History – Does General Haig Deserve the Title the Butcher?

General Haig's status prior to the Battle of the Somme had been remarkable. In 1885 General Haig was commissioned in the cavalry and served in several campaigns – Sudan and in the Boer War in South Africa between 1899 and 1902. In the Boer war General Haig had served with distinction and showed a lot of potential and was later promoted to the war office. Many people during this period after his first taste of success thought he had a lot of potential. And he didn't disappoint. In august 1914 when WW1 had started, General Haig was commanding his first army corps.General Haig and his men fought in several battles e. g. Battle of Mon and Battle of Ypres – In which he was very successful. All of this success lead to extremely high expectations of him as WW1 had started. However General Haig's title of ‘the butcher of the Somme' originated after the First World War, when, due to large number of casualties Britain suffered from the war and mostly the Somme. In which 20, 000 died in the first day of the Battle and many were injured. The people of Britain wanted someone to blame.This was a coping mechanism in which people could deal with the loss of the ‘lost generation'. Does General Haig deserve the title ‘Butcher of the Somme'? In this essay I will discus whether General Haig deserves to be remembered as ‘the butcher of the Somme'. General Haig's title of ‘the butcher of the Somme' originated after the First World War, when, due to large number of casualties Britain suffered from the war and mostly the Somme. The people of Britain wanted someone to blame. This was a coping mechanism in which people could deal with the loss of the ‘lost generation'.Arguably Haig does deserve his nickname. This is because Haig sent thousands of men to their deaths continuously after his war efforts seemed not to be working. For instance 60,000 soldiers died in the first day alone in the battle of the Somme. The reason that so many peopl e died was that Haig ordered his men to walk across no-mans land. They were easy targets for the German machine guns. However Haig assisted Britain in winning the war and although he did so with tremendous loss of life, these men did not die pointlessly.They died to protect their families and everyone else on the home front, and they died to prevent Britain from becoming a German Nation. Haig was also faced with an almost impossible task of winning the war in the quickest means possible. Haig was under constant pressure from the government to have a large victory to boost morale. This factor as well as the fact that Haig was not used to the tactics of a war of attrition may have caused Haig to act rashly and therefore if he was not under so much pressure he may have acted differently. Haig was also fed false Intel that was meant to boost morale.Haig was advised that his seven day artillery bombardment had proven to be successful (the aim of the bombardment was to brake all the barbe d wire and kill most of the Germans in the trenches) therefore he ordered his men to walk across no-mans land and look for mines. This shows that he thought about what to do and what was in the best interest for his men as there was no point in telling his men to run across no-mans land to be blown up by mines. It is debatable that Haig deserves his nickname as, while his men are starving in the cold and muddy trench, Haig is sipping French wine.

Royal Mail Group

The crisis created for the Labor Government by the proposed sale and part privatization of the post office- Royal Mail Introduction: Recently, Royal Mail Group will be sold at least 1/3 of the whole business to private companies or foreign postal companies in the United Kingdom. One of 71 post centres, half of them will be cut down, and 50,000 employees will possible lose their jobs. One hand, this essay will demonstrate the crisis issue from public; on the other hand, how the issues have been handled by the Government and analyze these strategies and tactics.Main body: Royal Mail Group is one of the large-scale national enterprises in the United Kingdom, employees as many as 150,000 people. It is reported by British media, with the global financial crisis deepening Royal Mail Group of dismal business is facing a bad situation, which will be split sale possiblely, and the United Kingdom Ministry of Commerce and Postal Department are discussing a plan on postal privatization. Beginnin g in 1635, Royal Mail's operation has been the oldest postal system in the world.Currently, Royal Mail maintains the monopoly on postal services of the civilian use, but it is squeezed and rarely shares in the field of business by foreign mail delivery companies. In the civilian use areas, the number of mail delivery decline year after year. Both of Royal Mail’s huge pension deficit and the increasing e-mails mean the service will never be profitable in this current form. Dutch firm TNT, one of the mojor rivals with Royal Mail in the British postal market, TNT is thought to be the front runner to achieve the stake, which might be between 25% and 30%.Part-privatisation of Royal Mail is opposed by unions and many Labour MPs, who think that it will undermine the universal delivery service and threaten thousands of jobs, and urge the government to rethink this plan. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats support part-privatisation as a way of helping to modernise the service in principle. But at the same time, they are worried about Royal Mail's profitability and government support for its pension scheme in the future. In brief, at present, the government has faced the following issues:At first, lots of MPs disagree this plan, the BBC news says â€Å"about 140 Labor MPs have signed a motion opposing the part-privatization†; One of the rebels, Geraldine Smith, said â€Å"Royal Mail's status as one of the UK's ‘most respected’ public organizations must be safeguarded. Part-privatization is not the answer†. Secondly, some of people worry the pension scheme; the postal worker Sean Tail said â€Å"Potentially to get the same pension, I might even have to work past 65†. Thirdly, Communication Worker Unions put forward to have a big redundancy after part-privatization.Thereby, numbers of workers will lose their jobs. Faced above problems, the government adapts some strategies and tactics to solve these issues. The first one i s the press release, which is a key communications tool in a crisis situation. It will tell the public their thought via the media (such as a backgrounder or fact sheet). It provides officials explanation of what is happening. They must have an honest answer Respond the media quickly and fairly. News releases should keep the government correct reputation and identity throughout the crisis period.Add any other available information, such as endorsements and statement from respected professionals who tell the public commercial partnership go in the market and strengthen Royal Mail financially, meanwhile, it will have a fair competition with Royal Mail, and enable it to offer new services. It can help government obtain the support to sell off 30% of Royal Mail. In the same way, the internet has been used by activists as a highly effective global mechanism for gathering opinion from public, at the same time, publish the government's plan,which selling off 30% of Royal Mail is the only w ay to safeguard the service.Everybody wants to see a modern Royal Mail. Keeping Royal Mail in the public sector, but without some private investment would be â€Å"continued long-term decline† and even full privatization by a future government. The Labor Party releases â€Å"Royal Mail would continue to belong to the English people, its most respected image never changes†. The government websites or online news can provide a fast and effective means of communicating directly to government without the risk of â€Å"interpretation† by the media.Aiming a lot of the workers of the Royal Mail would not think of the politics, but about their pension and their job security. So, the next strategy and tactics about government, in the keynote speech, the prime minister said it is necessary that Royal Mail can achieve an investment, which guarantees a ? 25bn pension fund, spends ? 1. 5bn on the Post Office network, and maintains a universal service obligation. The received cash will be offset the cost of taking over Royal Mail pension liabilities.Money through part-privatization is ploughed back into post offices and the unemployed will gain the postal job before long, perhaps they will earn more money than before. Sometimes, they should not be sacked if they are all perfect, so they have a competition each other, and a hardworking labor. Conclusion: Because a crisis catches unprepared people, every organization must have appropriate crisis communication strategies and tactics to firmly guide those organizations that pass the bad and difficult situation.In this case study, the national English post office- Royal Mail has faced a problem from among the Labor Government, the MPs and the other public. The government must solve this problem correctly and betimes by the suitable strategies and tactics, especially dispose the relationships among them while keeping its good reputation and great image in the public. Like this, it will has a lot of public to support its decision.Reference: (2009), Sell-off ‘to save postal service' . Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7911526. tm [Accessed: March 16, 2009]. (2009), Royal Mail plans to be unveiled . Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7906418. stm [Accessed: March 22, 2009]. (2009), Labour postal rebellion growing . Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7827497. stm [Accessed: March 22, 2009]. (2009), PM: Royal Mail needs private cash . Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7916478. stm [Accessed: March 20, 2009]. Regester, M. & Larkin, J. (2005), Risk Issues and Crisis Management, 3rd ed, CIPR, London.

