Memorial Day Thoughts - 1012 Words

I usually write a piece for Memorial Day. I didn’t write one this year because I had written a memorial piece just this past Veteran’s Day. But, within minutes of last week’s item posting on May 30, three things happened that made me regret my decision. First, I received word that a fellow Vietnam veteran had died a few days before. Then, I received a Memorial Day ecard from another friend. And, third, between May 31 and June 4, emails from regular readers filled my inbox wanting to know why I had not written one. It is ALWAYS fitting to remember our military personnel that have died in the defense of this nation. I could NEVER forget it. I rarely talk about my own ventures into the world of combat. In fact, most of us older coots go†¦show more content†¦I revere Memorial Day, but it isn’t the only day that I remember our war-dead. Not a day of my life has passed since then that I don’t recall the horrors of decades ago. And, while it doesn’t happen with persistency any longer, I still bolt upright in bed in a heart-pounding cold sweat. Only I’m clutching my pillow and, mercifully, I realize that the blood-soaked lifeless soldier’s body and the horrible stench of thick, sticky, bloody goo are, once again, only a nightmare. And, somehow, I’m able to fall back to sleep. An image of a young woman lying prone and sobbing inconsolably before the grave marker of her beloved at a veteran’s cemetery set me off big time. And, we’d better understand that this is only the tip of an emotional iceberg of deeply rooted grief that loved ones of fallen troops must somehow get through. It doesn’t go away. I still feel it after several decades. As I finish typing this, my eyes are trying to see through a wall of flowing water, a stark reminder that learning to live without our loved ones is not the same as forgetting them. As long as we live, we don’t forget†¦ EVER! We possess the most powerful and dedicated military in the world. We’re deeply indebted to all currently serving as well as to all that have had their lives taken from them in the battle to keep us strong and free—I’ve never met anyone eagerly awaiting the chance to â€Å"GIVE† their lives. I certainly know that I wasnt. But, with the same level of fervor,Show MoreRelatedA Day Is A Special Holiday For Those Who ve Lost A Soldier921 Words   |  4 PagesMemorial Day is a special holiday for those who’ve lost a loved one in military service. For me, the holiday is two-fold. Yes, I remember the passing of my military dad, , but it’s also the day I remember all the best things about my father. It’s when I celebrate Father’s Day. My father was always proud to be a soldier. Sure, he would grumble about Army politics or how the service caused him to have bad knees and feet. Yet. he was good at being a solider. This was ironic because he did not chooseRead MoreCoping With Chaos Of A Storm1803 Words   |  8 Pagesaromatherapy candle, a back rub and a hot yoga session. There are times - and if they haven’t happened yet, they will - when your work lives will be wrought with chaos and you have to figure out how to cope with crisis or disaster. For me, it was Memorial Day weekend 2015. This is my story, and these are my tips for finding your peace in a storm. My Storm Back in May 2015 I was four month into my new position as a communication director for a central Texas town when I came down with a terrible caseRead MoreThe 9 / 11 Memorial And Museum900 Words   |  4 PagesThe 9/11 memorial and museum in New York City, is one of the most brilliant, exquisite, and complicated memorials ever made. Even though the memorial sets out to commemorate the awful event that affected not only the people killed in the event but also all their friends and family members that were affected, the memorial does a great job to achieve that goal, but even still there is still some controversies surrounding the memorial. The Most prevalent controversy is with the names on the walls aroundRead MorePreserving Memory : The Struggle For Creating America s Holocaust Museum871 Words   |  4 PagesMuseum gives the reader an extensive overview in the development of the Holocaust Memorial Museum that is located in Washington D.C. In this edition of the book, Linenthal writ es a preface. In his opening preface, Linenthal discusses the importance of teaching the Holocaust. He writes about how over time, those in power saw it necessary for there to be a national memorial. Linenthal mentions how some thought that a memorial dedicated just to the Holocaust would cause people to ignore the rich historyRead MoreThe Poem Facing It By Yusef Komunyakaa744 Words   |  3 Pagesvisiting the Vietnam veteran’s memorial for the very first time. The author describes the emotional impact the visit has on him. The author uses lines such as â€Å"I said I wouldn’t, dammit: No tears.† (Komunyakaa, 1947, line 3-4) and â€Å"I’m stone. I’m flesh† (Komunyakaa, 1947, line 5) to drive home the emotion and deep feelings in the poem. Throughout the poem the author utilizes personification to add to the effect and tone of the poem as well. The author talks about the memorials stone as if it were aliveRead MoreCulture and Grief1667 Wo rds   |  7 Pagesfear is usually missing in the affective mnemonics of memorial sites, which, after all, are signifiers of some of the most horrific violence in human history? Do memorials dedicated to these attacks bring us together in terms of understanding, or is it just continual collective grief? This paper will cover the global complexity of the 9/11 attacks, the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial in Liberty State Park, NJ, and factors and theories that memorials do influence a sense of complexity. The ground of publicRead MoreThe World Trade Center Memorial1304 Words   |  6 PagesWorld Trade Center Memorial The World Trade Center Memorial commemorates the September 11, 2001,attacks and the bombing that occurred at the World Trade Center in 1993. The memorial can be found at the former location of the Twin Towers in New York. These fountains that rest in the footprints of the towers are a powerful reminders of our nations history and all the lives that were lost that day. This memorial is ultimately successful because it evokes emotion, whether that be sadness or possiblyRead MoreHistorical Memory Of The Memorial1525 Words   |  7 PagesSince the opening of the Emancipation Memorial in 1876, there has always been controversy regarding the accuracy of the message that the monument provides to its viewers. The Emancipation Memorial has become an example of the criticisms that many warped monuments face today, such as heroification. In order to have an effective monument, Loewen believes that the monument needs to be honest in the story that it shows, which includes not omitting any im portant figures, no racism, and no glorificationRead MoreThe Poem Facing It By Yusef Komunyakaa1077 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Vietnam veteran’s memorial for the very first time. The author describes the emotional impact the visit has on him. The author uses lines such as â€Å"I said I wouldn’t, dammit: No tears.† (Komunyakaa, 1947, line 3-4) and â€Å"I’m stone. I’m flesh† (Komunyakaa, 1947, line 5) to drive home the emotion and deep feelings in the poem. Throughout the poem the author utilizes personification to add to the effect and the tone of the poem as well. The author talks about the memorials stone as if it were aliveRead MoreAnalysis : The 9 / 11 Memorial 1381 Words   |  6 Pagesthe scene as we walked up to the 9/11 memorial. The first sight that is visible in the area as we approach the exhibit is a small, antique church. In a way, this church symbolizes God’s presence in the crowd of people taking in the scenery. Th is moment in time, my view of life was changed as I realized the phenomenal event that we recognize with a moment of silence every year is so much bigger than I thought. It’s not until a person explores the 9/11 memorial that they fully understand the sorrow

