The Junk Box by Edgar Guest Essay Example for Free

The Junk Box by Edgar lymph node EssayThe message that I understood after reading the meter The Junk Box by Edgar Guest was that all men are good for something. I felt that the poet was trying to relay the caring message that except because we might not need someone at a certain quantify, we shouldnt just dispose of them. There are instances when we need a articulatio humeri to cry on and there may be that one person that you feel will be there for you and you could call on them to say I need you. If we had previously tossed that special person out of our lives, it would be next to impossible to have them come that close in order for you to cry on their shoulder. Edgar Guest communicated his poem through rhyme. Every last word of his sentences sounded like the other in rhyme form, earth, birth and worth. A human junk boxwood is this earth, and into it were tossed at birth, to wait the day well be of worth. (The Junk Box Edgar Guest) I felt that the poet was extremely effecti ve in delivering his message. He was very wee-wee in his writing and I got the message, immediately. It seemed like a simple poem, but one that had so much information and meaning that even a squirt could understand the message he conveyed. I will probably never forget this sweet poem because of its simplicity and because I sincerely did agree with the poet, Edgar Guest that people are always worth keeping and not tossing away, even if we dont realize that we need them at a certain the timeReference(The Junk Box by Edgar Guest)

Elements of gambling Essay Example for Free

Elements of looseness EssayThere are two elements of Gambling, including game of chance and romp mentality. Chance means people cannot control the outcome of an gist al unrivaled with possibility of winning. Player wagers money on irreversible bet in which the outcome relies on chance. Gambling mentality means the giveing to beat back risk. To gamble on something is to take a risk on something in which the stake is involved. Pathological Approach to problem gambling Problem gambling is outlined as pathological gambling under APA DSMVI. Pathological gambling is an impulsive control disorder in which there is a chronic and progressive adversity to resist impulses to gamble. The concept of addiction of gambling is similar to alcohol and drug addiction in APA model. Gambling is a kind of process addiction. Gamblers enjoy the excitement, tightness and anticipation over than the outcome of a gambling event. Gamblers described having the feeling of high similar to that experienc ed form cocaine in outer-body. There is a dominance in which people have intense preoccupation with gambling to the exclusion of otherwise interests.There is also a problem of tolerance. It means gamblers will eventually spend more money than they intended on gambling, they will lose track of time and control over money betted. In other words, they will gamble from simple to complex high risk and high return betting. We can also see the gamblers have withdrawal symptoms, like irritable, sickish angry and restless.Action gambler Mahjong Tends to be arrogant Desire to control Self-centered, insecure, disregard for authority Easily frustrated, impatient and demanding Highly competitive but given up on the conventional way of competition Attracted to competitive games and those required skills Likely men who started their gambling activities at an earlier state.Gambling gives them a sense of self-enhancement and self-expression Escape gambler Lack of confidence / no self-esteem due to insufficient knowledge and skills Games with no skills involved, e. g. slot machine because no one will judge them Likely to be women who began gambling much later in life than action gamblers Gambling is an emotional reaction to whatever personal or relationship issues they are trying to escape from.Later pathological explanations on problem gambling All pathological gamblers were involved in brotherly gambling for a period of time before they lost control over gambling A significant stressor or greater exposure to gambling often precipitated the sudden onset of pathological gambling. Modern Pathological explanations on problem gambling Modern pathology theories do not argue for determinism but sooner rely on the concept of probability- in the sense of the relative frequency of occurrence, relative chances of happening- explain pathological gambling.E. g. medical checkup Model Medical Model-BlumeAn explanation for deviant behavior that locates its source within the individual a nd assumes that the behavior is the result of physiological, constitutional, or organic characteristics of the person interacting with the environment.Different psychological and physiological causes of gambling1. Genetic abnormality that provide a predisposition for disease 1 / 2 2. Mental illness- resulting from obsession or a compulsion3. Abnormal level of dopamine=/=occurrence of sickness It depends on its interaction with other risk factors e. g gender, family influence, ageSolution Counseling and financial management Weakness Classical -gt Ambiguous judgement.

A microscope: An overview

A microscope An overview1. IntroductionA microscope is an instrument utilize to investigate tiny objects which cannot be seen by naked eyes. There exist three types of microscopes which are optical microscopes, negatron microscopes, and scan probe microscopes. (1) Six types of microscopes talked in this report are reflected and transmit coruscation microscope, scanning electron microscopes (SEM), transmission electron microscopes (TEM), cerebrate ion gibe (FIB), and atomic ram microscope (AFM).1.1 Reflected livelyer microscopesReflected dim microscope is a type of microscope using palpable light and a system of lenses to magnify images of small take ins. It is used to examine opaque specimens which will not transmit light and other materials such as ceramics.The reflected light travels done the object lens, which in this arrangement acts as both a condenser and an objective, and strikes the specimen.It is then reflected off the specimen back up through the objective len s, the head, the eyepieces, and finally to the eye.(2)1.2 Transmitted light microscopeTransmitted light microscope is a type of microscope where the light transmits from a source on the opposite side of the specimen from the objective. ordinarily the light is passed through a condenser to focus it on the specimen to get very high illumination. (3)After the light passes through the specimen, the image of the specimen goes through the objective lens and to the oculars where the enlarged image is viewed.1.3 Scanning electron microscopeThe scanning electron microscope (SEM) is one kind of electron microscope. The SEM utilizes a very fine look into beam of electrons scanning over the specimen to emit a variety of radiations. The signal which is proportional to the amount of radiation leaves an individual point of the try out at some(prenominal) time. The signal obtained from one point will display the information of that point. In practice, the points follow one another with very hig h speed so that the image of each point becomes an image of a line, and the line move down the screen so rapidly that the naked eye sees a fork out intercourse image on the computer. SEMs are patterned after reflecting light microscopes and will yield similar information1.4 Transmission electron microscopeA transmission electron microscope (TEM) works a great deal like a slide projector. A projector shines a beam of light through the slide, as the light passes through it is affected by the structures and objects on the slide. These effects result in only certain parts of the light beam being transmitted through certain parts of the slide. This transmitted beam is then projected onto the viewing screen, forming an enlarged image of the slide. TEMs work the same way except that they shine a beam of electrons through the specimen. whatever part is transmitted is projected onto a screen for the user to see. TEMs are patterned after transmission light microscopes and will yield simil ar information.1.5 pore ion beamA focused ion beam system (FIB) is a relatively new tool that has a high degree of analogy with a focused electron beam system such as a scanning electron microscope or a transmission electron microscope. In SEM and TEM the electron beam is directed towards the assay generating signals that are used to create high magnification images of the smack. The major difference with a focused ion beam system is the use of a different particle to create the primary beam that interacts with the sample. A highly focused ion beam is used instead of electrons in FIB. As the beam scans the draw near of the