Analysis of Demand and Supply for Ford SUVs and Trucks

Analysis of Demand and Supply for Ford SUVs and Trucks This paper will discuss the analysis of Demand and Supply for Ford’s SUVs and trucks. Particularly the larger SUVs and Trucks. What is demand and supply analysis? It â€Å"is the study of how buyers and sellers interact to determine transaction prices and quantities.† (Demand and Supply Analysis: Introduction, 2011). It might be hard to believe that the big SUVs and trucks sells are on the rise while all sedans sales are plummeting in ever category. Half a decade ago SUVs and trucks sells were rock bottom but with the current economy, low gas prices, low interest rates, and the average income is on the rise, people are opting for the larger vehicles. Ford is one manufacture that is going to take advantage of the new demand shift. Ford has opted out of making any more sedans and to only to make SUVs and trucks. Ford will keep two sedans which is the Ford Focus and the Ford Mustang their best sellers. Ford plans to introduce new SUVs and Trucks to cover more of the market segments, because not ever consumer can afford Fords top tier line that cost upwards of seventy to eighty thousand dollars. The Analysis of Demand and Supply. Less than five years ago car manufacturers were on a race to improve fuel economy. This was mostly due to the high gas prices. From around 2011 until late 2014 going into 2015 gas prices averaged over $3.50 a gallon and high average just over $4.00 dollars a gallon. The above chart is from (Gas Price Charts, 2018). According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average American driver puts in 13,474 miles behind the wheel each year. So, if U.S. consumer was to by a large SUV that got a combine average of 18mpg and at $4 dollars a gallon it would have cost the consumer $2,994 dollars. However, if the consumer was to buy a car that got closer to 40mpgs it would have cost the consumer $1,347.4 dollars. This would have saved the consumer on average $137 dollars a month just in gas not to mention that the smaller cars cost less. Gas was a significant factor but there were other factors such as economic confidence was down, the average American’s salary was stagnate and even declining. During the time frame 2010 to 2016 consumers were spending less. The economic environment has changed, and the economy has strengthened over the last two years. Gas prices are lower with the current national average of $2.84. At the current gas price and with the larger SUVs and Trucks peaking around 20mpgs it would currently cost the consumer $1,913 dollars in gas, this is a thousand dollars a year savings. Other factors driving consumers spending more on cars are Americans have more economic confidence and American wages are on the rise. According to USA Today â€Å"U.S. workers’ wages and benefits grew 2.6% last year [2017] the fastest 12-month pace since the spring of 2015.† (Wages rise at 2.6% in 2017, 2017). This means that U.S consumers have a little more money in their pocket and they don’t want the same cars any longer and are willing to spend more to get more. Americans have always been drawn towards larger vehicles more than other nations. Therefore, Ford has made the change to focus more on their SUV line and Truck line. Only two cars survived the chopping block. One thing that is evident with the current new demand is the price. In 2013 the Ford Expedition top out at $51,355 dollars in the top trim level of the King Ranch. Now in 2018 Ford has introduced a remodeled Ford Expedition and the top tier base price is $76,175 dollars. These prices were gathered from Autotrader.com. What caused this massive jump in price in just 5 years. To start out the demand was down because of the recent high gas prices. With the environmental factor such as gas price this will reduce the demand for larger vehicle when there is a alternative vehicle that got better gas mileage and cost tremendously less. As the gas went down and the consumer income went up the demand for these SUVs went up, but the supply was low. Fords parent company Lincoln was selling their high-end Lincoln Navigator but Ford was having a hard time keeping up the demand. In January of 2018 Lincoln sold 1,300 Navigators this number was up 97.5% from January in 2017. Not only was Lincolns sales up but of those 1,300 Navigators sold 84% of them were Lincolns two highest trim level which brought a price of over $90,000 dollars. While everyone might not be able to spend upwards of $80,000 to $90,000 dollars Ford is introducing new models that are smaller but look like an SUV. This move is to capitalize on the current trend that people are moving away form sedans and that the current technology is allowing some of the smaller crossover SUVs to get upwards of the 30mpg range. The ability to get 30mpgs in a SUV will help Ford survive if the gas price was to go up or if the economy was to take a down turn. In the end if the economy is right the U.S. consumer will spend more on their vehicle but if gas goes up and the economy tanks we could see prices fall for the large SUVs and Trucks.

The Theory of Management Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Theory of Management Fashion - Essay Example The essay "The Theory of Management Fashion" concerns the theory of fashion management. In view of this, the theory of management fashion states that management fashion is in principal a cultural happening structured by the rule of rationality. This means that the management must be perceived to be always looking for perfection. The primary belief in management is that over a given span of time, a particular management fashion will be out of trend, and a newer one will replace it. Based on this school of thought, certain management fashions last for a short time while other stay for a long period and attain widespread acceptance. In various management segments, several successions of management creativity are seen whereby as one goes out of trend and declines in popularity, the trendsetter initiates a novel innovation, thus resulting into a graphical representation of the trend as a rising and declining curve.Management fashion has been studied over the years through an examination o f two comparable life patterns. The first parallel is the discourse life pattern, which is an approach employed to study the volume as well as the natural world of disclosure concerning a particular trend over time. It employs bibliographic and subject matter breakdown, separating the assorted forms of discourse such as the Internet, business book, journal and magazines as well as the mass media. The dissemination life cycle is the second parallel. This strategy is employed to determine the level. to which management creativity is taken up by organizations, which follow fashion and the extent of use over a given period. Based on the innovation form and type, the analysis can be executed through case study surveys or the scrutiny of secondary facts such a sales figures and services supplies among other market indicators. Literature review Across generations, social science scholars have been captivated by fashion and fads. However, it is only recently that theories and schools studyi ng these two aspects in management emerged with scholars like Abrahamson (1996) pioneering in the field of study in addition to other scholars like Fairchild (1999) following suit. These scholars and their studies among others attend to the hype centered on organizational management models and tools namely knowledge management and quality circles among others (Herzhoff 2010). In view of this, four themes have been identified which are applicable to the study of management fashion. Fads and fashion in academic research There has been a divergence in view points concerning management fashion with scholars like Cole (1999) observing management fashion studies as an expensive pastime while Abrahamson (1996) acknowledges the importance of examining fashion, claiming that publicized themes of management should not just be disregarded. In view of this, other scholars like Collins (2000), support Abrahamson’s viewpoint. Abrahamson, who is a supporter of the management fashion theory, contends that philosophers and academicians ought not to be indifferent to trends, since they are not only restricted to aesthetics. Abrahamson (1996), further states that there exist two clear differences between trends and aesthetics. Trends in aesthetics necessitate only to be recent and attractive, whereas trends in management need to be not only logic but also progressive. Secondly, the demand for aesthetic fashion is influenced by social

Claim Response Letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Claim Response Letter - Assignment Example We fail to understand because you arrived late for our services. It is indeed true that for the record, you came among the last people and favor was upon you when Mr. Ottawa, attended to you like among our first clients, which is not usually the case. In as much as you report Mr. Ottawa for been late, it is not justified. These are because you are the only one that wasted time, and so, even the first attendance was a favor. You claim to be paid back some cash. I bet we are not responsible for your misfortune. It has to our awareness of you claim, you as Mr. Carm, we deeply appreciate your raise of concern and how prompt you are. These have helped us keep track on all our employees and ensure they provide quality service at the required time to all our customers. We say these because we appreciate that without you, we lack work to do. These means that you are indeed our bosses and must put your interests first. From the time you came in packing to the time Doctor Ottawa attended to you, it is quite clear that one hour was indeed gone. And the fact that you got overcharged for the packing slot fee; it was truly not our fault as the hospital. We attend to our clients in a first come first serve basis. Those who arrive early are put first to be seen by our doctors, to our surprise, you came thirty-five minutes late and in turn, got lucky and served as among our first clients. Our big question to you is where were you by the time this half past the hour was clicking? And according to you, who is on the wrong side of the law? By these we mean, who could have made you pay these extra packing fees, is it the doctor’s fault or yours? The matter looks simple, but also our institution has a policy that must needs follow-up. First come first serve rule, and we fail to understand how you managed to cross the line before others and got the service among the first clients. It is, therefore, with humble request that we call upon you to

Medieval Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medieval Philosophy - Essay Example Thomas Aquinas. Al-Ghazali, after studying the rationalist philosophers became a mystic convinced that ultimate truth could be attained only through revelation. While other philosophers claimed that God dealt only with universals, Ghazali's God was concerned with the minutest details. Perhaps best known to the Western World were Ibn Sina, known in Europe as Avicenna (980-1037), and Ib Rushd (Averroes). Ibn Sina's numerous works, also rooted in Aristotle, greatly influenced medieval European philosophers such as Abelard, Albertus Magnus, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Ibn Rushd, born in 1126 in Spain, wrote about philosophy, mathematics, law, and theology, building upon his predecessors, al-Farabi and Ibn Sina. He was the last of the classical Muslim philosophers in Spain. Faith in the existence of human knowledge in all men marked his philosophy - which also had many similarities to that of Thomas Aquinas. The ninth century A.C. forms the golden period of the development of Islamic learning, when the Arabs were the real standard bearers of civilization. They not only saved Greek learning from total extinction but also made lasting contributions to almost all branches of knowledge and made considerable advancements in diverse spheres of human activity.

