around my waist, straining me closer to him. It made it slightly more difficult as I tried to reach the front of my shirt, but not impossible. Cold iron fetters locked around my wrists, and pulled my hands above my head, which was suddenly on a pillow. His lips were at my ear again. â€Å"Bella,† he murmured, his voice warm and velvet. â€Å"Would you please stop trying to take your clothes off?† â€Å"Do you want to do that part?† I asked, confused. â€Å"Not tonight,† he answered softly. His lips were slower now against my cheek and jaw, all the urgency gone. â€Å"Edward, don't -,† I started to argue. â€Å"I'm not saying no,† he reassured me. â€Å"I'm just saying not tonight.† I thought about that while my breathing slowed. â€Å"Give me one good reason why tonight is not as good as any other night.† I was still breathless; it made the frustration in my voice less impressive. â€Å"I wasn't born yesterday.† He chuckled inmy ear. â€Å"Out of the two of us, which do you think is more unwilling to give the other what they want? You just promised to marry me before you do any changing, but if I give in tonight, what guarantee do I have that you won't go running off to Carlisle in the morning? I am – clearly – much less reluctant to give you what you want. Therefore . . . you first.† I exhaled with a loud huff. â€Å"I have to marry you first?† I asked in disbelief. â€Å"That's the deal – take it or leave it. Compromise, remember?† His arms wrapped around me, and he began kissing me in a way that should be illegal. Too persuasive – it was duress, coercion. I tried to keep a clear head . . . and failed quickly and absolutely. â€Å"I think that's a really bad idea,† I gasped when he let me breathe. â€Å"I'm not surprised you feel that way.† He smirked. â€Å"You have a one-track mind.† â€Å"How did this happen?† I grumbled. â€Å"I thought I was holding my own tonight – for once – and now, all of a sudden -â€Å" â€Å"You're engaged,† he finished. â€Å"Ew! Please don't say that out loud.† â€Å"Are you going back on your word?† he demanded. He pulled away to read my face. His expression was entertained. He was having fun. I glared at him, trying to ignore the way his smile made my heart react. â€Å"Are you?† he pressed. â€Å"Ugh!† I groaned. â€Å"No. I'm not. Are you happy now?† His smile was blinding. â€Å"Exceptionally.† I groaned again. â€Å"Aren't you happy at all?† He kissed me again before I could answer. Another too-persuasive kiss. â€Å"A little bit,† I admitted when I could speak. â€Å"But not about getting married.† He kissed me another time. â€Å"Do you get the feeling that everything is backward?† he laughed in my ear. â€Å"Traditionally, shouldn't you be arguing my side, and I yours?† â€Å"There isn't much that's traditional about you and me.† â€Å"True.† He kissed me again, and kept going until my heart was racing and my skin was flushed. â€Å"Look, Edward,† I murmured, my voice wheedling, when he paused to kiss the palm of my hand. â€Å"I said I would marry you, and I will. I promise. I swear. If you want, I'll sign a contract in my own blood.† â€Å"Not funny,† he murmured against the inside of my wrist. â€Å"What I'm saying is this – I'm not going to trick you or anything. You know me better than that. So there's really no reason to wait. We're completely alone – how often does that happen? – and you've provided this very large and comfortable bed. . . .† â€Å"Not tonight,† he said again. â€Å"Don't you trust me?† â€Å"Of course I do.† Using the hand that he was still kissing, I pulled his face back up to where I could see his expression. â€Å"Then what's the problem? It's not like you didn't know you were going to win in the end.† I frowned and muttered, â€Å"You always win.† â€Å"Just hedging my bets,† he said calmly. â€Å"There's something else,† I guessed, my eyes narrowing. There was a defensiveness about his face, a faint hint of some secret motive he was trying to hide behind his casual manner. â€Å"Are you planning to go back on your word?† â€Å"No,† he promised solemnly. â€Å"I swear to you, we will try. After you marry me.† I shook my head, and laughed glumly. â€Å"You make me feel like a villain in a melodrama – twirling my mustache while I try to steal some poor girl's virtue.† His eyes were wary as they flashed across my face, then he quickly ducked down to press his lips against my collarbone. â€Å"That's it, isn't it?† The short laugh that escaped me was more shocked than amused. â€Å"You're trying to protect your virtue!† I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the giggle that followed. The words were so . . . old-fashioned. â€Å"No, silly girl,† he muttered against my shoulder. â€Å"I'm trying to protect yours. And you're making it shockinglydifficult.† â€Å"Of all the ridiculous -â€Å" â€Å"Let me ask you something,† he interrupted quickly. â€Å"We've had this discussion before, but humor me. How many people in this room have a soul? A shot at heaven, or whatever there is after this life?† â€Å"Two,† I answered immediately, my voice fierce. â€Å"All right. Maybe that's true. Now, there's a world full of dissension about this, but the vast majority seem to think that there are some rules that have to be followed.† â€Å"Vampire rules aren't enough for you? You want to worry about the human ones too?† â€Å"It couldn't hurt.† He shrugged. â€Å"Just in case.† I glared at him through narrowed eyes. â€Å"Now, of course, it might be too late for me, even if you are right about my soul.† â€Å"No, it isn't,† I argued angrily. â€Å"‘Thou shalt not kill' is commonly accepted by most major belief systems. And I've killed a lot of people, Bella.† â€Å"Only the bad ones.† He shrugged. â€Å"Maybe that counts, maybe it doesn't. But you haven't killed anyone -â€Å" â€Å"That you know about,† I muttered. He smiled, but otherwise ignored the interruption. â€Å"And I'm going to do my best to keep you out of temptation's way.† â€Å"Okay. But we weren't fighting over committing murder,† I reminded him. â€Å"The same principle applies – the only difference is that this is the one area in which I'm just as spotless as you are. Can't I leave one rule unbroken?† â€Å"One?† â€Å"You know that I've stolen, I've lied, I've coveted . . . my virtue is all I have left.† He grinned crookedly. â€Å"I lie all the time.† â€Å"Yes, but you're such a bad liar that it doesn't really count. Nobody believes you.† â€Å"I really hope you're wrong about that – because otherwise Charlie is about to burst through the door with a loaded gun.† â€Å"Charlie is happier when he pretends to swallow your stories. He'd rather lie to himself than look too closely.† He grinned at me. â€Å"But what did you ever covet?† I asked doubtfully. â€Å"You have everything.† â€Å"I coveted you.† His smile darkened. â€Å"I had no right to want you – but I reached out and took you anyway. And now look what's become of you! Trying to seduce a vampire.† He shook his head in mock horror. â€Å"You can covet what's already yours,† I informed him. â€Å"Besides, I thought it was my virtue you were worried about.† â€Å"It is. If it's too late for me . . . Well, I'll be damned – no pun intended – if I'll let them keep you out, too.† â€Å"You can't make me go somewhere you won't be,† I vowed. â€Å"That's my definition of hell. Anyway, I have an easy solution to all this: let's never die, all right?† â€Å"Sounds simple enough. Why didn't I think of that?