Indus valley civilizations Essay Example for Free

Indus valley civilizations Essay The Indus Valley civilization is an ancient civilization that prospered along the Indus River and Ghaggar-Hakra River in present day Pakistan and India. The Indus valley civilization is sometimes called the Harappan Civilization in reference to the first excavated city called Harappa. The Indus Valley civilization was discovered in the 1920s. The existence of the Indus Civilization is only proved by excavations and maybe some Sumerian writings, e. g. The Mehulan, which is said to correspond with Indus Valley civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization extended from Balochistan to Gujarat, with an upward reach to Punjab from east of the river Jhelum to Rupar on the upper Sutlej. Coastal settlements extended from Sutkagan Dor in Western Baluchistan to Lothal in Gujarat. Besides the western states of India, the Indus Valley Civilization encompassed most of Pakistan. An Indus Valley site has been found on the Oxus River at Shortughai in northern Afghanistan, at Sutkagen dor (Western Baluchistan, Pakistan), at Mandu on the Beas River near Jammu, and at Alamgirpur on the Hindon River, only 28 km from Delhi. Indus Valley sites have been found most often on rivers, but also on lakes, the ancient sea-coast and on islands. There is no documentary evidence that the Indus civilization really existed. What is known of it is the archeological evidence. The assumption that a civilization once existed and prospered in that valley is based on what was found there at the at the excavation sites. It is a well known fact, through out history, ancient Civilizations always started along the banks of rivers or water bodies. Archeologists create theories out of their findings. Most of the artifacts found on archeological sites are explained away with out any substantial recorded facts to back their explanations. The discovery of the Indus valley civilization proves that indeed there has been some human presence around there but the question is: is the Indus valley civilization exactly what we are being told it is today? Are the facts acceptable for scholarly pursuits? It has being recorded that the Indus valley civilization had elements of urbanism such as advanced sewerage systems, dockyards, warehouses, granaries such as we have today. One could clearly conclude from these facts that a great form of civilization indeed existed which might be the basis of what we have today. The lack of authoritative and verifiable written materials on the Indus civilization makes it very difficult to study. This is because the proof of it does not exist in writing in the first place so that at least they can serve as other sources for referencing when in doubt. Good scholarly conclusions can only be drawn from authentic facts which can be proven over time and this is not a very strong point of the Indus civilization.

Analysis Of The Oil Industry In Nigeria

Analysis Of The Oil Industry In Nigeria Oil and gas (OG) exploration and production (EP) nowadays need immediate thought of a range of economic, social, political, and environmental concerns. As energy requires keep on growing, OG companies should locate and produce growing quantities of oil and gas. Although doing so require more than merely ramping up production from traditional sources, to carry out good marketing strategy analysis and research you would need one of the marketing tools which is PEST model in accessing the oil and gas environment and have an overview and understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations Competition in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria is very intense and competitive over the year there has been lots of international company lobbing to be able to export crude for refining and bring in back to the country but that has proved impossible as the NNPC is run and controlled by the Nigerian government and it accounts for about 70 % of the government revenue and 40% of the country revenue the threat is minimum but there is much pressure on them as they lose a lot in export crude and they determine the price, which most oil and gas companies in Nigeria are trying to change that the government give other respected company license to export crude for refining and bring in back to the country for sale cause only few player can only bring in refined crude and are subject to quantity and cannot export crude. In recent times competition in the global oil and gas industry has been increasing rapidly due to globalisation. Mergers and acquisitions between major players have been tak ing place with a view to improving their competitive edge and strengthening their position in this industry Political factors Political issue has always been an issue in the oil rich state in Nigeria, there has been political instability in the oil rich region where the fuel is being extracted, as the government officials are corrupt and refuses to develop and enforce strict system that works in cleaning up of the oil spillage, this had bring up unrest in the region as the youth in the area has picked on arms and militancy kidnapping for ransom blowing up of oil pipe line and engage in oil bunkeries, this has affected oil production and transportation and has much effect on NNPC as is crude and oil production has gone to a record low. The political unrest needs to be addressed if the government wants smooth flow of oil and peace in the region. Economic factors The economical break down in the world affected every part of the world and the oil industries, and the Nigeria banks is undergoing reform as the central bank of Nigeria listed about eight banks in the country of un serviced loan and debts, and with the sacking of directors of eight to banks in Nigeria this has sent a shocking wave to the banking industries and are refusing to give out loan to companies and individual, even the oil marketers obtaining a loan in the banks have become problem, the refusal of banks to fund importation of products and the alleged inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay for products it received from its foreign suppliers of crude, has affected the country economy as there is scarcity of fuel for consumer lots of cues in stations. This is affecting the economy as the prices and black market luming businesses cant operate properly. Social factors The 21st century has witnessed a growing Nigerian economy, various projects are ongoing in Nigeria with solid infrastructures. This economic growth is having a huge impact on the Nigerian people; many Nigerians can now afford cars, both used and new. Many Nigerian are now moving to a cleaner source of energy to cook, which is natural gas. This economic growth mean that more Nigerians are driving leading to a higher number in the demand of energy compared to the past decade. The social factor is a good level of improvement that the NNPC need to base and use the advantages in and bringing in new market and improving existing products. Technology Technology is a major issue in the Nigeria industries and especially the oil and gas industries the refineries we have in Nigeria has been built since the 1970s and has not been improved and still lack a lot of new technologies and that why it has not been in operation over a decade. Improving in the technology aspect will be a good thing if the country goes into technology revolution as this will bring in new ideals and new technology in the operation of crude and the introduction of LNG liquefied natural gas which has been the world focus lately as an alternative to fuel. There has been major growth and improvement in technology as a whole in the country which will bring positive influences in NNPC and the oil industry as a whole cause it will help in maximising profit and efficiency. The oil and gas industry The oil and gas industry is a key part of the economic growth in Nigeria, the industry is very competitive and a bit risky, and the room for new entrant to the market is very tough and exploiting as the industry is a bit corrupt obtaining a license is very hard as well as being a major player in the industry is very tough, because NNPC is the biggest player in the industry in the country it tends to hold it self up with government policies. But NNPC still need to work hard in keeping it customers and in other to do that they have built various petrol stations in the country. New entrants to the market The energy industry is oligopoly at the upstream level, where as in the downstream level it could be said to be a perfect competition because