What shapes historical development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What shapes historical development - Essay Example To analyze, since the beginning of time, the nature of man has been disposed to the interest of discoveries which has apparently guided them to establish civilizations and lay foundations for knowledge of various fields. Hence, as humans search for a sense of identity, of humanity, or of the truth in what they are in relation to others of their kind and the environment, in general, they inevitably do tasks or perform activities that create unseen force essential to evolution from one state of nature to the next. The capacity and attitude for quest occurs to be the key which enables men to adapt, make changes, and explore possibilities in order to have a meaningful existence. As a rational being, man thinks and such intrinsic ability to form logical thoughts or ideas is crucial to man’s aim of satisfying a bulk of curiosities and needs, whether concrete or abstract in form. In this manner, thus, men along with their searching nature, skills, vision, deeds, and ways of thinking chiefly shape the course of historical development. Because humans influence each other in a vast number of ways, time after time, early civilizations develop into a more complex system of relations where they have gradually discovered efficient means and tools of sustaining life and addressing different challenges of living. Eventually, there emerged the intertwined concept of ‘progress’ and ‘success’ as men come to understand more deeply the value of human intelligence, of reason, and of persevering act necessary to achieve goals in the study of science, religion, philosophy, arts, music, and literature. The increasing knowledge on these subject areas allows formation of cultures and societies that are distinct from each other and such distinction affects historical context. Moreover, it is through knowledge that men examine themselves as sensible individuals and learn of power and conquest for which economy and politics matter in further structuring the norms of ethics and moral law within a society. When nations march for war against one another, this event would undoubtedly mark a point of development as history exhibits how ideals differ depending on the political and economic position of a country involved compared to the rest. Consequently, the similarities and dissimilarities in beliefs or views of men identify what a nation, culture, or average community is made of and illustrate that differences among human perspectives herein can be vital player in determining specific factors by which historical development proceeds in any part of the world. It turns out that, for as long as men can manage to acquire and apply knowledge, as well as become socio-politically aware, and engage in scientific, literary, or philosophical efforts for the sake of attaining power and progress, then historical development continues to be modified through interactions and the events to which they yield. Does this historical development have a patter n? If so, what is this pattern? Yes. Historical development seems to be patterned after a process in which a civilization or a nation rises in power as an empire then declines or falls weak after sometime due to conflicts originating either from the side of the ruler or that of the subjects or people whose economic or cultural issues have not been settled or dealt with in proper terms. A historically critical person may observe a cycle where the state of economy varies directly as the state of politics so that the principal workers of this system are normally headed to the

Violation of Patient Consent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Violation of Patient Consent - Essay Example Though the meeting at the doctor’s office was held in dispute being the point of divergence from the two statements, the hearing managed to establish that at least both the doctor and the patient accurately identified each other due to recollected encounters at the hospital’s ER. Apparently, the violation indicated that no authorization to examine was given to the defendant by the plaintiff such that factual details of results may not be divulged to the third party – company or employer of the patient – unless her full consent was granted. To help settle the issue, it was found that a form from the side of the third party had been signed by the patient worker and it particularly reflected that â€Å"she understood her medical record would form part of the company’s permanent record of her employment (Can. Fam. Physician, 790).† Her decision to have done so by signing was taken into account as a proper authorization and as an additional relief to the direction of the case, the doctor presented evidence wherein the medical documents handed over to the employer merely consisted of the information on the normal x-ray which the patient herself supplied the physician with. Moreover, the defending party proved innocence toward the allege d breach of confidentiality by showing the court an available note which manifested the patient’s written compliance to be examined by the physician. A portion of the defendant’s query about â€Å"indigestion† was responded to with â€Å"not now† by the plaintiff and this served another indispensable proof of the event of their conference within the doctor’s premise (Can. Fam. Physician). The judge, accordingly, recognized that there emerged a cause of action when the plaintiff conveyed upset feelings on the basis of her misguided understanding of the breach of trust which she suspected to have occurred between her and the defendant.

Power Authority and Influence. BrandMaker Assignment

Power Authority and Influence. BrandMaker - Assignment Example BrandMaker is a case of leadership entangled with power struggle between the top management staff. The organization has not only lost focus on its goals, but it has also lost touch with its customers and clients since there is lack of clear leadership emanating from the management. In this regard therefore, the leadership of this company is being faced by both internal management challenges and other challenges related to other external factors. Led by the CEO, Tom Morris, Brandmaker management is being faced by various key issues to which they must address. Though Brand maker has been a game shaper especially in the marketing and advertising sector over decades, its operational methodology and functionalism tested and achieved efficacy seen, it has to strategize to remain relevant and competitive. Advancement in information communication technology has changed the way businesses are operated across the world. This has resulted into the increased competition in all industry due to ease of access to market and clients. However, with the increase in technology each day BrandMaker needs to put in place measures that would it remain relevant in the industry and be on a level ground with other companies competing in the same market. Changes in technology pose a great challenge to BrandMaker since it calls for an overhaul of its functioning and operations. Each day, customers’ needs change thus calls for clear understanding of these needs for organizations such as BrandMaker to remain competitive. This therefore means for the firm to keep the lead as it has been doing in the past they have to invest in the improvement of their technology. This would mean better measures on how to respond to the rising customer demands. The CEO and the entire management therefore need to build and invest more in new and emerging technology and come up with new product lines. The management is also obliged to ensure there is smooth transition in replacement of their personnel. For instance Brand maker has enjoyed services of some of its highly ranked officers and a change in their position is not an easy task. John Goodwin, for instance has served in Corporate Identity Marketing Division (CIM), as the head for over a decade (Banahan & Casse, 2007). This department has had tremendous growth especially in the performance of the marketing department and his replacement would pose great challenge to the CEO. He must therefore ensure that there is not only a smooth transition, but also continued upward performance of that department. BrandMaker is also being compelled to merger with EAD () from some of its management personnel, thou the two have differences with regard to their respective companies’ profile. While BrandMaker is focusing on being creative and innovative; EAD on the other hand puts a strong emphasis on an independent and