† He smiled at me until I gave up with an angry humph. â€Å"So that's it. You won't sleep with me until we're married.† â€Å"Technically, I can't ever sleep with you.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Very mature, Edward.† â€Å"But, other than that detail, yes, you've got it right.† â€Å"I think you have an ulterior motive.† His eyes widened innocently. â€Å"Another one?† â€Å"You know this will speed things up,† I accused. He tried not to smile. â€Å"There is only one thing I want to speed up, and the rest can wait forever . . . but for that, it's true, your impatient human hormones are my most powerful ally at this point.† â€Å"I can't believe I'm going along with this. When I think of Charlie . . . and Rene! Can you imagine what Angela will think? Or Jessica? Ugh. I can hear the gossip now.† He raised one eyebrow at me, and I knew why. What did it matter what they said about me when I leaving soon and not coming back? Was I really so oversensitive that I couldn't bear a few weeks of sidelong glances and leading questions? Maybe it wouldn't bug me so much if I didn't know that I would probably be gossiping just as condescendingly as the rest of them if it was someone else getting married this summer. Gah. Married this summer! I shuddered. And then, maybe it wouldn't bug me so much if I hadn't been raised to shudder at the thought of marriage. Edward interrupted my fretting. â€Å"It doesn't have to be a big production. I don't need any fanfare. You won't have to tell anyone or make any changes. We'll go to Vegas – you can wear old jeans and we'll go to the chapel with the drive-through window. I just want it to be official – that you belong to me and no one else.† â€Å"It couldn't be any more official than it already is,† I grumbled. But his description didn't sound that bad. Only Alice would be disappointed. â€Å"We'll see about that.† He smiled complacently. â€Å"I suppose you don't want your ring now?† I had to swallow before I could speak. â€Å"You suppose correctly.† He laughed at my expression. â€Å"That's fine. I'll get it on your finger soon enough.† I glared at him. â€Å"You talk like you already have one.† â€Å"I do,† he said, unashamed. â€Å"Ready to force upon you at the first sign of weakness.† â€Å"You're unbelievable.† â€Å"Do you want to see it?† he asked. His liquid topaz eyes were suddenly shining with excitement. â€Å"No!† I almost shouted, a reflex reaction. I regretted it at once. His face fell ever so slightly. â€Å"Unless you really want to show it to me,† I amended. I gritted my teeth together to keep my illogical terror from showing. â€Å"That's all right,† he shrugged. â€Å"It can wait.† I sighed. â€Å"Show me the damn ring, Edward.† He shook his head. â€Å"No.† I studied his expression for a long minute. â€Å"Please?† I asked quietly, experimenting with my newly discovered weapon. I touched his face lightly with the tips of my fingers. â€Å"Please can I see it?† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"You are the most dangerous creature I've ever met,† he muttered. But he got up and moved with unconscious grace to kneel next to the small bedside table. He was back on the bed with me in an instant, sitting beside me with one arm around my shoulder. In his other hand was a little black box. He balanced it on my left knee. â€Å"Go ahead and look, then,† he said brusquely. It was harder than it should have been to pick up the inoffensive little box, but I didn't want to hurt him again, so I tried to keep my hand from shaking. The surface was smooth with black satin. I brushed my fingers over it, hesitating. â€Å"You didn't spend a lot of money, did you? Lie to me, if you did.† â€Å"I didn't spend anything,† he assured me. â€Å"It's just another hand-me-down. This is the ring my father gave to my mother.† â€Å"Oh.† Surprise colored my voice. I pinched the lid between my thumb and forefinger, but didn't open it. â€Å"I supposed it's a little outdated.† His tone was playfully apologetic. â€Å"Old-fashioned, just like me. I can get you something more modern. Something from Tiffany's?† â€Å"I like old-fashioned things,† I mumbled as I hesitantly lifted the lid. Nestled into the black satin, Elizabeth Masen's ring sparkled in the dim light. The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold – delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile web around the diamonds. I'd never seen anything like it. Unthinkingly, I stroked the shimmering gems. â€Å"It's so pretty,† I murmured to myself, surprised. â€Å"Do you like it?† â€Å"It's beautiful.† I shrugged, feigning a lack of interest. â€Å"What's not to like?† He chuckled. â€Å"See if it fits.† My left hand clenched into a fist. â€Å"Bella,† he sighed. â€Å"I'm not going to solder it to your finger. Just try it on so I can see if it needs to be sized. Then you can take it right off.† â€Å"Fine,† I grumbled. I reached for the ring, but his long fingers beat me there. He took my left hand in his, and slid the ring into place on my third finger. He held my hand out, and we both examined the oval sparkling against my skin. It wasn't quite as awful as I'd feared, having it there. â€Å"A perfect fit,† he said indifferently. â€Å"That's nice – saves me a trip to the jeweler's.† I could hear some strong emotion burning under the casual tone of his voice, and I stared up at his face. It was there in his eyes, too, visible despite the careful nonchalance of his expression. â€Å"You like that, don't you?† I asked suspiciously, fluttering my fingers and thinking that it was really too bad that I had not broken my left hand. He shrugged his shoulders. â€Å"Sure,† he said, still casual. â€Å"It looks very nice on you.† I stared into his eyes, trying to decipher the emotion that smoldered just under the surface. He gazed back, and the casual pretense suddenly slipped away. He was glowing – his angel's face brilliant with joy and victory. He was so glorious that it knocked me breathless. Before I could catch that breath, he was kissing me, his lips exultant. I was lightheaded when he moved his mouth to whisper in my ear – but his breathing was just as ragged as mine. â€Å"Yes, I like it. You have no idea.† I laughed, gasping a little. â€Å"I believe you.† â€Å"Do you mind if I do something?† he murmured, his arms tightening around me. â€Å"Anything you want.† But he let me go and slid away. â€Å"Anything but that,† I complained. He ignored me, taking my hand and pulling me off the bed, too. He stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders, face serious. â€Å"Now, I want to do this right. Please, please, keep in mind that you've already agreed to this, and don't ruin it for me.† â€Å"Oh, no,† I gasped as he slid down onto one knee. â€Å"Be nice,† he muttered. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Isabella Swan?† He looked up at me through his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching. â€Å"I promise to love you forever – every single day of forever. Will you marry me?† There were many things I wanted to say, some of them not nice at all, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably dreamed I was capable of. Rather than embarrass myself with either, I whispered, â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Thank you,† he said simply. He took my left hand and kissed each of my fingertips before he kissed the ring that was now mine.