there are many buyers and sellers and consumers are willing to pay a price for the products. NNPC to some extent determine the price but to the public no organisation can determine the price it. The industry is complex yet delicate; entry into the industry in the upstream sector is difficult while in the downstream it is fair to some extent but still difficult to obtain license. Product life cycle of oil The oil life cycle is said to be 50 years more to many analyst, as demand for energy continues to grow, new sources of oil and gas (OG) must be found and produced. Challenges for exploration and production (EP) today and into the foreseeable future include the deployment of new or newly adapted EP technologies, evolving environmental laws and regulations that vary among (and within) nations, socioeconomic concerns, and providing adequate returns to investors Environmental factors Environmental factor is a major issue in the world today as the issue of climate change is a major concern the oil and gas industry which is one of the worst polluters of c02 emission , the world is undergoing transformation to a low carbon economy which is switching to bio-fuel, and LNG, NNPC has always taking this into consideration but has not taking drastically some steps in making sure that is a major player in the transformation of Natural Gas/LNG will play a crucial role in enabling transition to a low carbon economy a goal accepted by the international community. For this to happen a global competitive gas market is in the interests of all stakeholders. It is therefore felt that the role of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum will be very crucial in enabling a global and competitive gas market and it will only grow in stature and importance as a cartel which NNPC would be a key player. And is working to have a big market on LNG. Introduction of new marketing strategy and how it will implemented with NNPC. First before bringing a new marketing plan and strategy you would need to carry out a SWOT analysis of NNPC, in other for us to determine the strength, weakness, opportunity and threats, after access this factors we would make a recommendation and implementation of the four marketing P and marketing mix. SWOT analysis of NNPC Strength NNPC has been operating for a long time is main strength is that it is being backed and run by the government. Secondly it is the only company that is allowed to export crude for refining and bring it back to the country before distribution to marketers, it almost work with all the oil company in Nigeria and have six joint venture with foreign companies. NNPC has a play a big part in determination of the price in Nigeria, NNPC has various subsidiaries including petrol stations. And NNPC has a good brand name and has been working hard in improving its process and products. Weakness NNPC has lots of weakness first it needs to work on its refinery as this has stop working for over a decade that is why they resulted in exporting crude for refining and import back to the country, if they fix the refinery it will save cost, risk of transportation as well as NNPC making on lost on the bye products of refining process which they would make lots of money from and open a new market. Secondly poor management decision and selfish interest from the government officials in charge of overseeing NNPC affairs. They donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t have penetration in the foreign market. Opportunity With the current state and stage of the market NNPC has lots of opportunity if only they could reinstall its refinery. An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas. NNPC would have lots on market on those waste product listed above which they are losing by exporting crude for refining. And also would make them a key player in the transformation to a low carbon economy if they increase is market on LNG and refine is product in the country. And this will increase its revenue and the country economical impact will be more as it will provide more jobs and safety to the public. Threats The threats in the oil industry anywhere in the world is always very intensive, like the global climate change which is one of the most threat forcing companies to try and find another market in the oil industries, this will lead to decline in production of crude as well as reducing profit. Secondly it is been speculated that oil has reached its picked and is got about 50years left before it goes dry, that is anither threat which means NNPC should be looking for other market apart from fuel and kerosene importation. Another major threat is Ghana which has just discovered fuel on its soil, if Ghana build a refinery with new technology and international standard it will increase the threat of other oil companies breaking a deal to extract and import crude to Nigeria. The main purpose of the SWOT analysis is to turn weaknesses into strengths, turn strengths into opportunities, use our strengths to profit from our opportunities. Action plans After carefully looking at the affair and doing a research on NNPC and with the swot analysis looking at its opportunity and is weakness NNPC has a refinery which was built in the 1970s but has stopped working due poor management decision and selfish interest from the government officials in charge of overseeing NNPC affairs poor maintenance culture and policy outdated nature of the technology used in designing the plants ( they where actually designed in the late 70s) employment of the wrong personnel to handle operation process. My action plan is for NNPC to invest more in reinstallation of refineries across the country, cause they have the resources and ability to do so and this will lead to them to invest a considerable amount of funds into the development of the Nigerian economy by assisting existing or abandoned government projects; a new department will be created in the organisation to support environmental issues that will help protect the earth. We will use our strong brand and credible repetition to create opportunities in the Nigerian market to carry out our already laid out objectives, these strengths will allow us profit from our opportunities. Marketing mix (marketing strategy) In all the elements used in marketing strategy, the marketing mix which is also known as the strategic tools or controllable variables play a major role. This is because it involves price, place, promotion and product. These are the major elements a company needs to improve the demand of its goods and to target its customers (Philip Kotler, 2008). Product The product being introduced in the marketing is a proposal to reinstall its refining plant and improves its technology with modern technology and sophisticated equipment with better and efficient maintenance culture, by doing this will be help NNPC to reduce cost of exportation of crude, the introduction of new products lost from the refining of crude products abroad, like gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas, being LNG is one of the fastest growing alternative of fuel which NNPC can hold a strong ground by investing more on it and by doing so NNPC would be reaching out to the public and main consumers and helping the environment this will make it well recognize internationally. Prices This is the sum of money that is required for the purchase of products or services or the equivalent in value which customers are willing to offer for a given product or service. A price tag cannot be fixed because as at the time carrying out this research there was know much information released by NNPC on its current tag on LNG product, the price of reinstallation of its new technology and new refining will cost millions of dollars which the Nigeria NNPC and the government can fund if they agree to work together and ignore selfish interest and they would make the money back in just a year of running a standard refinery and would increase its revenue by 50% in 3 years. And this will reduce the prices of petroleum products and other products Placement The placement or location of refinery is already settled as NNPC has about 2 refinery abandoned and not functioning which all they need to do is reinstallation and improved technologies in other to make its supply chain more effective and faster which they have a marketing system in place to facilitate distribution of products if refined from the country, i think there might be a new installation of refinery in the east in other not to cause tribal conflicts. Promotions This a very important aspect of the marketing P this is because it