Organisational structures Essay Example for Free

Organisational structures Essay An organisation can be defined as a group of people who work over a period of time together to achieve a common goal or objective. An organisational structure can be classified into a number of different types, examples are listed below: * Tall, flat, hierarchal * Line structures * Line and staff structures * Centralised and decentralised structures * Matrix structures Mars Confectionery in Slough comprises two factories and an office, all of which are situated in Slough Trading Estate. Their factories operate around the clock, 24 hours a day. The two main types of chart are a flat organisational chart and a tall organisational chart. A flat organisational chart is used when a company have very little hierarchy; there are few levels of authority and more departments. A tall organisational chart shows the hierarchical structure of the organisation, the different levels of authority. 2.4a Flat Organisational Charts- A flat organisational chart is when an organisation has very little hierarchy, there are few levels of authority. Mars have a tall organisational structure and also a tall hierarchal structure. The managing Director is at the top and below are seven departments. Each department is made up of a team. Flat Tall The advantages of an organisational chart is that is shows the position of your company at a particular time- needs reviewing. It can show anomalies and efficiency- shows faults in fundamental structure. It also shows new employees and shows a broad outline of the company and where they fit in. It is also essential for the day to day planning. The disadvantages are that it shows formal organisation- not personalities (people mould job). And it may lead to disputes if not applied rigidly. It also shows that companies status at only one point in time (when the chart is being drawn). After it has been drawn a new employee may start up at the organisation and then the old chart would need to be upgraded. This type of structure provides possibilities for promotion for any staff. Mars use critical thinking this is where managers are looking to promote someone with initiative, who can handle difficult situations and make the right decisions quickly. An organisational chart is a diagrammatic presentation of the structure of an organisation, showing the department within that organisation e.g. Finance, RD, Administration, Personnel, Marketing, Sales Logistics and Production. An organisational chart also shows the level of responsibility and authority for individuals or departments, it also shows the span of control, so the number of people a person in supervising. At Mars they operate a line structure is the relationship between a senior and a subordinate at any level within the organisation. This is simple to understand so staff know exactly where they are in the structure. Managers will also have a clear understanding of the roles of people when allocating work. A centralised organisation is when decisions are made at the top of the organisation and the activities are shared out centrally. The advantage of centralisation are that the senior management is aware of how both internal external factors are likely to affect individual departments and the organisation in general. Decentralised structures are used when managers or supervisors take the authority in decisions The Mars decentralised because the head of each department has the authority to make decisions; therefore this saves time allow managers to take control of the work undertaken by their department and motivates staff because they have more responsibility. A matrix structure can be used by Mars when they are going to develop or launch a new product as it enable people from each functional area in order to complete the task. There are six types of organisational structures, which are line structures, staff structures, Functional structures, matrix structures, Centralised and De-Centralisation. 2.4b Line Structures Each unit is a microcosm of the whole. Each unit will have its own specialised staff carrying out the specialist management function. In a line structure, a company is usually organised into functional department, each headed by a senior manager, below whom is a chain of command. This shows there is a line of authority and responsibility as you go down the structure. For example, in Mars in the production department the line may pass down from production director to production manager, quality control, plant manager, process control, production supervisors and finally operatives. Each person in the line has authority of the one below. The advantages of a line structure is that it is simple to understand because staff know exactly where they are in the structure. Managers in Mars have a clear understanding of the roles of people when allocating work and spend less time monitoring work because subordinates are not distracted or confused by instructions from other sources. A well establishes line authority makes it possible for work to be delegated further down the line. Mars would use the line structure as it is simple to understand because staff know exactly where they are in the structure. The disadvantages are that it can involve a very long chain of command. Instructions may take a considerable amount of time to filter from the top and impact on the functional department, which would be a major drawback on a company in a rapidly changing market. Individuals may only respond to commands from their direct superior. The flow of information up the chain of command may take a long time, causing delays. 2.4c Staff Structures The senior management In Mars have a team of advisors to help them co-ordinate the activities of the whole organisation. A Mars member with the staff authority can provide services and advice to those in the line of authority in other departments. The training and recruitment of Human Resources management department are bound to involve other departments. Senior staff of Mars in the production department may have staff authority in the purchasing department. Mars staff in the finance department may have staff authority across all departments. Managers within Mars do not have the power or authority to control or give instructions, but rather the authority to deal with other departments and offer advice and services in relation to their problems. The advantages of staff structures are that it enables expertise and experience of specialists to be used to a greater extent across the Mars organisation. By having access to all areas of the business managers with staff authority can coordinate the organisations objectives and ensure a more immediate response to changes in technology or market conditions. Staff authority prevents individual departments from being too inward looking. In Mars it makes communication more efficient, without staff authority, communications between departments are a director level, and so any inter departmental communication ahs to pass up the chain of command in one department to director level and then down the other before it reaches the appropriate level. The disadvantages of a line and staff structure are that there is a risk that staff authority may diminish the authority of individuals in line management, particularly is those with staff functions acquire informal power and authority. In Mars this can lead to some subordinates becoming confused about whether they should take instructions from and be responsible to their line managers with staff authority. It can lead to clashes of personality and options. This may strain relations between staff, affecting productivity and morale. 2.4d Matrix Structures A matrix structure is an organisational structure set out as a grid, which shows the different ways an individual can be affected by authority. Here the projects need a variety of people from each functional area and there will be two managers that individual employees will have to report to. The advantages of the matrix structure are; making sure there is co-ordination between departments this is because it moves into the boundaries of each department boundary. This encourages greater flexibility and creativity, which is produced by the cross-fertilisation of knowledge and skills. It also enables lower staff to gain experience in management of a project team, which could be preparing them for promotion to become a higher manager. A disadvantage, however is that it can lead to confusion between project teams as individuals are involved in a large number of different relationships which create a complex pattern of authority and responsibility. In Mars they use a matrix structure which consists of specialist expertise who concentrate in specialist departments. Specialist staff are allocated to work on specialist projects. Project managers in Mars are responsible for completing the project calling on departmental specialise as they are needed. Promotion to higher levels of management is primarily based on technical expertise- merit or seniority. Communication chains are primarily downloaded and take the from of instructions and commands. This is an example of a Matrix structure used in Mars: Chief Executive The Mars Organisation structure is a grid showing the different ways an individual can be affected by authority. Here the projects need authority of people from each functional area and individuals will have to report to two managers. Organisational structures are divided by 1 product, 2 process, 3 customer, 4 geographical area. Division by product is when the organisation is separated by product lines. The advantages of a Mars matrix organisational structure is that it promotes an increased coordination between departments because it cuts across departmental boundaries-it encourages greater flexibility and creativity produced by cross fertilisation of knowledge and skills. It also allows for the involvement of relatively junior staff in Mars, giving them valuable experience in a wider field for the expression and application of their popular skills. The staff lower down the line structure can also gain valuable management development in a project team, preparing them for promotion. The involvement from specialists in other areas reduces the risks of resources being wasted on projects with no future. Matrix structures do have their disadvantages, the existence of a matrix structure in Mars and project teams can lead to confusion as individuals are involved in a large number of different relationships creating a complex pattern of authority and responsibility. A line manager may resent a subordinate receiving orders from anyone other than him or herself. 2.4e Centralised Organisations A centralised organisation is when decisions are made at the top of the organisation and the activities are carried out centrally. E.g. if a item needs to be purchased then all the purchases must go through the purchasing team. NO BODY has the authority to purchase separate items. Mars is not an example of a centralised organisation. Centralisation is where an organisation carries out its activities centrally in the business, so for example if an organisation wished to purchase equipment the purchasing department would carry it out, because no one else has the authority to do that. Most of the decisions are taken by employees at the top of the organisation and further down, they dont need to make decisions. An advantage of centralisation is the fact that the management team is aware of how much internal and external factors effect each individual department and the organisations general, meaning decisions can be made, based on what Mars needs as a whole. 2.4f De-Centralisation Is when each department manager has the ability to organise his own services making the decision on a day to day bases for his functional area. Mars is an example of a decentralised organisation; because the authority to make decisions on many activities is put to managers and sometimes maybe even supervisors, which is what takes place in Mars. This means that each department manager has the ability to organise there own services, making the decision on a day to day basis for their functional area. 2.4g The relationship between Culture and structure and management: There is a clear relationship between the structure and the culture of the Mars organisation. Tall organisations tend to have a culture based on a them and us attitude, which depends on where individuals stand in the hierarchy. There is likely to be a authoritarian culture. Mars have a tall organisational structure and also a tall hierarchal structure. The managing Director is at the top and below are seven departments. Each department is made up of a team. This means that an organisational chart shows the position of your company at a particular time- needs reviewing. It can show anomalies and efficiency- shows faults in fundamental structure. It also shows new employees and shows a broad outline of the company and where they fit in. It is also essential for the day to day planning Flat organisations tend to be more democratic, with multi directional flows of communication between organisational members, there is more likely to be a team approach. Matrix structures are more democratic than tall organisations. In the matrix people will mix with people from more than one functional area, so there is less likely to be a situation where departments become defensive of their territories. The matrix involves process teams this creates bonds between its team members and development of ideas. Hierarchical organisations are based on a top down approach which a main emphasis on communication. Centralised organisations are likely to lead a power based authoritarian structure. The centre of the organisation or team leaders will make or major dictions of the company. Distrust may be a major aspect from the centre of the organisation, people not involved or surrounded by the decision makers ill feel pushed out and unwelcome. An advantage of centralisation is the fact that the management team is aware of how much internal and external factors effect each individual department and the organisations general, meaning decisions can be made, based on what Mars needs as a whole. Decentralised organisations are most likely to be based on democratic structures teamwork and empowerment. Mars are not Delayering they are not laying people off when they want a flat organisational structure. This has not happened in Mars but this has happened in Nestle in 2002 who closed plants and made redundancies.