Bread Making Time Line Essay

Depending on the type of yeast you are using the steps to making bread will vary. Using the basic bread dough recipe, this time line is based on using dry active yeast. I am also basing this time line on the straight dough method which is the direct method of making bread. STEP 1 To make your dough, your ingredients must be accurately measured and weighed as well as be the appropriate temperature. Wet ingredients are usually weighed rather than measured to guarantee the right amount is added. Humidity and heat can alter the amount of flour needed and therefore will also change the amount of liquid. For our basic dough recipe we need 4  ½ cups to 5 cups of bread flour. This would be weighed on a scale in ounces equaling 36 to 40 ounces. Keeping about  ¾ cup of flour to the side, 1 teaspoon of salt and  ½ cup of sugar is added to the remaining flour and mixed together. A tablespoon of Active Dry Yeast is dissolved in luke warm water and added to the mixed dry ingredients with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. It is imperative that the dough temperature be correct for proper yeast activation. The typical temperature for dough is around 77 degrees. To achieve the proper dough temperature you have to make sure your water is the right temperature. You wouldn’t take water direct from the tap. Assuming that our room temperature is 77 degrees and our mixer adds a 25 degree friction factor, then we want water that is around 61 degrees. We would add the 1 and  ¾ cups of water to our mixture slowly as to not make the dough to wet. If we were using other types of yeast we would either be directly adding the yeast, if instant, or we would soften compressed yeast until it is twice its weight before adding it to our mixture. STEP 2 Once we have added the water we now mix our dough in the mixer using a dough hook on low power until smooth, adding flour or water as needed for the property texture. After everything is mixed we would put the dough on a slab and kneed it until a ball is formed that is stretchy and holds together when pulled. The whole process should take about 10 minutes. STEP 3 Placing the dough in a container at least twice the size of the dough ball, the dough is left to rise. Rising is when the dough ferments and the yeast works to develop the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. These gasses are what give bread texture and taste. As stated before, rise time will vary depending on room temperature and humidity, but usually takes from 1 to 3 hours. The dough is ready when it is double its original size and no longer springs back to the touch. STEP 4 Now we take the dough and give it a gentle work over. Punching it down, or folding it over itself, and reshaping the ball redistributes the gasses that were produced during the rise and re activates the yeast. Punching down also helps even out the temperature of the dough and gives the gluten a bit of a rest. We will let the dough rest for 10 minutes after punching it down. STEP 5 We will shape the dough into our loaf and let it sit until it doubles again. This is called proofing. During proofing additional heat and moisture are added to prevent the dough from drying out. This is can be done in a proofing cabinet or in a container that is covered with a warm moist towel. When making rolls or smaller portion loaves this step would be the time to do that. Each portion would be proofed to double its size. STEP 6 We will wash our doubled loaf with egg wash to give it sheen and color and bake at 400 degrees for 19 minutes. When the internal temperature is at least 185 degrees we can remove the loaf from the oven. During baking it is important to provide steam in the oven. This allows for a crisp crust and soft center. To add steam to a traditional oven you can spray the bread with water several times during baking or you can put a pan of water in the oven. STEP 7 Once the baking is done the bread is cooled on a rack to room temperature. We can store our finished bread on the counter or it can be frozen. We should not store our bread in the refrigerator because it gets stale faster. Though it may seem time consuming, baking your own bread has great rewards and a profound sense of accomplishment. You are guaranteed fresh rolls and bread at every meal and can even try different recipes without spending a lot of money.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Psychodynamic Theory Essay

What Psychodynamic Theory Has to Contribute to Our Understanding of   Counselling in a Multicultural Society? If counsellors are to discern very well their clients of diverse backgrounds or culture and their place in a multicultural society, psychodynamic theory may be particularly helpful in this respect. Theories and techniques used in counselling are diverse and it is imperative for counsellors to know how to use their knowledge of psychodynamic theory in conceptualising systems for both counselling and therapy. In psychodynamic therapy, which is an approach in counselling based on psychoanalytic theories, it is postulated that conscious and unconscious influences mold human behavior and social relationships. This concept of the unconscious is often associated with Sigmund Freud whose contribution in psychoanalysis can not be discounted. Psychoanalytic theory though, is not exclusively Freudian. Freud’s brilliant ideas and theories, were controversial. His theories were under attack from many directions and it was a good thing though that from his perspectives, many other psychoanalytic theories emerged as well. Carl Jung was famous for his collective unconscious and his oriental approach was unorthodox for Western psychoanalytic theorists. D.D. Winnicott’s transitional objects and good- enough mothering for instance, are interesting contributions to psychoanalysis as well. It should be fascinating to explore these theorists’ contribution to systems and approaches of multicultural counselling. In as much as these theorists’ perspectives seem to have distinct or even conflicting orientations, we may have the chance to look upon their theories, in many ways, complementary in the practice of counselling in a multicultural society. Their theories can prove to be useful at any point in counselling (or therapy) sessions in understanding clients, their unique history, individual concerns, and understanding their behavior, the impact of their past experiences to their present condition in life, and some of their underlying motives and beliefs. Sigmund Freud   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychoanalytic approaches to therapy and counselling originated from the works of Sigmund Freud. He viewed that people are driven by unconscious influences, a part of their inner world of which they are not aware of. He theorised that repressed unconscious thoughts and feelings could manifest through dreams, fantasies and odd behavior. Until after these repressed forbidden desires, hurtful memories and experiences are brought to conscious awareness, these were presumed to lead to irrational and maladaptive behavior. Based on this concept, effective counsellors can effectively draw upon these repressed thoughts and emotions through psychotherapy to ease their client’s depression or anxiety and to rebuild their client’s self-esteem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freud’s concept of eros (sexual and life instincts) and thanatos (aggressive and death instincts) are considered motivating factors of personality, with the term libido referring to basic energy of life associated with Eros. Troubled individuals may manifest death instincts through destructive behavior such as, alcoholism, substance abuse, aggression (towards self or others), and even suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freud theorised that the individual’s behavior is assumed to result from the interaction of three components of the personality: id, ego, and superego. The id is said to be the source of instinctual drives and operate in terms of the pleasure principle. It is capable of eliciting mental images and wish-fulfilling fantasies (Coleman, 1980).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second personality component is the ego, which intercedes between the demands of the id and the external world, and operates in terms of the reality principle. For instance, Freud believed that sexual or aggressive tendencies are in conflict with society’s rules and prohibitions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was clever of Freud to introduce the third personality component, which is the superego, or commonly known as conscience. If one has learned and adapted to the moral demands of society, the individual would have a better grasp of what is right from wrong. The superego serves as personality’s system of control to inhibit immoral desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freud believed in the interplay between the id, ego and superego, and how it becomes crucial to behavior. Inner conflicts may arise because the id, ego and superego are striving for different goals. Inner conflicts could manifest as a mental disorder if not resolved. Another important psychoanalytic concept of Freud is defense mechanisms. For him, whatever pains or anxieties are eased by distorting reality, if one can not deal with it rationally (Coleman, et.al., p. 54). Therefore, an individual’s distorted perception of reality poses behavior problems. This only happens though when the ego can no longer cope with the pain or anxiety by rational measures. Freud’s contribution to developmental psychology is his theory on five Psychosexual stages: the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.   He believed that these stages of development could determine one’s defenses, anxieties, and impulses. A child who has been deprived of fully experiencing any of these stages may suffer fixation at that stage of development. The first three stages of development, the oral, anal, and phallic stages, are the most crucial, as one’s personality is molded at this time. If fixation happens at any point during this period, then the child would likely develop distinct personality type. From birth to 1 year (oral stage), the mouth is the principal erogenous zone and it is assumed that an infant’s greatest source of gratification is sucking. If the caregiver is overindulgent or depriving, then the child is likely to develop fixation at this stage. Some traits associated with overindulgence are optimism, manipulativeness, boldness and admiration. On the other hand, deprivation would lead to traits such as pessimism, suspiciousness, self-belittlement, passivity, and jealousy. Further, as Freud theorised, fixation at this stage, or when the individual did not receive adequate oral gratification during infancy, the individual is predisposed to excessive drinking or eating in adult life. When the child is about 18 months to 3 years (anal stage), the anus and rectum are considered to be the primary sources of pleasure. Either an excessive demand or permissiveness from a child’s caregiver, will lead to the development of anal personality. Other psychological problems that are thought to arise from this stage are obsessive-compulsivity and paranoia. During the phallic stage, or when the child is about 3 to 6 years old, the penis or clitoris is assumed to be the major source of pleasurable sensation. At this stage, the child learns to manipulate the genitals and becomes curious about the opposite sex. Curiously enough, Freud also believed that it is at this stage when the child develops intense sexual feelings for the parent of the opposite sex, or otherwise known as Oedipus and Electra complex. The Oedipal complex is the perception that boys desire to possess their mother. Freud thought that boys have incestuous cravings for their mother, even sees their father as rival, but they have fear that the father will harm them (castration anxiety). Likewise, the Electra complex is the assumption that girls desire their father, and want to replace their mother. The fear of the same-sex parent leads to sublimation of their sexual attraction for the opposite sex parent into non-sexual love, and they learn to identity instead to their same-sex parent.   