Rjft Organizational Management Task 2

organisational Management RJFT2 Task 2 A1. The Utah harmony was recognized as a classify II orchestra. Group I and Group II be distinguished by the endowment descend and level of annual expenditures. For the course of instruction of 2001-2002, the average endowment for Group I orchestras was around $76 meg and $8. 8 cardinal for Group II orchestras. The Utah symphony came in just shy of $12. 2 million in 2000-2001 and was projected to be upwards of $13. 7 million for 2001-2002. That cosmos said, the Utah Symphony was considered to be at the carriage out end of Group II symphony orchestras in the United States (Ager & Delong, 2005).However, even with these strengths within the symphony, foregoing to the proposed uniting of the two governments, the Utah Symphonys pecuniary aro work was declining. There were several factors due to the weak fiscal state. The musicians were part of a wedlock, which negotiated a contract requiring high salaries, benefits and annual pay increases, which would cause the brass sections expenses to increase. So, turn revenue was projected to increase, this was offset by the increase in expenses. The silver balance was $116,308 in fiscal year 2000-2001 and projected at $2,042 for the hobby year, yet a nonher financial alleviatelessness.In order to promise a no-hit pose of the merger, Anne would need to would need to come up with a plan. She could start by addressing the musicians salaries. By referring to the board, as considerably as union drawing cards, Anne rouse learn close to the requests specifications of the last negotiation. When presenting a sunrise(prenominal) contract, she can influence the musicians to either scram a lower mesh or non to take a pay increase by showing them the income statement and explaining that the life of the cheek is dependent on knife bid costs and change magnitude revenue. with with(predicate) this, she can show how the cheek leave al whizz non be able to ope ra housete at a surplus if expenses bear on to increase, offsetting the revenue earned. Eliminating pay raises could be presented as a temporary fix, or worst case scenario (assuming the organization would survive on its own without the merger and the musicians would be able to keep their jobs), wages could be decreased. Through this approach, she can show them that the success of the symphony and them keeping their jobs are dependent upon severally other, but changes need to be do. In response to the increasing expenses offsetting he revenues, Anne could research their fund summit opportunities to determine what it is they do come up and what could be improved. She can use fundraising ideas that work for her current organization as well as from the last(prenominal). As in that location are financial strengths and helplessnesses of the Utah Symphony, that applies to leadership as well. The organizations greatest strength in leadership is with Lockhart. Lockhart is know as ma ven of the go rated conductors and his kinship with the musicians is very healthy. They look to him to support the group when decisions are organism made. mend this is strong, the board also appreciates and respects the leader, not wishinging to compromise the relationship they have with him. Strength about this group is that Scott Parker, chairman of the board, realizes the difficulties the group is facing and cares enough to do something about it. piece the symphony has great leaders, in that location are also some flunkes involved. Its practicable that Lockharts management is geared too much on the musicians and not enough on the survival of the organization. Parker is scheduled to move to New York and result be replaced by Peterson mid-merger.This could cause some confusion or in constancy due to escape of initial involvement on Petersons part. other weakness is that there is no CEO. This organization needs a well defined leader to play along. Anne impart obviously have some leadership obstacles to overcome to ensure the roaring start of the merger. Anne depart need to convince Lockhart that while it is substantial to have the relationships he has with the musicians, it is important that this does not block his visual sensation of the boilersuit organization. He is a leader of the group and should focus on the well being of the organization.She can do this by showing Lockhart that the two (musicians and organization) are dependent upon each other, without musicians, there would be no symphony likewise, without no symphony, there would be no jobs for the musicians. Also, with Parker moving to New York during the middle of the merger, Peterson will have some catching up to do. Anne should meet with Peterson periodic completelyy if possible before he joins the team dependable-time. She should also provide him updates as the outgrowth sustains via face to face meetings, emails, phone calls, etc. Once he is full time, the merger should be hi s primary focus.Anne should also introduce him to Bill Bailey so that he can gather input from someone at the alike(p) level. In addition to that, Ewers should request ongoing open communication with Parker as a reference to help ensure the start of the merger is secure. A2. strange the financial and leadership status of the symphony, the opera appears to be in a much healthier state. Financially, the total revenue and contributions totaling approximately $5 million far outweighs expenses, leaving a surplus of $582,409 in fiscal year 2000-2001 and is projected to continue the same trend in the following year.Not sole(prenominal) do they have a solid surplus, the opera is also financially stable in terms of assets. The large costume inventory and 2. 9 acres of land accumulate to roughly $4. 8 million in assets. Due to the strong financial state, no weaknesses were identified. In order to wield the organizations current financial state, Anne should be proactive and continue to coo rdinate fundraising, and seek supporting by dint of other areas. If the merger were to take place, the amount of executions would increase, boosting controlance and sales as well as boilersuit revenue. Just as the financial state of the opera is healthy, the leadership is as well.Anne has brought with her many accomplishments doneout her past experiences. While holding the general theatre director position of Boston Lyric opera, she was able to retire a $450,000 debt that was passed on to her from her predecessor. While there, she also built an endowment fund as well as increasing the number of productions from one to three. Anne also held the role of benefactor director of both the San Francisco Opera and Canadian Opera social club. Within the the States and internationally, she has had the opportunity to act as stage director for more than 60 opera productions.During her 11 year tenure at UOC, she grew the organizations annual budget from $1. 5 million to $5 million. Anne has a move into of being triple-crown at fundraising and is admired by both the opera and symphony boards. With this strong leadership, Anne will have lots of insight on how to address situations that come her way, based on her previous experience. The one weakness that is displayed is the resignation of Leslie Peterson. Leslie is the daughter of Glade Peterson, founder of the opera and is director of operations.Due to her disagreeing on the direction that the management is taking and her concerns about the merger, she resigned. To ensure a fortunate start of the merger, Anne has a few options. If the organization values Leslie and doesnt want to see her go, Anne could meet with her and explain the plans for the merger. She could reassure Peterson that what her father built would delay the foundation of the organization going frontward as it is built upon. Another direction Ewers could take would be to promote someone from within or hire a virgin addition to the team to replac e Peterson.By re lateal her, someone with a positive, supportive attitude that is excited and eager about the new merger would be a good fit for the have groups. Anne could even look at replacing her with someone from the symphony to net income further trust and respect from that group. With very little leadership weakness, this is one less thing Anne has to worry about. A3. The Utah Symphony could be considered as having a combination of two different cultures, create- looking to grow and expand, and collaborative- having an protracted family happen.However, the collaborative culture best fits this organization. In organizations like this, employees work nigh with one another. Employees can look to their leaders as supportive figures and feel fulfilled and safe with the work they do (Kelly, 2010). An example of this is Keith Lockhart and his relationship amidst the musicians and the board. Keiths primary concern is the musicians. The business review also stated that the boa rd would ultimately not move forward with the merger if Keith did not approve (Ager & Delong, 2005).The analysis of the scorecard is as follows 1. Financial The intention is to be financially stable and profitable by adjudgeing the same ticket footing but increasing fundraising to be able to do so and step this by profitability. This addresses their financial weakness as listed above (by remaining profitable, the 83 symphony members will be able to keep their jobs). In regards to their organisational culture, this supports collaborative culture, securing and supporting musician positions. 2.Customer The goal is to meet customer wants and demands of perceive world-class performers appear and the organization can make this happen by hiring the apex notch genius. To measure if they are successful at this, they will gather reviews and feedback from customers to gauge how well they are meeting demands. Through formative feedback, the symphony will know if they are reaching their goal and delivering what customers want. ordained feedback will assure the group that their goals are being reached. The Utah Symphony envisions being world class and this is compliant with the vision. . inherent Process Through the renegotiation of contracts with the musicians, their goal is to have some flexibility in decreasing expenses. The organization can measure this through with(predicate) the improvement of profitability. This was addressed earlier as a financial weakness and noted that if Anne is able to renegotiate contracts the organization would benefit financially. 4. Learning and yield The goal here is to offer a wider variety of symphonies to appeal to different audiences. This can be done by marketing towards those targeted groups, advertising symphonies of interest.An increase in ticket sales and locomote audience is how this will be measured. While this exact scenario wasnt listed above, it does muse on the overall financial weakness and addresses the reduc ing the weakness by increasing profitability. All areas of this scorecard help address the financial weakness of the symphony and how to help alleviate it. In regards to the leadership weaknesses, the scorecard does not directly address them, but in the event they move forward with the merger, they (leadership weaknesses) will be addressed then.The Utah Operas vision is to become a nationally renowned opera house by improving the flavor of performances and increasing endowment funds. A complete organizational culture would best describe this organization. Complete cultures bring a results-driven environs and focus on success and reputation (Kelly, 2010). The culture differs from that of the symphony because the performers are not employed full time here, therefore lacking the protracted family aspect as seen with the musicians. The analysis of the scorecard is as follows 1.Financial Through raising additional funds and realizing endowments, the groups goal is to be financially s table and happen an increasing reserve fund. This goal will be measured by improving the reserve fund amount. As stated earlier, the financial stability of the opera is healthy and this shows one of the strengths of the group. 2. Customer By excelling in the quality of performances and increasing patron attendance to full capacity or close selling-out, the goal of having regionally and nationally acclaimed opera performances will be reached.This will increase ticket sales, resulting in an increase profit. Through this increased attraction, investments will increase, maintaining the organizations strength of being financially sound. 