Flexural Response of Concrete Structures

Flexural Response of Concrete Structures Literature Review Introduction This chapter provides a literature review on the previous studies that have been conducted on the flexural response of FRP/FRC structures. Previous studies related to the effect of using discrete fibers on the concrete properties are first presented with a focus on the use of non-metallic fibers. Later in the chapter, previous studies conducted on continuous FRP-reinforced structures are presented. The chapter ends with a presentation on the research needs and the current research objectives. Fiber-reinforced concrete Background Concrete is known for its superior compressive capabilities. However, it has certain deficiencies like weak tensile strength, low durability, and brittleness. The high demand on more resilient concrete with better durability properties led to the development of fiber-reinforced concrete. Adding discrete fibers to concrete mixtures helps in bridging the micro and macro cracks. The random distribution of fibers resists the propagation of cracks in all directions unlike the longitudinal reinforcing bars that resist in only one direction. Fiber bridging allows stress to be transferred across the cracks, enhancing both flexure and shear resistance. In addition, fiber bridging enhances crack controlling by reducing the crack width and spacing. These enhancements result in better post-cracking ductility and energy absorption capacity. Fiber types Fibers are added to concrete mix to restrict the growth of cracks. Several types of fibers are commonly used in concrete construction. These fibers can be metallic like steel fibers, synthetic as polypropylene or natural like jute. The first two types of fibers are the most commonly used in civil engineering applications. Metallic fibers are known for their high ultimate strength, while the alkaline resistance of synthetic fibers makes them suitable for harsh environments. The usage of fibers depends on the required behavior of concrete. A comparison between the physical properties of different fibers is found in table 2-1. Metallic fibers Steel fibers are the most common metallic fibers, and the most frequently used fibers in concrete structures. They are known for their high tensile strength, availability and their reasonable cost.   Their high strength enhances the post-cracking behaviour of the concrete. This enhancement boosts concrete ability to control cracks and shrinkage. Different shapes and geometries are available to use in market. The typical diameter varies between 0.10 to 1 mm. Steel fibers could be straight, end-hooked, crimped, and flattened-end (Figure 2-1); this versatility helps in fulfilling market needs. Figure 2- 1: Various steel fibers shapes (Susetyo, 2009) Synthetic fibers Recently, the desire to use synthetic fibers, as an additional reinforcement for concrete,  Ã‚   has significantly grown. Known for their resistance for alkaline conditions, synthetic fibers became an attractive substitute for steel fibers in concrete applications.   In addition, they are chemically inert and have high melting point, which make them appropriate for structures subjected to aggressive environmental attacks. Synthetic fibers, figure 2-2, can be categorized according to their modulus of elasticity. Except for carbon and kelvar fibers, most of the synthetic fibers fall in low modulus of elasticity category, such as polypropylene, polyester and nylon. Synthetic fibers are very flexible, which prevent fibers from sticking or breaking during concrete pumping. Figure 2- 2: Synthetic fiber (adapted from testilelearner.ca) Natural fibers Fibers extracted from animals, such as hair and jute, are the oldest type of fibers used in fiber reinforced concrete. Comparing with their fibers counterparts, they are considered cheap, eco-friendly and available in many countries. With the implementation of new technology, fibers could be extracted from new sources such as basalt rocks. Due to their high resistivity to alkalis and acids, basalt fibers (Figure2-3), made themselves an appropriate candidate for concrete applications. Recent studies conducted by Jianxun Ma et al (2012) and Kizilkanat et al (2015), demonstrated the ability of basalt fibers to enhance the durability and post cracking behavior of concrete. Figure 2- 3: Basalt fibers (adapted from technobaslat.com) Table 2-1: Different fibers and their properties Fiber Diameter Youngs Modulus Tensile strength Type mm GPa MPa Metallic Steel 0.10-1.0 180-200 700-1800 Synthetic Polypropylene 0.02-1.0 5 450 Polyester 0.01-0.10 10-150 150-3000 Kelvar 0.01-0.03 50-70 3500-4000 Natural Wood 0.02-0.15 10-50 300-1000 Jute 0.10-0.20 25-35 250-350 Factors affecting the properties of FRC Fiber volume fraction The amount of fibers added to a concrete mix is measured as a percentage of the total volume of concrete and fibers. This percentage is called fiber volume fraction (Vf).   It generally ranges from 0.5 to 3%. Previous studies showed that the fiber volume fraction is the most influencing parameter on the properties of FRC. It has been shown that increasing the fiber volume fraction enhances the compressive strength, the post-cracking behavior, and the ductility of the concrete element (Jianxun Ma et al., 2012). The increase in the fiber content increases the probability of intersecting the cracks and therefore boosts the ability of concrete to resist cracks. However, higher fiber contents could lead to workability loss and segregation of the concrete constituents. Problems associated with the high fiber content occur as a result of the decreased paste volume fraction available for the free movements of the fibers and aggregates. Kakooei et al. (2012) investigated the properties of concrete mixes reinforced with polypropylene fibers. The concrete compressive strength, its permeability, and its electric resistivity were evaluated. The fibers were added in amounts that ranged between 0 to 2 kg per cubic meter. It was reported that concrete samples with 1.5 kg per cubic meter of polypropylene fibers showed better results in comparison with other samples. The concrete compressive strength was found to be proportional to the amount of fibers added in the mix. The study conducted by Jianxun Ma et al (2012) on the influence of basalt fiber content (added in amounts of 1 to 3%) on the physical and mechanical properties of traditional cement-based materials. Fluidity and cube compressive strength tests were carried out. Test results showed that the above-mentioned properties were inversely proportional to the added fiber content. In addition, it was proven that the toughness index was directly proportional to the fiber content up to 2%. Kizilkanat et al (2015) studied the effect of fiber dosage of basalt and glass fibers on the mechanical properties of FRC. Basalt fiber reinforced concrete (BFRC) specimens showed the highest compressive strength at 0.50% whereas the glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) showed the highest compressive strength at 0.75%. Both mixes showed a reduction in their modulus of elasticity with the increase of the fiber dosage. A40% increase in the splitting tensile strength was observed in the BFRC mix at 1.0%. The increase in the flexure strength was more pronounced in the BFRC mix and was directly proportional to the fiber dosage used. BFRC specimens showed flexural strengths13 and 34% higher than those of the plain concrete specimens at Vf= 0.5 and 1%, respectively. On the other hand, GFRC specimens showed marginal increase in their flexural strengths with Vf= 0.5%. Fiber dosage of 0.25% had no effect on the fracture energy for both types of mixes. However, the fracture energy increased b y 50% at Vf=1% in both mixtures. Fiber aspect ratio Fiber aspect ratio is defined as the ratio of the fiber length to its diameter (.Previous studies havedemonstrated that the fiber aspect ratio affected the properties of fiber reinforced concrete. High aspect ratios enhance the bond between the fiber and the matrix, which creates a stiff matrix and enhances the bonding between concrete and fibers. Shah and Rangan (1971) stated that the higher the aspect ratio the greater the ability of fibers to transmit stresses through cracks. Iyer et al. (2014) evaluated the 28-day compressive strength and modulus of rupture of basalt fiber reinforced concrete beams. Specimens had different volume fractions and aspect ratios (same diameters but varying lengths). Plain concrete and steel fiber reinforcement specimens were cast as references. It was found that increasing the fiber length and the fiber amount considerably reduced the workability of concrete. The fiber length had an insignificant effect on the modulus of rupture and the compressive strength of concrete when low percentages of fibers were used. For high fiber percentages, the results showed an increase in the modulus of rupture with the increase of the fiber length. The study showed that a major improvement in the compressive strength could be achieved by using 36 mm basalt fibers with Vf = 0.31% but not as high as steel fiber reinforced concrete specimens. Fiber geometry Commercially-available fibers have different shapes namely, straight, end-hooked, crimped, and flattened-end (Fig XXX). Recent experimental studies by Susetyo (2009) showed that concrete matrices reinforced with shorter fibers have higher deformation ductility and better crack control over those with long fibers. This was attributed to the large amounts of short fibres that could exist within the matrix, which improves the concrete ability to control cracks and bridge the tensile stresses across the cracks. Figure 2- 4: Commercially available steel fibers (adapted from steelfiber.org) A study by Branston et al. (2016) investigated the mechanical properties of two types of basalt fibers (chopped basalt fibers and minibars). It was observed that adding chopped basalt fibers retarded the first crack but had no effect on either the compressive strength or the post cracking behavior. Further examination using scanning electronic microscope showed that the chopped basalt fiber specimens failed due to rupture of the fibers while the minibars-reinforced specimens failed due to fibers pullout. Figure 2- 5 Chopped basalt fibers and Minibars used in Banstons experiment Basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bar This section reports on the use of continuous fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars in reinforcing concrete elements. Due to the wide range of FRP types that are commercially available, this section will focus on the recently developed basalt FRP (BFRP) bars and their use as reinforcing bars for concrete sections. BFRP bars are the newest members in the FRP bars family. They consist of basalt fibers impregnated in polymeric resin. The fibers are extracted from natural basalt rocks through a melting process. They are known for their high tensile strength, high modulus, and large strain to failure. Furthermore, they are known for their better durability and chemical stability over their glass FRP (GFRP) counterparts, which make them adequate for use in alkaline environments. To date, few studies have focused on the use of BFRP bars as internal reinforcement. The literature presented below is divided to three main sections as follows: Literature on the durability of BFRP bars; Literature on concrete elements reinforced with BFRP bars; and Literature on concrete elements with fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) reinforced longitudinally with BFRP bars. Durability of BFRP bars El Refai et al (2015) investigated the bond performance of BFRP bars to concrete through direct pullout test. Cylinders reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) were cast for comparative purposes. Different diameters of BFRP and GFRP bars, with variable embedment length in concrete, were used in this study. Results proved that BFRP bars could be a proper alternative for GFRP bars; as they attained 75% of GFRP bond strength. Smaller diameters of BFRP bars were more adhesive to concrete over the larger bars. This adhesion led to better bond between the concrete and the BFRP bars. It was noticed that BFRP and GFRP bars had similar trend regarding the effect of embedment length on the bond stress; as bond strength of both bars were inversely proportional with the embedment length. Altalmas et al (2015) studied the effect of various environmental conditions on the bond strength of pullout concrete cubes reinforced with sand-coated BFRP bars. Acid, saline and alkaline solutions were used to simulate different harsh environmental conditions.   The program consisted of 62 cube specimens reinforced with either BFRP or GFRP bars. Specimens were either unconditioned or subjected to exposure conditions for 30, 50 and 90 days. Results showed that BFRP specimens had better bond strength with concrete over the ribbed GFRP specimens, regardless the exposure condition,. BFRP specimens subjected for saline and alkaline solutions showed a 25% bond reduction after 90 days, while 14% reduction were reported for those immersed in acidic solution for the same duration of exposure. 25% bond loss was the highest bond reduction reported by GFRP specimens after 90 days. This reduction was reported by the specimens submerged in acidic solution, while 17% reduction was observed for specimens subjected to saline and alkaline conditions. Elgabbas et al (2015) investigated the short- and long-term properties of three different types of BFRP. The bars were conditioned in alkaline solution simulating the concrete environment to assess their ability as an internal reinforcement for concrete elements. The physical and mechanical properties of the bars were determined according to ACI-440 and CSA-807 test procedures. Concerning the short-term properties, the results showed that BFRP bars met the physical and mechanical requirements stated by ACI and CSA and could be placed in the same category as grade II and grade III GFRP bars. However, the long-term mechanical properties for the alkali-conditioned specimens showed significant degradation.   Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) confirmed that this degradation was attributed to the poor bonding between the resin and the fiber. Hassan et al. (2016) studied the bond durability of BFRP bars embedded in concrete in aggressive environments. A total of 50 BFRP specimens were immersed in alkaline solution at three different elevated temperatures (40, 50, and 60o C) for 1.5, 3, and 6 months. Five unconditioned specimens were tested at room temperature 28 days after casting for comparative purposes. The bond strength generally increased with the increase in the surrounding temperature. Exposure for 1.5 months increased the bond strengths by 25% and 26% in the specimens conditioned at 50 and 60oC, respectively, whereas a minor reduction in the bond strength (about 4%) was recorded for specimens conditioned at 40. Specimens conditioned for6 months at 40 had the maximal bond loss (about 16%). However, all specimens met the minimum bond strength reported by ACI 440.6 and CSA-S807. Depending on the environmental conditions, the long-term bond-strength-retention predications of the BFRP bars after 50 years of service lif e ranged from 71% to 92%, Durability of BFRP bars Mahroug et al. (2013) studied the flexural response of simple and continuous slabs reinforced with BFRP bars. A total of 6 slabs having different reinforcement ratios and bars arrangement were tested in flexure. One continuously supported slab reinforced with steel bars was also tested as a reference slab. Results showed that slab reinforced with BFRP bars had higher deflections with deeper cracks than the reference slab. Over-reinforced BFRP-reinforced slabs showed higher loading carrying capacity. The authors reported that ACI 440.1R-06 overestimated the flexural capacity in most of BFRP-reinforced concrete slabs. ISIS-M03-07 and CSA-S806-06 reasonably predicted the deflections of the BFRP-reinforced slabs whereas ACI 440-1R-06 underestimated their deflections. Lapko and UrbanÃÅ' ski (2014) presented a comparative analysis of experimental and theoretical analysis of concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars. The research consisted of three beams reinforced with BFRP bars and three reference beams reinforced with conventional steel bars. The results showed that the BFRP-reinforced beams showed higher deflections and crack width in comparison with their steel-reinforced counterparts. CSA806-02 accurately predicted the beam deflections at the initial loading level (up to 20% of critical load) with 9% discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental deflections. As the load increased, the CSA806-02 showed large discrepancy between the theoretical and the experimental deflections (up to 49%). Deflections based on the provision of ISIS (2007) and and by modified equation of Bischoff were the most accurate throughout all phases of loading. PawÅ‚owskia and SzumigaÅ‚aa (2015) investigated the flexural behavior of full-scale BFRP-reinforced beams. Three beams with different reinforcement ratios were tested until failure. Results showed that BFRP-reinforced beams having high reinforcement ratios experienced higher ultimate loads and stiffness that those having low reinforcement ratios. However, the former beams showed less ductility than the later ones. It was proven that the flexural design of BFRP-reinforced members is governed by serviceability limits since the ultimate deflections of beams were six times greater than the permissible values. Numerical analysis using ABAQUS showed a good agreement with the experimental results. Zhang et al. (2015) studied the flexural deflections of concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars. Six beams reinforced with different ratios in addition to one control steel-reinforced beam were tested under four point loading. Results showed that BFRP-reinforced beams exhibited brittle failure especially the under-reinforced beams. ACI 440.1R-06 accurately predicted the flexure capacities of the beams but underestimated their deflection capacities. A modified equation considering the influence of the increased compressive zone was proposed. This equation showed higher accuracy in predicting the deflections of the BFRP-reinforced beams than the ACI equation. Finite element modeling (FEM) using ABAQUS package was used to model the BFRP-reinforced beams and showed good agreement with the experimental results. Elgabbas et al (2016) investigated the structure performance of six concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars. The beams had different reinforcement ratios, number of reinforcement layers, and bar sizes. It was found that the ACI and CSA overestimated the cracking moment by an average of 27% and 24%, respectively. The average bond-dependent coefficient (kb) was estimated at 0.8, which was in agreement with the recommendation of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. The obtained results confirmed that the pre-cracking response of all beams was similar until cracking occurred with no evidence of being affected by the reinforcement ratio. However, after cracking, it was reported that beams with higher reinforcement ratios had better crack distribution and less crack width. The authors concluded that CSA provisions provided reasonable deflection yet conservative values over the ACI for beams reinforced with BFRP. Tomlinson and Fam (2015) evaluated the flexural and shear performances for concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars and stirrups.   A total of nine specimens were reinforced with BFRP bars were tested under four-point loading. Steel reinforced specimens were cast for comparison purposes. The parameters investigated included the type of stirrups (steel or BFRP) and the reinforcement ratio (varying from 0.28 to 1.60). Results showed that the service and ultimate loads of BFRP specimens were directly proportional to the flexural reinforcement ratio, regardless the shear reinforcement type.   In addition, BFRP-reinforced beams showed significantly higher strengths (2.8 times) in comparison with their steel-reinforced counterparts having the same reinforcement ratio. ACI and CSA adequately predicted the flexural strength of the BFRP-reinforced beams. Ge et al. (2015) studied the flexural behavior of hybrid concrete beams reinforced with BFRP and steel bars. Three hybrid concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars and steel bars, one concrete beam reinforced with BFRP bars and one concrete beam reinforced with steel bars were cast. Results showed that the ratio between the area of FRP bars to that of steel bars () governed the deflection and the crack spacing properties of the hybrid beams, as both decreased with the increase of this ratio. It was observed that under same loading, the deflection and crack spacing were maximal in the BFRP-reinforced beams and minimal in the steel-reinforced ones. Hybrid beams showed deflections less than those encountered in the BFRP-reinforced beams but higher than those of the steel-reinforced ones. It was also proven that the average crack spacing calculation theory is valid for hybrid-reinforced beams, while a new formula for calculating the flexural capacity was proposed for those beams. Hybrid FRC/FRP specimens Won et al (2010) investigated the flexural cracks of 16 beams reinforced with FRP bars. Parameters used in this study were the reinforcement bars type (GFRP or CFRP) and the reinforcement ratio. Steel reinforced specimens were cast for comparative purposes. 1% by volume of crimped polypropylene fibers was added to the concrete mix. Results showed that adding polypropylene fibers enhanced the cracking response of the concrete. However, it reduced its compressive strength by 23%, in comparison with the plain concrete. Both GFRP and CFRP under-reinforced FRC beams had smaller cracks, while the over-reinforced ones had an increased number of cracks formed. Polypropylene fibers didnt have much of an effect on steel reinforced specimens; as beams with plain concrete and with FRC had similar cracking response. A total of 36 specimens were fabricated by Belrabi et al. (2011) to investigate the effect of environmental exposure on the long-term bond behavior of FRP/FRC structures. Specimens were subjected to combined freez eand thaw cycles and high temperature while being submerged in salt solution. FRP bars in plain concrete were subjected to the same environmental conditions for comparative purposes. It was found that 0.5% of polypropylene fibers significantly enhanced the bond durability. An average of 28% reduction in bond strength was observed for FRP bars in plain concrete whereas only 6% reduction was observed for FRC specimens. Furthermore, 26% average reduction in design bond strength was reported for plain concrete specimens while only 10% reduction was reported for FRC specimens. Wang and Belarbi (2013) investigated the long-term flexural performance of FRP/FRC beams. Beams cast with plain concrete served as controls. Twenty-six over-reinforced concrete beams were subjected to freeze and thaw cycles followed by high temperature cycles before being tested in flexure. It was reported that all specimens failed due to concrete crushing. Results showed that conditioning had slight effect on the flexural capacities of both plain and FRC beams. However, 0.5% of polypropylene fibers enhanced the ductility index of both conditioned and unconditioned specimens by an average of 30%. Wang and Belrab (2015) conducted a research to investigate the possibility of using steel-free system to overcome corrosion problems associated with steel.   Their systems consisted of hybrid CFRP/GFRP bars and 0.5% randomly distributed polypropylene fibers. A total of 12 over-reinforced specimens were subjected to four-point loading configuration. The investigated parameters included the size and type of FRP bars and the concrete mix (FRC and plain concrete). All plain concrete specimens failed by concrete crushing. However, FRC beams failed in a more ductile behavior that was attributed to the bridging effect of the added fibers. Results showed that the fibers had significantly enhanced the concrete ultimate stain to an average of 3,300 micro-strains while 2,950 micros-trains were measured in theplain concrete beams. The addition of fibers improved the flexural capacity for the FRC beams up to 9% and the ultimate deflection up to 27%. High et al. (2015) conducted an experimental program to investigate the use of BFRP bars as flexural reinforcement for concrete members. In addition, they studied the effect of using chopped basalt fibers as an additive to enhance the mechanical properties of concrete. Six one-way slabs reinforced with BFRP bars were tested in flexure and their results were compared with those predicted by ACI 440.1R-06.Under-reinforced slabs showed a lower carrying capacity than the balanced and over-reinforced slabs due to the rupture of BFRP bars.   It was proven that ACI 440.1R-06 adequately predicted the flexure capacities of the slabs but significantly underestimated the deflections at service loads. More precise deflection values were predicted by using the equation proposed by Bischoff and Gross (2011) while neglecting the effect of tension stiffening. The use of chopped basalt fiber resulted in an increase in the modulus of rupture of concrete with a slight effect on the compressive streng th. Conclusions: A summary of the previous studies that have been carried out on the flexural response of concrete structures reinforced with FRP, FRC or hybrid has been presented. Parameters recognized to have a significant effect on the behaviour of these elements are identified. The previous studies were categorized the reinforcement type; FRC, FRP or hybrid. An overall review on the factors affecting the behaviour of FRC is presented with a focus on non-metallic fibers. In addition, factors making non-metallic fibers more preferable than metallic fibers are highlighted. From the previous literature review, the following points are concluded: The presence of fibers in concrete has a great influence on the behavior of concrete structures. They have been successfully known for their ability to control cracks and shrinkage and enhance the post-cracking behavior. Those enhancements occur as a result of the bridge action caused by fibers. Fiber volume fraction is the most influencing parameter on the properties of FRC. Sufficient fibers are required to enhance the bridging action, while excessive fibers could lead to workability and segregation issues. Synthetic fibers are considered a promising candidate for reinforcing concrete structures. Owing to their alkaline resistivity, high melting point and high tensile strength, they are measured as a promising replacement for steel fibers in reinforcement concrete applications. Aspect ratio of the fiber is another important factor which influences the behavior of FRC. It has been reported that compressive strength and concrete toughness are considerably affected by the aspect ratio of fibers used in the concrete mix. The type of bars used as flexural reinforcement has a major effect on the behavior of the concrete elements. This occurs due to the variance in the physical and mechanical properties of the materials used in forming the bars. Reinforcement ratio is a significant parameter in BFRP concrete structures. It was found that specimens having high reinforcement ratios experienced higher ultimate loads and stiffness. ACI 440.1R-06 and CSA S806-06 were accurate in predicting the flexure capacities of BFRP structures however, they underestimated their deflection capacities. There is a noticeable lack of studies on the flexural response of BFRP slabs in the presence of basalt mini-bars. Among the few studies, this mentioned hybrid system proved to be efficient in enhancing the compressive strength of the concrete and improving its overall durability. None of the previous studies has investigated the effect of different fiber volume ratios of basalt mini-bars on the behavior of concrete structures reinforced with BFRP bars. None of the previous studies has developed a numerical model that is capable to simulate the flexural response of BFRP reinforced concrete structures in the presence of different volume fractions of basalt mini-bars. Research objectives: The overall objective of the current study is to investigate the flexural response of BFRP slabs reinforced with different volumetric ratios of basalt mini-bars. The detailed procedures of the current study are presented