Tips for Finding Ancestors in Genealogy Databases

Egg in a Bottle Demonstration

The egg in a bottle demonstration is an easy chemistry or physics demonstration you can do at home or in the lab. You set an egg on top of a bottle (as pictured). You change the temperature of the air inside the container either by dropping a piece of burning paper into the bottle or by directly heating/cooling the bottle. Air pushes the egg into the bottle. Materials Peeled hard-boiled egg (or soft-boiled, if a yolky mess interests you)Flask or jar with an opening slightly smaller than the diameter of the eggPaper/lighter or very hot water or very cold liquid In a chemistry lab, this demonstration is most commonly performed using a 250-ml flask and a medium or large egg. If you are trying this demonstration at home, you can use a glass apple juice bottle. If you use too large of an egg, it will get sucked into the bottle, but stuck (resulting in a gooey mess if the egg was soft-boiled). We recommend a medium egg for most bottles. An extra-large egg gets wedged in the bottle. Perform the Demonstration Method 1: Set a piece of paper on fire and drop it into the bottle. Set the egg on top of the bottle (small side pointed downward). When the flame goes out, the egg will get pushed into the bottle.Method 2: Set the egg on the bottle. Run the bottle under very hot tap water. Warmed air will escape around the egg. Set the bottle on the counter. As it cools, the egg will be pushed into the bottle.Method 3: Set the egg on the bottle. Immerse the bottle in a very cold liquid. We have heard of this being done using liquid nitrogen, but that sounds dangerous (could shatter the glass). We recommend trying ice water. The egg is pushed in as the air inside the bottle is chilled. How It Works If you just set the egg on the bottle, its diameter is too large for it to slip inside. The pressure of the air inside and outside of the bottle is the same, so the only force that would cause the egg to enter the bottle is gravity. Gravity isnt sufficient to pull the egg inside the bottle. When you change the temperature of the air inside the bottle, you change the pressure of the air inside the bottle. If you have a constant volume of air and heat it, the pressure of the air increases. If you cool the air, the pressure decreases. If you can lower the pressure inside the bottle enough, the air pressure outside the bottle will push the egg into the container. Its easy to see how the pressure changes when you chill the bottle, but why is the egg pushed into the bottle when heat is applied? When you drop burning paper into the bottle, the paper will burn until the oxygen is consumed (or the paper is consumed, whichever comes first). Combustion heats the air in the bottle, increasing the air pressure. The heated air pushes the egg out of the way, making it appear to jump on the mouth of the bottle. As the air cools, the egg settles down and seals the mouth of the bottle. Now there is less air in the bottle than when you started, so it exerts less pressure. When the temperature inside and outside the bottle is the same, there is enough positive pressure outside the bottle to push the egg inside. Heating the bottle produces the same result (and may be easier to do if you cant keep the paper burning long enough to put the egg on the bottle). The bottle and the air are heated. Hot air escapes from the bottle until the pressure both inside and outside the bottle is the same. As the bottle and air inside continue to cool, a pressure gradient builds, so the egg is pushed into the bottle. How to Get the Egg Out You can get the egg out by increasing the pressure inside the bottle so that it is higher than the pressure of the air outside of the bottle. Roll the egg around so it is situated with the small end resting in the mouth of the bottle. Tilt the bottle just enough so you can blow air inside the bottle. Roll the egg over the opening before you take your mouth away. Hold the bottle upside down and watch the egg fall out of the bottle. Alternatively, you can apply negative pressure to the bottle by sucking the air out, but then you risk choking on an egg, so thats not a good plan.

Shahid Udham Singh - 2712 Words

Udham Singh Udham Singh (December 26, 1899 - July 31, 1940) was an Indian Sikh independence activist, best known for assassinating Michael ODwyer in March 1940 in what has been described as an avenging of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre.[1] Udham Singh changed his name to Ram Mohammad Singh Azad and was also known as Ram Mohammed Singh Azad, symbolizing the unification of the three major religions of India: Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Singh is considered one of the best-known of the more heroic revolutionaries of the Indian freedom struggle; he is also sometimes referred to as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh (the expression Shaheed-i-Azam, Urdu: Ø ´Ã™â€¡Ã›Å'Ø ¯ Ø §Ã˜ ¹Ã˜ ¸Ã™â€¦, means the great martyr). Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh along with†¦show more content†¦The attack lasted ten minutes. Since the only exit was barred by soldiers, people tried to climb the walls of the park. Some also jumped into a well inside the compound to escape the bullets. A plaque in the monument says that 120 bodies were plucked out of the well alone.[4] By the time the smoke cleared, hundreds of people had been killed and thousands injured. Official estimates put the figures at 379 killed (337 men, 41 boys and a six week old baby) and 200 injured, but other reports estimated the deaths well over 1,000[5] and possibly 1,300. According to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Lala Girdhari Lal, the deaths were more than 1,000. Swami Shardanand places the figure at more than 1,500.[6] Dr Smith, Civil Surgeon of Amritsar, gives an even larger number: 1,800 dead.[7] The casualty figures were never fully ascertained for political reasons. The wounded could not be moved from where they had fallen, as a curfew had been declared. Debate about the actual figures continues to this day. Official figures say that 1,650 rounds of ammunition had been used.[8] Udham Singh mainly held Michael ODwyer responsible for what came to be known as the Amritsar Massacre. New research supporting this fact reveal the massacre to have occurred with the Governors full connivance to teach the Indians a lesson, to make a wide impression and to strike terror through-out Punjab.[9] The incident had greatly shaken young Udham Singh and proved a turning point in his

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 32 Free Essays