sample, a highly magnified image is created, which allows the system operator to view the samples microscopic features clearly.1.6 Atomic force microscopeThe AFM is one of the foremost tools for imaging, measuring and manipulating matter at the nanoscale. The information is gathered by feeling the rise up with a mechanical probe. To achieve atomic scale stop page, a sharp stylus (radius 1-2 nm) attached to a cantilever is used in the AFM to scan an object point by point and contouring it age a constant small force is applied to the stylus. piezoelectric elements that facilitate tiny but accurate and precise movements enable the very precise scanning. (4)2. Study of comparison among six kinds of microscopes2.1 Optical microscopesOptical microscopes, which use visible wavelengths of light, are the simplest and most used. Both transmitted light microscopy and reflected light microscopy need low energy and the microscope itself is much cheaper and smaller than electron microscopes. Compared to electron microscopes, the optical microscopes have another advantage that the image obtained from them is in color.Comparing to reflected light microscope, the transmitted light microscope only works on light transparent specimens but not metal, ceramics and some polymers such as rubber. However sample preparation of transmitted light microscope is r elatively complicated. As it requires sample thin enough for the light to go through. This can be done by using a microtome to slice at lower temperature as well the distortion of the section due to the sample preparation is a problem for observing. (5)2.2 SEMThe SEM has allowed researchers to examine a much bigger variety of specimens no matter it is bulk or thin layer. The scanning electron microscope has many advantages over optical microscopes.The SEM has a large depth of field, which allows more of a specimen to be in focus at one time.The SEM has much higher colonisation (1-5nm). (5)Because the SEM uses electromagnets rather than lenses, much more control in the degree of magnification can be done.All of these advantages, as well as the authentic strikingly clear images, make the scanning electron microscope one of the most useful instruments in research today.However, materials that can be examined in the SEM must be vacuum compatible, clean and electrically conducting such as metal. But for non-conducting materials such as ceramic and polymers, gold or carbon coating on the surface of the sample is essential.2.3 TEMTEM is a technology using a high energy (80-200kV) beam of electrons to transmit through an ultra thin specimen (50-200nm). High solving (0.2nm) is the most significant advantage of TEM. (5)However, there are a number of drawbacks to the TEM technique. Many materials require extensive sample preparation to take in a sample thin enough to be electron transparent, which makes TEM analysis a relatively time consuming process. The structure of the sample may be changed during the preparation process. besides the field of view is relatively small, which leads to the region analyzed may not be characteristic of the whole sample. There is potential that the sample may be damaged by the electron beam, particularly in the case of biological materials.2.4 FIBFIB is usually used to examine metal surfaces. If the sample is non-conductive, a low ene rgy electron flood gun can be used to provide charge neutralization.FIB is inherently destructive to the specimen because when the high-octane gallium ions strike the sample, they will sputter atoms from the surface. Ga atoms will also be implanted into the top few nanometers of the surface making the surface amorphous. (6) These limitations produce noticeable effects when using techniques such as high-resolution lattice imaging TEM or electron energy loss spectroscopy.2.5 AFMThe AFM is a very high-resolution type of scanning probe microscope, with demonstrated resolution of fractions of 1 nm. (4)AFM provides a true three-dimensional surface profile. Additionally, samples viewed by AFM do not require any special treatments such as coating. Most AFM modes can work perfectly in air or even a liquid environment without a need of vacuum. This makes it possible to study not only metal, ceramic, polymer but also biological macromolecules and even living organisms. In principle, AFM can pr ovide higher resolution than SEM. It has been shown to give true atomic resolution in ultra-high vacuum and in liquid environments. High resolution AFM is comparable in resolution to TEM.A single out of AFM compared with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) is the image size. The AFM can only image a maximum height on the order of 10-20 micrometers and a maximum scanning eye socket of around 150 by 150 micrometers. (4)Another inconvenience is that the AFM could not scan images as fast as an SEM, requiring several minutes for a veritable(prenominal) scan, while a SEM is capable of scanning at near real-time after the chamber is evacuated. The relatively slow rate of scanning during AFM imaging a good deal leads to thermal drift in the image making the AFM microscope less suited for measuring accurate distances between topographical features on the image. (4)2.6 Competition3. Example of applications3.1 Reflected light microscopeNormally, reflected light microscope is used to ima ge metal, ceramic and rubber. Thats the reason why it is also called metallurgical microscope. Nowadays it becomes a fast growing interest especially in regard to its increasing usefulness in the fluorescence microscopy as well as the rapidly growing semiconductor industry had also led to an increase in the use of reflected light microscopes. (7)3.2 Transmitted light microscopePolymers can commonly be looked at under the transmitted light microscope, because most of them are transparent or translucent. It can also analyze cell slices obtained from organism. Most of the lab can afford a transmitted light microscope since it is relatively cheap.3.3 SEMAbout any scientific field can use an SEM as a research tool. It can be used to look at the crystalline structures of chemical compounds and how their bonds form. A scanning electron microscope is especially useful for looking at the surfaces of materials at an atomic level.3.4 TEMTEM can do diffraction analysis of small areas by selecte d area diffraction. High resolution x-ray microanalysis and analysis of crystal defects such as dislocations, stacking faults using diffraction contrast can also be done by using TEM. Another pregnant application is it can image lattice of crystalline materials. (8)3.5 FIBFIB can be used as Ion beam imaging. The FIB also offers the mogul to perform nanopatterning and micromachining respectively, and by instructing the machine to add or remove pertinent features, operator can design and prototype a new micro or nanostructure, modify integrated circuits and cross section specific features to allow failure analysis even in the 3D (TEM sample preparation). FIB is also used for Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). (7) The ejected secondary ions are collected and analyzed after the surface of the specimen has been sputtered with a primary focused ion beam.3.6 AFMThe atomic force microscope (AFM) is one of the most powerful tools for determining the surface topography of native biomol ecules at subnanometer resolution. AFM allows biomolecules to be imaged not only under physiological conditions, but also while biological processes are at work. The AFM can also provide insight into the binding properties of biological systems.4. SummaryCharacteristics of six different types of microscopes are compared in this article, including sample preparation and technique limitations. Each one has its advantage and disadvantage, so it is necessary to consider comprehensively before choosing, for example, the type of the material, needed information, vacuum compatible, conductivity and sample preparation, etc.ReferencesMicroscopy and Analysis. Online http//www.microscopy-analysis.com/.Reflected Light Microscopes. Online http//reflectedlightmicroscopes.com/.Wikipidia. Optical microscope. Online http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/optical Microscope.W. Richard Bowen, Nidal Hilal. Atomic force microscopy in process engineering introduction to AFM for improved processes and products. 200 9.Geoff West, John Bates, David Ross, D Grandy, J Perkins. MPP242 Microscopy Handouts. Loughborough The surgical incision of materials, 2009.Peter J. Goodhew, Richard Beanland, John Humphreys. Electron microscopy and analysis. s.l. Taylor Francis Ltd, 2000.The Royal Microscope socieity. Online http//www.rms.org.uk/.Brent Fultz, James Howe. Transmission electron microscopy and diffractometry of materials . 2008.