For either sex, it imperative for them to resolve the conflict, such that when they enter young adulthood stage, they are likely to have a satisfactory heterosexual relationship. In the years from 6 to 12 (latency stage), sexual motivations are put aside and the child channels his energy into school, play, shared activities with friends, and sports. Finally, the genital stage, which is from puberty onwards, the deepest feelings of pleasure come from heterosexual relations. At this stage, the individual channels his energy into socially acceptable ventures such as entering into romantic relationships, establishing friendships, career planning and also some recreational activities.   Freud’s cathartic hypnosis was popular during his time, but more than the technique of hypnosis as a therapeutic cure to psychological illnesses, was his concept that feelings were drawn from the unconscious. His contribution stands out in the sense that he was the one who developed techniques such as free association and dream analysis in dealing with both the conscious and unconscious aspects of mental health. Freud emphasized the role of the unconscious motives and ego-defense systems, and the importance of early childhood experiences in the personality adjustment and maladjustment of adults, as well as the relevance of sexual factors in human behavior and mental disorders (Coleman, et.al., p. 57). Freud’s techniques now used in contemporary psychodynamic counselling provide much deeper understanding of the (client’s) self, and can prove to be helpful in emotional, spiritual development and self-awareness. Carl Jung   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most original and controversial features of Jung’s theory on personality was the concept of collective unconscious. He theorised the existence of universally shared motives, drives, potentials, fears and symbols – that human beings have more or less the same collective unconscious. Collective unconscious is defined as the â€Å"storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from one’s ancestral past† (Hall & Lindzey, 1978, p. 119). Simply put, with this theory, there is probability of reviving experiences of past generations. â€Å"Humans are born with many predisposition for thinking, feeling, and perceiving according to definite patterns and contents that become actualized through individualized experiences† (Hall & Lindzey).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If Freud’s â€Å"unconscious mind† is often associated with repressed forbidden desires, hurtful memories and experiences, Jung’s collective unconscious is a vast resource of subliminal contents and potential, which includes the â€Å"wisdom and experience of uncounted centuries, and laid down in its archetypal organs† (Jung, cited in Hall & Lindzey, p.120). The collective unconscious can then serve a very good purpose to the individual. But, if this ignored by the ego, â€Å"the unconscious may disrupt the conscious rational processes by seizing hold of them and twisting them into distorted forms (Hall & Lindzey, p.120).   Instances of irrational behavior could arise such as phobias and delusions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jung believed that the individual achieves completeness or wholeness only as fantasies, images and dreams from the personal and collective unconscious become accessible to the conscious self (Coleman, et.al., p.58).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jung’s concept of archetypes refers to patterns of behavior within the unconscious mind. The most common of these archetypes are the persona, shadow, self, and anima and animus. The persona is tantamount to the social personality – the â€Å"face† an individual has in his social relationships. A healthy persona could then mean good adaptation to the demands of society or the environment where one belongs. In some respects, Jung’s concept of the persona is similar to Freud’s superego. The shadow has some resemblance to Freud’s concept of the id. It is considered the hidden or dark side of personality that sometimes the individual is not even aware of. This part of the psyche would be difficult to accept. If a certain trait of another distress an individual, then this could be a reflection of his shadow. Traits such as laziness, attention-seeking, anger expression, etc., are usually kept from consciousness and is often projected to others. The self can be considered the sum total of one’s personality, the motivating factor of human behavior that causes one to constantly strive and attain wholeness. It was Jung’s view that the self can only emerge only if various aspects of the personality have fully developed (known as individuation) (Hall & Lindzey, p. 124). Thus, this does not happen until one has reached middle age when one â€Å"begins to make a serious effort to change the center of personality from the conscious ego to one that is midway between consciousness and unconsciousness† (Hall & Lindzey). Jung believed that one takes the journey toward individuation, spending almost half of his life individuating, and the second integrating. This concept has direct application and relevance to career counselling. Notice that most individuals who reach middle age begin to have more focus and sense of purpose, not wasting their time and energy where they do not fit or are not welcome, and extending effort only in activities that will lead them to their true calling. Somewhat parallel to Freud’s Oedipus and Electra complex which prove relevant to understanding one’s heterosexual adjustment is Jung’s anima and animus. This is much like the â€Å"yin and yang† of the Chinese, the masculine and feminine side of human personality. The role of biological hormones cannot be discounted, but from a Jungian perspective, this is more considered to be a product of racial experiences of man with woman and vice versa. Jung’s anima and animus may be of relevance in understanding man-woman relationships in a counselling setting. Man is supposed to â€Å"apprehend the nature of woman by virtue of his anima, and woman apprehends the nature of man by virtue of her animus† (Hall & Lindzey, p. 123), and without regard to the real character of the other, their relationship will most likely lead to discord. Donald Winnicott   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The influential concepts of transitional objects, the good-enough mother and the true and false self are attributed to Winnicott. A transitional object is some sort of a security blanket for a child. It could be a favorite stuffed toy, baby blanket, pillow or any symbolic object that a child finds comfort in having. A transitional object helps a child cope with fear while their principal caregiver is away. The most influential person (object) during a child’s development would be the principal caregiver. In a counselling setting, the counselor serves as the transitional object, who gradually helps his client overcome frustrations and develop greater independence over time. The good-enough mother pertains to the principal caregiver whose parenting style fit the child’s developmental needs. Winnicott believed that caregivers have to be good-enough in providing the child’s needs, but not too much. They have to teach children as well to tolerate frustrations, and teach them the lesson of independence and self-sufficiency. Winnicott theorized that children’s needs, if not adequately met, could help develop a false self (this is somehow identical to Freud’s concept of fixation). On the other hand, when children’s needs are adequately provided, then, they are likely to develop a true self. A relationship based on trust, a relationship that is more real, will grow between the caregiver and the child. This concept may apply to counselor (or therapist)-client relationship. An effective counselor knows how to provide a safe â€Å"holding environment† for his client, and is adaptive to his client’s needs. The counselor knows how to respond to his client’s emotions with warmth and empathy, thus helping his client reveal his true self. References Coleman, James C., James N. Butcher and Robert C. Carson. Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life (6th ed.). Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Dakai, S.H. (2003). â€Å"Addiction Counseling: Examination of Various Addiction Counseling and Therapy Approaches.† Journal of Addictive Disorders. Breining Institute. Hall, Calvin S. and Lindzey Gardner (1980). Theories of Personality (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. McGinnis, James D. and Kenneth R.Thomas (1991). The Psychoanalytic Theories of D.W. Winnicott as Applied to Rehabilitation. The Journal of Rehabilitation. 1 July 1991   

Critical Review of Poor-Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion Essay