string(45) " so it drew a stripe across the stone floor\." Joseph rubbed the bridge of his nose as if fighting a headache. â€Å"He said he’d see what he could do.† We watched as the Roman soldiers took Joshua inside and the priests followed. We will write a custom essay sample on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 32 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Pharisees, commoners in the eyes of the Romans, were left outside. A legionnaire almost caught Jakan’s face in the gate when he slammed it. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I looked up to a high, wide balcony that was visible above the palace walls. It had obviously been designed by Herod the Great’s architects as a platform from which the king could address the masses in the Temple without compromising his safety. A tall Roman in a lush red robe was standing on the balcony looking down on the crowd, and not looking particularly happy with their presence. â€Å"Is that Pilate?† I asked Joseph, pointing to the Roman. Joseph nodded. â€Å"He’ll go downstairs to hold Joshua’s trial.† But I wasn’t interested at that point in where Pilate was going. What interested me was the centurion who stood behind him wearing the full-crested helmet and breastplate of a legion commander. Not a half hour later the gate was opened and a squad of Roman soldiers brought Joshua out of the palace in bonds. A lower-rank centurion pulled Joshua along by a rope around his wrists. The priests followed along behind and were mobbed with questions by the Pharisees who had been waiting outside. â€Å"Go find out what’s going on,† I said to Joseph. We waded into the middle of the procession that followed. Most were screaming at Joshua and trying to spit on him. I spotted a few people in the crowd that I knew to be Joshua’s followers, but they were going along silently, their eyes darting around as if any second they might be the next one arrested. Simon, Andrew, and I followed behind at some distance, while Maggie fought the crowd to get close to Joshua. I saw her throw herself at her ex-husband, Jakan, who was trailing the priests, but she was stopped in mid-leap by Joseph of Arimathea, who caught her by the hair and pulled her back. Someone else was helping restrain her, but he wore a shawl over his head so I couldn’t tell who it was. Probably Peter. Joseph dragged Maggie back to us and handed her over to me and Simon. â€Å"She’ll get herself killed.† Maggie looked up at me, a wildness in her eyes that I couldn’t read, either anger or madness. I wrapped my arms around her and held her so her arms were pinned to her sides as we walked along. The man with the hood walked along beside me, his hand on Maggie’s shoulder, steadying her. When he looked at me I could see it was Peter. The wiry fisherman seemed to have aged twenty years since I’d seen him Tuesday night. â€Å"They’re taking him to Antipas,† Peter said. â€Å"As soon as Pilate heard Joshua was from Galilee he said it wasn’t his jurisdiction and sent him to Herod.† â€Å"Maggie,† I said into her ear, â€Å"please stop being a madwoman. My plan just went to hell and I could use some critical thinking.† Once again we waited outside of one of the palaces built by Herod the Great, but this time, because it was a Jewish king in residence, the Pharisees were let in and Joseph of Arimathea went in with them. A few minutes later he was back outside again. â€Å"He’s trying to get Joshua to perform a miracle,† Joseph said. â€Å"He’ll let him go if Joshua performs a miracle for him.† â€Å"And if Joshua won’t do it?† â€Å"He won’t,† said Maggie. â€Å"If he won’t do it,† Joseph said, â€Å"we’re back where we started. It will be up to Pilate to order the Sanhedrin’s death sentence carried out or to release Joshua.† â€Å"Maggie, come with me,† I said, tugging at her dress as I backed away. â€Å"Why, where?† â€Å"The plan’s back on.† I ran back to the praetorium, with Maggie in tow. I pulled up by a pillar across from the Antonia Palace. â€Å"Maggie, can Peter really heal? Really?† â€Å"Yes, I told you.† â€Å"Wounds? Broken bones?† â€Å"Wounds, yes. I don’t know about bones.† â€Å"I hope so,† I said. I left her there while I went to the highest-ranking centurion stationed outside the gates. â€Å"I need to see your commander,† I said. â€Å"Go away, Jew.† â€Å"I’m a friend. Tell him it’s Levi from Nazareth.† â€Å"I’ll tell him nothing.† So I stepped up and took the centurion’s sword out of its scabbard, put the point under his chin for a split second, then replaced it in its scabbard. He reached for the sword and suddenly it was in my hand and under his chin again. Before he could call out the sword was back in its scabbard. â€Å"There,† I said, â€Å"you owe me your life twice. By the time you call to have me arrested I’ll have your sword again and you’ll not only be embarrassed but your head will be all wobbly from your throat being cut. Or, you can take me to see my friend Gaius Justus Gallicus, commander of the Sixth Legion.† Then I took a deep breath and waited. The centurion’s eyes darted to the soldiers closest to him, then back to me. â€Å"Think, Centurion,† I said. â€Å"If you arrest me, where will I end up anyway?† The logic of it seemed to strike him through his frustration. â€Å"Come with me,† he said. I signaled to Maggie to wait and followed the soldier into Pilate’s fortress. Justus seemed uncomfortable in the lush quarters they had assigned him at the palace. He’d had shields and spears placed around the room in different places, as if he needed to remind anyone who entered that a soldier lived here. I stood in the doorway while he paced, looking up at me occasionally as if he wanted to kill me. He wiped the sweat from his closely cropped gray hair and whipped it so it drew a stripe across the stone floor. You read "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 32" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"I can’t stop the sentence. No matter what I want.† â€Å"I just don’t want him hurt,† I said. â€Å"If Pilate crucifies him, he’ll be hurt, Biff. That’s sort of the point.† â€Å"Damaged, I mean. No broken bones, no cut sinew. Have them tie his arms to the cross.† â€Å"They have to use nails,† Justus said, his mouth shaping into a cruel frown. â€Å"Nails are iron. They’re inventoried. Each one is accounted for.† â€Å"You Romans are masters of supply.† â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Okay, tie him then, only nail through the web of his fingers and toes, and put a board on the cross so he can support his weight with his feet.† â€Å"That’s no kindness you’re doing him. He could linger a week that way.† â€Å"No he won’t,† I said. â€Å"I’m going to give him poison. And I want his body as soon as he’s dead.† At the word â€Å"poison,† Justus had stopped pacing and looked up at me with open resentment. â€Å"It’s not up to me to release the body, but if you want to make sure the body is unharmed I’ll have to keep soldiers there until the end. Sometimes your people like to help the crucified die more quickly by throwing stones. I don’t know why they bother.† â€Å"Yes, you do, Justus. You of all people do. You can spit that Roman bitterness toward mercy all you want, but you know. You were the one who sent for Joshua when your friend was suffering. You humbled yourself and asked for mercy. That’s all I’m doing.† Now the resentment drained from his face and was replaced by amazement. â€Å"You’re going to bring him back, aren’t you?† â€Å"I just want to bury my friend’s body intact.† â€Å"You’re going to bring him back from the dead. Like the soldier at Sepphoris, the one the Sicarii killed. That’s why you need his body undamaged.† â€Å"Something like that,† I nodded, looking at the floor to avoid the old soldier’s eyes. Justus nodded, obviously shaken. â€Å"Pilate has to authorize the body to be taken down. Crucifixion is supposed to stand as an example to others.† â€Å"I have a friend who can get the body released.† â€Å"Joshua could still be set free, you know?† â€Å"He won’t be,† I said. â€Å"He doesn’t want to be.† Justus turned from me then. â€Å"I’ll give the orders. Kill him quickly, then take the body and get it out of my jurisdiction even quicker.† â€Å"Thank you, Justus.† â€Å"Don’t embarrass any more of my officers or your friend will be asking for two bodies.† When I came out of the fortress Maggie ran into my arms. â€Å"It’s horrible. They put a crown of thorns on his head and the crowd spit on him. The soldiers beat him.† The crowd milled around us. â€Å"Where is he now?