helps in promoting the proposal and new product introduction and the way it would improve the economy and the environment as a whole so it can come into effect with is new product and the public would by the ideal and know its purpose this can be done by using various means of communication and enlighten them on changes before the proposal/product would come into effect, after then which the product would sell it self as NNPC is a branding on its own all it needs to do is sell it to the government and the public by all the forms of media available in Nigeria, news papers, radio, internet and mobile phones. An aggressive campaign will be lunched directly targeting all consumers at all levels and the government especially , this will be very essential to the marketing plan because this type of product is a reintroduction of its kind in Nigeria. It is important that the lunch is perfect because the first perception of th is product will determine its success in the Nigerian energy market. Implementation of action plan To implement the action plan and swot analysis and marketing Ps NNPC would have to introduce the following which are continues training, quality function development, transparency supervision, negotiators, management system that works. Training Training is essential because this is a reintroduction of a product/proposal which will need specialist in that field in other for it not to go wrong, and training process should be un going at least every 6 months in other for staffs to be well educated and understand its need, and schools should be giving training in other for them to carry more research on transformation to a low carbon economy by introduction of refining crude product in Nigeria and how it will affect the economy growth and job opportunity. Incentive This is possible in this kind of situation in other to market this proposal it will need a bit of incentive which is assuring the public that it will employ more Nigerians than bringing in experts from abroad which will mean most of them will be sent abroad for training, secondly offer the government a target of increase revenue in 3years after start of operation and promise marketers and distributors price cut and more investment on alternative fuel (LNG) and there would be more market of other products to be introduced and follow immediately refining starts. Management information systems Managing the progress of the product will be essential; this will allow us to manage the product efficiently so that areas which are lacking will be improved on. Managing a new product is as important as developing the product itself Contingencies Contingencies plan is always a key part of a marketing plan this is because of uncertainty this because the oil industry is not stable as there are lot of players and top people in the government running other oil companies and would not benefit more if NNPC starts refining crude products in Nigeria as most of them are owners of oil vessel and stuff just incase it fall short of government target i think it would rely on the public and the Nigeria Labour Congress who will be a key player in the transformation and communication to the public. Control of procedures Control of this procedures and introduction of this new process is essential in other for NNPC to be able to manage and monitor this transformation and evaluates its performance based on sales of product and impact it has on the economic growth, it will need to monitor its other subsidiaries and ensure it goes through proper review and new management process so it can be transparent in its dealings in other to be able to get feedback from marketers and distributors and consumers especially who are the main priority. The information received from these processes will allow us to make any necessary corrections and alterations to ensure that the product is being supplied to the right segment of the market with the most demands. Conclusion Why going through my research on NNPC and writing a marketing plan i realise that NNPC is a bit corrupt this is because the government has more say in its appointment of top management officials it will be a bit hard for the introduction of new refinery as most of them would be protecting their selfish interest so would want to use every means possible in blocking the process but with the support of the public and top Nigerian officials who are interested in transparency and intend for democracy to take effect it will surely buy the heart of them and the public and the international community who has been worried why Nigeria could not have its own refinery rather than taking crude abroad before bring back to the country. If NNPC follow this marketing plan it would not just help its name but help the economy in bouncing back from recession and help employments and the countries reputation in the oil companies abroad. Recommendation I would recommend NNPC undergo a new management reform in other to be effective, it should privatise most of its subsidiaries so the government does not have much say in policy making and appointment of management team without political motivations.

Understanding The Cause Of Hom Essay -- essays research papers

"Being homeless is often defined as sleeping on the streets. Although this is the most visible and severe form of homelessness, there are many other types of acute housing need. These include living in temporary accommodation, poor or overcrowded conditions, or being in mortgage arrears and under threat of re-possession." (Hope 1986) It is a symptom of many complex problems: mental illness, emotional instability, illiteracy, chronic substance abuse, unemployment, and, most basic of all, breakdown of the family structure. Anyone can become homeless and the reasons that force people into homelessness are many and varied. The leading cause, however, of homelessness in the United States is the inability of poor people to afford housing. "Housing costs have risen significantly over the last decade, while the incomes of poor and middle-class Americans have stagnated." (Erickson 1991) The millions of Americans who are unemployed or work in low-paying jobs are among the most vulnerable to becoming homeless. Therefore, homelessness, housing and income are inextricably linked. Low-income people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, child-care, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which takes a high proportion of income that must be dropped. Two major sources of income are from employment and public assistance. A decrease in either one of them would certainly put poor people at risk of homelessness. Additionally, minimum wage earnings no longer lift families above the poverty line. "More than 3 million poor Americans spend more than half of their total income on housing, yet the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates families should spend no more than 30%." (Gilbert 1993) Although many homeless adults are employed, they work in day-labor jobs that do not meet basic needs, while technological acceleration excludes others from a competitive job market. Many factors have contributed to declining work opportunities for large segments of the workforce, including the loss of well-paying manufacturing jobs. The decline in relatively secure and well-paying jobs in manufacturing, which have been replaced by less secure and poorly-paid jobs in the service sector, has greatly limited the opportunities for poorly-educate... ...ehabilitation of old buildings by minimal funding are common projects to provide shelters for the homeless people. However, some observers suggests that making "the renovation of buildings for low-income housing attractive, that is, profitable, for developers or investors" (Urban Land 1986) can be the solution to the homeless problem. Our examination makes it clear that piecemeal intervention can alleviate emergency shelter crises, but such action will not resolve the long-term problem of finding permanent shelter for the homeless and returning them to the mainstream of society wherever possible, which we regard as the ultimate goal of intervention. Equally obvious is that while long-term intervention strategies are vital, they do not address the problems of survival for those presently without shelter and support. We conclude that both long-term and short-term measures are necessary, but that all the solutions should be based on integrated, comprehensive understanding of the homelessness problem. Only such a comprehensive approach will allow planners to develop workable strategies with any chance for success.