3. Internal Process The goal to maintain financial stability and to attract top natural endowments is dependent on successful negotiations with the top performers. Customer reviews and profitability are measurements of this process. Top talent performances will increase ticket sales and will also depart the organization to grow both nationally and in ternationally through these popular performers.The boards vision will come to fruition in the event that this goal is met. 4. Learning and Growth Setting this goal of 5 high-quality performances per year relies on measuring the endowment fund growth and increasing ticket sales. This can be measured by covering capital need by revenue from the ticket sales. With the growing group, individuals will be more believably to invest, adding to the groups financial strength yet again. In terms of the Utah Opera, all four aspects of this scorecard focus on strengthening their existing financial stability. This will help achieve the goals and vision the group has set.While the financial strengths are established in the scorecard, the leadership weaknesses are not addressed. However, the leadership weakness did not exist in the individual organization until the merger was made public and Peterson resigned, and therefore does not require being addressed. B. Merged Company Balanced Scorecard Th e vision of the new company is to attract top performers while providing quality performances, being noted as a successful corporate opera/symphony combination following the merger and maintaining a profitable organization while doing so. 1. Financial Strategic Goal- Secure financial stability throughout the entire organization * Critical Success Factor- assert funding through opera patrons and increase the symphonys through endowments and fundraising * Measure- Recognizing an overall increase in Surplus of the combined groups from one fiscal year to the next 2. Customer * Strategic Goal- Through combining the opera and symphony, become known nationally (and internationally if possible) as one of the low successful at accomplishing this merger, therefore bringing in top talent that draws a wider range of performance- goers * Critical Success Factor- Recruiting op rated performers that viewers would be raise in seeing and that would bring extra attention to the organization * Mea sure- The organization would see performance attendees and ticket sales both increase 3. Internal Process * Strategic Goal- Having revenue far exceed expenses, leaving a much larger surplus * Critical Success Factor- Negotiating new contracts with the union for the musicians to hold off on pay raises and/or reduce salaries.Also, increasing fundraising and endowments * Measure- Successful increase in funding (endowments and fund-raising) as well as successful contract negotiations, reflected by an increased surplus 4. Learning and Growth * Strategic Goal- Diversifying performances to attract different genres * Critical Success Factor- Making each performance unique and different from the last to attract different performance- goers * Measure- approximate first time audience attendee by survey upon exiting performance and gather feedback C.When reviewing the proposed merged company, there will be some strengths and weaknesses of the new organization pertaining to each aspect of the s corecard as follows 1. Financial Historically, Anne has been successful in maintaining a healthy financial state of the opera. She exceeds in fundraising and attracting new endowments and is reflected in the surplus shown in Exhibit 3 (Ager & Delong, 2005). However, the weakness of the proposed merged company is the lack of a healthy financial state for the symphony. While their revenue appears much larger than that of the opera, so are expenses.Through the addition of the symphony, the financial state will decrease the strength of the opera, in turn modify the overall financial state. The contract negotiations and work to increase endowments and fundraising will help alleviate this weakness. 2. Customer When combining the two groups, they will have a greater ability to bring in more well known special performers. This potentially will bring in new patrons. However, through this strength, also comes a weakness- they would need to figure out how to attract these new customers to get them to the performances.This could be resolved through advertisement and support of alliance involvement. From being involved with the community, they will have the opportunity to hear what patrons would like to see, and gauge performances based on interest. 3. Internal Process The strength as the combined group is that they will be much more suitable of offering a wider variety of arts. With the management team they have and past challenges they have accomplished, the two groups together will be able to succeed in things on a larger scale.The one weakness to having much(prenominal) a strong internal process is not having enough funding to support efforts. As mentioned above, funding issues can be resolved through contract negotiations, increased endowment contributions and fundraising. 4. Learning and Growth Together, as one organization, they will be able to grow through recruiting top rated talent for performances and learn what it is that their customers want to see. While this is growing, the slight weakness they will catch is the time it takes for the economy to rebound and for sales to start increasing.D. During the merger process, a few highly probable issues could arise in finance, human resources, and customer satisfaction. Financially, the opera is sound. However they will more than potential become decreased due to the fact that they will have to help make up for the lack of financial stability of the symphony. Eventually, this can be resolved through contract negotiations with the musicians, increased fundraising and endowments, and through the economic rebound, allowing more viewers to attend performances.In regards to human resources, an issue will probably arise when Ewers approaches the union to re-negotiate contracts. While both the organization and the musicians are dependent upon each other, some sort of agreement will have to be worked out and the human resources segment will need to be involved. Finally, with all of the skepticism brewing in the community of combining the two groups, there will more than likely be some contributors that will be hesitant to continue donating their average contributions.While it will be a difficult challenge to overcome, the new organization can rectify the situation by bringing in top rated performers as soon as possible that support the growth and upthrow of the newly combined group. References Ager, David L. & Delong, Thomas J. , Utah Symphony and Utah Opera A Merger Proposal August 8, 2005, Harvard Business Review Kelly, The Types of Organizational Culture, May 4, 2010 retrieved March 10, 2013 from http//blorgtheory. com/2010/05/04/the-types-of-organizational-culture/

Green Innovation. Nokia Case

High-Tech marting. Sustainable existence- Nokia courting study Introduction The technology liberty chits a promise of a get out world through the improvements in receiveds of living. On the former(a) hand, resource extraction, emissions of unreliable materials, and pollution of air, water, and soil drop created conditions for environmental catastrophe and have already ca mapd irreversible damage to the Earth.That is why in last few years, companies started c come in on an eco-innovation. Eco-innovation is the farmment of products and attendes that contribute tosustainable development, applying the commercial application of cognition to elicit direct or indirect ecological improvements. This includes a guide of related ideas, fromenvironmentally friendlytechnological advances to socially acceptable innovational paths towards sustainability (http//en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Eco-innovation). Sustainability put up be defined in a variety of managements. The sententious definit ion created in 1983 by a UN commission is Meeting the postulate of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own require (http//www. un. org/en/sustainability/index. shtml). The European Union adopted action plans to promote technologies that practice session less environmentally harmful alternatives.For example, the EU has passed laws requiring push button-using products, such as galvanic and electronic devices and heating equipment, to be conceptioned to be to a greater extent energy-efficient (EPEAT). The tempestuous Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) imposes the responsibility for the disposal of waste galvanising and electronic equipment on the manufacturers. The Energy using Products (EuP) Directive, sets requirements to reduce the environmental violation of products that intent electricity across their entire sustenancecycle.REACH is a recent European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use thro ugh disclose and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances, especially those containing much than agreed-upon levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, atomic number 24 (VI), polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. Nokia Corporation is aFinnishmultinational communication theory and information technology corporation. Its principal products argon spry tele bandsand portable IT devices.It besides offers Internet operate including applications,games, music,mediaandmessaging, and free-of-charge digital map information andnavigationservice through its wholly owned subsidiaryNavteq. Nokia has around 101,982 employees across one hundred twenty countries, sales in more than 150 countries and annual revenues of around 30 billion. It is theworlds second-largest unstable tele skirt makerby 2012 unit sales with a globularmarket sh atomic number 18of 22. 5% in the first take out of that year. Nokia was the worlds largest vendor of mobile recalls from 1998 to 2012.However, all over the past five years it has suffered a declining market sh be as a result of the growing use of smartphones from other vendors, and devices running on Androidoperating system. As a result, its sh are price has fallen from a high of US$40 in late 2007 to under US$2 in mid-2012. Since February 2011, Nokia has had a strategic league withMicrosoft, as part of which all Nokia smartphones allow for check MicrosoftsWindows Phoneoperating system. Its first handsets were released in October that year (http//en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Nokia). Purpose and guardianship Nokias mission is simple Connecting People. The goal of Nokia association is to create mobile products that allow people worldwide to enjoy the technology. The key elements of Nokia strategy are * building a parvenue winningmobile ecosystem in partnership with Microsoft * bringing the next billion online in growing growth markets * place in next-generatio n disruptive technologies * increasing our focus on speed, results and accountability (http//www. okia. com/ world-wide/about-nokia/about-us/about-us/) Nokia follows the concept of the open innovation which lead to forming a strategic partnership with Microsoft that will regain lost place in a smartphone market. easy innovation encourages Nokia-Microsoft cooperation to search and exchange saucy knowledge, develop products and services to start competitive in the market. I believe open innovation will benefit Nokia and its consumers as it will enhance relationship between manufacturer and users.Although, Nokia is not an energy intensive companion because most of the viridityhouse artillery emissions occur only during manufacturing by suppliers or usage of products, Nokia founders attention to the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of its products and operations. The main of Nokia should focus on diminution energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as raising sentience and promoting best sustainable practices in mobile phone industry. In accordance to the terms of REACH, Nokia has pledged that the use of chemicals in Nokia products and processes shall be safe to military personnels and the environment.Furthermore, Nokia is the first association that created climate strategy that concentrates on products, manufacturing, facilities, logistics, suppliers and customers. So far, the greenhouse gas footprint of Nokia phones has been reduced by up to 50% between 2000 and 2010, while introducing new features and capabilities. In my opinion, Nokia should focus more attention on its customers in encouraging and educating them through use of the products to be more eco-friendly. For example, develop travel applications that help people in gain destinations quicker and application that encourage people to choose public maneuver instead of cars.The most useful application would be one that shows the nearest bus stops, train or metro s tations, the routs, destinations and the time of arrival/departure. Furthermore, Nokia products should have energy saving options available in every smartphone model, analogous break off online functions (WIFI, internet, GPS etc) when they are not in use for some flow rate of time. Sustainable mobile products Nokia products are eco-friendly as the company uses sustainable materials, develops minuscularer, reusable packaging and improves energy skill for products.Every Nokia product comes with an eco profile, which explains its materials, energy efficiency, packaging, environmental concern and recycling. Picture 1. Ingredients of Nokia smartphones Adopted from www. nokia. com/global/about-nokia/people-and-planet/sustainable-devices/materials/materials/ New Nokia products are eco-innovations and have environmental features. For example Nokia Lumia 820 -automatic screen brightness adjustment, -battery saver feature, -energy efficient charger -contains bio formatives recycled m etals snow% recoverable as materials and energy -100 % recyclable, minimized package made of -renewable -materials containing up to 60% recycled materials. Nokia 700 -Power Save mode, -ambient light sensor, -unplug charger reminder, -OLED display, -contains recycled metals, bioplastics, bio paints and recycled plastics -100% recyclable packaging (http//www. nokia. com/global/about-nokia/people-and-planet/sustainable-devices/sustainable-devices/) In my opinion, Nokia should excessively focus on process of recycling the grey-haired phones.For example, when customers want to corrupt a new Nokia phone, the company should proceed accord to The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) that imposes the responsibility for the disposal of electrical equipment on the manufacturers. The best solution would be buying an old phone off customers for a small price and recycle some move of the phone to recover the materials which can be used for producing new models. The s earch Development department should as well as focus on innovation regarding the new energy sources, for example, solar power.To my surprise I learnt that Nokia already has been testing the takeout Solar Charger as a charging opportunities for people that want to use Nokia smartphones but do not have access to the electricity. Furthermore, in 2006 Nokia introduced small packaging which is easier to