The Silent Partner: A Canadianization Dilemma :: Film Movie Movies Canada Silent Partner Essays

The Silent Partner: A Canadianization Dilemma Works Cited Missing As a student of Canadian film, I find great appreciation in films that work to culturally enrich Canada's movie screens. I feel that an honest portrayal of Canadian values and culture is beneficial not only by enhancing the credibility of Canada's film industry, but also by maintaining a voice for the customs held by the Canadian people. For these reasons, among others, it had become very easy for me to dislike Daryl Duke's 1978 film The Silent Partner. Based on the knowledge I had before sitting through numerous screenings of the film, I found a challenge in making any concretely positive statements about it, or the state of Canada's film industry at the time. I asked myself about the effect this film had on Canada's film industry, wondering primarily if the film's success in Canada - it won a total of 6 Canadian Film Awards including best feature and best director - came not from a poignant portrayal of Canadian culture, but rather from a "Canadianization" of the typical American t hriller. I questioned the details of the film's formation, the choices made about talent, and the credibility of the script, and still I found myself forcing out any positive criticisms I might muster. As far as first impressions go, The Silent Partner's was not promising. Perhaps now I must consider an alternate approach to understanding this film. Maybe my difficulty in pinpointing The Silent Partner's positive attributes demonstrates to some extent my current narrow-mindedness on Hollywood-style pictures. I think it's only fair to treat this film as an article of film criticism in order to accurately look at it within the context of a national cinema. And so, let us begin by looking first at the particulars of the Canadian film industry around the time The Silent Partner was released. Maybe afterwards, we'll be able to understand the implications of what audiences saw on that illustrious Canadian screen I feel so emotionally bound to preserving. The code word for success in the late seventies was "international appeal." In a time referred to as "the tax-shelter boom," it was perceived by some that the Canadian film industry had given in. Demoralized by countless relatively unsuccessful attempts at profitability and independence, "Canada's feature film industry had finally succumbed to that old adage: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" (Magder 169). The Silent Partner: A Canadianization Dilemma :: Film Movie Movies Canada Silent Partner Essays The Silent Partner: A Canadianization Dilemma Works Cited Missing As a student of Canadian film, I find great appreciation in films that work to culturally enrich Canada's movie screens. I feel that an honest portrayal of Canadian values and culture is beneficial not only by enhancing the credibility of Canada's film industry, but also by maintaining a voice for the customs held by the Canadian people. For these reasons, among others, it had become very easy for me to dislike Daryl Duke's 1978 film The Silent Partner. Based on the knowledge I had before sitting through numerous screenings of the film, I found a challenge in making any concretely positive statements about it, or the state of Canada's film industry at the time. I asked myself about the effect this film had on Canada's film industry, wondering primarily if the film's success in Canada - it won a total of 6 Canadian Film Awards including best feature and best director - came not from a poignant portrayal of Canadian culture, but rather from a "Canadianization" of the typical American t hriller. I questioned the details of the film's formation, the choices made about talent, and the credibility of the script, and still I found myself forcing out any positive criticisms I might muster. As far as first impressions go, The Silent Partner's was not promising. Perhaps now I must consider an alternate approach to understanding this film. Maybe my difficulty in pinpointing The Silent Partner's positive attributes demonstrates to some extent my current narrow-mindedness on Hollywood-style pictures. I think it's only fair to treat this film as an article of film criticism in order to accurately look at it within the context of a national cinema. And so, let us begin by looking first at the particulars of the Canadian film industry around the time The Silent Partner was released. Maybe afterwards, we'll be able to understand the implications of what audiences saw on that illustrious Canadian screen I feel so emotionally bound to preserving. The code word for success in the late seventies was "international appeal." In a time referred to as "the tax-shelter boom," it was perceived by some that the Canadian film industry had given in. Demoralized by countless relatively unsuccessful attempts at profitability and independence, "Canada's feature film industry had finally succumbed to that old adage: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" (Magder 169).

The Half Brothers By Elizabeth Gaskell and My Oedipus Complex By Frank

The Half Brothers By Elizabeth Gaskell and My Oedipus Complex By Frank O'Connor These two stories are very different upon first glance. For example one is about a pair of half brothers set in Victorian times and the other is about a small child named Larry who thinks he's a lot wiser then he is. However, if you look deeper you can start to find similarities between the two. They have similar themes, and links can be made between them. A big difference between them is the titles. For example 'The Half Brothers' is a very self evident title but 'My Oedipus Complex' is a little more obscure. 'My Oedipus Complex' is ironic because although Larry does have a strong attachment to his mother it is an exaggeration to call it an Oedipus Complex. The title is almost as if the narrator is mocking himself. 'The Half Brothers' is indeed about two half brothers. Another difference between the titles is that they make they reader react in different ways. For example 'My Oedipus Complex' is an intriguing title whereas 'The Half Brothers' is simple and obvious. The reader would be more drawn towards 'My Oedipus Complex' because the word 'Oedipus' is unknown and the word 'complex' makes the story seem interesting and almost mysterious. The title of "The Half Brothers" wouldn't catch the reader's eye because it is boring and the words are all familiar. When looking at the general themes of the two stories it becomes clear that they are very similar. For example both have the theme of jealousy. In 'The Half Brothers' it is William Preston's jealousy of Gregory and in 'My Oedipus Complex' it is Larry and his father's jealousy of each other first and then of Sonny. In both stories it is jealousy of a mother's love, ... ...the ending of 'The Half Brothers' makes the reader think, because of it's regretful conclusion whereas the ending of 'My Oedipus Complex' doesn't give the reader a lot to ponder on as it is a simple happy ending. This makes the stories suitable for different types of reader. If they want a light-hearted book 'My Oedipus Complex' is more suitable but if they want a book that teaches them a lesson then they should choose 'The Half Brothers'. Overall I preferred 'My Oedipus Complex' to 'The Half Brothers'. This is because it is set more recently and the language is easier to understand, I found it easier to relate to. Also it was humorous. 'The Half Brothers' also had good points such as it made me think and gave me a greater understanding of Victorian language. 'The Half Brothers' is a more educational story whereas 'My Oedipus Complex' is light reading.