White Noise :: essays research papers

Hoop Dreams pages 130 through 240   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In these chapters the two boys lives separated greatly. William had hurt his foot, and he had a baby girl. Arthur was playing very bad at basketball, and his family was becoming more poor then ever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way that this book is organized is a very simple one. The book is divided into two different parts. One of the parts is about the life of William, and the other part is about the life of Arthur. Both boys know each other, and sometimes their lives mix together. The chapters also include the stories about the families of each individual person. The story moves on with time, and each players life is documented. Sometimes the thing that can be confusing is how the two boys get mixed together. I mean I could be reading about one person and get it confused with the other person. Also sometimes the chapters go into too much detail about the family members of the two kids. I think that the book would be easier to read if the book was just one big story. If it didn’t feel like I was reading two books at once it would be much easier to read.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book had one point that extremely interested me. That point had to do with Arthur’s dad Bo. Bo had to lower himself to robbery to try to support his drug habit. Bo used to be a good man and he had everything going for him. He had a family, and for a while he even supported his family. But when the drugs came he lost all hope. While he was robbing he was caught, and eventually he was sentenced to jail. In jail he found god, and decided to devote his life to god. This was interesting to be because, this incident changed Bo’s life forever. After finding Christianity Bo changed around completely. Eventually he stopped doing bad things, and importantly he stopped doing drugs ( â€Å"I don’t get high no more,† Bo said â€Å"I don’t sell cocaine.† You just poisoning yourself†). Also he got back to his family, and he stopped being a deserter of his family. To me this was important because religion saved his life. Before religion he was on the road to death and destruction. I believe that many prisons should try to spark religion back into the peoples lives, because right now Bo is a good man.

The First Crusade Essay -- essays research papers

The First Crusade As the year 1000A.D. was approaching the strength of Christianity in Western Europe was growing along with its population. The newly reformed and organized Church began to gain great power. A new Europe was being born with the Catholic Church as a force in every area of life. In Christian beliefs, the savior, Jesus Christ was to return to earth and bring judgment on its people. Many clergy members along with lay people believed this would take place in the year 1000A.D. . Knowing this, the people of Europe awaited the return of Christ and feared the Wrath of God. Religious people wanted to make up for their sins and avoid the horrors of eternal damnation. Clergy members were often consulted to figure out what would be a suitable penance. " The Church itself still frequently imposed pilgrimages as a penance" (Campbell p.14). A pilgrimage to the Holy Land was not an easy task to say the least. The road to Jerusalem was jagged. On the way to Jerusalem, pilgrims were often murdered by thieves. They were defenseless and often did not return. Some pilgrims did return from the Holy Land. They came back with tales that planted the seeds for a Crusade. "The pilgrims that returned from the Holy City of Jerusalem recounted tales, often grossly exaggerated, of the horrible pollution of the sacred places at the hands of the Turks" (Campbell p23). Other stories of the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial place of Jesus, by the Turks surfaced in the early eleventh century. The news of the destruction of the Sepulcher was mourned in every Christian country. The nations looked to Rome for a solution to this most serious of Problems. The Byzantine emperor asked for the aid of the Pope to help him with his Turk problem. To the Pope, it would be a strategic move to aid the Byzantine emperor. The Pope realized that this offered the opportunity to re-establish the universal Church and establish the supremacy of Rome. In 1095, at the Council of Clermont in southern France, "Urban II challenged Christians to take up their weapons against the infidels and participate in a holy war and recapture the Holy Land" (Spielvogel,p344). Pope Urban II addressed the French telling them of the horrors im... ...m the clutches of non-Christian rulers. They successfully carried out the wishes of the Pope and , more importantly, what they believed to be the " Will of God ." The crusading knights gained new powers through the conquest along with salvation. Economically, the First Crusade was a success for Western Europe. New ports on the Mediterranean were in the hands of Western lords, opening new gates for trade. On the other hand, the First Crusade could be seen to be a failure in many ways. Relations with the Byzantine Empire grew far more distant. The Pope's dream of unifying the eastern and western churches could not be achieved. The gruesome display of barbarism on behalf of the Crusaders could also be seen as a failure in morals. It seemed that the Crusaders, for the most part, lost their way. Their goals switched from religious to materialistic. The First Crusade was the first installment in a series that lose their " holiness" and become less successful. Militarily, the First Crusade was an utter success. It started a hatred for the West by the Near and Middle Eastern peoples that still is strong today.