recycle. Lighter packaging also reduced transportation costs. In my opinion, Nokia should still work on trim down the use of paper and plastic in the packaging. Some of the packages still have paper information, certificates and instructions which are unessential. In my opinion, these ocuments together with the users guide should not be included in a package, but available online for all customers. promotional material Nokia promotes its products as eco-friendly in the mobile phone market. The company also raises awareness about environmental issues, education. The perfect way of pr omoting the company with sustainable determine in the world is to improve access to information and communication technologies (ICT) in developing countries. This would bring benefits to people who are unable to access these technologies for fiscal or geographical reasons.The company should offer affordable mobile products and services to help people develop business and employment opportunities all over the world. Nokia has already done it, as it collaborates with UNESCOs culture for All and uses the mobile technology to develop mobile educational products such as Nokia Education Delivery, Nokia Life and Nokia mobile mathematics. Nokia Education Delivery uses mobile technology to fall by the wayside quality education materials to remote, hard-to-reach areas so teachers and trainers can access and download videos and other educational resources.Furthermore, in 2008, Nokia launched a pilot scheme for mobile mathematics in South Africa. Nokia Life education services furnish healt h information and advice on pregnancy, parenting, diseases, fertilizers and pesticides, yield enhancement techniques, market prices, and weather (temperature, rainfall, tramp conditions). In my opinion, Nokia company should also promote its sustainable values by winning part in worldwide voluntary actions that promote human rights by ethical labour, high quality of work environment, health and sanctuary and equality. DistributionNokia provides guidance on what expect from suppliers. These requirements include environmental and social expectations, which are based on international timeworns such as ISO 14001, SA 8000, OHSAS18001, PCMM and ILO, and UN conventions. Thus, Nokia suppliers undergo a number of assessments designed to measure their environmental and social performance. In my opinion, Nokia should also ensure that company suppliers provide safe working conditions, use environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and contribute to reducing the environmental impact of our own operations.Nokia should pay attention to the energy and water consumption, waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing products as well as distributing the products to the consumers. If the suppliers do not follow sustainable guidance for companies, Nokia should help them achieve those goals by sharing knowledge and experiences with others. Nokia should also have an open communication system with suppliers, customers, and non-governmental organisations that promote sustainability. Development of the companyReading the documentation of Nokia company it seems that it is a leader in green- innovation in the market of mobile phones. The company is aware of the impact on the environment and tries to minimize by following governmental laws and introducing own sustainable regulations. However, in my opinion Nokia has neglect the importance of promotion and communication with customers its environmental values. Therefore, I would like to propose my ideas for i mproving few sectors of the company which can make Nokia more competitive in the market and be recognise as eco-friendly among its customers. 1. Communication and promotionNokia should focus its communication messages on demonstrate that the whole company and its products are sustainable and have well-recognised eco-friendly approach among its customers by presenting posters in the Nokia shops or actively and publically supporting environmental organisations. The company should also encourage customers to become more eco-friendly in their everyday life through encouraging them to participate in happenings and day events. Nokia should communicate its green innovation messages more to the general public and potential customers using media like TV adverts and radio messages or internet actions.It would be good if the company took part or initiate some events and happenings which aim at environmental awareness. I also like the idea of Nokias mathematics in schools. This action should be continued and also should be better communicated to schools and parents. It would be a good idea if Nokia would open a charity which helps children from developing countries in schools or establish academic grants for children from underprivileged families who have numeral skills. Furthermore, Nokia should also create a school program for ecology and sustainability in primary and secondary schools.In my opinion, it would be a good idea if Nokia would provide bins in schools for recycling batteries or other small electronic appliances. 2. set To be more competitive in the fast growing market of smartphones Nokia should keep their prices low and affordable for everyone with keeping the high quality standard of the products. Nokia already has lowered the cost of packaging and transport of products by reducing size and use of paper, this should have a reflection in the phone prices as well. In my opinion, Nokia should make a packages even smaller without unnecessary use of plastic covers and paper in them.All the information about the phone should be available on a website after registering or entering the serial codes together with users guide. Furthermore, to appear more ecological friendly Nokia should buy off the customers the old phones which can be recycled by the company again. This way customers feel like being a Nokias customer is profitable, taking care of environment as well. Customers receive a high standard product for a good price and in addition they are also paid for returning the old phone. 3. Research and DevelopmentNokia research and develop team focus on solutions that enhance the energy efficiency in the products. To more competitive in the market Nokia should invest more money in the RD department and work on new technologies which will use renewable energy. Research and Development is a vital part of every high-tech company and to be palmy in innovations Nokia has to recruits the employers through different channels. In my opinion Noki a should offer studentships and grants for high IT, engineering students who will work on Nokia products and develop them.Nokia also should offer many apprenticeships for students and graduates who will bring different approach to innovations and help develop products. This will help the company to improve or create new products as well as encourage creativity of employers. Furthermore, Nokia should be more open to communication with its customers and employ them in the open innovation process as well. For example, Nokia should organise contests for its users which encourages creativity design a smartphone of the future. People could design their own phones using online Nokia application and for the best

Immigration Outline Research Essay

AbstractThrough step forward this paper, at that place for mug up back be the exceedingly debatable discussion between efficaciousizing aesculapian exam examination shadownabis and regular ganja. more thanover about(prenominal) sides of the argument train their pros and cons and there is an in depth description of both sides of the argument. At the end of the day though, the paper thoroughly supports the legalization of checkup exam hemp and potbellynabis in general. aesculapian rear endnabis little unwholesome than most some other legal tobacco plant products and has the ability to reduce the torture within ailing peck. Cannabis also brush aside be a curable and more earthy medicine to admirer the great unwashed in pain. cannabis also has the potential to raise the U.S. out of their tough stinting struggle as well as lower wickedness say and create more jobs for many more people. On the other turn over researchers conceive that medical ca nnabis is muted ruinous for peoples health and the governance does non know how to regulate the production and consider of ganja. Both sides extradite valid arguments, precisely the pros outweigh the cons by a significant amount. This paper has doctrines of lots of credible sources, doctors and researchers explaining their side of the story. precisely sympathize on to create your own personal opinion.IntroductionMarijuana should be legalized for medical theatrical role across the country. Marijuana has a veto sword attached by the authorities and public, but is real a ingrained and effective medicine. The argument about medical hemp is starting to dot across the country wish wildfire, and the topic should be addressed. This paper entrust go into depth explanation and landing on why medical marihuana should be legalized as soon as possible. History of Marijuanamedical marijuana and marijuana have had a long, lengthy register of repeated use in the unite State s. First, from 1900 to 1940, marijuana, including opium and cocaine were considered part of customary drugs. As cartridge clip went on, the U.S. cracked down on crack and opium, lastly outlawing them, but continued to be very loose with the use of marijuana. Eventuall(a)y, as time continued to roll on, the use of marijuana became frowned upon. Marijuana was culpable and the U.S. government became very strict with the cannabis laws. This began around the 80s and and so started to become change magnitudely worse. Then, around the late 90s and early 2000s, scientific studies started to produce jaw-dropping outgrowths. Scientists started to discover that marijuana can importantly help people that have become ill. aesculapian Marijuana has been time-tested to help people with cataracts, crabmeat and severe depression, just to name a few (Zeese 1999). With this new world enormous discovery, the argument about medical marijuana ignited. States hopeed to alone drop medical mar ijuana legal so it may help blue people, but the government did not unavoidableness any form of marijuana legal. The law that was known throughout the join States was any form of marijuana was illegal. go along now with this new discovery, doctors in secerns across the country valued the legalization of medical marijuana. simply states can overrule the laws of the government, because states are given the decision to decide on some of their major laws. Thus came the beginning of the legalization of medical marijuana.The first state to allow the use of medical marijuana was California in 1996 (Zeese 1999). The only distribution of medical marijuana though is through the recommendation of a certified doctor. some other states began to follow in the footsteps of California much(prenominal) as Arizona and Colorado. One thing led to the next, and now there is up to fourteen states that have legalized the distribution of marijuana medically, with many more to come. These states a llowed the use of medical marijuana to help people with anxiety, certain causes of cancer and cataracts. But the U.S. federal government has tried to prevent patients from obtaining cannabis and threatened physicians who say it with criminal prosecution or loss of their license to practice. But yet, the ontogeny support for medical marijuana has grown massively in song over the past 20 years. And before people realized it, the united States government now has to ask themselves Is marijuana actually not as forged as drug as people thought? And should the United States just simply legalize all forms of marijuana? U.S. billet of medical MarijuanaAs discussed in the history of marijuana, the American view on marijuana is very pessimistic. The government already feels they are bending rearward by allowing medical marijuana, but they still disagree with everything about it. The government even created the movie called Reefer Madness which isa 1936 movie that wanted to make people believe that when people take in marijuana so they would become crazy. Starting from a hit and run accident, to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and stemma into madness. At the tail end of the mid-eighties, the use of marijuana and other drugs started to come home a new height. At first, lots of people started using the drug because the party scene started to grow increasingly. But by the end of the eighties, rescript started to abuse cannabis. Along with the abuse of marijuana, drug gangs started selling marijuana along with other drugs, cr eating more crime throughout the United States. Thus this creates the negative impact on the view of marijuana. The government labeled the use of marijuana as universe part of a gang or existence a criminal. Then soon after, research in the early eighties showed some negative effects of roll of tobacco marijuana. The view of marijuana would hold up the title of a bad drug until the recent 2000s. These are six-fold reasons why ma rijuana got the bad image by the U.S. government.World View of Medical MarijuanaThroughout the world there is a wide variety of rules and laws that pertain to medical marijuana and marijuana in general. Other countries around the world have much less stricter laws when it comes to the matter of medical marijuana and marijuana. In countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, they actually encourage the use of medical marijuana and give exemption of engage criminal charges to distributers. Then there is the country of Holland, which allows full legalization of every form of marijuana. Holland encourages lots of small business owners to encourage smoking and eating of marijuana. Another delegacy marijuana can be consumed is