Channel Design For Packaged Coconut Water Marketing Essay

Channel Design For Packaged cocoa palm tree meat body of weewee Marketing Essaythrough and through inessential question on supply chain in genuine securities industrys like USA and Europe, and as intumesce in emerging markets like Africa which atomic number 18 massive markets for packaged coco palm irrigate, we nourish tried to look at founts like sourcing, transportation and distribution. Existing distribution personal line of credit in India for FMCG goods and beverages were overly studied to witness the current scenario.Indian sell market dynamics be antithetical for rural and urban argonas and consequently close to(prenominal) were studied in detail to come upon out the just about suitable sticker for both the markets. Fin altogethery, we nourish proposed a hybrid model consisting of a model for urban markets and a different model for rural markets.ContentsINTRODUCTIONThe supply of coconut peeing in India is keep mum truly much fragmented and alth ough it is operable in packed bottles and pouches in slightly part of India , the supply of it is mostly on roadside shops and road vendors, which is mainly the unorganized market.Hence we digest studied the ways companies actually do business in coconut water supply system in other countries where the supply chain is developed and has a bigger market than we prevail in India. there are different models which are opted for in different places of the populace depending on the customer preferences, customer ken, and the market size and growth rate.Although in India, mostly the doing is in rural places, there ineluctably to be developed a robust and efficient distribution pass whereby the coconuts are transported from these small rural places to bear upon plants and factories.The market for coconut water beverages grew by 100 per cent in 2011, taking the sell sale value of US and European markets to e very(prenominal)place $265 million (Rs.1,457 crore). The market is sl ated to grow another 50 per cent this year. Bottled in exotic flavours and in stylish cartons, its expensive About $4 (Rs.220) a can. But its still available atRs.10-30 in Indian bazaarsOBJECTIVESOur objective is to study and design distribution strategies for packaged coconut water. We intend to examine the intricacies of the social class setup in the area of distribution channel, schemes, margins, partners, and transportation from various on and off field experiences. The project go forth cover the scope of both the traditional general cope/rural as well as the emergent modern traffic.We plan to understand the distribution channel for existing packaged ram ups and then identify the feasible alternatives available for coconut water. We testament conduct our study using primary or secondary data and design a distribution channel for the resembling. A detailed description of the designed channel will be given and a comparative study will also be underinterpreted. We will animal our design keeping the followe framework in mindPrecondition of marketing channel formationIdentification of goals of distributionSpecifications of the tasks of distributionProvision of resource structure of marketing channelAnalysis of factors influencing the performance of marketing channelSetting the optimum structure of marketing channelSelection of marketing channel intermediaries publications REVIEWTitle-1 DEMYSTIFYING SUPPLY STRATEGY FOR COCONUT WATERSource Beroe IncSamyuktha S.R Senior Research AnalystParadigm deracination in the coco Water Market2012 2020Concentrated demand The demand for coconut water is mainly from the developed countries, especially from the US. there is an increasing demand from EU and Australia as well. read FocusDemand across the globe Increasing per capita income, and disposable income across the developing regions will attract more demand for coconut water.Level of ShiftPrice premium At present, coconut water is priced roughly double of other mass market sports pledges.Price EquivalencePrice parity It is inborn to bring the prices of coconut water to similar price points of other existing reaping category to underpin in the market.Level of ShiftExpansion of crossroad portfolio The study beverage manufacturers are currently expanding their harvest portfolio comprising more naturally healthy drinks such as coconut water and RTD Tea.Consumer PreferenceMarket cannibalization There is electric potential threat from naturally healthy drinks category that can cannibalize the existing traditional soft drinks. This baron be eating soft drink manufacturers original market leading to an overall decline in gross revenue.Level of ShiftLower harvest-time differentiation There are currently very few variation introduced coconut water. Till now it has come in standard flavors primarily fruit derived.Degree of Product VariationHigher product differentiation There is high possibility of introducing multiple flavors and pr oduct enhancement in legal injury of introducing newer/innovative product line derived out of coconut water namely low calorie smoothies.Level of ShiftRegional Insights Coconut WaterFactorsUSEuropeSoutheast AsiaMarket ShareconsolidatedConsolidatedFragmentedVita Coco is the humongousst player in the US which holds roughly 60% of the share. In the EU, Green coco is the leading player, but in Southeast Asia the market is highly fragmented.Coconut accessibilityLowLowHighSoutheast Asian countries are the largest coconut producing countries. Large quantities of coconut are available in these regions for extracting coconut water.Consumer AwarenessLowLowHighThe natural beverage has a locational advantage in tropical belts in terms of widespread consumer cognizantness about its health and nutritional benefits due to centuries-long use unlike other regions namely the US and EU.Health ConsciousnessHighHighLow-MediumIncreasing health awareness across the EU and US have resulted in growing d emand for health boil downed drinks. This has paved way for the demand for coconut water in the recent past.Supplier StrategyThe present procurement formation by coconut water manufacturers is by entering into a long-term select with multiple suppliers across the major coconut producing countries like the Philippines and Indonesia to ensure supply assurance. However, there is possible shift in the style of long term sourcing strategy by the companiesin the coming years to make certain on continuous supply of coconut water by either becoming a major/minor stake holder in the suppliers firm or by vertical desegregation. By vertically integration the companies are bound to own coconut plantation which requires high investment and trained labor to take care of plantations. Nevertheless the companies can have assured supply through vertical integration excluding unfavorable weather conditions, which has a critical role to play in terms of supply disruption.Procurement strategy overv iew and outlookGAPS IN THE LITERATUREThe writing fails to mention how the emerging countries in Asia would submit to do to in order to achieve a distribution system where the product is available in all small rural outlets as well, because the market structure is different in countries like India as compared to the developed supply chain system in developed western countries.Title-2 CREATING A DISTRIBUTION ADVANTAGE IN INDIASourcewww. bcg. com/CreatingDistributi onAdvantageinIndiaMay07Authors Vikram bhalla, Abheeksinghi, Sharad varmaIndia has become worlds largest markets for consumer goods Due to fast growing of retail sector, India has been host to consumer multinational companies for several decadesIndeed, sort of a few Indians think of Unilever, Nestle Philips Electronics as Indian companies Retailing density with more than 12 billion retail outlets ,India has highest retailing densities in the world Still India is relatively new territory with a number of inter-related fact ors that make distribution channel challenging.Most distribution models in India involve m any(prenominal) intermediaries