Our Journey to the New World

For Two days Martha rode in the back of the dusty wagon and cried. She was one big mess. Feeling sorry for herself, and mad at the whole family. Pa stopped the wagon, and everybody got out to eat, Everybody but Martha. She just sat where she was, moping instead of crying, till she'd run out of tears. â€Å"Martha Madison, are you going to eat something?' asked ma. â€Å"You know I can't swallow when I'm upset,† she told Ma. â€Å"Leave her be,† said Pa. â€Å"My Martha has a mind and a stomach of her own.† â€Å"I'll take her gingerbread,† said Billy. He was Martha's older brother, only one year older. Ma plunked Bob on Martha's lap. â€Å"Well, if you're not going to eat, how about looking after your baby brother?† Bob was a cute little rascal, but Martha was busy thinking about her home back in Jackson, Mississippi and her friend Denis. Martha missed her home and wanted to go back home. Denis and Martha swore to be friends forever, but the creaky old wagon was putting more miles between them everyday. Billy and Bob liked traveling in the wagon, the same with Pa. Ma wasn't the complaining sort, but Martha just hated traveling. Ma said to many times to Martha, â€Å"Your Pa's got itchy feet. He's a traveling man and he'll keep on moving west till we run out of land.† Everybody was excited about going to Saint Joseph, Missouri. It was where Pa was bringing them to join a wagon train headed for Oregon. It took them two weeks to reach Saint Joe. When they got to Saint Joe it was Pa and Billy who turn to be disappointed. They were too late for the wagon train. It had been gone for a week. They'd have to wait a month for the next one. After their long miserable ride from Jackson things moved pretty fast. By late afternoon they were set up in two little rooms on Mudd Street. And Pa found a job with the New West Harness Company. Martha and Ma had supper ready. They all crowded around the table and joined hands. Pa said grace and they all said â€Å"Amen.† After supper Ma spread two blankets on the floor for Martha and Billy. Pa and Ma and Bob took the big bed in the other room. And everyone was sound asleep. Pa worked all day at the New West Harness Company. â€Å"Missing that wagon train may turn out to be a blessing,† said Pa. â€Å"Why?† said Ma. â€Å"It'll give me time to bargain for all the things we'll need for Oregon,† answered Pa. First Pa bought extra oxen. Then he traded their old wagon in for a big new one with a canvas top. â€Å"How does she look?† he cried. â€Å"Looks like a cross between a boat and a wagon,† said Ma. â€Å"That's why they call these contraptions prairie schooners,† said Pa. â€Å"We're going to sail her all the way to Oregon!† shouted Billy. Martha had to laugh. The wagon did look like a ship, with its big white canvas top. There small rooms in the wagon were crammed with things for the trip. Bags of dried beans, tin buckets of lard and brown sugar, and jars of apple jelly all these things crowded around their beds. When Martha looked up at night, Martha was staring at slabs of bacon and dried beef hanging from the ceiling. â€Å"We'll need enough food to last us through six months,† said Ma. Saint Joe was filling up fast. New wagons pulled in, crammed with goods and people. New children and dogs were all over the place. Martha's worries came to her head the day Pa said, â€Å"Time to pack the wagon. Captain Jonah, the trail boss, says the train moves tomorrow.† Billy and Pa loaded all the heavy boxes into the wagon. â€Å"It's going to hard to fit everything in the wagon,† she said. â€Å"But all of us ought to have our own little space. You can take anything you want, as long as it fits into your box.† Martha took out her box out to the porch. It wouldn't hold much. Maybe the box would hold her doll with the china head and her hair ribbons. Leaving Saint Joe was going to be just as bad a leaving Jackson. At breakfast Pa said grace. â€Å"Dear Lord, give us a good journey and safekeeping. And bring us finally to Oregon if it be thy will.† Everyone rolled up there bedding and put it in the wagon. Martha helped Ma hang her pots on big hooks on the outside of the wagon. Pa said, â€Å"I'm going to drive the wagon to the front of the house. Just to see how she pulls.† They all watched. Billy bounced up beside Pa. â€Å"Giddup!† shouted Pa. The oxen strained under the load. The wagon jerked forward. â€Å"She rides real smooth,† called Pa. â€Å"Everybody hop in.† Ma climbed up with Bob. The grove outside Saint Joe where the wagon train formed looked like a big campground. Children ran yelling and playing around the wagons, dogs joined in, barking and chasing after kids. Pa finally found Captain Jonah. He gave Pa a number for our wagon number 49. Billy asked Pa if he could carve the number on the side of the wagon. â€Å"You can do more than that,† said Pa. â€Å"We've got to keep track of the days. Carve a notch for each weekday and a long mark for each Sunday.† Martha felt cheated. Pa always gave Billy the important things to do. But Pa surprised Martha. â€Å"Come with me, Martha girl,† he said. â€Å"I've got a special job for you.† Pa lifted up a round tin can from under the wagon seat. Then he showed Martha how to put axle grease on the big wagon wheels. â€Å"Every day it gets dark I want you to grease each wheel, Martha. Then check all the spokes for cracks. Let me know if you find anything wrong.† said Pa. Martha stared at the big wheels. They were as tall as her. Pa said, â€Å"It's these wheels that will get us to Oregon. You've got a sharp eye, Martha. I'm trusting our wheels to you.† Pa managed to get there wagon through all the confusion. Finally they found wagon number 48. They pulled up right behind it. Toward the front of the line they could hear a lot of shouting. â€Å"I can't make it out,† said Pa At first Martha couldn't make it out either. Then she got it clear. â€Å"They're shouting, ‘Wagons, ho!† she cried. The air was ringing with â€Å"Wagons, ho!† too. Martha thought it was pretty exciting, before she knew it she was yelling, â€Å"Wagons, ho!† too. The white tops of the wagons in front of us started bobbing up and down. â€Å"Giddup!† shouted Pa. â€Å"Oregon, here we come!† yelled Billy. Martha crawled over the boxes and sacks to the back of the wagon. She raised the lid of her box, and there she saw her doll. â€Å"We're on our way, Miss Chocolate,† she whispered. â€Å"So far, so good.