by cook the cannabis in different types of food, which then allows a different type of high. The high supposedly is more of a body high, which is different from smoking marijuana or taking a pill. But Holland encourages local oven broil shops to cook marijuana within the their foods. By doing this, small local businesses decoy more and bigger crowds to come try their new food that has a kick. Hollands tourism rates have increased slightly since the legalization of marijuana or hash (more pure type of marijuana). It may not have a drastic change in their economy, but it original does have a small impact. Finally, there is Portugal, which has no laws against any drug of any kind. All drugs from marijuana to cocaine, to heroine are legal. Portugal decided that the people that want to do drugs, then they would. Prison costs drastically changed and statistics show that the crime rate went down, including fewer arrests. Law enforcement now does not have to interest about minor issues like drug related crimes. It allows the law enforcement to posture their main focus and priority towards catching more sound criminals such as murders, rapists and theft. The most important aspect is the use of marijuana decreased. demonstrate that making something illegal, gives the user the thrill of breaking the law and by strain through with using the drug. But when marijuana is legal, the thrill is gone, and less people depart want to try it. ProsMedical marijuana is never declare for its benefits and use of good in the world. Lots of people simply just write off marijuana as just a bad drug. Compared to modern pharmaceuticals, cannabis is viewed as a radical medicine because it is natural and contains unique chemical compounds. Compounds such as a stimulant within the cannabis that acts as a hunger enhancer. This means, that by smoking or taking a pill version of marijuana, it then makes people get hungry, known as the munchies. So people with diabetes and anorexia can smoke marijuana to create hunger. The direct result is eating more and making those sick individuals advance. But if the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana gives then there is an extraordinary amount of goodness to come. Also there is n umerous medical cases where cannabis has helped sick and people in pain. Certain people that have cancer, have to go through chemotherapy which can be fundamentally painful. So doctors prescribe medical marijuana for these people so it helps dull the pain. I know off personal experience with the correlation with cancer, chemotherapy and the use of medical marijuana. My mother was bring upd with breast cancer a year ago and had to go through chemotherapy to kill the cancer. She was in pain most days, feeling extreme agony from what the chemotherapy was doing. The chemo is a chemical that is designed to kill something like cancer for instance, and the side effects is that it hurts the body also. My mom was prescribed medical marijuana after a couple weeks of the chemo because the pain became too much for her. later on she started smoking the marijuana the pain was much less intense and helped her significantly overcome her bear on with cancer. Next, there is strong scientific evid ence that shows that tobacco products such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc. are far worse than the use of marijuana. Cigarettes not only have tobacco that hurts the lungs and mouths but all tobacco products contain nicotine in them. Nicotine is extremely addictive which causes people to smoke or chew more. But yet these tobacco products are legal and are even allowed to sell to individuals of the age of eighteen, so technically still teenagers. To add on, thousands of people are being thrown into jail for pigheadedness and distribution of marijuana. So in sense, innocent people are being thrown in federal prisons and jails for possessing or selling a less harmful drug than others.This simply does not add up, and raises another reason to why marijuana should just simply be legalized. These go forth be the main points in favor for legalizing medical marijuana throughout this paper. Medical Marijuana is not as unhealthy as the media and government says it is. Medical Marijuana co uld have the potential to raise enough gold to help the United States to get out of the recession that we are currently in. The government could make more money for the United States economy by legalizing marijuana. By simply applying higher tax rates on the sell of marijuana and then sell the high taxed herb to the public. The government already uses this manner with tobacco products. Officials inflate the tax on tobacco products by dumbfounding amounts so the country receives some of the profits off the tobacco products. To make a cigarette costs two cents to produce, twenty cigarettes in a pack, so that should be around forty cents for a pack of cigarettes. But in reality a pack of cigarettes costs about 5-7 dollars depending on what part of the country one is located. If the government goes through this same subroutine with marijuana then that would create many more opportunities to make money for the United States. But how would they mail boat and sell marijuana? The best way the government could package and sell marijuana would be in a smaller version of cigarette packs. The government should have a package that can only hold about 10 rolled up marijuana joints or blunts. Then the government should tax the living daylights out of the pack and then the government would have a major splashiness in the economy. The government believes that the public will not buy the marijuana because of the negative view on cannabis. But numbers keep increasing year after year as to the percentage of people that believe marijuana should just be legalized. If the government simply just legalizes marijuana and then raise the taxes on it, people will buy the drug. The other point that goes hand in hand with the legalization of marijuana is that it will lower criminal activity. Right now the people of the United States gestate about 8% of tax dollars to keep prisoners in custody (Mikos, 2009). But some of these so called prisoners are only in there because they stone-b roke the law of selling marijuana. These prisoners are in jail because of a petty larceny crime of selling or in possession of this harmless drug. If marijuana were to become legal, then lots of this prisoners would be released and would in the end result save the United States millions of dollars. ConsEven though many activists that want marijuana legal believe that marijuana have no negative aspects, but multiple different test results believe otherwise. First off, the active part in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC acts on cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and then influences the activity of those cells. The cannabinoid receptors are part of the brain that influences pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory, time perception and coordinated movement (Buddy, 2011). Marijuana causes health risks in the emotional state and lungs. Within the first few minutes of smoking marijuana, the emotional state begins to beat up to 20 to 50 beats faster a minute. Thi s causes the squanderer pressure to drop and creating a higher heart rate (Buddy, 2011). Researchers have discovered that marijuana smokers risk of a heart attack is four times higher within the first min after smoking marijuana. The lungs also experience burning and stinging in the mouth and lungs when marijuana is smoked. Scientists have found that, regular marijuana smokers can experience the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute white meat illnesses, increased risk of lung infections, and obstructed airways (Buddy, 2011). One of the major reasons that the government will now allow marijuana to be legal is the government cannot tag rules and regulations with the evolution of cannabis. If the government legalizes marijuana then anyone in America can grow and smoke cannabis. The government fears that when they legalize marijuana then everyone will simply just grow their own. If the government were tolegalize marijuana then they would want to sell and tax the living daylights out of it. But cannabis is not a hard plant to grow. Marijuana is not like beer or pot likker where it is hard to produce it is extremely easy to grow. Beer and liquor must be made in factories where as marijuana can be grown almost anywhere. So since they cannot stop people from increment it, then it would make it hard for the government to tax cannabis. Then more legal questions arise throughout the country. Do officials arrest people growing marijuana? How can they arrest a person for growing something that is only legal? The answer is that the government cannot do this, and if they do, they Congress would have to pass new laws that could result in multiple different loop holes. Medical benefitsThe principal constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and is effective in treating nausea, vomiting, appetency loss and acute and continuing pain. With this information doctors have begun to use and dia gnose the use of medical marijuana. Marijuana may prevent Alzheimers disease, relieves chronic pain, and fights the effects of cancer (Pope, 1996). Also, recent research has shown that marijuana can fight the effects of fibromyalgia, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gehrigs disease (Pope, 1996). These are serious illness and diseases that cannabis has already been known to help cure. All of this familiarity has been discovered in the last 20 years also expert imagine what more time, and more support of this drug can do. If marijuana got legalized then, many more medical mysteries could be solved and could potentially save many more people from pain and dying.ConclusionThis information is up to the reader to dictate and decide for their own, but I hope my opinion with credible facts and research has helped inform and give people a better understanding on this topic. And overall, persuade them to agree that medical mariju ana and marijuana in general should be legalized. Marijuana is not a bad drug, because it has helped countless people get better and survive. With all these pros and few cons, it is ineluctable that the legalization of marijuana should commence immediately. I also ask people to voice their opinions and take action, so thelegalization of this drug can occur so it can help and continue to help sick people.

Dreams: The Peach Orchard

Hina Matsuri The famous festival of dolls celebrated in the shroud of pink bring out blossoms. During the doll festival, dolls represent the peach trees without the peach trees, the dolls would represent nothing. A similar event happened in the life of a young boy who lost an orchard of peach trees subsequently be cut down, one after another, by his own family. The boy matte a sense of loss during this, supposed to be, an enthusiastic and very unforgettable day.The young boy got scolded after providing six servings of a particular food, when on that point are only five people to be served. The boy, however, did see a sixth person. It was a young girl in pink plume or kimono, which he followed soon after towards the orchard. Eventually, he saw the dolls from his babys collection brought to life in the peach orchard. They first speculated on the boys innocence and they found out how the boy love the peach trees and the orchard.The dolls, being moved by the boys tear and sympa thy, performed a slow graceful dance. The dance was accompanied with gagaku music and after the dance the boy saw an illusion of the peach trees in abounding blossom. However, it was only momentarily. The truth eventually came out, where the scene shows the chopped peach trees in the orchard.Nevertheless, a glimpse of hope was provided for the boy after seeing that thither is a stark naked peach tree in the orchard and it was dear about his height. The young girl who ran to the orchard may be the articulation of/ or doll symbolizing the new peach tree. The movie end showing the young boy sadly looking at the new peach tree as the scene fades to black (Kurosawa, 1955).ReferenceKurosawa, Akira (1955) Dreams The lecture Orchard. Warner Bros.

Econometrics Project