† The crowd roared and people began pointing up to the balcony. Pilate stood there next to Joshua, who was being held by two soldiers. Joshua stared straight ahead, still looking as if he were in a trance. Blood was running into his eyes. Pilate raised his arms and the crowd went quiet. â€Å"I have no complaint with this man, yet your priests say that he has committed blasphemy. This is no crime under Roman law,† said Pilate. â€Å"What would you have me do with him?† â€Å"Crucify him!† screamed someone next to me. I looked over to see Jakan waving a fist. The other Pharisees began chanting, â€Å"Crucify him, crucify him.† And soon the whole crowd seemed to join in. Among the crowd I saw the few of Joshua’s followers that were left begin to slink away before the anger was turned on them. Pilate made a gesture as if he was washing his hands and walked inside. Friday Eleven apostles, Maggie, Joshua’s mother, and his brother James gathered at the upper room of Joseph of Arimathea’s house. The merchant had been to see Pilate and the governor agreed to release Joshua’s body in honor of the Passover. Joseph explained: â€Å"The Romans aren’t stupid, they know our women prepare the dead, so we can’t send the apostles to get him. The soldiers will give the body to Maggie and Mary. James, since you’re his brother, they’ll allow you to come along to help carry him. The rest of you should keep your faces covered. The Pharisees will be looking for Joshua’s followers. The priests have already spent too much time on this during a feast week, so they’ll all be at the Temple. I’ve bought a tomb near the hill where they’ll crucify him. Peter, you will wait there.† â€Å"What if I can’t heal him?† Peter said. â€Å"I’ve never even tried to raise the dead.† â€Å"He won’t be dead,† I said. â€Å"He just won’t be able to move. I couldn’t find the ingredients I needed to make a potion to kill the pain, so he’ll look dead, but he’ll feel everything. I know what it’s like, I was in that state for weeks once. Peter, you’ll have to heal the wounds from the lash and the nails, but they shouldn’t be mortal. I’ll give him the antidote as soon as he’s out of sight of the Romans. Maggie, as soon as they give him to you, close his eyes if they’re open or they’ll dry out.† â€Å"I can’t watch it,† Maggie said. â€Å"I can’t watch them nail him to that tree.† â€Å"You don’t have to. Wait at the tomb. I’ll send someone to get you when it’s time.† â€Å"Can this work?† Andrew said. â€Å"Can you bring him back, Biff?† â€Å"I’m not bringing him back from anything. He won’t be dead, he’ll just be hurt.† â€Å"We’d better go,† said Joseph, looking out the window at the sky. â€Å"They’ll bring him out at noon.† A crowd had gathered outside of the praetorium, but most were merely curious; only a few of the Pharisees, among them Jakan, had actually come out to see Joshua executed. I stayed back, almost a half-block away, watching. The other disciples were spread out, wearing shawls or turbans that covered their faces. Peter had sent Bartholomew to sit with Maggie and Mary at the tomb. No shawl could disguise his bulk or his stench. Three heavy crossbeams leaned against the wall outside the palace gates, waiting for their victims. At noon Joshua was brought out along with two thieves who had also been sentenced to death, and the beams were placed upon their shoulders. Joshua was bleeding from a dozen places on his head and face, and although he still wore the purple robe that Herod had placed on him, I could see that blood from the flogging had run down and left streaks on his legs. He still looked like he was in some sort of trance, but there was no question that he was feeling the pain of his wounds. The crowd closed in on him, shouting insults and spitting on him, but I noticed that when he stumbled, someone always lifted him to his feet. His followers were still scattered among the crowd, they were just afraid to show themselves. From time to time I looked around the periphery of the mob and caught the eye of one of the apostles. Always there was a tear there, and always a mix of anguish and anger. It took everything I had not to rush in among the soldiers, take one of their swords, and start hacking. Afraid of my own temper, I fell back from the crowd until I came alongside of Simon. â€Å"I can’t do it either,† I said. â€Å"I can’t watch them put him on the cross.† â€Å"You have to,† the Zealot said. â€Å"No, you be there, Simon. Let him see your face. Let him know you’re there. I’ll come up once the cross is set.† I had never been able to look at someone who was being crucified even when I didn’t know them. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stomach watching them do it to my best friend. I’d lose control, attack someone, and then we’d both be lost. Simon was a soldier, a secret soldier, but a soldier still. He could do it. The horrible scene at the temple of Kali ran through my head. â€Å"Simon, tell him I said mindful breath. Tell him that there is no cold.† â€Å"What cold?† â€Å"He’ll know what it means. If he remembers he’ll be able to shut out the pain. He learned to do that in the East.† â€Å"I’ll tell him.† I wouldn’t be able to tell him myself, not without giving myself away. I watched from the walls of the city as they led Joshua to the road that ran by the hill called Golgotha, a thousand yards outside the Gennath Gate. I turned away, but even from a thousand yards I could hear him screaming as they drove the nails. Justus had assigned four soldiers to watch Joshua die. After a half hour they were alone except for perhaps a dozen onlookers and the families of the two thieves, who were praying and singing dirges at the feet of the condemned. Jakan and the other Pharisees had only stayed to see Joshua hoisted upright and the cross set, then they went off to feast with their families. â€Å"A game,† I said, tossing a pair of dice in the air as I approached the soldiers. â€Å"Just a simple game.† I had borrowed a tunic and an expensive sash from Joseph of Arimathea. He’d also given me his purse, which I held up and jingled in front of the soldiers. â€Å"A game, Legionnaire?† One of the Romans laughed. â€Å"And where would we get money to gamble with?† â€Å"We’ll play for those clothes behind you. That purple robe at the foot of the cross.† The Roman lifted the robe with a spear point, then looked up at Joshua, whose eyes went wide when he saw me. â€Å"Sure, it looks like we’ll be here a while. Let’s have a game.† First I had to lose enough money to give the Romans something to gamble with, then I had to win it back slowly enough to keep me there long enough to accomplish my mission. (I silently thanked Joy for teaching me how to cheat at dice.) I handed the dice to the soldier nearest me, who was perhaps fifty years old, built short and powerfully, but covered with scar tissue and gnarled limbs, evidence of broken bones mishealed. He looked too old to be soldiering this far from Rome, and too beaten down to make the journey home. The other soldiers were younger, in their twenties, I guessed, all with dark olive skin and dark eyes, all lean, fit, and hungry-looking. Two of the younger soldiers carried the standard Roman infantry spear, a wooden shaft with a narrow iron spike as long as a man’s forearm, tipped with a compact three-bladed point designed to be driven through armor. The other two carried the wasp-waisted Iberian short sword that I’d seen on Justus’ belt so man y times. He must have had them imported for his legion to fit his own preference. (Most Romans used a straight-bladed short sword.) I handed the dice to the old soldier and dumped some coins out in the dirt. As the Roman threw the dice against the bottom of Joshua’s cross I scanned the hills and saw the apostles watching from behind trees and over rocks. I gave a signal and it passed from one to the other, and finally to a woman who waited back on one of the city walls. â€Å"Oh my, the gods have turned against me today,† I said, rolling a losing combination. â€Å"I thought you Jews only had one God.