† The canvas topped wagons were like ovens. Billy and Martha found out they could walk as fast as the train moved. It was cooler to walk, too. The first day they were walking beside the wagon, she met a big girl who was in wagon 48. She was a sight. Wild, curly, carrot colored hair shot out in all directions around her head. Her calico dress looked about two sizes too large. She wore it hitched up so you could see the big brogan shoes on her feet. This big headed girl walked right up to Martha and said, â€Å"My name's Laura Smith. What's yours?† â€Å"Martha Madison,† she told her. â€Å"Let's be friends, I'll look after you,† said Laura. â€Å"But I don't need anybody to look after me,† Martha told her. â€Å"Rats!† she said. â€Å"Everybody needs a friend, and I am the best looker you'll ever meet. I do all the looking after for my Pa.† â€Å"What about your Ma?† asked Martha. â€Å"Ma's dead a year now,† she said. â€Å"And you cook and wash and do everything?† asked Martha. â€Å"Everything,† boomed Laura. â€Å"Promised Ma I'd look after Pa.† Then Laura said, â€Å"Stick with me, honey. You won't have a thing to worry about. Let's shake on it.† When the shadows started getting long, a message came down the line of wagons. â€Å"Campsite for the night about a mile ahead,† yelled the scout. By the time they made the circle with the wagons it was late afternoon. Pa and Billy unhitched the oxen to let them graze on grass. Martha helped Ma get a cook fire started. Then Martha got the tin bucket from under the wagon seat and greased the wheels. She felt every spoke till they were smooth as glass. Supper on the prairie that first night was delicious. Cook fires circled the big camp. There was lots of visiting back and forth. Laura came barreling over to there campfire. She didn't give Martha a chance to even introduce her. â€Å"I'm Laura Smith,† she said, grabbing first Ma's, then Pa's hand. When she went to Billy, he stepped back and just nodded his head. â€Å"Welcome,† said Ma. â€Å"Would you like some coffee?† â€Å"No, I'm full as a boardinghouse bedbug,† said Lauren, patting her stomach. Everyone laughed. Then Laura settled down with them like a longtime friend. In one of the wagons someone was playing a fiddle. Martha looked up at the sky. About a million sparkling stars were winking at her. It was a perfect night. From the first day, Billy was asking, â€Å"When are we going to see some buffalo?† But he had carved ten notches on the wagon before we spotted any. â€Å"I'd sure like to see one of them beasts up close!† he cried. â€Å"I like them right where they are,† Martha said. In a way Martha soon got a lot closer to the buffalo. They ran out of firewood and had to burn dried buffalo droppings. They were called â€Å"chips.† The longer they were on the trail, the hotter it got. Everybody was glad to see the sun set. At least it was cooler at night. But when night came, so did thousands of buffalo gnats. The only way to keep from being eaten alive was to sit close to the campfires. The gnats hated smoke more than they liked humans. Martha sneaked over to Laura's wagon , and got dozens of bites. Late one afternoon Laura and Martha were counting the notches Billy had carved. â€Å"It's hard to believe we've been on the trail almost three weeks,† Martha commented. â€Å"Not for me,† said Laura. â€Å"I feel like I've already walked three thousand miles and picked up a million buffalo chips!† While they were laughing, Martha heard a rumbling sound. â€Å"You hear that?† asked Martha. â€Å"Sounds like thunder,† said Laura. From the front of the train two scouts came riding towards them. â€Å"Swing the wagons in a circle!† they shouted. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked Pa. â€Å"Buffalo stampede!† shouted the scouts. The rumbling was growing louder. Laura ran to her wagon. In a few minutes the wagons were in a raged circle. Ma and Martha ducked under the wagon with Bob. Pa and Billy grabbed guns and crawled behind the big wagon wheels. All Martha could see was a big dark cloud mobbing towards them. â€Å"Where are the buffalo?† Martha asked. â€Å"In the dust cloud,† said Pa. â€Å"There must be thousands of them.† Captain Jonah rode up. â€Å"Have your guns ready!† he shouted. â€Å"But don't shoot until I give you the order.† The buffalo were close. Martha could taste dust in her mouth. Then, in the moving dust cloud, she saw them. They were packed tight, like a solid wall. Their heads were down. Their tails were in the air. The ground shook under their pounding hooves. â€Å"Hold your fire!† commanded Captain Jonah. Martha was sure the buffalo would crush them any second. She closed her eyes. â€Å"Fire! Fire! Fire!,† shouted Captain Jonah. The guns barked and Martha's eyes flew open. Several buffalo in the front of the pack crumpled to the ground. More and more piled up behind them. But one huge wounded beast kept coming. He plowed into a wagon near there's. There was this sickening thud. The wagon rolled over. Martha heard screams and more gunfire's. The huge shaggy buffalo was slumped against a schooner. A red stain was spreading in the sand around the dead buffalo. Martha felt sick. But the gunfire was working. The solid line of buffalo split in the middle. They turned away from the pile of dead buffalo and ran past the wagons. Martha could see hundreds of brown shaggy legs flying by their wagon. â€Å"We've broken the stampede!† shouted Captain Jonah. The mad, rushing buffalo swung wide of the wagons. Soon the last of the huge herd passed them by. The dust began to settle. The thundering roar of the stampede faded away. â€Å"We're safe now,† said Pa. â€Å"I'm going over to help the folks under the wagon and shook the dust off. Back at the wagon Pa told us we were going to stay put for the night. â€Å"It'll give us time to skin some buffalo for supper,† he said. Billy went to skin the dead buffalo. Martha started greasing the wagon wheels. The men came back with big buffalo steaks. Ma fixed some for there supper. Martha couldn't eat the tough meat. Martha stared out across the starlit prairie. She felt so lonely. As far as she could see there was nothing just flat prairie stretching on and on. â€Å"Where is your Pa?† asked Captain Jonah. â€Å"Over there,† Grasped Martha, pointing in the opposite direction. The Captain rode away, in a hurry. When Pa came back to there wagon, he said we would make camp early. â€Å"Why?† asked Ma. â€Å"Indians,† said Pa. â€Å"They've been tracking us all day.† For three days the scouts reported: â€Å"Indians still tracking us.† â€Å"They probably only want to do some trading,† Captain Jonah reassured us. â€Å"The important thing is that no one panics and does something foolish. I've brought many wagon trains through Indian country and I had never had any real trouble.