privateized intake Expenditures, Personal Income, and CPI 1980 2011 April 24, 2010 overcharge The goal of this paper is to estimate the blood between personal utilisation and personal income among all Ameri washbasins over the past 30 years. The information includes yearly records for the four variables between the years 1980 and 2011. I become analyzed this data using the Ordinary Least Squ ars Method and ran a reasoning backward analysis in place to observe the descent between my variables.In my model, I accommodate used Real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) as my independent variable, art object the dependent variable is Real useable Personal Income Per-Capita. As well, I included two explanatory variables in my model which are the Consumer expenditure baron (CPI) and a Coincident advocator. The model finds a positive relationship between personal custom expenditures and personal income. It also shows that inflation is positively related to the independ ent variable of personal usage.However the model demonstrates that there is an insignificant relationship between personal consumption and the Coincident Index. We can solve that personal income has an nucleus on personal consumption and that there is a positive correlation between these two variables. Therefore, in general, we can contain according to this model that as personal income increases, personal consumption also increases. 1. Introduction Our economy is an ever-changing system that is affected by an interminable number of factors. Some of these factors include personal consumption, personal income, and inflation.I digest chosen to look at how these factors may exploit one another inside the American economy. More specifically, I have chosen to research the influence of income, inflation, and the Coincidence Index on Americans consumption expenditures. I see that individuals consumption expenditures may vary based on two main factors A change in these individual s income and a change in inflation. Many conceptualise that as income increases, people will have to a greater extent and will because drop much silver and consume more.Some research suggests that larger menage wealth is associated with higher personal consumption (Slacalek, 2009). In terms of inflation, whatsoever theories suggest that as prices rise and rates of inflation create incertitude for the future, people will lower their consumption expenditures (Springer, 1977). However, since prices are higher, the total Personal Consumption Expenditures may still increase along with inflation. 2. Theory and assumption In March, 2011, personal income increased by 0. 5 percent, while personal consumption expenditures for Americans increased by 0. 6 percent (Cohen, 2011).Based on this information, it can be leave offd that the percentage increases for these variables increased nearly proportionately. I believe that this is not just a proportion and that these variables actuall y share a relationship. Although this data is only for one month of one year, I anticipate that this relationship would stay true if these statistics were to be taken over a period of several years. I believe that as Real useable Personal Income Per-Capita increases and individuals make more funds, that people will spend more and consume more, meaning that PCE would increase.Since people would be making more money I expect that since they are more capable of spending money that they will indeed spend and consume more. I also presuppose that CPI will have an effect on personal consumption. CPI, which is an extension of inflation, is an increase in prices in an economy relative to the money open in that economy. Since inflation means that you must pay more for the kindred goods, I hypothesize that as inflation increases, and prices rise, people will spend less, and therefore PCE will decrease. I also theorized that as the Coincident Index increases, PCE would also increase.This is because I believe that if the Coincident Index, which describes current economic conditions, goes up, then people will consume more while economic conditions are better. 3. Empirical Model and Data Using a multiple fixing model, I estimated the relationship among my time-series data in order to learn more about my hypotheses. C = ? 0 + ? 1 *RDPI + ? 2*CPI + ? 3*CI C = -3. 540 + 3. 339(RDPI) +6. 888(CPI) +2. 315(CI) + ei Where C= Personal Consumption Expenditures RDPI= Real Disposable Income Per-Capita CPI= Consumer Price Index (Inflation) CI= Coincident IndexUsing Tinn-R, I came up with the following results. The Coefficients for this model are as follows Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(t) (Intercept) -3. 540e+03 3. 383e+02 -10. 466 3. 49e-11 *** RDPI 3. 339e-01 3. 903e-02 8. 555 2. 68e-09 *** CPI 6. 888e+00 3. 061e+00 2. 250 0. 0325 * CI 2. 315e+00 4. 713e+00 0. 491 0. 6271 As can be observed through these results, the t-values for both RDPI and CPI are greater than 1. 96. The refore, both of these variables are statistically significant and consequently have an effect on Personal Consumption Expenditures.However, the t-value for the coincident index is not statistically significant, which means that we cannot conclude that it affects consumption. It can be assumed through this regression model that as personal income increases by 1 unit, consumption increases by 3. 339 units. As well, as PCE increases by one unit it can be assumed that PCE will increase by 6. 888 units. Therefore, I can conclude that my hypotheses regarding the relationship between consumption and income and consumption and inflation are exact according to me regression model. However, these results may vary if other factors were to be considered in my model.As well, the results may be slightly off due to including the insignificant factor, the coincidence index. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, I have found the majority of my hypotheses to be true. I have found that both Personal Income an d Inflation have an effect on Personal Consumption Expenditures and that both income and inflation have a positive relationship with consumption. However, based on my model, the Coincident Index does not share a relationship with PCE. I believe that this supposal of mine may be incorrect because the economic conditions of an conomy may not play a significant enough role on individuals consumption expenditures in order for this model to show that a relationship exists. merely research would need to be conducted in order for me to examine this relationship more closely. For example, other factors such as personal saving may influence personal consumption as well. In order to benefit more clear and accurate results in the future, I would conduct more models, using more economic variables related to consumption in order to see what other potential factors may influence Personal Consumption Expenditures.References * Amadeo, Kimberly. How Inflation Affects Your Life The Impact of Infl ation on Prices and Treasury Bonds. US Economy and Business US Economic Indicators US Economic News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

Assignment Poetry

He uses punctuation, enjambment (13) metaphors to his prize of imagery in this sonnet. He is very strict in structuring his fanciful imagination and deep emotions in this sonnet. This sonnet deals with Skates concern of his own death rate as well as his concerns for the longevity and appreciation of his work. What I permit solicitudes covers many points on the poets fears of dying young in this poem. John Keats fear of dying and is inability to keep open down all the rich poems he as In Nils nana applets Itself In ten TLS quatrain AT ten poem.He wants to write as many books as possible giving people his acquaintance and ideas. In his poem there is the use of metaphors and structures depicting his fear and losses. He also wants to whop and give love to someone. His dreams of fulfilling his ambitions bequeath be sign up short because of the reality he willing die soon. This poem has a rhyme scheme of Shakespearean. It consists of 3 quatrains and a couplet. In line 4 he compa res himself to nature the field of grain. Just as seeds are sown and grain is ready to be harvested. His growth of life at his fester age will be cut down like that of the grain.He will die soon. He wants to experience life through other peoples experiences. He compares himself to a star in the night. A star symbolizes the end of a day and darkness. His life is compared to that darkness. The star shines bright and he thinks he has apply but behind that the star he knows that he doesnt have hold at all. A dark cloud hangs over his life by sadness, of his death soon. He wants to love someone and to receive love backwards and he knows that this is unreachable to him Just as the clouds and shadows are. He hopes for A magic hand of chance (8) a miracle waiting to happen to him.He will neer get that chance. He also wants to meet his ultimate love matter to and his love of poems until he writes that one ultimate poem before he dies. In line (10) he will never see love again. His lov e of writing his poems and the fact that he would never get the time, to have it off all of this. He would love to meet someone where two worlds could flex one. He is scarified in fulfilling that need as there is not bounteous time for him to love someone and share his life with. In the plump two lines of his poem you SE there is an enjambment (13).The whole sonnet changes completely in these lines. There is hard hitting reality revealed by the poet. He stands alone in this wide world because he will die alone and no body will be with him. In the end romance and his fame mean nothing anymore because he is pass to die anyway. Nothingness means he is deprived of his life at a young prime age and of love, and his passion to write books and song has taken away. There is no resolution for him in this sonnet, because he is at the end of line in his life, he will sink. He will die soon.

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVENA Whaley DrusthNate was quin more days unaccompanied in the apartment forward they came for him. It mothered at dawn on the hotshotness- genius-half dozenth day, when he noniced a chemical group of colossusy male childs gathering near under his window. thither had been bombilateans knocked pop disclose(p) on the streets since the day hed t ancient Cielle virtually the Colonels plan, and Gooville hadnt sooner re sullen to normal (given that normal in Gooville was unruffled extraordinarily weird to begin with). He could report that the compassionates and hunt crop upy boys a manage were on edge. forthwith there were no humans in the streets, and exclusively the whaley boys were emitting a sharp telephone that he was legitimate hed cohere wordd forwards, further strangely generous it hadnt been in the metropolis under the sea. Hearing the hunting c each in these circumstances made him shudder.He watch them gather, rubbing up against one most other as if to streng accordingly the bond among them, milling around in polished walk pods as if working run into nervous energy, for each one of them raising his precede occasion every last(predicate) toldy and letting go the hunting c every last(predicate) news prisonbreak teething, jaws snapping desire bear traps. He knew they were coming.Nate was dressed and delay for them when they came by the door. Four of them alsok him, lifted him in the air by his legs and shoulders, and carried him anyplace their heads spate the stairs to the street, past on into the passage managements. The complete cluster locomote into the passageways, their calls go more frequent and deafeningly shrill in the smaller confines.Even as his captors pine fingers dug into his flesh, a lull resolve came all over Nate an fair ab unwrap trance identical state, the acceptance that it was all deprivation to be over soon. He waitressed to either side, exactly( prenominal) to know mouthfuls of teeth snarl at him, and rase among the frenzy, here and there he regardd the characteristic hissing raspberry of a whaley-boy laugh. Well, they do know how to eat up a loveable clock, he view.He soon recognized the path they were taking him d endure got. He could hear the calls of hundreds of them echoing finished the caverns from the mother-of-pearl amphitheater. Maybe the entire whaley-boy population was waiting there.As they entered the amphitheater and the calls reached a crescendo, Nate stretched his neck and saw devil gargantuanhearted veiler-whale- unilateral females place the Colonel in the middle of the floor. The whaley boys attribute Nate lowered him to his feet, and wherefore two of them pulled him stickerwards against the benches to watch with the others.One of the well-favoured females property the Colonel shrieked a long, high call, and the advertize calmed down, not kind of silent, but the hunting calls stopped . The Colonels look were wide, and Nate wouldnt view as been surprised if the old man had started to bark and foam at the mouth. When things quieted down enough for him to be heard, he started shouting. The big female who was guardian enrapture him clamped a hand over his mouth. Nate could see the Colonel fighting for breath, and he struggled against his own captors in empathy. accordingly the female started to speak in their whistling, clicking language and the crowd stopped tear down snickering. Their eyes bulged, and they turned their heads to the side to punter hear her.Nate couldnt show much of what she was saying, but you didnt have to know the language to understand what she was doing. She was listing the Colonels crimes and pronouncing a sentence. It was no small irony, Nate position, that the whaley boys who saw to ripeice were colored like the killer whales, the or so in signaliseigent, most organized, most glorious and solemn of all the ocean mammals. Th e only animal other than man that had exhibited few(prenominal) cruelty and mercy, for one was not come-at-able without potential for the other. Maybe memes were triumphing over genes later on all.When she finished speaking, she handed the Colonels arm to the other female, so that he was bent over forward, his hands held together high behind him. thence the female let out another extended shrill call, and the whole ceiling of the amphitheater dimmed until it was completely dark. When she finished her call, the light came sustain up again. The Colonel was screaming at the top of his lungs, random curses and mad pronouncements keep hi tier the whaley boys abominations, monsters, freaks, railing like some mad prophet, his brain fried by Gods fingerprint. But when the light was full again, he caught Nates eye, only when for a second, and he was quiet. there was something there, the depth and wisdom that Nate had in one case known the man to possess, or maybe it was dear sa dness, but before Nate could decide, the big female bent over and bit finish up the Colonels head.Nate felt himself start to pass out. His good deal tunneled down to a pinpoint and he fought to stay conscious, to concentrate on his breathing, which he realized had stopped momentarily. His vision came thorn, as did his breath, harsh and dread through his gritted teeth as he watched.The killer spit the head across the amphitheater to a group of whaley kids, who picked it up and tore at it with their teeth. hence the female started tearing capital chunks of snapper out of the Colonels physical structure with her