amid companies and their retailers. Other distribution involves both retailers and Wholesalers who are served directly by the manufacturer. Infrastructure complexity- Only few full service distribution companies operateGAPS IN LITERATUREThe literature does not mention what should be the distribution strategy for a small price product like coconut water, which also needs to be converted from the tree into the hands of the consumer in s small period of time to avoid the product getting spoiled.Title 3 ANALYSIS evaluation OF DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS IN FMCGSourcehttp // www.beemanagementAuthors Bee Management consultancy private limited.The supply chain of products in the FMCG market in India is one of the longest supply bondage an industry could really have. There are as many as 5 levels of intermediaries involved in the entire supply chain.Even though these FMCG companies are big multinationals and Indian but face a major challenge of making their products available in the market in the castigate quantities and in the right timeFMCGs dont really have a wide network of sales agents and other force which is required and is ideal for catering their products to the markets.This aspect is taken over by distributors, wholesalers and retailer whose margins on these products actually double the price of these products when a final consumer buys it.These products are transported either via roadways or railways within the domestic markets and normally dont take more than a week to reach the retailers.The distribution activities are highly volatile and dynamic. Since its a volume game, manufacturers make all possible efforts to boost sales and promote their distributors to earn more and more orders from the retailers and wholesalers.GAPS IN LITERATUREThe gaps in the paper with respect to coconut water would entangle how the supply chain system would be different for the product as most of the sourcing takes place from the rural parts of the domain and the demand lies in both the rural and urban area, hence the rural demand needs to be met with the units supplied directly from the rural areas and the rest needs to be transported to the urban processing plants.Research MethodologyWe have taken the following research methodologySecondary Research- Research was carried out to understand the existing distribution system for coconut water for any player and any market. Since the product category is mainly dominated by unorganized players, beverages industry was analyzed as the product category was similar to the coconut water. Major sources for secondary research were websites, literature review and articles.Primary research- Research was done to find out the expectation of the consumers from coconut water and to profile the customer based on data analysis to mastermind for our product. Convenience sampling was used.CHANNEL MEMBER STraditionally in our country a consumer has had a particular ritual before purchase the coconut water. The ritual begins with first selecting the best coconut and it is opened in from of him and then he drinks it. This is very much different from the experience of buying a coconut water drink from at tetra pack.Modern Trade/Large Chain RetailersDirect access to the consumerDemands contribution margins, discounts etc. from the BrandSmall individual(a) RetailersHuge number of small point salesCan also buy products directly through cash and carry or modern tradeIndirect channel (Wholesalers)Play a fundamental role in beverage distributionPossess critical information regarding volumes of sales, competitors beverages etc.PriceCleanlinessFreshnessFactors politics Production LocationCoconut water has been known for its natural health benefits that it offers to human kind. The benefit are well scripted in the traditional texts of Ayurveda and Unani. Coconut water has been said to provid e minerals and energy, and prevent from dehydration in case of summers in the tropics. The tender coconut water has been said to improve digestion and help in the cure of UTI.But, to come up with coconut water drink in packaged form and to cater regions all across India definitely requires answering some essential questions including the areas of high production of coconut, the demand of coconut water in the country, what is the current coconut production, etc.The following factors can be taken into devotion while determining the production locationProcurement of Raw materials and locationToday, India is one of the leading producers of coconut in the world (ranks third) producing 13 million tonnes per annum. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh are the highest producing states contributing 90% of coconut production in India which can be seen from the table (for year 2006-07) shown below. Area under cultivation in India is or so 1.93 million Hectare where Kerala has the hi ghest cultivation area of 0.898 million Hectare. In India, productivity for coconut has been increasing since past decade. In 2006 -07, productivity increased from 7608 to 8165 coconuts per hectare.Table 1 responsibility wise production and productivity of coconutStatesProductivity(nuts/ hectare)Production (mn nuts/annum)Kerala70466326Tamil Nadu131334867Karnataka31391210Andhra Pradesh8577892West Bengal323.5Orissa274.6Maharashtra914548273.4Assam204.9Source www.indiastat.comFrom the table, it can also be seen that Maharashtra has the highest productivity for coconut. Therefore, in future, it might come up as the largest producer of coconut if more area is brought under cultivation. Hence, one can say that there is a huge potential in India as far as production of coconut is concerned which is directly linked to the potential of coconut market.Proximity to raw material suppliersCoconut is considered as the cash crop by a lot of tidy sum living near the coastal areas. Moreover close t o 7000 km of coastline in the country has given accessibility like no other in India. Any region which is in proximity (about 100-150km) to these coastal areas and is accessible by major towns and urban center should be considered.Proximity to domestic customers and export siteNorthern and Western parts of India are seen as a potential customer base as coconut availability is low in these regions. Hence the proposed region of production should be well connected with these parts of India. Moreover these parts also have ports (both ship and airports) for export of coconut water to other neighbouring countries.CostsThe location should provide advantage in terms of low inbound costs owing to proximity to major procurement centres. In case the location lies in rural region, labour costs are cheap. Outbound cost in terms of product distribution and marketing should be low owing to the proximity to the domestic markets. Water availability should be readily available and cheap.Infrastructu reAvailability of power supply, telephone, mobile and internet connectivity are some of the infrastructural resources of the area. Connectivity to nearest railway station and airports should be taken into measure. Moreover transfer of coconut water in particular conditions of temperature should be maintained so as to increase the shelf life of the product.Quality of LabourIn a rural area, semi expert labour required for manual operations is available cheaply. For the adept operations, technicians can be hired locally on as per need. Highly skilled technical labour would have to be incentivized to work in rural markets, but may also be hired on as freelancers.CHANNEL figIntensive Distribution NetworkIntensive Distribution is when a product is made available in many retailers. The products that are sold intensively are usually low priced or impulse purchase products.An example of the use of Intensive Distribution would be for chocolate bars. They can be found near everywhere (gro cery stores, department stores, convenience stores, gas stations, etc.) In this type of distribution the sellers unit costs for stocking are low. The convenience for customer is critical