† It was late in the afternoon on the fourth day when Martha saw them. At first they were tiny specks bobbing up and down far out on the plains. â€Å"They're on horseback,† said Laura. The scouts rushes up shouting, â€Å"Circle the wagons!† As soon as the circle was made, Pa grabbed his gun. Then he joined the men lined up behind Captain Jonah. Martha peeked through a slit in the canvas. A long line of Indians on horseback were moving slowly toward them. It was so still and quiet, Martha could hear everyone breathing in the wagon. Suddenly the Indians stopped. Captain Jonah made a sign with his hands. An Indian who must have been the chief returned Captain Jonah's sign. Then Captain Jonah and the chief rode out and met in the middle. For a few minutes they talked, and made signs with their hands. Then Captain Jonah turned and went back to his men. The chief did the same. Crack! A single gunshot rang out from one of there wagons. The pony one of the young Indians was ridding stumbled and crashed to the ground. The rider went down with him. Our scouts raced back toward the wagon train, yelling, â€Å"Hold your fire!† The Indians pulled up around the wounded pony and the fallen rider. Captain Jonah dashed up to them and jumped off his horse. Martha was sure the Indians would kill him. Why didn't the scouts go to his rescue? Instead the scouts kept yelling, â€Å"For God's sake, don't shoot!† In a few minutes that seemed to last forever, the crowd around the fallen rider parted. The young Indian who had gone down with the pony looked dead. The captain rushed back to the wagons. The Indians made a long line facing them. They just stood there, silent and threatening. â€Å"Who fired that shot?† demanded the captain angrily. Two scouts dragged a man from wagon 42. â€Å"That was a stupid thing to do, Ned Butcher!† shouted the captain. Ned stared to protest. But Captain Jonah shouted, â€Å"I don't care about your excuses. I only care about the safety of the folks on this wagon train. I could hang you for disobeying orders. Or I could just hand you over to the Indians.† Ned's wife rushed up to Captain Jonah. She stared to pleading with him. Captain Jonah motioned her away. â€Å"All they wanted was to trade hides for blankets and sugar. Now the stakes are higher. Thank God the boy's only stunned. But the pony is dead. Either we supply them with two oxen and sugar and blankets, or we can expect an attack. Those are the terms!† The men started shouting all at once. Captain Jonah held up his hand for silence. â€Å"They're going to sit there for a half hour. If we don't have the oxen and other stuff outside the wagon train by then, they're going to come swooping down on us. I've told the chief we'd meet their demands.† â€Å"Ned Butcher, you have 4 oxen. Unhitch two of them for the Indians,† commanded the captain. â€Å"But only two oxen can't pull my wagon,† Ned protested. â€Å"You can lighten your load by dumping some of it right here.† â€Å"Every wagon must give a pound of sugar and a blanket,† said Captain Jonah. â€Å"And be quick about it! Our time is running out.† In just a few minutes every person piled up a great mound of blankets and sugar. Captain Jonah and the scouts brought out the two oxen. They staked them by the sugar and blankets. Then everyone pulled back behind the wagons. â€Å"Keep your guns ready, men. But don't make a move unless I give order!† shouted Captain Jonah. Suddenly the still, silent line of Indians plodded. They came racing toward them. They were yelling and waving guns and spears, kicking up clouds of dust. Martha expected arrows and bullets to rip through the wagon any second. When the Indians reached the staked oxen, the pile of blankets and sugar, the Indians stopped in a cloud of dust. Suddenly the wagon train started to move out. When Martha looked back, the Indians were dividing up the blankets and sugar. They were chattering and laughing and didn't seem the least bit warlike. That night as they sat around the campfire, they celebrated there coming to Oregon. In the morning Captain Jonah pushed the wagon train hard after the Indian scare. â€Å"This is the hard part of the trip,† he said. â€Å"We've got a tough river to ford before we cross the mountains.† â€Å"But the oxen are worn out,† one of the men protested. â€Å"Get out of the wagons and walk!† snapped the captain. Then he made it an order. â€Å"Everybody walks from here on.† All of them plodded along beside our wagons in the boiling sun. â€Å"If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?† Laura asked Martha. â€Å"Ice, ice, and more ice!† â€Å"Your wishes wouldn't last a minute in this heat,† said Laura. They kept walking in the whole terrible heat. One day they came upon a long line of boxes, trunks, and furniture scattered beside the trail. Lauren and Martha ran over to see what was in the trunks. â€Å"Keep moving!† shouted one of the scouts. â€Å"Just count yourself lucky we don't have to dump all our goods. Take a like over there!† Martha gasped. Sun bleached skeletons of oxen lay in the sand. â€Å"Their teams gave out,† explained the scout. â€Å"They doubled up and went on as best they could. Move along now. We've got a river to ford up ahead. By the time they reached the river, the scouts were struggling to get ropes strung across. The muddy water looked ready to overflow the riverbanks. The oxen had a hard time making it across. But finally the scouts got two short ropes anchored across the river. Then the captain gave the signal. â€Å"One driver to a wagon, everybody else, over on the ropes!† he ordered. Pa drove there big schooner into the river. â€Å"She floats like a boat!† he called They plunged into the water. Martha could see Laura up ahead on the rope. At first it felt good just to be cool again. Then in the deeper water Martha began to feel the strong pull of the undertow. Billy called behind Martha. â€Å"Hey, this is fun!† Martha was about to tell him to hold tight, since he'd soon be in the undertow. But Billy shouted again. â€Å"Look, no hands!† Martha turned, there he was, treading water with both hands off the rope. â€Å"Billy!† called Martha. â€Å"Stop that!† You know you can't swim!† He struck the undertow and went under like a rock. Martha was so frighten, she couldn't even call for help. Billy popped back up right next to her. He was coughing and spitting water. Martha grabbed his arm. But she was thrashing around so wildly, Martha lost her grip on the rope. They both went whirling toward the center of the river. They shot right past Ma and Bob. Ma screamed. Martha was sure they were lost. But she still held on to Billy, but his head kept on bobbing under. Then she hit something. Something hard that sent pain shooting up her arm. It was Laura's wagon. Martha grabbed it. Then she pulled Billy up close, where she could keep his head above water. He coughed, and spit more muddy water. â€Å"Grab the wagon!