† â€Å"I was talking about your gods, Legionnaire. I’m losing.† The soldiers laughed and I heard a moan from above us. I cringed and felt as if my ribs would cave in on themselves from the pain in my heart. I ventured a glance at Joshua and he was looking right at me. â€Å"You don’t have to do this,† he said in Sanskrit. â€Å"What nonsense is the Jew talking now?† asked the old soldier. â€Å"I couldn’t say, soldier. He must be delirious.† I saw two women approaching the foot of the cross on Joshua’s left, carrying a large bowl, a jar of water, and a long stick. â€Å"Hey there, get away from them.† â€Å"Just here to give a drink of water to the condemned, sir. No harm meant.† The woman took a sponge from the bowl and squeezed it out. It was Susanna, Maggie’s friend from Galilee, along with Johanna. They’d come down for the Passover to cheer Joshua into the city, now we’d conscripted them to help poison him. The soldiers watched as the women dipped the sponge, then attached it to the end of the stick and held it for the thief to drink from. I had to look away. â€Å"Faith, Biff,† Joshua said, again in Sanskrit. â€Å"There, you shut up and die,† barked one of the younger Romans. I twitched and squinted at the dice in lieu of crushing the soldier’s windpipe. â€Å"Give me a seven. Baby needs new sandals,† said another young Roman. I couldn’t look at Joshua and I couldn’t look to see what the women were doing. The plan was that they would go to the two thieves first, so as not to raise suspicion, but now I was regretting the decision to delay. Finally Susanna brought the bowl to where we were gambling and set it down while Johanna poured some water over the sponge. â€Å"Got any wine there for a thirsty soldier?† said one of the young soldiers. He smacked Johanna on the bottom. â€Å"Or some other relief?† The old soldier caught the young soldier’s arm and pushed him away. â€Å"You’ll be up on that stick with this wretch, Marcus. These Jews take touching their women seriously. Justus won’t tolerate it.† Susanna pulled her shawl around her face. She was pretty, lean with small facial features except for her wide brown eyes. She was too old not to be married, but I suspected that she had left a husband to follow Joshua. It was the same story with Johanna, except that her husband had followed along for a while, then divorced her when she wouldn’t come home with him. She was more sturdily built, and she rolled like a wagon when she walked. She took the sponge and held it out to me. â€Å"Drink, sir?† Here the timing was critical. â€Å"Anyone want a sip of water?† I asked before taking the sponge. I was palming the ying-yang amulet as I said it. â€Å"Drink after a Jewish dog. Not likely,† said the old soldier. â€Å"I’m getting the impression that my Jewish money might sully your Roman purse,† I said. â€Å"Maybe I should go.† â€Å"No, your money’s good enough,† said a young soldier, punching my shoulder in good spirits. I was tempted to relieve him of his teeth. I took the sponge and feigned taking a drink. When I raised the sponge to squeeze the water into my mouth I dumped the poison over it. Instantly I handed it back to Johanna so as not to poison myself. Without dipping it back in the water she affixed the sponge to the stick and raised it up to Joshua’s face. His head rolled, and his tongue rolled out of the side of his mouth against the moisture. â€Å"Drink,† Johanna said, but Joshua didn’t seem to hear her. She pushed the sponge harder against his mouth and it dripped on one of the Romans. â€Å"Drink.† â€Å"Move away from there, Marcus,† said the old soldier. â€Å"When he goes he’ll lose his fluids all over you. You don’t want to sit too close.† The old Roman laughed raucously. â€Å"Drink it, Joshua,† said Susanna. Finally Joshua opened his eyes and pushed his face into the sponge. I held my breath as I heard him sucking the moisture out of it. â€Å"Enough!† said the young soldier. He knocked the stick out of Susanna’s hands. The sponge went flying off into the dirt. â€Å"He’ll be dead soon.† â€Å"Not soon enough, though, with that block to stand on,† said the old soldier. Then time began to pass more slowly than I could ever remember. When Joy had poisoned me it had taken only seconds before I was paralyzed, then when I’d used the poison on the man in India he’d dropped almost immediately. I tried to pretend to pay attention to the game, but I was looking for some sign that the poison was working. The women moved away and watched from a distance, but I heard one of them gasp and when I looked up, Joshua’s head had lolled over. Drool ran out of his open mouth. â€Å"How do you know when he’s dead?† I asked. â€Å"Like this.† The young soldier named Marcus prodded Joshua in the thigh with his spear. Joshua moaned and opened his eyes and I felt my stomach sink. I could hear sobbing from Johanna and Susanna. I threw the dice, and waited. An hour passed, and still Joshua moaned. I could hear him praying softly from time to time over the laughter of the soldiers. Another hour. I had begun to shake. Every sound from the cross was like a hot iron driven in my spine. I couldn’t bring myself to look up at him. The disciples moved closer, less concerned now about staying hidden, but the Romans were too intent on their game to notice. Unfortunately, I was not intent enough. â€Å"That’s it for you,† said the old soldier. â€Å"Unless you want to gamble for your own cloak now. Your purse is empty.† â€Å"Is this bastard ever going to die?† said one of the young soldiers. â€Å"He just needs help,† said the young soldier named Marcus, who had stood and was leaning on his spear. Before I could even get to my feet he thrust the spear upward into Joshua’s side, the point went up under his ribs, and his heart blood pulsed down the iron in three great gushes, then ran out in a trickle. Marcus yanked the spear out. The entire hillside echoed with screaming, some of it my own. I stood transfixed, shaking, watching the blood run out of Joshua’s side. Hands latched onto my arms and I was dragged back, away from the cross. The Romans started to pick up their things to head back to the praetorium. â€Å"Loony,† said the old soldier, looking at me. Joshua looked at me one last time, then closed his eyes and died. â€Å"Come away, Biff,† a woman’s voice said in my ear. â€Å"Come away.† They turned me around and started marching me toward the city. I could feel a chill running over me as the wind came up and the sky started to darken under a sudden storm. There was still screaming, going on and on, and when Johanna clamped her hand over my mouth I realized it was me who had been screaming. I blinked tears out of my eyes, again and again, trying to at least see where they were leading me, but as soon as my sight would clear another sob would rock my body and the water would rise again. They were leading me to the Gennath Gate, that much I could tell, and there was a dark figure standing on the wall above the gate, watching us. I blinked and caught a single second of clarity as I saw who it was. â€Å"Judas!