as most of the products are impulse buy products.In intensive distribution the product is everywhere. An example would be the retailing of gasoline. If you look at all the major retail outlets, they are on every corner. In an intensive distribution, the stocking costs are typically very low. Convenience for the customer is critical. When they decide that they need gas or toothpaste, youd better be there. Convenience is more important to the customer, whereas in selective distribution they are willing to travel to a retail outlet and have fewer choices for that type of product.Urban Distribution NetworkCompanyCarry and forwarding agentsRedistributing agentsWholesalersRural retailersUrban RetailersConsumersIn this, the order directly supplies its product to the retailers which helps them to give up the margin, which they give to the wholesalers and it also ensures quick availability of the product to the retailer. The flowchart above depicts the scenario. The company manufactures the product which is then sent to the carry and forwarding agents. After Manufacturing of the product, it needs to be sent to the market for sales distribution. This is where CF (Carry forward) agents come into picture. They act as a link between company distributor. They transfer stock from company to distributors. The distributors then make the product available in the market through retail dealer channelRural Distribution NetworkSince last pentad years beverage companies had started penetrating rural marketing also. For the rural sector these companies are working on Hub and Spoke model. To reach out to rural India, we need to start out by drawing up a hit list of high potential villages from various districts. So to ensure full loads, large distributors (Hubs) need to be appointed, and they w ould supply the product from thecompanys depot inlarge towns andcities.. The hubs would appoint smaller distributors (Spokes) in adjoining area so that the goods can be distributed. Below is the diagram illustrating the same.CONSUMER PROFILINGSince we are coming up with a product at the national level, therefore, it is important to identify the industry. Customers and consumers behaviors help to correctly delimit ones industry. Therefore, we conducted survey to identify the industry where our product will have an existence. The sample size was around 80 people out of which 96% people drink coconut water. Convenience sampling was used because of the time constraint.From this it can be seen around half of the people in the sample perceive coconut water as health drink and around 45% people perceive it as pleasurable drink. From the survey, it has also been seen that people mainly prefer coconut water when they are thirsty, tired or when they want some health drink. As an overall per spective we can see that close to 80% consumers perceive coconut to be related to nutrition and wellbeing of their body.OthersThirst quencherRefreshingDrinkHealth drinkNo responseWhat do you consider coconut water?100806040200PercentThus, from the survey results, it can be clearly seen that the product should have an existence in Health and refreshing industry which we, here, are considering it to be fruit juice industry as fruit juices are also perceived in the same way. Here, one might argue why not (Carbonated) soft drink industry? The reason why we are not placing our product in the same is that people do not consider carbonated drinks as health drinks, but thirst quenchers. Since we are positioning our product as health and refreshing drink so fruit juice industry suits the best which is also backed up by the survey so conducted.STP ANALYSIS classDemographic The youth (Age 15-30) will be the main target segment whereas the people of middle age will be the spillover segments.Geo graphic We will target both rural and urban areas.Psychographic Socioeconomic classification is done in rural and urban areas.Behavioural This will be done taking into account the benefits and usage rate, as required by target customers.Targeting Our target group of consumers would comprise people from SEC A and SEC B in urban areas and R1 R2 in rural areas, health conscious people, the youth who consider going natural as fashionable and also institutional buyers like airlines, railways, upmarket restaurants and hotels. We would also target doctors who would recommend our product to their clients. This would provide an immense opportunity to us to create a stronghold in the market and generate higher revenues and transcendent economic profitability.Positioning We are positioning our product as a natural health drink that is extremely nutritive and also highly refreshing.Its tagline will be Naturally RefreshingMARKETING MIXProduct Product is different from what we get from roadside coconut vendors since the shelf life of such products is very low. Our product has a shelf life of 9 months and hence making it available to a wide range of markets becomes easier since customers would rest assured of the quality of this product. We would also apply for accreditation by authorized food agencies like FPO and other quality control certifying agencies like HACCP.Packaging Tetra packs will be made available both for small as well as large SKUs. The colour of the packs will be palm green and there will be images of green cocounuts, conspicuously displayed to reinforce the positioning of the brand.In the urban centers, especially in modern trade, plastic bottle packs will also be made available for SKUs greater than 500ml.Price We would price our product competitively. We would initially launch the product in tetra packs of 200 ml and 1 lt capacity priced at Rs. 20 and Rs. 95 respectively. This is around in line with our competitors pricing strategy.For rural areas, foc us will be on Rs.5 and Rs. 10 SKUs. These packs will drive penetration through trials. This would ensure greater returns to us and also project a high end quality image of the product in the eyes of consumers.Place Our processing unit would be located in Tamil Nadu since the procurement would be done from nearby places. So, we would be saving on inbound transportation costs. We are launching the product throughout the country in one go, mainly targeting the northern, western and eastern market.Focus will be on Traditional trade, for intensive distribution. This will include paan shops, LEG, HEG and chemists as well.Modern trade In urban areas, there is huge potential of modern retail formats and our product will be made available in Hypermarts, Supermarts and Food Stores.Alternative ChannelsWe will also focus on convenience aspect of marketing channel. The packaged coconut water will be sold in various bus depots, airports, transit points and railway stations. The on-the-go proposit ion of the product makes it an ideal option for consumers to get instantly refreshed when they are travelling.Promotion We would take up heavy promotional campaign to build awareness about our product and to push it in the market. We would keep breed of activities that our competitors would be doing so that we can strategize further.We would incentivize our channel partners and create a push strategy to gain more shelf space. Heavy advertising and brand promotion activities would be taken up to increase visibility of our product. Since we are new players and unknown to consumers, we need to spend heavily on the above mentioned activities so that we can sustain competition from giants in the industry and eventually overtake them. We would also consider sponsoring T.V. shows, sports events and cultural nights so that our target consumers can be made more aware of our brand. We understand that building good relationship with our suppliers, channel partners and customers would be the f ormula for our success in the market.Focus will be on ATL as well as BTL campaigns.ATL An ad campaign with a southern actor with mass appeal can be launched to popularize the brand.BTL This will be the prime focus area especially for promotions in alternative channel routes. Such campaigns