† She yelled. He clawed at the side of the wagon and found a pot hook to hang on to. Martha was afraid to let him go. But her arm was hurting so, she didn't know how long she could hold on. Suddenly Laura was there with her arms around both Billy and Martha. She had them penned against the wagon. â€Å"Hang on!† she cried. â€Å"You all right, Billy?† He spit more water and mumbled, â€Å"I'm fine.† â€Å"You don't look too bad for someone who's just drunk half a river,† said Lauren. â€Å"How about you, Martha?† Martha was scared to death, and her arm was hurting something fierce. Laura clung to the wagon with them until they were across the river. Everyone cheered as they staggered up the muddy riverbank to safety. The three of them flopped on the ground and sat there, completely worn out. â€Å"Oregon's on the other side,† announced Captain Jonah. â€Å"We've got a hard ride up, but an easy ride down. Let's start climbing!† They all still had to walk. And when the trail got steeper, they had to help push the heavy wagons. But the coolness in the mountains felt good. The rocky trail was hard on wheels. Every day a wagon would have to pull out of line to fix a broken wheel. Martha still took care of their wheels. Even though her arm was hurt, she wouldn't let Billy take over. She was superstitious about them. When the last one was checked, she'd pat it and say, â€Å"Lucky wheels! You'll get us there!† Well, the luck played out before they reached the crest of the mountains. The whole family plus Laura's was pushing there wagon up a steep part of the trail. Crack! There left front wheel hit a big rock. â€Å"Knocked the iron rim completely off!† cried Pa. â€Å"We'll have to drop out of line and fix it.† â€Å"How long will it take?† Martha asked Pa. â€Å"Maybe half a day,† he answered. Captain Jonah rode up. â€Å"Tough luck,† he said. â€Å"We're less than a day away from the crest. Then it's easy going. Tell you what we'll do. I'll camp an hour early tonight and start out an hour later tomorrow. That'll give you time to catch up.† Pa thanked the captain. Then he rode off and left them to tend the broken wheel. Martha was scared seeing all the wagons go, and being left behind. By the time Pa fixed the wheel, it was dark. â€Å"Hurry! We've got miles to make up,† he said. And he pushed the oxen as fast as he dared. â€Å"Pray for a bright moon,† said Pa. â€Å"Driving by night is the only way we're going to catch up.† But low hanging clouds blocked out the moon and the stars. It started to rain. â€Å"We'll have to stop,† said Pa. â€Å"It's foolhardy to go on.† â€Å"Might as well try to get some sleep,† Ma said. Martha then realized it stopped raining. A bright patch of moonlight cut through the back of the wagon. â€Å"The moons out! It's so bright you can see everything! Pa! Pa! Martha called. Wake up! The rain's stopped. We can get moving!† Pa jumped up â€Å"By golly, our luck's changed. We'll catch up now!† he cried. Day was breaking when we saw the wagon train camp on the crest of the mountains. When we pulled into camp, Lauren ran to meet their wagon. â€Å"I knew you'd make it!† she shouted. I've got breakfast ready. As they had breakfast the sun suddenly popped out, round and red and beautiful. Captain Jonah's big voice boomed, â€Å"Look, folks. There it is. That's Oregon down there!† From there high perch you could see miles of wild, beautiful valleys stretching before them. For a moment no one said anything. Then Martha let out a yell and turned a cartwheel. Pa put his arm around Ma. â€Å"Now, this looks like our Journey to the New World.†

Quality Check Point

After talking to some neighbors and friends, my husband decided to purchase a Tort 235 MPH blower. The customer service representative talked him into purchase the extended warranty service as well. After analyzing, the product decided to give it a rating from one to ten on the following specs: ; Quiet and powerful – 8 – The Tort blower is more powerful than most handheld gas-powered blowers are. The Tort is quieter and clean- running, it does not pollute the environment. Variable speed motor – 9 – The variable speeds are a great feature because you can blow around lanes without damaging them ; Low cost – 9 – With a cost of gas the electric Tort has seemed to be the right choice at the time. ; Lightweight – 7 -we have a good size yard so the weight seems to be an advantage but after using the unit the straps were quiet uncomfortable. ; Cord limited to 150 feet -2 – this product is design for small yards, one of the features no o ne option to let us know before we purchase this blower.The cords also get tangle very easily around bushes and rocks having to frequently stop to free it. ; Vacuum bag awkward. – 3 -the vacuum tube attachment is quite long and with the bag over your shoulder is very uncomfortable. The vacuum gets clog up very easy with wet leaves and it gets to be a burden because we have to take it apart to unclog it. ; Extended Warranty Service- 1 – The motor burned out on this unit Just two months after we purchase it.Trying to get a hold of a live person seems to be a challenge; we either get an automated service saying that we are calling after hours, to leave a message or to call during business hours. If we called during business hours, we either were put on hold for a long erred and after that, we got someone on the line that could hardly speak English, a total disappointment. After reviewing all the pros and cons of the Tort blower, I would rate this product at a five because even If works great on dry leaves It Jams very easily with wet leaves.It Is very uncomfortable to use for a long period due to the cord- getting tangle up easily around bushes and the vacuum attachment are too long making It Is very uncomfortable. References: Consumerists. Org retrieved from Google on December 7, 2010. Management: Challenges for Tomorrows Leaders (5th deed. ) P. S. Lewis, S. H. Goodman. M. Faint, and J. F. Michelson Thomson South-Western, 2007 Mason, OH seemed to be the right choice at the time. Lightweight – 7 – we have a good size motor burned out on this unit Just two months after we purchase it. Trying to get total disappointment. After reviewing all the pros and cons of the Tort blower, I would rate this product at a five because even if works great on dry leaves it Jams very easily with wet leaves. It is very uncomfortable to use for a long period due to the cord- making it is very uncomfortable. J. F. Masochistic Thomson South-Western, 2007 Mas on, OH