Social struggles and cultural crisis have been the subjects of various books over the years. They have resulted into an abundance of works done by social and theoretical experts as well as literary and media practitioners. One society crisis that these writers have discussed is the issue of poverty, the people involved in this situation, and the issue of poor-bashing they are faced with. However, only a few of these sources have really created their work using their own or personal experiences. The perspective coming from people who belong to the poverty block is significantly helpful and useful. This is because their personal experiences and battles ignite the search for truth and manifest the real issue that the poor people are the targets of a well-designed and orderly crusade of discrimination and exploitation. All it needs is a real presentation and argument of the issue for the public to realize that these poor people do not welcome being blamed for a condition that only society dictates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Included in these first-hand writers is Jean Swanson (2001) who tackled the existing yet unfamiliar issue of poor-bashing in her book entitled â€Å"Poor Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion.† Swanson’s presentation of poverty, particularly poor-bashing, is a well-attested discussion that turned out to be a depiction of the real emotional expressions of the poor people and the author’s own cry from her heart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book is a passionate disclosure by anti-poverty activist Swanson of poor-bashing, a condition of the society that continuously fails to claim general information despite its existence and utilization as an anti-poverty tool for the past two decades. A seasoned anti-poverty activist, Swanson employed her personal experiences and various interactions with the rest of the poor people in her country to present the real issues brought about by poor-bashing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Swanson (2001), the term of poor-bashing hides the actual origins of poverty and the pain it inflicts to poor people. It degrades the employed people while taking away the pressure and responsibility from the rich members of the society. The Swanson book critically presents a new approach of writing poverty with the provision of the personal stories, ideas, and analysis of the poor about poverty. The book disputes the position that there is no one to be blamed for the condition of the poor people but themselves. The book serves as an expressive style of poor-bashing which was introduced in our terminology use and traditions. It is also an instrument for academic progress and direction (Swanson, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The term poor-bashing was defined by Swanson as a condition when poor people are pictured, neglected, accused, sponsored, sympathized, and wrongly blamed for being intoxicated, and contented of having big yet unmanageable families and settling as unemployed individuals depending on the welfare and financial assistance from the government. Aside from the said societal presentations, the poor people are likewise subjected to poor-bashing by the institution. A manifestation of low financial assistance rates for the promotion of social welfare is a type of poor-bashing by the establishment. Swanson added that having or allowing the existence of poverty when the society can possibly do away with it is also another poor-bashing kind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Poor-Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion† critically looked into how low-income people and even those belonging to below poverty line are marginalized and maltreated by the state, media and the corporate world. However, Swanson pulled off some entertainment when she pictured how the term poor-bashing, which was used to represent people who are dependent on financial assistance and benefits, actually better fits to demonstrate the behavior of the sluggish rich members of the society. In presenting the many points of the book, Swanson featured several realistic voices and emotions of the poor, such as those of single mothers, a side that has not been focused on by other works. These single parents are made to experience poor-bashing when they are shown as people struggling to give food, clothes, and shelter to their kids because of an unforgiving and unacceptable financial condition. The structural and personal poor-bashing of single mothers denied them the chance to decide better for themselves and their children, thereby negatively affecting their way of living.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An interview by Swanson with a single mother revealed that the latter did not prefer to be financially dependent and always on the welfare of other people. According to Swanson’s interpretation, the society where the single mother belongs and her partner in particular are the ones that actually put her life and that of her children where it is now. The poor-bashing applied to single mothers is just one of the pieces of evidence of the wide gap between the rich and the poor. Accordingly, in Swanson’s country (Canada) and in most parts of the world, statistics proves that the poor people tend to share only a small percentage of wealth while the rich people enjoy the biggest portion. It is generally perceived that people who have a share as that of the rich are assured of a dependable education and stable job. This is not because poor people are legally restricted to be a part of the majority, but it is because there are laws that are apparently in favor of the rich than the poor. This results in more options and opportunities available for the rich than for the poor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Swanson’s book unveiled the orientation of poor-bashing in a clean, strong manner. One example is the author’s analysis of how the media, particularly the reporters, function when they cover and tell stories about poverty. Swanson called this as the media â€Å"poornography† where the media utilizes many attacks to get and present poverty stories. In the book, media â€Å"poornography† depicts poor people as sufferers. Swanson said that this is part of the journalistic approach to â€Å"putting a face on the problem.† However, this media portrayal does not change the problem. This is because the said media approach fails to determine the real causes of poverty. Charity, financial aid, and welfare dependency offered to poor people oftentimes do not offer a solution to the poverty problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the strengths of the book and that of Swanson’s arguments, they did not allow readers to draw their own conclusions and realize for themselves the main points of the issue of poor-bashing. Instead, the author dwells and banks on rhetorics about the need to solve the problems of classism, racism and sexism. Although these issues are valid, they made the book feel and look out of focus. The non-stop utilization of poor-bashing term or affiliation, apparently to picture evident situations pertaining to the problem, actually created a feeling for the public to be subjected to reader-bashing. This is simply because the book is all but representation of the poverty problem and poor-bashing in particular but without drawing a definite solution on how to address the said condition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The book which depicts the poor as unworthy, lazy, possibly involved in criminal acts and a threat to stability of the society deviate attention away from the real problem of poverty. This is because it diverts the true reasons of poverty and unemployment into the poor people who are presented as victims of inequality. The book’s individualization of the causes to poverty and unemployment distracts focus on the actual solutions to the problem. These realities include legalities and corporate decisions that are designed to produce and promote the undermining of wages and employment conditions of the poor. The book turns out to be just an endless discussions of who are the poor yet deserving people. This eventually encourage self restriction instead of self-esteem among poor people. Even the book’s presentation of the creation and multiplication of profit and wealth among the undeserving rich is overdue and uncalled for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In challenging poor-bashing, it should be understood by the poor that they are not to be blame for their conditions. There are factors to be considered such as an apprehension of the economic system that actually cause poverty and how treatment of poverty is supported by the government. One must learn and realize that there is enough profit and wealth to end poverty, for both the rich and the poor to share. People in turn, should benefit from poor-bashing and poverty. Poverty is a condition that entails government policy and the poor people that are subjected to poor-bashing actually benefits because they become cheaper in the labor market. Sometimes, the poor has to challenge bashing created not by poverty but by the condition resulting from the conditions of racism or sexism. The poor just have to dispute the depictions created by the term, myths, media, and the government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Instead of stating proposals to address poor-bashing, the book should have encouraged the poor people to understand the underlying policies of the government, corporations, and media. These plans of action actually create confusion and exclusion and promote inequality and the feeling of blame. It is essential to unite crusades about poor-bashing with alliance against racism and other negative conditions of the society. It requires a lot of understanding and ultimately the need to build an organization of thoughts and actions. A concrete step is to end the kind of notion and feeling that group people into being poor or those on welfare dependency. This will not justify treating them badly and blaming them for poverty. There should be an end to blaming poverty to the poor or other oppressed people. In this manner, an adaptable and effective policies, laws, and economic system can be worked out that will allow poor people to productively compete against each other. Poverty should have a different and justifiable image. In the end, resolving poor-bashing requires addressing the issues of unequal distribution of wealth and income among all members of the society. With this, putting the blame of poverty on the poor would be stopped. Reference Swnson, J. (2001). Poor-Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion. Toronto: Between the Lines.   

Saturday, September 28, 2019

PepsiCo Supply Chain Management Essay