will help in boosting sales and make the product a quick-recall refreshing option for the customers.We would be placing our product mainly in modern format retail stores, hypermarkets where new ideas are more readily accepted by consumers. Here we would have a greater chance of showcasing ourselves and increasing our visibility. Besides, these are places which are frequented by our target group of customers. We would like to ensure that the quality of our product is intact when it is in the market and hence we would like to sell it through stores that take good care of inventory, have good and adequate storage facilities. Also, we would be able to track not only our sales and turnover but also tha t of our competitors. This data would be available through the store manager because unlike traditional retailers, he would be engaged in systematic data management and record keeping.SWOT Analysis of our product Packaged coconut waterLimitation and emerging Scope of ResearchLimitation The research on channel design is qualitative rather than quantitative. It is very difficult to assign weightage to different parameter for choice of channel design. The research suffers from the perception of service output with respect to another. A different set of researcher may have given different weightage to different parameters and hence could have come out with different recommendations.Current market is unorganized and there are very few and small organized players. The research is heavily borrowed from the experience of beverage industry as the product characteristics are perceived to be more or less similar.We havent considered e-commerce as the channel for the productFuture Scope of re search As the market is nave, so there is a lot of scope for new players. In future, if the intermediaries happen to be removed from the distribution channel with companies directly selling the product to the consumers like in US and the coconut water market gets more organized, the distribution channel strategy might have to be revamped.As there is no current established market leader in this category, we are trying to duplicate distribution strategy of current beverages industry in India. So again if the market grows substantially in future, the present distribution needs to be changed drastically and a completely different distribution model might have to be designed.We can also think of selling directly to consumers through e-commerce. inferenceSetting up a distribution channel for coconut water requires some strategies which are different from traditional distribution methods for other products like supercharged drinks, mineral water etc.There is huge potential for a product like packaged coconut water to work in a country like India. Coconut is already seen as a product which is very useful in daily requirements of households in southern parts of the country, and coconut water is seen as a product which would essentially quench thirst for the people as well as have some nutritional value. design a packaged coconut water drink has some unique challenges in itself. To market the product, we not only have to look at the aspect of providing just coconut water to the end consumer, but provide a solution to him, so that he can quench his thirst, and also get the nutritional benefits provided by coconut water. For this purpose we have used a systematic approach to design the distribution channel for coconut water.Despite coconut wet potential as a competitor in the bottled beverage market, attempts to capture those qualities in a commercial product have been largely unsuccessful. Once loose to air, coconut water begins to ferment, and rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. To eliminate the risk of bacterial growth, commercial bottlers are forced to sterilize the product using high-temperature/short-time pasteurization, which destroys some of coconut waters nutrients and almost the entire flavor.We have studied some of the current channel designs currently being used for distribution of aerated drinks, and forecast out how different strategies are being used to distribute the products in rural as well as urban areas. Also, while designing a new channel we have to keep in mind that the Indian retail setup is such that still only 2 % of all retail takes placed through organized retail. The rest of the retail still takes place through unorganized channel and this leads to a lot of intermediaries being involved in the traversal of the product from the manufacturer to the end consumer, which provides its own unique challenges.According to our consumer survey, we have figured out that the ideal way to positi on our product is as a health drink which refreshes, so it is placed on a pedestal where it might be put by the consumer in the same category as a packaged fruit juice. This particular product category is growing at a very fast pace, with more and more people becoming health conscious and going for products which are healthy and refreshing. There has also been a general trend of people going for substitutes of aerated drinks as thirst quenchers as opposed to say 10 years ago.We intend to use an intensive distribution strategy mostly in northern parts of the country, because in those parts there might also be some novelty factor attached to coconut water, as it would not be as readily available as in the southern parts of the country.In the end we would like to add that in a market like India, no particular channel can be said to be an ideal distribution channel. Multinationals which have been operating in India for many years now have seen that even for marketing the same SKU to dif ferent sections of consumers, altogether new channels need to be setup in some cases, whereas some modifications need to be made in other cases. Hence we would initially target those segments of the consumers where we feel that maximum chances are there for innovators segme

Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms

Application of the Theory of Unpleasant SymptomsThe Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms In pediatric nursing PracticeKrista KellyIntroductionEvery human being regardless of age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or physical ability will experience pain or unpleasant prognostics at some point in their lives. Pain stack be defined as an unpleasant, subjective sensory and emotional experience affiliated with echt or potential tissue damage (International connectedness for the Study of Pain, Subcommittee on Taxonomy, 2008). This definition acknowledges not scarcely the physical nature of the pain experience, but in addition recognizes the psychological aspect. Pain is a highly subjective experience and can only be accurately described by the person experiencing it. According to the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2013), nurses have an ethical responsibility for assessing and alleviating pain using appropriate, evidence informed pain coiffement. It also st ates that nurses be also obligated to advocate for change in the care plan when pain relief is inadequate.The conjecture of unpleasant signs (TOUS) is a middle-range possibility that was developed by nurses to enhance the understanding of relationships among multiple types and symptom experiences to manage unpleasant symptoms through effective interventions (Lee, Vincent Finnegan, 2017). The TOUS has three major concepts that will be discussed in further detail throughout this paper. The purpose of this paper is to describe, analyze and gauge the TOUS and its relevance to pediatric nursing practice. This paper will identify a clinical situation on a pediatric unit and will bear witness how the TOUS provides direction for guiding nursing practices. Lastly, this paper will assess the utility, strengths and weaknesses of the TOUS.Description of TheoryAccording to Smith Parker (2010), theories help guide our actions, help us take a leak desired results and give evidence to what has been previously achieved. Specifically, middle-range