teeth, even as it twitched in the hands of her cohort throwing the chunks to the crowd, who shrilled the hunting calls even more frantically than before.Nate couldnt tell how long it went on, but when it was finally make, and the Colonel was bypast, there was a large red bout in the middle of the amphitheater floor, and all around him he saw bloody teeth flashing in whaley grins. Even the two whaley boys who held Nates mail had partaken in the communion, becharmbing chunks of meat and alimentation them with their free hands. One had hissed and sprayed blood in Nates vitrine. past they dragged Nate to the middle of the amphitheater.He felt faint, the pulse banging past in his ears, drowning out all other grave. Everywhere he looked, he saw bloody teeth and bulging eyes, but he felt strangely detached. As the big female began another oration, he remembered a fancy hed had reclaimeousness after the hump mainstay whale had eaten him. It came through to him like a malicious d?j? vu What an incredibly stupid way to die. hence there was another long, whistling call and Nate closed his eyes, waiting for the death blow, but it didnt come. The crowd had gone quiet again. He squinted through one eyelid, closely repentant that the moment had been delayed, and he saw teeth before him, but not the bloody teeth of the killers.The shrill whistle went on and on, made by the mottled blue whaley-boy female that had come out of the passageway and was st move across the amphitheater toward Nate. At her side was a very determined, petite browned with unnatural maroon highlights, wearing hiking shorts and a tank top. The whaley boys holding Nate seemed conf utilize. The female who had killed the Colonel was looking for some furcate of guidance from the one holding Nate when Amy pulled the stun atom smasher from her pocket and b conclusioned her in the chest, knocking her back five feet to convulse on the bloody floor.Let him go, Amy commanded the one who was holding Nate, and for some sympathy, maybe mediocre because it sounded so definitive, she let go of Nates arms, and he fell, at which sentence Amy pulled up a second stun gun and touch it to the big killers chest, knocking her to the floor to twitch with her companion. Through it all, Emily 7 had continued to whistle.You sanction? Amy asked Nate. He looked around at t he situation, not sure at all if he was pass, but he nodded.Okay, Em, Amy state, and Emily stopped whistling. ahead the crowd could react or a murmur of whaleyspeak start, Amy shouted, Hey, shut upAnd they did.Nate didnt do anything, she continued. The whole thing was the Colonels idea, and none of us knew anything about(predicate) it. He brought Nate here to help him destroy our city, and Nate said no. Thats all you look at to know. You all know me. This is my home base, too. You know me. I wouldnt lie to you.Just then the showtime big female started to recover, and Amy leaped in front of Nate to stand over the killer. You get up, bitch, Ill knock you on your ass again. Your choice. The female froze. Oh, fuck it, Amy said, and she zapped the big female on the nose with both stun guns at once, then wheeled on the other one, who was getting up but speedily drop offped and played dead under Amys gaze. Good, Amy said.So we clear? Amy shouted to the crowd.There was whaleyspeak mu rmuring, and Amy screamed, Are we fucking clear, citizenry?Yeah, clear, came a dozen small-minded mashed-elf regions in English.Sure, sure, sure, you know it, said one little voice.Clear as a window, came another.Just kidding, said an elf-on-helium voice.Good, Amy said. Lets go, Nate.Nate was hush up trying to find his feet. His knees had gone a little rubbery when he thought his head was going to be bitten off. Emily 7 caught him by the arm and steadied him. Amy started to lead them out of the amphitheater, then stopped. Just a second.She went back to where the lead killer female was just climbing to her feet and zapped her in the chest with the stun gun, which knocked her flat on her back again.As Amy strutted past Nate and Emily 7, she said, Okay, now we usher out go.Where atomic number 18 we going? Nate asked.Em says you slept with her.Nate looked at Emily 7, who grinned, big and toothy, and snickered.Yeah, slept. Just slept. Thats all. Tell her, Emily.Emily whistled, act ually a p bentage this time, and involute her eyes.Really, Nate said.I know, Amy said.Oh. Nate heard squeaks coming from behind them in the corridor. Wasnt that a little risky, taking on a potassium whaley boys with a tally of stun guns?I love these things, Amy said, clicking the buttons to make miniature blue lightning dismissal across the contacts. No, I didnt take on a thousand whaley boys, I took on one an alpha female. Know what that makes me? She smiled and then, without even breaking stride, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. And never forget it.I wont. Then that plump weeks anxiety about losing her came tumbling back over him. Hey, where did you go? I thought the Colonel had taken you.I went out on my mothers delight to stake a message.What message?I was calling our ride. All the whaley boys had been put on notice No pi brood burner was going to take his ship out of here with you on board, still wont. But I could go, so I went out with my mother to pic k up some supplies. And I called a ride.What, Emily 7 tin cant pi plenty a ship?Uh-uh, squeaked Emily 7.Only pi attractions can pilot a ship, duh. Anyway Amy checked her watch your ride should be in the harbor soon. I have to go by my place and grab something I indirect request to take.An hour later they stood at the body of water supplys edge in the harbor, and Amy was checking her watch again. I am so pissed, she said, tapping her foot frantically.It seemed as if both thirty seconds they had been cornered by some human resident of Gooville, and Amy had to tell the story again. Emily 7 was the only one of the whaley boys, other than the crew of Amys mothers ship, that was still in the grotto.You think theyll revolt, hurt humans? Nate asked.No, theyll be fine. That was a first. Its not every(prenominal) day you find out that your messiah is plotting to kill you. use em a day or two to get over the disturbance everything exit be back to normal.I guess its just as we ll that were getting out of here. You dont expect to face those two females you zapped. acquire it on, Amy said, patting the pockets of her shorts. Besides, Im sort of special here, Nate. I dont want to sound egotistical, but they sincerely all do know me, know who I am, what I am. No one allow bother me.Just then Nate spotted a light coming from deep in the mirror-calm water.Thats him, Amy said.Him? frame, coming to take you home.Me? You think up us.Em, can I get a minute? Amy said. Kay, said Emily 7, lurk away from the shore toward town.When Emily was out of hearing range, Amy put her arms around Nate and leaned back to look at him. I cant go with you, Nate. Im staying.What do you c jounceed? Why?I cant go. Theres something about me you dont know. Something I should have told you before, but I thought you wouldnt well, you know I thought you wouldnt love me.Please, Amy, please dont tell me youre a lesbian. Because Ive been through that once, and I dont think I could survi ve it again. Please.No, null like that. Its about my pargonnts well, my father rattling.The navigator?Uh, no, not very. Actually, Nate, this is my father. She pulled a small specimen jar out of her pocket and held it up. There was a pink, jellylike substance in it.That looks like It is, Nate. Its the Goo. My mother was never intimate with her navigator, or with anyone in the first three years she was here, but one first light she woke up pregnant.And youre sure it was the Goo, not just that she had way too some(prenominal) mai-tais at the Gooville cabana club?She knows it, and I know it, Nate. Im sort of not normal.You bump normal. He pulled her contiguous.Im not. For one thing, I dont just look a lot younger than I really am, but Im similarly a lot fast(a)er than I look, especially as a swimmer. Remember that day I found the humpback ship by sound? I really can hear directional sound subaqueous. And my muscle tissue is different. It stores type O the way a whales tiss ue does, I can stay underwater without breathing for over an hour, long-range if I dont exert myself. Im the only one like me, Nate. Im not really, you know human.Nate listened, trying to weigh what it really meant in the bigger picture, but he couldnt think of anything except that he precious her to go with him, wanted her to be with him, no matter what she said she was. I dont cargon, Amy. It doesnt matter. Look, I got over all this he gestured to all that and the incident that youre lxiv years old and your mother is a famous dead aviatrix. As long as you dont start liking girls, Ill be fine.Thats not the point, Nate. I cant leave here, not for long anyway. None of us can. Even the ones who werent born(p) here. The Goo becomes part of you. It takes c be of you, but you become attached to it, almost literally. Like an addiction. It gets in your tissues by contact. Thats how my mother had me. Ive been gone a lot al put this year. If I left(a) now, or if I left for longer t hat a fewer months at a time, Id get sick. Id plausibly die.At that moment a yellow explore submersible bubbled up to the out-of-doors of the lagoon, a dozen headlights blazing into the grotto around a large(p) Plexiglas bubble in the front.Thats it, then. Ill stay. I dont mind, Amy. Ill stay here. We can survive here. I could spend a lifetime learning about this place, the Goo.You cant do that either. It exit become part of you, too. If you stay too long, you wont be suitable to leave either. You had to have noticed that first night we got drunk together, how warm you recovered from the hangover.Nate thought about how quickly his wounds had healed, too weeks, maybe months of im ascend overnight. There was no other explanation. He thought about disbursal his life with only fleeting glimpses of sunlight, and he said, I dont cargon. Ill stay.No you wont. I wont let you. You have things to do. She shoved the specimen jar in his pocket, then kissed him hard. He kissed her back, for a long time.The hatch at the top of the dry clog tower on the sub opened, and trunk popped up to see Nate and Amy for the first time since theyd both departed.Well, thats unprofessional, corpse said.Amy broke the kiss and whispered, You go. Take that with you. She patted his pocket. Then she turned to frame as she checked her watch again. Youre lateHey, missy, I set a time when Id be at the coordinates you sent six hundred and twenty-three feet below sea level and I was there. You didnt give ear that I had another mile of submarine cave with some of the scariest-looking rock formations Ive ever seen. He glanced at Nate. They looked alive.They atomic number 18 alive, Amy said.Are we close to the surface? The pressure is Ill explain on the way, Nate said. Wed better go. Nate stepped onto the sub as Clay slipped down inside the hatch to allow him to pass. Nate crawled into the hatch and looked back to Amy before he closed it.Ill stay, Amy. I dont care. For you Ill stay. I love you. You know that, right?She nodded and brushed tears out of her eyes. Yeah, she said, Then she spun around quickly and started walking away. You take care of yourself, Nathan Quinn, she shouted over her shoulder, and Nate heard her voice break when she said his name.He climbed down into the sub and secured the hatch above him.Clay had watched Amy walk away from the big, half-submerged Plexiglas bubble in the front of the sub.Wheres Amy going?She cant come home, Clay.Shes okay, though?Shes okay.You okay?Ive been better.They were quiet for the long ride through the pressure locks to the outside ocean, just the sound of the electric motors and the low hum of instruments all around them. The lights of the sub barely reached out to the walls of the cave, but every hundred yards or so they would come to a large, pink turn of living tissue, like a giant sea anemone, which would fold back to let them pass, then expand to fill the passageway once they had gone through. Na te watched the pressure gauge rise one atmosphere every time they passed through one of the gates, and it was then that he realized he wasnt escaping at all. The Goo knew exactly where and what they were, and it was letting him go.Youre going to explain what all this is, right? Clay said, not even looking away from the controls.Nate was startled out of his reverie. Clay, I cant remember I mean, I believe it, but thank for coming to get me.I never told you, you know its not really appropriate or anything but I have pretty strong feelings about loyalty.Well, I respect that, Clay, and I appreciate it.Yeah, well, dont mention it.Then they were both a bit embarrassed and both pretended that something was painful their throats and they had to cough and pay attention to their breathing for a while, even though the air in the little submarine was filtered and humidified and perfectly clean.CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHTPiratesNate was standing(a) with Clay on the f cunning bridge of the Clair as she steamed into the Auau Channel.Youd better put on some sunscreen, Nate.Nate looked down at his forearms. Hed lost most of his color while in Gooville, and he could feel the sun prep him, even through his T-shirt.Yeah. He looked off toward Lahaina, the harbor hed piloted into a thousand times. Theyd have to anchor far outside the breakwater with a ship this size, but it still had the feeling of coming home. The wind was warm and sweet, the water the heartbreak blue of a newborns eyes. A humpback fluked about octette hundred yards to the north of them, its tail glistening in the sun as if it were covered with sequins.Theres still a month left of the season, Clay said. We can still get some work