Introduction Supply Chain Management is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of supply chain with the purpose to satisfy customer requirements as efficiently as possible. Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption. It is a cross functional approach to managing the movement of raw materials into an organization and the movement of finished goods out of the organization toward the end consumer. Supply Chain management is also the combination of art and science of improving the way company finds the raw components it needs to make a product or service and deliver it to customers. It seeks to enhance competitive performance by closely integrating the internal functions within a company and effectively linking them with external operations of suppliers and channel members. Moreover, this has been a prominent concern for both large and small companies as they strive for better quality and higher customer satisfaction. In a supply chain, a company links to its supplier upstream and to its distributors downstream in order to serve its customer. The goal of supply chain management is to provide maximum customer service at the lowest possible costs. Companies now are competing supply chain-to-supply chain rather than enterprise-to-enterprise requiring for more intimately connected relationships. Customer markets and supply chains are no longer limited by physical proximity, and businesses are sourcing from and managing a greater number of far-flung partners and channels. Success of a company now depends on effective global supply chain management, its ability to deliver the right product to the right market at the right time. The complexity involved in managing supply chains that span continents and dominate markets demands strategies and systems that are adaptable. Managing Supply Chain for Global Competitiveness takes a strategic look at all of the core functions of global supply chain management wh ich includes product design, planning and forecasting, sourcing, outsourcing, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, and fulfilment. An example to illustrate this theory on the supply chain  management is the PepsiCo, Inc. Pepsi Co History PepsiCo, a Fortune 500, American Multinational Corporation is under the food consumer product industry and is the world leader in convenient foods and beverages. The Pepsi brand and other Pepsi-Cola products account for nearly one-third of the total soft drink sales in the United States. In order for the company to make sure that their products reach the customers, the company needs a efficient supply chain solutions. It was founded in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay. Tropicana was acquired in 1998 and PepsiCo merged with The Quaker Oats Company, including the Gatorade in 2001. PepsiCo offers product choices to meet a broad variety of needs and preference — from fun-for-you items to product choices that contribute to healthier lifestyles. PepsiCo owns some of the world’s most popular brands, including Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos, Tropicana, Gatorade, and Quaker. Coca-Cola Company in market value for the first time in 112 years since both companies began to compete. Other brands include Caffeine-Free Pepsi, Diet Pepsi/Pepsi Light, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi Light, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Lime, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Twist and Pepsi ONE,7 Up ,Aquafina (Flavour Splash, Alive, and Twist/Burst),Propel Fitness Water, SoBe, Quaker Milk Chillers. The Frito-Lay brands are : Cheetos,Fritos,Go Snacks, James’ Grandma’s Cookies, Hamka’s, Lay’s, Miss Vickie’s, Munchies, Sandora, Santitas, The Smith’s Snackfood Company, Sun Chips, Kurkure, Tostitos and some of the Quaker Oats brands include Aunt Jemima, Capone Crunch, Chewy Granola bars, Coqueiro, Crisp’ums, Cruesli, FrescAvena, King Vitaman, Life, Oatso Simple, Quake, Quisp, Rice-A-Roni, and Spudz PepsiCo’s Mission PepsiCo’s overall mission is to increase the value of shareholder’s investment. They do this through sales growth, cost controls and wise investment of resources. They believe their commercial success depends upon offering quality and value to their consumers and customers; providing products that are safe, wholesome, economically efficient and environmentally sound; and providing a fair return to their investors while adhering to the highest standards of integrity. A customer while purchasing a bottle of Pepsi will consider product quality, price and availability of the product. Thus, Pepsi focuses its competitive strategy as to producing sufficient variety, reasonable prices, and the availability of the product. Pepsi Ceo Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi has been the chief executive of PepsiCo since 2006. During her time, healthier snacks have been marketed and the company is striving for a net-zero impact on the environment. This focus on healthier foods and lifestyles is part of Nooyi’s â€Å"Performance with Purpose† philosophy. In 2007, Nooyi spent $1.3 billion on healthier-alternative brands like Naked Juice, a California maker of soy drinks and organic juice. Today, beverage distribution and bottling is undertaken primarily by associated companies such as The Pepsi Bottling Group and Pepsi Americas. PepsiCo is a SIC 2080 (beverage) company. PepsiCo has also recently acquired a 50% stake in U.S.-based Sabra Dipping Company. PepsiCo also has formed partnerships with several brands it does not own, in order to distribute these or market them with its own brands. Competitive and Supply Chain Strategies In its business, diversity and inclusion provide a competitive advantage that drives business results. Its brands appeal to an extraordinarily diverse array of customers and they are sold by an equally diverse group of retailers. It understands the needs of our consumers and customers Uses diversity in our supplier base and in everything we do. Commitment to purchase from a supplier base representative of our employees, consumers, retail customers and communities. Developing partnerships with minority-owned and women-owned suppliers helps us build the world-class supplier base we need. Creates mutually beneficial relationships that expand PepsiCo’s sphere of activity. It helps build community infrastructure by providing employment, training, role models, buying from other minority and women-owned business and supporting community organizations Figure Thus the major sustainable advantages that give PepsiCo a competitive edge as they operate in the global marketplace: 1. Big, muscular brands, 2. Proven ability to innovate and create differentiated products and 3. Powerful go-to-market systems. PepsiCo’s Supply Chain Management Difficulties without Just-in-Time When an operation of the company was not just-in-time based, the demand or production planner strived to optimize production-oriented goals and objectives such as equipment utilization, labour efficiency, throughput and uptime. Optimizing these goals often leads to run large batch sizes that are dependent on the availability of raw materials. This optimizes the equipment and labour utilization but the production planners and managers had not been looking at the expense of the bigger picture. The sourcing or purchasing managers strived towards reducing company’s spending overall. This manager consolidated suppliers offering products or materials at the lowest per unit costs through buying in volume. They even got the shipping and freight costs included in the purchase price, which led to the increase in the price of the commodity. Purchasing managers focused on getting the best price, not putting into consideration the supplier performance and reliability. The logistics/transportation manager was tacked with getting raw materials in and the finished goods out of the production process and seek to optimize the transportation and distributing network. This manager focused on the lowest cost and reliability of the logistics or transportation solutions. But lowest cost could only be attained if the purchasing team negotiates a delivered cost package deal with the supplier and the supplier is responsible of the reliability and performance of the carriers or transporters. Improvement with using Just-In-Time (JIT) When it comes to delivering high cost and perishable products to manufacturing sites, just-in-time (JIT) remains one of the most cost-effective supply chain solutions. In JIT process, on time delivery is an absolute necessity. Just-in-Time (JIT) is a philosophy that defines the manner in which a manufacturing system should be managed. It enhances customer satisfaction in terms of availability of options, assurance ofquality, prompt delivery times, and value of money. The Pepsi brand and other Pepsi-Cola products accounted for nearly one-third of the total soft drink sales in the United States. In order to ensure that PepsiCo’s concentrates reaches bottlers as needed during the production had to reach them JIT, they partnered with 3PL provider Penske Logistics to manage its transportation. Penske also provides warehouse management for two Pepsi distribution centers in North America. I2 Transportation I2 Transportation is a part of end to end solution for planning, execution, and management of the entire transportation cycle. It is designed to enable an organization to utilize and manage an entire transportation network, as well as reduce cost while improving transport performance. I2 transportation is designed to employ sophisticated optimization and data techniques to define and evaluate alternative transportation strategies. It is also designed to provide comprehensive data management, analytics, and reporting of key transportation cost and service trade-offs. Implementation PepsiCo set two objectives for transportation management. One was to achieve an on-time delivery rate at 99.1% and another was to reduce transportation costs.It empowered with optimized processes and technology that enable the team to perform at the highest possible level. With the application of new technology that provides greater supply chain visibility, better organized data, and access to higher level of real time or near real time information, even the best team can improve their performance. In 2000, Penske converted Pepsi’s transportation management technology from propriety software to i2 transportation optimization solution. i2 transportation platform was enhanced with the addition of interface between the two companies. In addition, Penske’s partnership with Business objects provided comprehensive supply chain data from its data warehouse, analysis and management applications. Penske’s with use of i2 transportation could track performance at every stag e in the process which increased flexibility and provided greater control over the transportation operation. This increase in visibility made it easier to keep track of shipments, revise routes and schedules to accommodate unforeseen changes and implement alternative plans to counter delays. By Penske’s putting a solution in place to track and  measure every shipment, Pepsi has been able to provide an on-time delivery performance of well over 99 percent. Pepsi’s transportation is consolidated to a central location to reduce costs. Penske also provided a nationwide carrier rate re-negotiation and service assessment which improved cost structure and achieve on-time delivery goal. With this centralization, allows negotiation in a large scale to secure the best rates and services. Furthermore, Pepsi’s orders are received electronically and optimized to ensure lowest transportation cost. Advanced technology is deployed to select the lowest cost carrier, find the best routes and consolidate shipments. Optimal load configuration ensures maximization of each truckload (2003). In summary, PepsiCo used the JIT process to its supply chain management. To make this possible, Pepsi partners with Penske that has provide them with i2 transportation optimization solutions which has satisfies their consumer with the on-time delivery and with the benefit to the company for it has also