theories are abstract, yet are concrete enough that it provides a link between nursing research and practice. The middle-range theory of unpleasant symptoms was introduced in 1995 as a means for incorporating existing information about a variety of symptoms (Lenz, Pugh, Milligan, Gift, Suppe, 1997).The TOUS incorporates three major components the symptoms that a patient is undergoing, the factors that mildew symptoms and that give rise to the nature of the symptoms, and the effects of the symptom experience. Each individual symptom is considered a multidimensional experience that can be measured unitedly with other symptoms or measured independently (Lopes- Junior, de Omena Bomfim, Nascimento, Pereira-da-Silva, Garcia de Lima, 2015). Although symptoms differ from one another, they share four common domains including duration, intensity, quality and distress.The duration of a symptom refers to the time that the symptom occu rs at, or the frequency of the symptom. Intensity indicates the severity, strength or amount of the symptom being experienced by the individual. Whereas, the quality of pain can be utilise to describe what the symptom feels like to the individual. For instance, pain can be described as sharp, dull, achy or throbbing. Lastly, the distress domain of the symptom experience refers to the score to which the patient is bo thered by it (Lee et al., 2017). The same symptom may be unbearable to some individuals but could be much less severe to others. Thus, it is distinguished to ask patients how much they are bothered by the symptom to gain a better understanding of how they are interpreting the experience and the meaning they associate with it (Lenz, et al.,1997). In the TOUS, there are three factors that influence each of the previously mentioned domains physiologic factors, psychologic factors and situational factors (Lenz, Suppe, Gift, Pugh, Milligan, 1995). Physiologic factors in clude the normal functioning of the body systems, the presence of some(prenominal) pathology and the individuals energy levels. Psychologic factors incorporate the individuals mental state and their reaction to their illness. Lastly, situational factors pertain to aspects of the individuals physical and social environs that can affect their experience and reporting of symptoms. Examples of social environment include lifestyle behaviours, social support, employment status, and access to health care services. On the contrary, physical environments can include but are not especial(a) to variables such as noise, light, temperature and polluted air/water all of which can influence symptoms (Lenz Pugh, 2014).According to Lenz Pugh (2014), the outcome concept in the TOUS is performance. Performance refers to the outcome or effect of the symptom experience and how it impacts the individuals functional status, cognitive functioning and physical performance. For example, certain symptoms may affect an individuals ability to perform the activities of daily living or may alter their memory, concentration or problem solving skills (Lee et al., 2017).Application to Clinical PracticeThe assessment and management of pain or unpleasant symptoms are essential skills while dealing with the pediatric population. With children, especially infants and toddlers who are unable to communicate, it can be extremely challenging to identify the presence of pain, which in fun makes it difficult to treat. Therefore, it is important to assess pain by receiving input from the child and their parents or care givers. In the case when a child is unable to communicate, their family and caregivers should be able to advocate for suitable interventions to manage pain based on what they know about their child and the current situation (RNAO, 2013).The TOUS exemplifies a perspective that not only includes the physical domain of the human experience, but also recognizes the importance influence o f psychological and situational factors, as well as their interaction on the symptom experience (Lenz Pugh, 2014). The writer was able to apply this theory in the pediatric setting while caring for an eight year-old female patient who was experiencing painful urination and abdominal pain related to a urinary tract infection. Looking at the physiological factors, this patient had a history of a fever for the ago month, lower abdominal pain and a decreased appetite otherwise her diet was classified as tolerated. Regarding the psychological factors, the patient expressed she was happy, as she was being discharged that afternoon. While the writer was taking vital signs, the patient was alert, oriented, compliant and aware of why she was in the hospital. As the writer was providing care for this patient, it was evident that there was support from her father, fix and little brother, all who provided positive words of encouragement to get well soon.The updated version of the TOUS states that symptoms can occur alone or simultaneously, therefrom this paper will focus on multiple symptoms experienced by the patient painful urination and abdominal pain. The patient expressed that she experienced a burning and painful sensation while urinating and that it had been occurring for the previous four days. When asked to rate her pain on a severity scale from 0-10, she rated her pain as a 4. In regards to the distress of her symptom, she mentioned it really bothered her during the night, as she was frequently waking up with the urge to urinate. In regards to the patients performance, she was unable to fulfill her social role as a grade four student, piano student and dance student as she stayed in the hospital for five days. She was also unable to assist her mother and father in playing/ taking care of her younger brother as she was experiencing abdominal pain that restricted her from doing so.The TOUS is valuable tool for nurses as it helps bring in the previously mentio ned data, which in turn helps nurses individualize interventions that fit the patients needs and unique pattern of symptoms (Lenz, et al.,1997). In order to manage symptoms effectively, these nursing interventions should include the evaluation of the symptoms apiece and as a whole in order to comprehend their interactions (Lopes-Junior et al., 2015). Understanding symptoms of patients is important beca utilization experiencing multiple simultaneously occurring symptoms, as opposed to one symptom can have more than negative effects on patient outcomes. Ultimately, understanding these multiple symptoms can help improve clinical management of an illness or disease (Lee et al., 2017).Assessment of Overall UtilityThere are both strengths and weaknesses in the utility of the TOUS. The TOUS can be used to improve the understanding of the symptom experience of individuals in various scenarios and provides information that is useful for nursing interventions that can decrease, prevent or manage negative symptoms and their unpleasant effects (Lenz Pugh, 2014). However, the TOUS lacks detail that may be useful in working with a specific symptom or illness in a given clinical population, such as pediatrics. Specifically, the TOUS has focused only on subjectively perceived symptoms rather than objective observable data. Neonates, infants and toddlers or children who are cognitively impaired, are incapable of verbalizing their pain. Therefore, pain or unpleasant symptom assessment should also be based on behavioural and physiological cues rather than just subjective information. For example, an infant may pompousness pain by frowning or clenching their jaw and crying uncontrollably. They may moan, whimper or have a difficult time being consoled by a parent or caregiver. Being agitated, squirmy or rigid can also be indicative of pain or unpleasant feelings in infants and should be noted (Merkel, Voepel-Lewis, Shayevitz Malviya, 1997).The TOUS does an excellent job at l ooking at the individual in a holistic manner, such that it considers the interactions between individuals and their environment, the multidimensionality of symptom experiences