† I screamed until my voice shattered. I shook off the women and ran through the gate, swung myself up on top of one of the huge doors, and leapt to the wall. Judas ran south along the wall, looking from side to side for a place to jump off. There was no thought to what I was doing, nothing but grief gone to anger, love gone to hatred. I followed Judas across the roofs of Jerusalem, tossing aside anyone who got in my way, shattering pottery, crashing down rooftop chicken cages, pulling down lines of hanging clothes. When he came to a roof that led no further, Judas jumped two stories to the ground and came up limping as he ran down the street toward the Essene Gate at Ben Hinnon. I came off the roof full stride and landed without losing a step. Although I heard something tear in my ankle I couldn’t feel it. There was a line of people trying to get into the city at the Essene Gate, probably seeking shelter from the impending storm. Lightning crackled across the sky and raindrops as big as frogs began to plop onto the streets, leaving craters in the dust and painting the city with a thin coat of mud. Judas fought through the crowd as if he were swimming in pitch, pulling people past him on either side, moving a step forward only to be carried back a step. I saw a ladder leaning against the city wall and ran up it. There were Roman soldiers stationed here on the wall and I brushed by them, ducking spears and swords as I made my way to the gate, then over it, then to the wall on the other side. I could see Judas below me. He’d broken out of the crowd and was making his way along a ridge that ran parallel to the wall. It was too far to jump, so I followed him from above until I came to the corner of the battlement, where the wall sloped down to accommodate the thickness required to hold the corner. I slid down the wet limestone on my feet and hands and hit the ground ten paces behind the Zealot. He didn’t know I was there. The rain came down now in sheets and the thunder was so frequent and loud that I could hear nothing myself but the roaring anger in my head. Judas came to a cypress tree that jutted over a high cliff with hundreds of tombs gouged into it. The path passed between a wall of tombs and the cypress tree; past the tree was a fifty-yard drop. Judas pulled a purse from his belt, pulled a small stone out of the opening to one of the tombs, then shoved the purse inside. I caught him by the back of the neck and he shrieked. â€Å"Go ahead, put the stone back,† I said. He tried to wheel on me and hit me with the stone. I took it from him and fitted it back into the tomb, then kicked his feet out from under him and dragged him to the edge of the cliff. I clamped onto his windpipe and, holding the cypress tree with my free hand, I leaned him out over the cliff. â€Å"Don’t struggle!† I shouted. â€Å"You’ll only free yourself to the fall.† â€Å"I couldn’t let him live,† Judas said. â€Å"You can’t have someone like him alive.† I pulled the Zealot back up on the cliff and whipped the sash from around his tunic. â€Å"He knew he had to die,† Judas said. â€Å"How do you think I knew he’d be at Gethsemane, not at Simon’s? He told me!† â€Å"You didn’t have to give him up!† I screamed. I wrapped the sash around his neck, then pulled it tight over the crook of a cypress branch. â€Å"Don’t. Don’t do this. I had to do it. Someone did. He would have just reminded us of what we’ll never be.† â€Å"Yep,† I said. I shoved him backward over the cliff and caught the end of the sash as it tightened around the branch. The sash twanged when it took his weight and his neck snapped with the sound of a knuckle cracking. I let go of the sash and Judas’ body fell into the darkness. The boom of thunder concealed the sound of impact. The anger ran out of me then, leaving me feeling as if my very bones were losing their structure. I looked forward, straight over the Ben Hinnon valley, into a sheet of lightning-bleached rain. â€Å"I’m sorry,† I said, and I stepped off the cliff. I felt a bolt of pain, and then nothing. That’s all I remember. How to cite Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 32, Essay examples

Business Plan for a New Product

Question: Explain the business plan for a new product that is going to be launched by a company that would be established in the market of Singapore. Answer: 1. Executive Summary The study establishes a business plan for a new product that is going to be launched by a company that would be established in the market of Singapore. It is an end to end product that is named as Rotihome. By opportunity analysis, it has been found that there is a high demand for such kind of products. The business mainly targets Indian and people from Middle East who live in Singapore. They cannot consume the popular Indian cuisine flattened bread Roti due to their busy schedule. Thus, the product would be facilitated in such a way that it would help them to cook in less period of time. Here, the business plan is made for launching the product in the market and grab the market demand as well. The company plans to make 8% growth and achieve success in the year 2016. As per their objectives, vision and mission, the business plan is made. 2. Business Details This is the new business that is going to be start up in the market of Singapore. Through analyzing the scope and opportunity of the existing market, the new business would be established that offer a product that helps to make Indian cuisine. It has been decided that the business would be opened in the city Novena and named as Indian Cuisine Centre. The new proposed venture to be introduced by this business is the product Rotihome that would help make various Indian flat bread dishes. It has been found that cooking the form of bread Roti is a lengthy and tiring procedure. Apart from this, it is time consuming and thus most of the Indians in Singapore avoid cooking this item. Through opportunity analysis, it has been found that there is a demand for this product in the market of Singapore. The vision statement of this business is We establish high standards and build success in delivering such products that helps to make Indian cuisine of regular meal category. It helps to generate long term sustainable competitive advantage. The mission statement of this business is We are dedicated to our promise of delivering such product that provide best quality of Indian bread form that suits the local taste of the customers, in order to enrich their health and lives as well. Their prime aim and objectives are as follows: To launch new business with new proposed venture in order to offer best Indian cuisines to the local people. To establish themselves as the best business delivering products which help make best regular meal categories. To generate 8% growth in the year 2016 and ensure a consistent growth thereafter. 3. Industry and Market Analysis Market Analysis: The market analysis for this particular business is done with the help of the SLEPT Analysis Model. Grnig and Khn (2015) opined that the SLEPT analysis helps to analyze the macro environment aspects that include social, legal, economic, political, and technological factors. Furthermore, this technique helps in competitor analysis to know the threats and opportunity of the business along the strengths and weaknesses of the business (Teoh et al. 2013). The SLEPT analysis for this particular business is demonstrated in the below table: Factors Analysis Social factor As per the record of 2015, 7.4% of the Singapore population is Indian (Teoh et al. 2013). It is one of the cosmopolitan developed cities where most of the people are engaged in several career platforms. Legal factor It has been found that new businesses can freely enter in the market of Singapore. As per the Companies Act 2013, all the businesses need to be registered with ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority). Economic factor The continuous growing GDP growth rate delivers positive sign to start up a new business. Political factor The stable economic policy made the political environment