reduce transportation cost. I2 Supply Chain Visibility With shorter lifecycles and lead times—to customers demanding faster results and more responsive service. Globalization and outsourcing have added to the complexity, resulting in more diversified supply chains. The number of supply chain partners, as well as the amount of geographic dispersion, has increased dramatically as a result. To ensure that their order-to-delivery performance is not impacted, companies need to have greater coordination and visibility into the material flow across the supply chain. Increase Global Visibility With Companies have access to global visibility into all of their critical supply chain activities and partnerships. It allows organizations to respond more quickly and effectively to a wide range of unplanned and potentially disruptive supply and demand events. Supply-related events can include production bottlenecks, fulfillment delays such as port strikes and customs delays, and supplier shortages. Demand-side events might include customer orders that are greater than forecasts or changes to orders that have already been placed. I2 Supply Chain Visibility is designed to manage these events, assess their impact, and orchestrate a rapid and practical resolution while providing a unified view of the supply chain. The solution  can also incorporate packaged business process packs for replenishment, fulfilment, and manufacturing, and these packages can be configured to meet customer-specific requirements. i2 Supply Chain Visibility also enables companies to close the loop between tra ditional planning and execution processes. It enables better understanding of orders, inventory, and logistics data. Powerful Functionality This solution incorporates pre-built workflows that integrate data across order management, warehouse management, logistics, and inventory applications for the flow of both domestic and international goods. A series of predefined, extensible events and exceptions support each workflow and a visual â€Å"studio† allows workflows and events to be extended, configured, and customized to meet specific enterprise requirements. i2 Supply Chain Visibility delivers a robust technology that is scalable and extensible, and that operates smoothly in a distributed computing environment. Extensive Capabilities Inbound and outbound tracking of order, inventory, and logistics flows Domestic and international flows that track multi-leg and multi-modal shipments Visibility into exceptions and events across orders, inventory, and shipments Role-based views for buyers, suppliers, analysts, and 3PL vendors High degree of permissibility and privacy controls Track-and-trace inventory across multiple locations Configurable event detection mechanism and customizable event management workflows Event chaining such as linking of related events, audit trails, context-based problem prioritization and extensive notification options including e-mail, e-mail digest, pagers, and cell phones Calendars, internationalization (i18n), and multi-time zone support enabled Integration to underlying applications for intelligent resolution and to prevent event recurrence Root-cause, event trend, and performance analysis capabilities event library with over 100+ out-of-box events supported Fast, web-based supplier enablement and transaction support Benefits Exception-based management End-to-end supply chain visibility and event management tools Customer-specific solutions for replenishment, fulfillment, and manufacturing The ability to forecast and respond to supply/demand events The option to move from calendar-based to event-driven planning and re-planning. Increased employee productivity Reduced process, personnel, and expediting costs Improved customer, supplier, and partner communications. Real-time decision support E-solution by Hewlett Packard (HP) PepsiCo signed a deal with Hewlett Packard in 2006 to help improve its supply chain management and increase overall efficiency. The seven year deal involved the overhaul of current IT solutions with PepsiCo and focused on updating server environments as well as ensuring a new infrastructure which benefitted operations and increased overall cost-saving. In particular, HP introduced a number of new solutions which helped to encourage stronger customer relationship management and supply chain management. PepsiCo had also opted for BT as its network provider to ensure the e-solution is fully implemented. The supply chain management solution reduced costs as well as enhanced current service provision online and via its communications networking system. By standardizing and optimizing its server environment, PepsiCo International is better flex to meet its changing business needs and in turn provide better service to customers anywhere in the world. Pepsi Bottling Pepsi Bottling Group is the world’s largest manufacturer, seller and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages. With annual sales of nearly $11 billion, the company’s fastest growing segment is non-carbonated beverages, including the number one brand of bottled water in the U.S., Aquafina, as well as Tropicana juice drinks and Lipton Ice Tea. As part of a 24/7 production operation, the company’s Detroit plant ships about 27 million cases per year. Production at the plant begins as empty bottles are unloaded from trucks via conveyor and transported to a depalletizer. From there, they  are, rinsed, dried and sent to a filling machine (filler speeds at the plant vary based on bottle size, ranging from 350 to 1,000 bottles per minute). The bottles leave the fillers and make their way to a packaging machine, and then to a palletizer. Each pallet is wrapped for distribution and moved to the warehouse for shipping. The challenge The plant uses a variety of sensors to monitor bottles as they travel through the sequence of steps and to manage the flow to the individual stations. Line sensors match the speed of the conveyor. The company’s inventory of sensors swelled over the years to include more than 120 different varieties. Many of these included multiple styles of the same product stocked under different brands. A similar problem was developing with its drives inventory, which had grown to over 50 different part numbers. The wide variety of sensors made it progressively more complex and time-consuming to replace a faulty device. Despite its fast, high-performance machinery, the increasingly lengthy and more frequent downtime was beginning to impact the company’s ability to meet its productivity goals. In addition, operating costs were on the rise due to the excess spares inventory. Because of the extensive number of sensors they had in inventory, including multiple styles and brands, simply finding the right replacement resulted in an hour of downtime. A more strategic approach to maintenance was necessary, as even the smallest of delays could cost the plant thousands of dollars in lost production and overtime. Knowing that effective parts management and fast, reliable equipment repair lies at the heart of efficient manufacturing, the company explored ways to get its inventory and maintenance processes under tighter control. That’s when it decided to turn to Rockwell Automation for help. The Pepsi Bottling Group’s Detriot plant reduced its number of sensors from 180 to 46, a decrease of 66 percent, by standardizing it sensors inventory to Allen-Bradley products. This reduced downtime and inventory costs. The solution The first task undertaken by Rockwell Automation was to conduct an Installed Base Evaluation – a plant-wide inventory assessment to determine the exact  number of sensors and drives the plant currently had in stock. Next it needed to figure out what products were actually needed and which ones could be eliminated. To streamline its operation, Rockwell Automation recommended that Pepsi standardize its entire sensors inventory on Allen-Bradley products. The local distributor, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company (Mc&Mc), helped design a migration plan to help ease the cost of this inventory conversion. Although all the drives employed at the plant were Allen-Bradley brand, many were older models representing a multitude of drive families. To simplify its drives inventory and upgrade its technology at the same time, Pepsi converted all of its drives to the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex family of AC drives. A detailed cross-reference chart developed by Rockwell Automation now provides te chnicians with a quick and easy way to identify failed and replacement parts, as well as installation instructions. To ensure reliable availability to spare parts, Pepsi set-up a Rockwell Automation Services Agreement that included parts management. With the agreement, Pepsi pays a fixed monthly cost for their spare parts, which are owned and managed by Rockwell Automation but stocked on-site. The agreement allows Pepsi to reduce its upfront expenses, have immediate access to spares, reduce carrying costs, and update its control technology cost-effectively. The agreement also includes an in-service warranty, so the parts don’t go out of warranty until they are actually used for the warranty period. To help the company better utilize its internal resources and reduce costly troubleshooting delays, the Rockwell Automation Services Agreement included TechConnect Support. This remote support service provides the plant with 24/7 access to Rockwell Automation technical specialists. When a problem occurs, Pepsi technicians can call for immediate troubleshooting assistance to resolve it as quickly as possible. To help facilitate problem resolution, Rockwell Automation technical specialists can also perform remote system diagnosti cs through an Allen-Bradley modem installed at the Pepsi facility. This helped Pepsi minimize risk and reducing long term costs. The results Leveraging Rockwell Automation Services & Support has proved to be a smart decision for Pepsi Bottling Group. The improved inventory and parts management capabilities helped reduce downtime and inventory costs, and  standardizing on Allen-Bradley products eased training requirements and minimized the technology learning curve. These benefits have ultimately enhanced productivity by 8 percent and reduced the overtime required to fill orders. In addition, the plant was able to reduce the number of sensors it uses from 180 to 46, a decrease of 66 percent. Likewise, it was able to reduce the number of drive styles from several hundred to 14. Packaging as a tool for Supply chain management GS – 1 standards (bar codes) RFID tags for real-time stock replenishments Commercial Security offerings Counterfeit & pilferage Online supply chain visibility across the chain Pack safety for the consumer Pepsi-Cola Saved $44 million by switching from corrugated to reusable plastic shipping containers for one litre and 20-ounce bottles, conserving 196million pounds of corrugated material. Palletization – cost vs. value creator Key supply chain cost