of the individual and uses a biopsychosocial approach (Lee et al., 2017). While constructing an individualistic health care plan for patients, the TOUS does not include an intervention component within the model. This may indicate that the theory is more useful for observing concepts, examining their relationships, and developing tools to measure the concepts/relationships than for developing specific interventions for particular symptoms (Lenz, et al.,1997). In the future, the theory should include suggestions for interventions on specific symptoms for health care providers to use in practice.ConclusionThe purpose of this paper was to describe, analyze and evaluate the TOUS in a clinical pediatric setting and its connection to nursing practice. The uses, strengths and weaknesses of the theory were also prese nted. The TOUS is a middle-range theory that emphasizes the importance for nurses to understand that physiological, psychological and situational factors can influence multiple symptoms, which in turn can affect the individuals performance. It is also critical to collect that the performance outcomes can loop back to impact the symptom experience itself, as well as to alter the influencing factors (Lee et al., 2017). Overall, this theory can be apply in different settings to understand symptoms of individuals, however specific nursing interventions are currently lacking in this theory. With continued research and studies, this theory can only increase in its practicality to health care professionals and caregivers.ReferencesInternational Association for the Study of Pain, Subcommittee on Taxonomy. (2008). Pain terms A list of definitions and notes on usage. Pain, 6, 249.Lee, S.E., Vincent, C., Finnegan, L. (2017). An analysis and evaluation of the theory of unpleasant symptoms. A dvances in Nursing Science, 40 (1), E16-E39.Lenz, E.R., Suppe, F., Gift, A.G., Pugh, L.C., Milligan, R.A. (1995). Collaborative development of middle-range nursing theories Toward a theory of unpleasant symptoms. Advances in Nursing Science, 17 (3), 1-13.Lenz, E.R., Pugh, L.C., Milligan, R.A., Gift, A.G., Suppe, F. (1997). The middle-range theory of unpleasant symptoms An update. Advances in Nursing Science, 19 (3), 14-27.Lenz, E.R., Pugh, L.C. (2014). The theory of unpleasant symptoms. In M. J. Smith (Ed.), Middle range theory for nursing (3rd ed.), (165-195). New York Springer produce Company.Lopes- Junior, L.C., de Omena Bomfim, E., Nascimento, L.C., Pereira-da-Silva, G., Garcia de Lima, R.A. (2015). Theory of unpleasant symptoms Support for the management of symptoms in children and adolescents with cancer. Revista gaucha Enfermagem, 36 (3), 109-112.Merkel, S.I., Voepel-Lewis, T., Shayevitz, J.R., Malviya, S. (1997). The FLACC A behavioural scale for scoring postoperative pain in young children. Pediatric Nursing, 23 (3), 293-297.Registered Nurses Association of Ontario RNAO. (2013). Assessment and management of pain, third edition. Retrieved from http//rnao.ca/sites/rnao-ca/files/AssessAndManagementOfPain2014.pdfSmith, M.C., Parker, M.E. (2010). Nursing theory and the discipline or nursing. In M.E. Parker M.C. Smith (Eds.), Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice (3rd ed.), (pp.3-15). Philadelphia, PA Davies.

Car Safety :: essays research papers fc

CAR SAFETY mobile and PassiveCar recourse features be grouped into two categories Active and Passive. Active feature are designed to reduce the likelihood of a crash. Things such as tires, halts, lights and steering are active features. The most important of all of them however is the driver.Passive safety features aim to reduce the damage done to a cars occupants in the event of a crash. These include things like seatbelts, airbags, and crumple zones.For all these features some(prenominal) car can still crash so this report aims to make you more aware of the safety aspects of modern cars and what role they play in driving.Active Safety FeaturesBrakesThe brakes play one of the most important roles in overall safety and so it important that they are reliable and durable.A good braking system always stops the car in the minimum distance possible while remaining stable, have a constant resolution which is consistent with brake pedal pressure and let you easily control the car whil e braking.Disk and drum brakes are the two types use in cars. Drum brakes are very good to have on your rear axel but not as effective on the preliminary where better balance and heat dissipation is a must.Heat dissipation is the brakes ability to get rid of the immense amount of heat created by the friction between the brake surface and frictional pads. This is very important since it reduces the amount of friction that can be applied (brake fade) and it can boil the brake fluid rendering the brakes completely useless.Disk brakes can dissipate heat ofttimes more effectively and therefore are much better when you brake often or at high speeds. The best disk brakes are ventilated.ABSABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is a system which stops the wheels locking up into a skid when braking on slippery surfaces. It works by using a computer which monitors wheel speeds and drives pistons which alternatively increases and decrease brake pressure some(prenominal) time a second on individual wheels when it senses they are about to lock up.Preventing skidding during braking increases the drivers control of the car and greatly reduces the chance of a crash.Stability and discussionA car with good handling and stability is much safer to drive than a poorly designed one. This is because it grips better and is more responsive.Good stability and handling is achieved with a combination of suspension, steering, acceleration, brakes and weight distribution.

I Know Who I Want to Be :: Personal Narrative Essays

I Know Who I Want to Be   I would not lose cared about being eliminated from the Rhodes Scholarship competition if I had known that was the last day Id see Lee Stone alive.   It was almost a coincidence that I saw him at all--I was home for the state round of the Rhodes, my interview was three blocks from where my parents were meeting him for lunch and I figured, almost on a whim, that I efficiency as well stop by. So I walked over with my mom, exchanged hugs with Lee, his wife Judy and his parents, and gave a nervous run-down of my interview. Lee was, as always, in honorable spirits, cracking jokes and wishing me luck. I was probably there less than 15 minutes.   The Rhodes competition has this sadistic element in that they tell you the same day whether or not you make the cut. The 12 of us, (or was it 14?), sat nervously in a corporate law office board room that afternoon, until the panel came in and read off the names. We non-finalists all kind of smiled weakly a nd slunk out to the elevators. I was duly devastated, but also strangely embarrassed that I cared.   Eight years later, I came home from an obscure conversation with an old friend to discover my parents and little brother wide awake at 1233 a.m. I heard them coming down the hall from the kitchen, and there was this note on the front hall table about Lee, a hospital, calling someone. I couldnt line my brothers distinctly male-14-year-old handwriting before my mother said, Lee had another heart attack.   Oh my God... Its worse, she said. Hes dead.   Ive known the Stones for 17 years--since Judy was pregnant with their daughter Laura, whos now a senior in high school, and I was four and a half. The Stone family spent their summers down the street from my family in Long Island, and I grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons with Lauras two onetime(a) brothers.   In all our family gatherings, Lee was the center of the excitement. He led countless water ski expeditions , starred in neighborhood dramatic productions and permeated every impression with his wry sense of humor. I can vividly remember the afternoon he and I got stranded on an intermediate trail far similarly difficult for my fourth-day-ever on skis.