of Singapore stable. Further, the single party ruling state helps the business to run under a stable business market. Technological factor Technological innovation is the prime reason behind the growth. This is the reason that the state is known as New York of the East and Emporium of the East. Table 1: SLEPT Analysis (Source: Teoh et al. 2013) Industry Analysis: In order go through the industry analysis, the Porters Five Forces Model is considered here. According to Zhao et al. (2016), it is the micro environment analysis that helps to analyze as well as determine the level of competition in the present business market. The Porters Five Forces analysis for this business is illustrated in the below table: Forces Analysis Threat of New entrants The threat is in Medium Level. It has been mentioned that starting up a new business in Singapore is way much easy. It is expected that the new business would be launched once it successfully grabs the market. Threats of Subtitute product The threat is in Low Level. No substitute product of Rotihome is present in the market of Singapore. Bargaining power of Customers The bargaining power of the customers is Low. It has been noticed that it has a high demand in the market. Bargaining power of supplier The bargaining power of the supplier is High. As the demand is high and no substitutes are available, the suppliers have the power over the product price. Intensity of competitive rivalry The intensity of competitive rivalry is High. Large numbers of products are present and available offered by the brands like Samsung, LG, Phillips and many more. They might imitate this idea in order to grab greater market share. Table 2: Porters Five Forces Analysis (Source: Created by Author) 4. Customers and Value Proposition The business is targeting the middle and upper class working individuals of Singapore. It has been expected that they would able to attract the age group of 16-70 years. In order to be more precise, the business mainly targets Indians who live in Singapore. Along with that, this particular product has gained popularity due to their health benefits and tastes. Thus, it is expected that they would able to attract the people of other cultures also. However, mainly the people from India and Middle East cook and like to consume this flattened bread every day. Due to their busy schedule, customers often switch to consume other products. Thus, the businesss aim is to target and attract those consumers among whom there is high demand for this product. In order to attract more number of customers, the business has formulated a USP (Unique Value Proposition) that helps to offer unique quality that its competitors are lacking in. The USP for the product Rotihome is as follows: It offers taste along with health benefits in their regular meal. People are able to include tasty meals in their healthy diet list. The products would be offered at lower prices. Many features will be provided where large number of dishes of flattened bread can be made. It has been mentioned earlier that cooking this flattened bread is time consuming in nature. Along with that, it needs perfection in adjusting softness, crispiness, quantity of oil and thickness of the bread. The USP of this product not only saves their time, but also offers best quality product. Furthermore, by including large options, they would able to achieve its objectives and also restrain the future threat which they might face from the competitors. The sales target for 2016: As per their target, they would generate 8% growth in their sales. 5. Marketing Strategy As stated by Krush et al. (2016), the marketing strategy helps to attain the ultimate objectives of the business. The marketing strategy for this business is discussed in the below section. Marketing Mix Approach: The marketing mix approach helps to establish right combinations of product, place and time (Barrett and Weinstein 2015). In this case, the 4Ps marketing mix strategy has been considered. 4 Ps of marketing mix Strategies Product The product Rotihome is an end to end product which is different from the dough makers which are available in the market. The product would be facilitated in such a way that the user needs to input certain amount of flour and water only. People They target the people who are from India and Middle East. In order to be more precise, they targeted the age group of 16-70 years belonging from the upper and middle social classes. Place The business would be established in the market of Novena. As it is in the centre area of Singapore, the business would able to attract more number of customers. Promotion The product would be promoted with USB storage in order to train the users with video sessions. Along with that, EMI options would be provided when purchasing the product. Table 3: Marketing Mix Strategy (Source: Created by Author) Launch Strategy: Following the statement of Vlasov and Mark-Herbert (2016), successful product launch strategy helps the organizations to attract more number of customers. Here, the business management has decided to incorporate certain strategies to boost the sales of the product. Before launching this product in the market, they would promote their product through TV and social media sites. Apart from this, the product would be offered at half the price when purchasing on the day of its launch. It has been mentioned that there is high demand among the Indians for this kind of products. The half price strategy would help to attract other customers who are not belonging to the Indian or Middle Eastern culture. They want to attract the most possible number of buyers as it would help them to apply the word-of-mouth strategy. Sales tactics: They would incorporate the EMI option for the first six months. It would help them to attract the price and cost conscious customers. It has been found that some people belonging to the age group 16-25 years are not easily influenced by such kinds of product. They are not much bothered about their health and do not tend to change their habits (Hunt 2015). Thus, they might not want to spend money on purchasing this product. However, the EMI option would influence their buying decision. Brand Development: In order to develop the brand name and brand image, they would display their product in an attractive way in the social media sites. Less frequency advertisements on TV would be considered in order to make the users know about the new product. These strategies would help them to make a brand image among the consumers. Competitive Reaction: It has been mentioned that no close substitutes are existent in the market at present, thus they have high a competitive advantage. However, as some dough makers are available in the market, they need to add some visual attraction in the advertisements of this product. Product and Market Development: In order to develop the product, the company would engage a research and development team. The team would ensure that the product includes all the features which they decided to offer. Furthermore, they would enhance the awareness of the need and value of the product to develop the market for this product. Growth Potential: After achieving the growth in the present year, the company would plan to enhance their business in other parts of Singapore within the 2020. The long term goal of the company is to make it an international business. 