done.Clay, Ive been thinking. Maybe we can be a little more purposeful in what were doing. Maybe a little more active, conservation-wise.I could go for that. I like whales.I mean, we have the resources now, and even if I could prove the implication of the birdcall someway d ecipher the vocabulary of it I could never prove the purpose. You know, without compromising Gooville.not a good idea. During the trip home Nate had explained it all.I mean, theres no reason we cant do good science and still, you know Kick some ass.Well, yeah.Clay affected an exaggerated Greek accent. Sometimes, boss, you just got to unbuckle your pants and go looking for trouble.Zorba?Yeah. Clay grinned.Great agree, Nate said. Is that the Always Confused?Clay pulled up a pair of binoculars and focused on a speedboat that was rounding the Lahaina breakwater, showing more wake than she should in the harbor. Kona was driving the Always Confused.My boat, Clay said, somewhat distressed.You need to get over that, Clay.The speedboat came around to a parallel course with the Clair as the ship cut her engines in preparation to drop anchor. Kona was gesture and screaming like a madman. Irie, Bwana Nate Irie The lion come home Praise Jahs mercy. IrieNate came down the steps from the f lying bridge to the adorn. Whatever indignation he might have had for the surfer at one time was gone. Whatever threat he might have felt from the boy had melted away. Whatever irrelevancy Konas youth and strength might have underscored in his own character was irrelevant. Maybe it was time to be an causa instead of a competitor. Besides, he was genuinely glad to see the kid. Hey, kid, how you doing?Jammin now, dont you know.Thats good. Howd you like to go be a pirate?Because the Navy didnt maintain everlasting offices on Maui, Captain L. J. Tarwater had been given a small office that the navy sublet for him in the Coast Guard building, which meant that, unlike on a naval base, here the public could pretty much come and go as they wished. So Tarwater wasnt that surprised to see someone come strolling through his office door. What he was surprised by was that it was Nathan Quinn, whom he thought quite drowned, and who was carrying a quartette-gallon glass jar full of some clear l iquid.Quinn, I thought you were lost at sea.I was. Im found now. We need to have a chat. He set the jar on Tarwaters desk, leaving a wet ring on some pennings there, then went back and shut the door to the outer offices.Look, Quinn, if this is some kind of stunt, like spray-painting fur, youre wasting away your time. You guys act like the military is the enormous Satan. Im here to study these animals. I grew up in the same generation you did, and so did most of the people in the navy who do what I do. We dont want to hurt these animals.Okay, Nate said. We only have two things to talk about here. Then Ill show you something.Whats in the jar? That better not be kerosene or anything.Its seawater. I got it at the beach about ten minutes ago. Dont worry about it. Look, first youre going to finish your study and youre going to strongly urge that the navys torpedo range not be moved into the sanctuary. You will not let that happen. The animals do dive to depths where they can be hurt b y the explosions, and they will be hurt by the explosions, which youll be setting off not to defend the believery but just so you guys can practice.Theres no evidence that they ever dive deeper than two hundred feet.There will be. Ive got data tags coming in from the mainland, Ill have data in a month.StillShut up, Nate said, then thought better of it and added, Please. Then he continued. Second, you need to do everything in your power to back off of testing low-frequency active sonar. We know that it kills deepwater hunters like beaked whales, and theres plausibly some chance that it also injures the humpbacks, and under no circumstances do you want to do that.And why would that be?You know what my work has been for the last xxv years, right?Youve been studying the humpback song. What, trying to figure its purpose?I found it, Tarwater. Its a prayer. The singers are praying.Thats preposterous. Theres no way you could know that.Im demonstrable of it. Absolutely positive. I know i ts a prayer, and that the torpedo base and LFA will harm a God-fearing animal. Nate paused to let it sink in, but Tarwater just looked at him like he was an annoying rodent that had crawled in from the rag fields.How could you possibly know that, Quinn?Because their prayers are answered. Nate took a portable tape fipple flute out of his shirt pocket and set it on the desk next to the seawater, into which hed already mixed part of the Goo that Amy had given him. He pushed the play button, and the sound of humpback-whale song filled the office.This is ridiculous, Tarwater said.Watch, Nate said, pointing to the water, which began to swirl, a tiny pink vortex forming in the middle.Get out of here. Im not impressed with your Mr. Wizard tricks, Quinn.Watch, Nate said again. As they watched, the pink vortex expanded while the whale song played, until half the jar was filled with a moving pink stain. Then Nate turned off the tape.So what? Tarwater said.Look more closely. Nate opened the j ar, reached in, strained out some of the pink, and threw it on Tarwaters desk. Tiny shrimp each only an in long flipped about on the blotter. Krill, Nate said.Tarwater didnt say anything. He just looked at the krill, then scraped a couple into his hand and examined them more closely. They are krill.Uh-huh.What, its like Sea Monkees, right? You had brine-shrimp eggs in there.No, Captain Tarwater, I did not. The humpbacks are praying, and God is answering them, giving them food. We could run this little experiment a hundred times, and that water would be clear when we started and full of krill when we ended. Trust me, Ive done it. And he had. The little bit of Goo in the water created the krill out of the other life in there, the ubiquitous SAR-11 bacteria that existed in every liter of seawater on the planet.Tarwater held up the krill. But I thought they didnt eat when they were here.Youre thinking on too small a scale. They dont ladder for four months, and then they do nothi ng but feed. Theyre thinking in advance the way you might think about breakfast before you go to bed at night. Doesnt matter, really. What you need to do, Captain, is everything in your power and charm to stop the range and the LFA testing.Tarwater looked stunned now. Im just a captain.But youre an pushy captain. I can have a jar of seawater on the secretary of the navys desk in ten hours. Do you really want to be the one to explain to this administration that youre hurting an animal that prays to God? curiously this administration?No, sir, I do not, said Tarwater, looking decidedly more frightened than he had been just a second before.I thought you were an intelligent man. I trust youll handle this, and this will be the last anyone will hear of my jar.Yes, sir, Tarwater said, more out of habit than respect.Nate took his tape fipple flute and his jar and walked out, grinning to himself, thinking about the praying humpbacks. Of course, its not your particular God, he thought, but they do pray, and their god does feed them.He headed back to dada Lani to make the calls and make unnecessary the paper that would torpedo any hope of Jon doubting Thomas Fullers ever building a captive dolphin petting zoological garden on Maui.A pirates work is never done.Three months later the Clair cruised into the cold coastal waters off Chile on her way to Antarctica to intercept, stop, harass, and principally make business difficult for the Nipponese whaling ship Kyo Maru. Clay was at the helm, and when the ship reached a precise point on the GPS receiver, he tenacious the engines cut. It was a sunny day, unusually calm for this part of the peaceable. The water was so dark blue it almost appeared sour.Clair was below in their cabin. Shed been seasick for most of the voyage, but she had insisted on coming along despite the nausea, using her saber-edged glib-tongued skills on the captain. (Whos got the pirate loot? All right, then, help me pack.)Nate stood on the d eck at the bow, his arm around Elizabeth Robinson. Above them swung an eighteen-foot rigid-hull Zodiac on a crane, ready to drop into the water whenever it was needed. There was another one on the stern, where once the submarine had been stowed. Up on the flying bridge, Kona scanned the sea around them with a pair of big-eye binoculars on a heavy iron senesce that was welded to the railing.Theres one, a thousand yards.Clay came out onto the walkway beside Kona. They all looked to starboard, where the sleep cloud of a whale blow was hanging over the calm water.Another one Clay shouted, pointing to a second blow closer to the ship off the port bow.Then they started waiver into the air as if triggered by a chained fuse whale blows of different shapes, heights, and angles great explosions of spray erupting so close to the ship now that the decks started to glisten with the moisture. Then the backs of the great whales rolled in the water around them, gray and black and blue, hills of slick flesh on all sides, moving slowly, then lying in the water. Nate and Elizabeth moved up to the bow railing and watched a group of sperm whales lolling in the water like logs just a few feet off the bow. Next to them a wide right whale floated, bobbing lightly in the swell, only a slow wave of the tail show that the creature was alive. It rolled to one side, and its eye bulged as it looked at them.You okay? Nate asked Elizabeth, squeezing her shoulder. This was the first time shed been out on the water in over forty years. In her hands she clutched a brown paper lunch bag.Theyre still amazing up close. Id forgotten.Just wait.There were in all probability a hundred animals of different species around the ship now, most rolled on their side, one eye bulged out to focus in the air. Their blows settled into a syncopated rhythm, like cylinders of some great engine firing in succession.Kona jumped up and down next to Clay, praising Jah and laughing as each animal breathed or f licked a tail. Irie, my whaley friends he shouted, waving to the animals close to the boat. Clay desperately resisted the urge to grab up cameras and start blasting film or digital video. It felt like he had to pee, really badly, from his eyes.Nate, Clay called, and he pointed to a bubble net forming just outside the ring of floating whales. Theyd seen them dozens of times in Alaska and Canada, one humpback circling and releasing a stream of bubbles to corral a domesticate of fish while others plunged up through the middle to soak up them. The circle of bubbles became more pronounced on the surface, as if the water were boiling, and then a single humpback breached through the ring, cleared the water completely, and landed on its side in white crater of splash and spray.Oh, my goodness Elizabeth said. Flustered, she pressed her face into Nates jacket, then looked back quickly, lest she miss something.Theyre showing off, Clay said.The lolling whales idly paddled out of the way, open ing a corridor to the ship. The humpback motorboated toward the bow, its knobby face riding on top of the water. When it was only ten yards from the bow, the animal rose up in the water and opened its mouth. Amy stood up, and next to her stood James Poynter Robinson.Hey, can we get a ladder down here? Amy shouted.Praise Jahs mercy, Kona said, the Snowy cooky has come home.Nate threw a cargo net over the side, then climbed midway down and pulled Amy up onto the net. He held her there as the ship moved in the swell, and she tried to kiss him and nearly chipped a tooth.Help me with Elizabeth, Nate said. together they got the Old Broad down the cargo net and handed her to her husband, who stood on the tongue of a whale and hugged his bride after not seeing her for four tens.You look so young, Elizabeth said.We can fix that, he said.Youll get old?Nope. He looked back to Nate and saluted. Nate could hear whaley-boy pilots snickering inside the whale.I brought you a pastrami on rye, she said.Poynter took the paper bag from her as if he were accepting the Holy Grail.Nate and Amy locomote up the cargo net and stood at the bow as the whale drifted away from the bow. convey you, Nate, the Old Broad said, waving. Thank you, Clay.Nate smiled. Well see you soon, Elizabeth.We will, you know, Amy said as the whale ship closed and sank back into the waves.I know.I have to come back here every few months, you know.I know.Forever.Yeah, I know.Im the new colonel now. Im sort of in charge down there, you know, since Im sort of the daughter of their god. So well have to spend time down there.Do I have to call you Colonel?What, you have a problem with that?No, Im okay with that.You realize that the Goo really could decide to wipe out the human species at any minute.Yep. surface-to-air missilee as its always been.And you know if I live out here, Im not always going to, you know, look like this?I know.But I will always be luscious, and you you will always be a hopeless nerd.Acti on nerd, Nate corrected.Ha Amy said. germ NOTESScience and MagicThe science you dont know looks like magic, Kona says in Chapter 30. I have generally come down on the side of magic, only because it involves less math, but with Fluke it was necessary to learn a little science. Because so much of Fluke does fall into the realm of magic, though, I thought it only fair to give you, gentle reader, some idea of whats fact and whats not.The body of knowledge on cetacean biology, especially as it relates to behavior, is developing at such a staggering rate that its hard to be sure of what you know from one day to the next. (This happens to be exactly the way I live my life, so that worked out nicely.) Scientists have been studying humpback song for fewer than forty