optimizer through an Integrated supply chain approach †¢ Drive standards – pallets/trucks †¢ Pallet pooling services Palletization Roadmap PepsiCo’s Frito Lay Supply chain Frito-Lay is the snack food division of PepsiCo and the largest supplier of potato and corn chips in the world, currently holding 40% of the market share globally, and selling its products in 120 countries. Strength Frito-Lay is succeeding against a multitude of competitors in a fierce, yet slow-growth industry, selling approximately 4.5 billion packages of snacks per year. In order to achieve this, the company has learned how to masterfully create, innovate and manage all aspects of its supply chain  using high-tech IT systems that allow it greater control over its production processes and distribution network. Supply chain in USA: Supplier Base: Frito-Lay’s supplier network for potato chip production has fewer than 100 individual suppliers. Strategy Used: Several years ago, Frito-Lay approached its potato suppliers to seek those farmers willing to concentrate on cultivating a limited number of potato varieties, with a focus on producing the most appealing taste and quality potato chip for the consumer. Frito-Lay then offered these farmers long-term contracts, which made it easier for the farmers to get financing and for Frito-Lay to achieve more efficient, profitable economies of scale in other areas of the value chain. It is noteworthy to mention that steps like these that insure a stable supply of raw material are important to a company who purchases 2.3 billion pounds of potatoes and 775 million pounds of corn annually. From supplier to retailer Frito-Lay traditionally relied upon its in-house fleet of trucks to transport products from its plants to its 1,900 warehouses or 200 distribution centers. However, as the company expanded, operations managers realized that it was not economical to produce every product at every plant, and thus began specializing at particular locations. On the other hand, logistics became increasingly difficult and distances grew longer, and thus, Frito-Lay learned to exploit the benefits of truck carrier services, employing Menlo Logistics to handle route planning. Menlo was able to reduce the carrier base by 50% and negotiate nation-wide discounts with other carriers. Retailers The last stop involved is the 400,000 stores across the nation that carries Frito-Lay’s snack food products. The company utilizes their own technological systems to show stores how reallocating shelf space, for example, can produce larger profits. Retailers are also provided with Frito-Lay’s â€Å"Profit-Vision Program†, which allows retailers to analyze their sales and compare it to national performance statistics. At the same time, Frito-Lay benefits from the program because it convinces retailers to allocate more shelf-space to their products. Strengths of IT corporation Tracks the logistical movement of products throughout the supply chain, from acquiring the raw materials to final delivery, by utilizing its 848 tractors, 2,251 trailers, and a fleet of thousands of local computer-equipped delivery trucks. Empowers its regional managers with access to vast amounts of information on their databases that can be used to effectively guide them in their distribution decisions. It is able to correctly assess demands across all of its products due to the availability of point-of-sale data and an impeccable IT system, giving planners the ability to discern consumer trends and appropriately prepare production plans. Its managers can be proficient in determining levels of inbound supplies, raw materials, the allocation of the company’s production capacity, and logistical details for truck routing. The company’s ability to target local demand patterns with effective promotion and delivery systems results in continuously optimizing profit margins a nd reducing inventory and unneeded costs. Competitive advantages The company tries to captivate its customers by developing extensive databases that record who their customers are and exactly what they want. They focus on being the most reliable, quality-driven suppliers who provide services through the retail channel by means of collecting as much information along the way and utilizing it to address their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths. Despite only delivering potato and corn chips, relies on its ability to add unparalleled value in its distribution channel. Its customers know that when they do business with Frito-Lays, they aren’t simply buying a product to shelve in their stores, but incorporating an advanced information system with hopes of increasing sales and profits. Supply chain in India Horticulture produce in India is largely marketed through traditional channels. A typical marketing chain for horticultural produce consists of several players as shown in Figure PepsiCo is one of the pioneers of contract farming in India since 2001 Their experience in contract farming has covered many crops – potato, basmati  rice, tomato, chili, peanut, oranges and more recently sea weed. PepsiCo’s operations started in India started in the region of Punjab in collaboration with state government. PepsiCo India’s project with the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation and Punjab Agriculture University remains one of the most ambitious contracts farming projects in the country. Pepsi Tropicana Supply Chain Background Of the four principal Distribution Centres (DC) in the U.S. the Jersey City, N.J. DC is responsible for the supply of Tropicana juices in all states in the Northeast U.S., and all Canadian provinces. Jersey City houses a unit load capacity Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) that is fully integrated into an Automated Warehouse System (AWS). The center handles chilled premium orange juices, and blended juices from concentrate as well as shelf stable juice products from either Florida or local co-packers. Products vary according to package size, and juice type and style, giving rise to approximately 200 Stock Keeping Units (SKU), each facing random demand from customers. Juices arrive already palletized and variously pre-packaged, and are unloaded according to demand, and moved into the ASRS area. The Jersey City Distribution Center (DC) of Tropicana is responsible for the supply of Tropicana juices in all states in the Northeast U.S., and all Canadian provinces. Premium orange juice from Florida represents approximately 65% of the shipments, and has an approximate shelf life of 65 days. The Jersey City DC receives five Tropicana Unit trains from the production facility in Florida weekly. Each train has approximately 45 refrigerated cars. Juices arrive already palletized and pre-packaged in paperboard containers and plastic and glass bottles. Two types of unloading procedures are currently in practice: cross-docking and warehousing. Cross docking normally is used for customers receiving a single product types or transfers to a smaller distribution center in Whitestone, NY. Each train usually contains 8 to 10 railcars that can accommodate cross-dock delivery. Problems There are three major problem areas related to the current practices in Tropicana. 1. Ordering policy of the individual retailers. At the moment, Tropicana manages the inventory orders for about 10% – 20% of the retailers. This process is called CRP or continuous replenishment program. The Tropicana customer service department administers the ordering of those individual customers. From the supply chain perspective, this is mutually beneficial for both the customers and the warehouse. The advantage of the warehouse is that it is able to centralize the demand information of individual stores in its replenishment decisions of juices shipped from Florida to Jersey City. The retailers benefit from in time delivery and less stock out cost. Individual stores contribute the other 80% – 90% of the orders, which are not under Tropicana’s control. This is subject to random variation and hence uncertainties of demand on the warehouse. One approach would be to create an incentive for the customers to entrust their ordering function to Tropicana. This is th e so-called supplier-retailer coordination problem. A carefully designed coordinated system will benefit each and every player in the supply chain network. This may require the design of contracts or cost sharing agreements with the customers. 2. Central ordering of juices that are shipped to the distribution center. Currently there are five trains of juices scheduled to arrive weekly from Florida. The company never ships partially filled trains from Florida. The Jersey City distribution center sometimes builds up inventory of certain classes of juices that are close to their expiration date, and the company has to get rid of them either at a very low price with sales promotion or donate them to charity. A carefully designed and sophisticated coordination of ordering policies will reduce the chances for these problems and result in savings. At the same time it will increase the fill rate because the additional capacity gained from more reasonable ordering can be used for ordering more juices of the type that cause trucks to wait in the yard. 3. Combining marketing strategies with inventory levels and other factors. Marketing strategies such as sales incentives can influence demand. Foreseeing an inventory buildup problem, the company can use marketing (and mainly pricing) as a tool to either increase demand (when certain items build up) or reduce demand (when insufficient inventory is available). Solution 1. Tropicana, a unit of PepsiCo, implemented i2 Supply Chain Strategist to model manufacturing logistics operations to include co-packer operations. 2. The model involved over 30 manufacturing and distribution facilities and the seasonal demand of over 20 product types. 3. Tropicana used i2 Supply Chain Strategist to execute hundreds of scenarios and sensitivities, producing data that provided insights into areas where the company could rationalize system capacity at manufacturing facilities and increase efficiencies within existing distribution and logistics systems. Limitations of Pepsi Supply Chain over Coke 1. PepsiCo has duplicate distribution systems for its beverages. Coca-Cola has for the most part maintained distribution of its entire beverage line-up through its bottlers. 2. Pepsi bottling system is more fragmented than Coca-Cola’s 3. In a consolidated system negotiations involve fewer players and therefore take less time to gain agreement, which may be why the Pepsi system has lagged in system efficiency efforts. PepsiCo and its bottlers have established a purchasing cooperative to gain purchasing power in buying raw materials. 4. While PepsiCo has been pursuing international beverage acquisitions, those investments will take time to produce significant operating income 5. PepsiCo consolidation puts pressure on the independent system bottlers to more readily consider agreements for warehouse distribution.