6. Operations Plan Key operating activities: The business would engage a research and development team to develop this particular product and ensure that all features are included. The management of the business would set a schedule plan for manufacturing and launching the product. Along with these operating activities, they would operate the expense as per their budget plan. Business Controls: All the operating activities of the business are controlled by the control system of the organizations. The management team would involve a team that would monitor all the activities. They would ensure that all the operations are implemented as per the outlined schedule. Furthermore, they would control the performance of the employees so that the managers of the company can improve the employability skills of the employees. Scalability: As per the statement of Nielsen and Lund (2015), the scalability of a business defines the ability of that business in handling the business operations in order to accommodate growth. It has been mentioned that they expect to generate 8% growth in the year 2016. As per their planning and strategies, they expect to attain that growth in that specific time period. In such a case, if the organization is able to increase the demand for that particular product, they would able to increase a small bit in price and generate more profit. In such circumstances, the business would include a clause on scalability in its contract with supplier. If the demand exceeds beyond the estimated figure, the company would enhance their logistic network to meet the demand. 7. Management Team and Company Structure The key people of the business are the management team that directs all the stakeholders in the proper direction. The key people in the management team include the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), marketing manager and production manager. They belong to the top management team that mainly looks over the entire business operations. All the business decisions are made by the team in order to drive the business towards growth and success. Other key members are the operation managers and professional staffs. The operation managers handle the issues and constraints that the staffs confront in operating the activities. Moreover, the main functions or the business operations are handled by the professional staffs. However, the management team needs to identify other key people in order to support them in achieving their individual goals. This would help them to build a good employee relation which further strengthens the business o perations. As discussed by Parks, Olson and Bokor (2015), it is essential to make the business structure before initiating the business. In this case, the respective organization would select the legal structure in order to estimate the tax amount that they need to pay for establishing in the market of Singapore. This would help to identify the ability of the business in raising money. Furthermore, this would clear which kind of liability they are going to confront in the new business market. They have decided not to be involved in partnership businesses in the next 3 years. Sole proprietorship is considered in this case where the business is owned by a single individual. 8. Resources Premises and facilities: The management of the business has decided to establish the business in the city, Novena. The business premise is decided to be established in this area due to the presence of a large population. As it is located in the center of Singapore, large number of population is travelled for business purpose. The business targets people who are not able to make healthy or time consuming food due to their busy schedule. Furthermore, all the facilities that the company needs in starting up the new business are well available in this area. Machinery and equipment: The machinery and equipment are the main part of manufacturing the product. The organization has decided to incorporate modern equipments in the business. Thus, they need large amount of capital to start up that business. In order to restrict the fixed cost of the business, they balance their expenses in other contexts. Staff: As the company would include expensive machinery equipments, they tend to employ smaller number of employees in order to restrain the total expenditure. However, the staffs would be trained well so that the business would not have to confront risk or uncertainty. As the company is going to establish a new business, it is essential to make their human resources strong. It is the key factor that helps generate growth and achieve success within the outlined time frame. 9. Financing It has been decided by the owner of the company to keep total a capital of $2000000 for the overall business. At the same time, the owner has also decided to provide $700000 from personal savings and the rest $1300000 will be funded by the external sources. The company has a plan to take a long term bank loan. Therefore, the gearing ratio of the company will be 185.71 (approx). 10. Financial Projections Projection of income of the company (Refers to appendix 1) Projection of cash flow Projected cash flow statement Particulars 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Profit for the year (10389) 12028 15740 13462 12566 Cash from operating activities: Increase in current assets (179) (160) (140) (170) (160) Increase in current liabilities 140 190 130 210 140 Net cash from operating activities (30) 30 (10) 40 (20) Cash from investing activities: Investment in Fixed assets (1100) (1400) (700) (1100) (1800) Net cash from investing activities (1100) (1400) (700) (1100) (1800) Cash from financing activities: Borrowing loan 1300000 0 0 10000 0 Net cash from financing activities 1300000 0 0 10000 0 Net cash inflows 1288481 10658 15030 22402 10746 Table 4: Projection of cash flow (Source: Created by Author) In the above cash flow statement, it can be seen that in the first year of the business, the company will have much high cash inflows. This will be because in the first year, the company will take a bank loan, for which the cash inflow from the financing activities will be higher. However, in the other years the cash inflows will be much lower. It is also needed to be mentioned that in all the years the cash inflows will be positive for the company. Key Ratios According to the budgeted financial figures of the company, the profitability ratios of the company will be fluctuating in the first five years. In the first year the profitability ratio will be -21.87, which will increase in the 2nd year to 18.14 and in 3rd year, this will be 19.68. In the fourth and fifth year, the profitability ratio will be 15.54 and 14.24. 11. Risk and Strategic Options It has been mentioned that the new product does not have close substitutes in the present market. Thus, the business would not receive strong threat from the competitors at the initial stage. It clears the fact that the risk from the competitors is less. Moreover, the business has a high risk as they might receive threat from the customers. In such a case, if the business fails to perform well in the market of Singapore, they might face loss. Besides, their further plans and strategies depend on the performance of the product. In the present situation, the management team would formulate more strategic options which would be utilized in case the initial strategy fails to achieve its goal. Their strategy mainly focuses on attracting customers by effective advertising procedures. 12. Key Milestones The key milestone of this business is the return of their investment. In this context, it can be stated that their first key milestone will be the first positive return. However, it is important to maintain as well as enhance the return in order to generate growth and increase the revenue. Besides, the key milestone would help the company to achieve their mission and vision and enhance their financial performance as well. 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