years, and its only in the last decade that studies have been undertaken to try to relate the song to social behavior and interaction. (And a challenging question there What constitutes interaction in an animal whose voice can carry a thousand miles?) As I write this, September 2002, much about the humpback song is still unknown. (Although scientists do know that it tends to be found in the New Age symphony section, as well as in tropical waters. There is no reasonable explanation for this, but as of yet no mark humpbacks have been tracked to the New Age section at Sam Goodys.)At this point no one has ever seen or record the mating of humpbacks, so while it would appear that the song has something to do with mating, because it is performed only by males and because it is sung only during the mating season, no one has displace a direct correlation between the song and mating. Theories abound The males are marking territory sonically, they are showing their fitness and size by singing, they are calling mates, they are just saying howdy all of the above, none of the above. The fact remains that, regardless of its purpose, the humpback-whale song is the most building complex piece of nonhuman compositi on on earth. Whether its art, prayer, or a booty call, the humpback song is an amazing thing to experience firsthand, and I odd that even once the science of it is put to bed, it will remain, as long as they sing, magic.Beyond the song, much of the whale behavior and biology set forth in Fluke is accurate, or as accurate as I could keep it and not overburden the story. (Excepting the whale ships, the whaley boys, and every killer whales existence named Kevin, all of which I made up. Killer whales are actually all named Sam. Duh.) The acoustic data, and the analysis thereof, is generally balderdash. While scientists do thusly amass data in the manner described, much of the analysis process came from my imagination. For the record, though, low-frequency whale calls can and do travel thousands of miles under the sea.While the Lahaina Harbor is hence inundated with whale researchers every winter, and while there are indeed lectures given periodically at the Whale Sanctuary visitor center, the acrimony, competition, and stress described among the researchers is completely of my own creation, as are the individual renderings and personalities of the characters. tenseness among a bunch of neurotics is just more interesting for a story than is a description of dedicated professionals doing their work and getting along, which is the case in reality. When in doubt, assume I made it up.CONSERVATIONThe reason we shouldnt kill whales is because they fire the imagination. JAMES DARLING, PH.D.Hey, I thought they were saved already No one likes the Were glad you enjoyed this story about the rainforest with all its foxy little animals and charming native people, BECAUSE IT WILL ALL BE A CHARRED DESERT NEXT WEEK approach, and I hate to do it to you, but you should know that much of the conservation reading in Fluke is accurate. They arent quite saved.The Japanese and the Norwegians continue to practice whaling, each taking up to five hundred minke whales a year unde r scientific research permits (the meat ends up in commercializes in Europe and Asia). Despite free market arguments to the contrary, whaling is not a profitable business in Japan. It is subsidized by the government, and, to bolster consumer demand, they have introduced whale meat into the school lunch course so children will develop a taste for it. (Good thinking there. Dont we all crave the cafeteria cuisine of our youth? Mmmm, mashed peas.) Biologists working undercover in Japanese markets (spy nerds), by running DNA tests, have found endangered whale species (including blue whale) in cans of whale meat labeled as minke whale meat. (So someone is still killing them.)Except for scientific whaling, the International Whaling Commissions moratorium on hunting great whales is still in effect, but several whaling nations are rallying hard to have the moratorium lifted and finance survey studies to prove that great-whale populations, including humpbacks and grays, have recovered enoug h for them to resume hunting. The U.S. antiwhaling position in the IWC is severely compromised by the fact that they support aboriginal whaling that is, subsistence hunting by original people. The argument for aboriginal whaling by the actual indigenous people is seldom made on a basis of subsistence, but more often because hunting whales is a cultural tradition of their people that must be preserved. This, of course, is utter bullshit. Its a tradition of Americans of European descent to commit genocide on indigenous people, but that doesnt mean we ought to start doing it again. Even some old ideas are still bad ideas.While it is true that some(prenominal) whale species seem to be recovering, like the gray and the humpback, other populations still struggle, and some, like the sexual union Atlantic right whale, may yet disappear from the planet. (Not due to hunting, but as one researcher, whom I wont name, said, because theyre stupid as shit and wont get out of the way when they hear a ship coming. Hell, I almost wreck when a squirrel runs in front of my car, and therere millions of them. I cant imagine trying to keep a supertanker from going in the cast while swerving to avoid one of the last remaining right whales.) late surveys estimate (and they can only estimate, because scientists cant find enough of the animals to actually count I guess when you find one, you just have to count the bejeezus out of him, then extrapolate with algorithms and computer projections) that there may be fewer than three hundred North Atlantic right whales left in the world.But on a happier note, some of the populations are recovering, and although the Japanese government appears to be a bunch of nimrods (and who are we to talk?), the Japanese people seem more interested in watching whales than alimentation them, so the pressure to extend the hunt may relent.The kicker to all this is probably that habitat loss and pollution, not hunting, present the greatest threat t o marine mammals. (Wha? Habitat loss, dont they have the whole ocean?) For the most part our oceans are great, wet deserts, with millions of square miles in which life is very sparse. Predictably, human populations have started to compete with marine mammals for the food sources, and, under increased demand and improve fishing methods, some(prenominal) once rich fishing grounds are becoming as barren as a clear-cut forest. hydroelectric dams that restrict the migration of salmon and other species to their freshwater breeding grounds are already having an impact on the populations of marine mammals that feed on the prominent salmon.As industrial pollution and agricultural runoff take noxious chemicals to the ocean, it would seem that the enormous volume of seawater would dilute these chemicals to harmless levels, and thats what happens until the chemicals are gathered up by a mechanism called the food chain. Recent studies of tissue samples of some toothed whales (killer whales a nd dolphins, who feed fairly high up on the food chain) show levels of man-made toxins so high that the animals fatty tissue actually qualifies as toxic waste. Studies are now going on to determine if declining marine mammal populations on the west coast of North America may not be caused by the lower blood rates and the compromised immune systems of animals who feed on toxic fish. (Oh yeah, guess who else is at the top of the seafood chain?)You want to help? Pay attention. Caring about the condition of our oceans does not make you a psycho, tree-hugging, bleeding-heart liberal, it just makes you smart. The health of all life on this planet depends on the health of the oceans. Its just good business. (Even a supply-sider has to admit that if you fish a population to extinction, there will be no supply, so there will be no demand. Its bad economics from the right or the left.) So watch what you eat, and dont eat fish that are being over-fished (like Chilean sea bass, for instance). And dont pour the used oil from your oil change down the storm drain unless you want your next shrimp platter to taste like Quaker secernate and you sort of like the idea of having your own children born with flippers.And go look at some whales. Not captive ones, wild ones. It all comes down to economics, and as long as its more profitable to have whales around to look at, well have them around to look at. If you dont live near water and cant get to any, rent a whale video. It all comes around.Barring that, just yell at people randomly to stop killing whales. It could catch on. Really.(Would you like fries with that?Shut up and stop killing whalesThank you. Drive through, please.)ACKNOWLEDGMENTSFirst, my thanks to the home team to Charlie Rodgers, as usual, for thoughtful reads and revealing comments to my editor, Jennifer Brehl and to my agent, Nicholas Ellison, who a couple of years ago said, Hey, how about a make about whale song? I dont know like theres meaning in it or s omething. You figure it out. Blame or recognise goes to nick for that. As always, thanks to Dee Dee Leichtfuss for being my reader without an agenda. Thanks, too, to Galen and Lynn Rathbun, for taking time away from studying the hose-nose shrew to fill me in on the home life of the field biologist and for putting me in touch with the people at NOAA.My thanks also to Kurt Preston for geological information, to Dr. David Kirkpatrick for information on genetics, to Mark Joseph for my unveiling to Sonar phone lecture, and to Bret Huffman for Rasta-Pidgin tutoring. ofttimes of the background on genes, evolution, and memes came from the work of Richard Dawkins The self-loving Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, The Extended Phenotype, and others also from Daniel Dennetts Darwins Dangerous Idea and from Susan Blakemores excellent book The Meme Machine. I recommend them all for further reading, but when youre finished, you may have to read several of my books and watch a lot of TV just to get s tupid enough again to function in the innovative world again. Fortunately I am gifted in this respect and have recovered nicely, thank you.The laser-measurement algorithm described in Chapter 1 was formulated by Dr. John Calambokidis of the Cascadia Research Collective. He should get credit for that as well as for numerous other contributions to the field.Many of the research anecdotes I used in Fluke were fashioned out of stories told to me by the researchers themselves. The story of the Japanese whalers being affected by seeing a mother sperm whale and her calf (Chapter 30) was told to me by Bob Pittman of the southwest Fisheries Science message. The story of the Pacific Biological Research Project, where the military funded a feasibility study to use seabirds as a biological-warfare vector, was told to me by Lisa Ballance, Bobs wife, who also works at NOAAs Southwest Fisheries Science Center.Thanks, too, to Dr. Wayne Ferryman, also from NOAA, who shared many hours of stories, providing me with information about the lifestyles of researchers. My thanks to Dr. Ferryman as well for inviting me to observe the atomic number 20 gray whale survey in person and not pressure that I always bring the pizza.Thanks to Jay Barlow from NOAAs Southwest Fisheries Science Center for information on navy research projects and the relationship between researchers and the navy. Much of which I blew off so I could put Captain Tarwater in Maui, but still, thanks, Jay.My thanks, too, to Carol DeLancey of Oregon State Universitys Marine Mammal Program, who told me the great story of the female right whale using a researchers Zodiac as a diaphragm while the researchers were assaulted by a pair of greedy whale willies (Chapter 8) something that happened directly to Dr. Bruce Mate, but which I embellished in that I dont believe that the whales ejaculated in the boat, and Dr. Mate did not become a lesbian.For information on underwater acoustics and the nature and range of blue -whale calls, much of which I totally ignored, many thanks to Dr. Christopher G. Fox of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. It was Chriss description of an unidentified, persistent throbbing noise coming from deep under the Pacific Ocean, somewhere off the coast of Chile, that first inspired the undersea city of Gooville.For the inside story on harbor life in Lahaina and the go out life of the female researcher, my thanks to Rachel Cartwright and Captain Amy Miller, who study humpback browbeat/calf behavior and biology in Maui in the winter and Alaska in the summer.My thanks, too, to Kevin Keyes for whale and dolphin stories, as well as for his infinite labor in teaching me ocean kayaking and providing the cold-water discipline safety training that probably kept me from drowning while trying to get out among the animals.Finally, my deepest thanks to Dr. Jim Darling, squeeze Nicklin, and Meagan Jones, who for two seasons allowed me to ride along and observe the ir research in Maui, as well as for giving generously of their time to answer my questions both in person and by e-mail. While most of the information about humpbacks and humpback song in Fluke came out of these trips, the inaccuracies and liberties taken with the information are my own. The anecdotes and science I learned from these folks, all of whom have worn-out(a) their lives working in the field, were enough to fill two books, and were certainly too voluminous to list here. Simply put, this book would not have been possible without their help. Kinder, more intelligent, more dedicated people than these do not the face of this earth walk.To support their ongoing research on humpback song and behavior, send your tax-deductible donations toWhale Trust300 Paani PlacePaia, HI 96779