The Florence Baptistery :: essays research papers fc

People often try to imitate a finished product if it has become popular. When this is done after several years it is considered a revival. Usually the artist or patron has a purpose such as modeling after a powerful culture or religious significance. They may slightly change or mix other styles to make the best of past and present. In Florence Italy there stands a baptistery. It resides west of the Florence Cathedral, which was modeled after the baptistery. The Cathedral began in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio. Although the two resemble each other, they are considered to be from two different styles. The Baptistery of S. Giovanni is categorized as Romanesque while the cathedral is considered Gothic. The exterior of the cathedral doesn't appear to be Gothic, it's the interior that is. The baptistery possesses an octagonal structure with an extension to the west. This extension was originally an apse. There are doors to the north, south, and east sides. All of the doors are decorated with beautiful sculptures. The first doors were done by Andrea Pisano and set the standards for the next to come. The second set, the first done by Lorenzo Ghiberti, were originally hung on the east end, but were soon moved to the north side to make room for the final set. These final doors, by Ghiberti, have earned the name 'Gates of Par adise.'; The name S. Giovanni was given to the baptistery because of the remains of Piazza S Giovanni found beneath the floor in a medieval cemetery. Historians have argued the baptistery's date for a few hundred years and it is still completely unsure what is it. The first recorded documentation of the baptistery's existence was March 4th, 897. Many have come to agree that the original constructed was during the 6th and 7th centuries and much of the restoration happened around 1059. Through the years nature's forces have taken their toll upon the San Giovanni. Several restorations have been made to the exterior and the interior since the 10th century. The most drastic change done would have to be the exterior marble. Around 1293 the corner pilasters were reconstructed with alternating slabs of green and white marble. This technique wasn't ever seen in the Florentine school and was assumed to have originated in Pisa. The use of alternating marbles and the arcade sills wrap around th e entire building. It gives a sense flowing continuity.

Causes of Ww1

Causes of World War 1 In 1914, a conflict arose in Europe that started what is now called World War 1 (WW1). This war did not just spring up out of nowhere there many causes involved that started this vast conflict. The immediate cause of WW1 was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was killed in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo (Mulligan). The main cause of WW1 is M. A. I. N which represents militarism, alliance systems, imperialism, and nationalism (Danzer 579). And a contributing factor of WW1 is escalating tension in the Balkan region.Because of the assassination, M. A. I. N, and tension in the Balkan Peninsula the conflict known as WW1 began. Often the immediate cause for some event is what happened right before that event occurred in this case the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the immediate cause. In June 1914 the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was visiting the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, when he was shot (Mulligan). The Archduke Franz Ferdina nd was killed by a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip who was associated with a group known as the Black Hand, which promoted Serbian nationalism.Right after the assassination Austria-Hungary and Serbia were in a diplomatic crisis with each other. On July 28 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia thinking it would only be a short war (Danzer 580). But they had actually started what is now called the First World War. Although the assassination was the spark that started the war it was not the main reason for the war. The main cause for the start of WW1 was M. A. I. N which stands for militarism, alliance systems, imperialism, and nationalism (Danzer 579). All of these are long term causes eventually led to the start of the war.Militarism played a very important part in starting WW1; almost every country was bulking up their armies. Even Germany found that they were competing with Britain for who had a better navy. Germany didn’t have much of a Navy until Wilhelm II, Germanyâ €™s Kaiser, decided to become a major sea power (Danzer 579). Because most powerful countries had their fair share of colonies around the world they felt the need to be able to protect these territories with their armies. Tension rose as nations assembled bigger and bigger armies. Prior to the war many countries had alliance systems with other ountries in case they ever went into a conflict with another nation. These alliances were simple if one country were to go to war their allies would come to reinforce them. So when the War did break out country after country got dragged into a battle they are forced to fight. For many centuries, European nations had been building empires, slowly expanding their political control across the globe. Colonies supply European nations with materials and provide markets for manufactured goods (Danzer 579). This is why Germany, France, and Britain compete for colonies creating tension between them even before the war.Nationalism played an importan t role for the start of the war because the people of each country felt an intense loyalty to that country. It was because of nationalism that Princip assassinated the Austrian Archduke. These four causes are the main reason why the First World War started in the first place. The contributing factor for the start of WW1 was the rising tension in the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan Peninsula at the time consisted of the countries Greece, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro and Turkey (Mulligan).The Balkan Peninsula was also known as â€Å"the powder keg of Europe† because of the building tension which was ready to explode at any moment (Danzer 580). The reason for all the tension in this region is mostly because of the interest from major European powers. The Balkan Peninsula was of major significance to these European powers due to its territorial and economic advantages. Examples of these interests are Russia wanting access to the Mediterranean Sea. Another is that G ermany wanted a rail link to the Ottoman Empire, Germany’s Ally, which cut right through the Balkan Peninsula (Danzer 580).Naturally the Balkan people didn’t wish to be ruled by any authority besides themselves so they had dislike towards big European nations (Mulligan). Because of growing nationalism among the Balkan people many countries were striving to be independent. Austria-Hungary, who taken control of Bosnia in 1878, realized this when it seemed Serbia was subverting it’s rule over Bosnia (Danzer 580). With all this tension the â€Å"powder keg† was ready to ignite which is what happened in 1914. WW1 started for three reasons because of the assassination, M. A. I.N, and tension in the Balkan Peninsula. Even if the assassination of the Austrian Archduke did not happen the war may have still began because of M. A. I. N. The tension caused by M. A. I. N would eventually lead to an event similar to the assassination and have an equal effect as well. T o avoid repeating this terrible war it is important that WW1 is to be remembered as a valuable piece of history considering history was repeated already when World War 2 started. WW1 was the biggest war that anyone had ever witnessed in that time and it will always be remembered.

Black House Chapter Nineteen

19 JACK FOLLOWS THE Thunder Five out of the parking lot, and for the moment we will let him go alone on his northward way on Highway 93 toward Judy Marshall's lookout and Judy Marshall's locked ward. Like Jack, the bikers are headed toward the unknown, but their unknown lies westward on Highway 35, into the land of the steadily accumulating past, and we want to know what they will find there. These men do not appear to be nervous; they still project the massive confidence with which they burst into the Sand Bar. In truth, they never really display nervousness, for situations that would make other people worried or anxious generally make them get physical. Fear affects them differently than it does other people, too: in the rare moments when they have experienced fear, they've tended on the whole to enjoy it. In their eyes, fear represents a God-given opportunity for focusing their collective concentration. Due to their remarkable solidarity, that concentration is formidable. For those o f us who are not members of a biker gang or the Marine Corps, solidarity means little more than the compassionate impulse that leads us to comfort a bereft friend; for Beezer and his merry band, solidarity is the assurance that someone's always got your back. They are on each other's hands, and they know it. For the Thunder Five, safety really is in numbers. Yet the encounter toward which they are flying has no precedents or analogues in their experience. Black House is something new, and its newness the sheer strangeness of Mouse's story sinks tendrils down into their guts, one and all. Eight miles west of Centralia, where the flatland around Potsie's thirty-year-old development yields to the long stretch of woods that runs all the way to Maxton's, Mouse and Beezer ride side by side in front of the others. Beezer occasionally looks to his friend, asking a wordless question. The third time that Mouse shakes his head, he follows the gesture with a backward wave of his hand that says Stop bugging me, I'll tell you when we're there. Beezer drops back; Sonny, Kaiser Bill, and Doc automatically assume Beezer is giving them a signal, and they string out in a single line. At the head of the column, Mouse keeps taking his eyes off the highway to inspect the right-hand side of the road. The little road is hard to see, Mouse knows, and by now it will be more overgrown than it was two years ago. He is trying to spot the white of the battered NO TRESPASSING sign. It, too, may be partially hidden by new growth. He slows down to thirty-five. The four men behind him match his change in pace with the smoothness of long practice. Alone of the Thunder Five, Mouse has already seen their destination, and in the deepest places of his soul he can scarcely believe that he is going there again. At first, the ease and rapidity with which his memories had flown out of their dark vault had pleased him; now, instead of feeling that he has effortlessly reclaimed a lost part of his life, he has the sense of being at the mercy of that lost afternoon. A grave danger then and he does not doubt that some great and dangerous force had brushed him with a warning hand is an increased danger now. Memory has returned a miserable conclusion he thrust away long ago: that the hideous structure Jack Sawyer called Black House had killed Little Nancy Hale as surely as if its rafters had fallen in on her. Moral more than physical, Black House's ugliness exhaled toxic fumes. Little Nancy had been killed by the invisible poisons carried on the warning hand; now Mouse had to look at that knowledge without blinking. He can feel her hands o n his shoulders, and their thin bones are covered with rotting flesh. If I'd been five foot three and weighed one hundred and five pounds instead of being six-two and two hundred and ninety, by now I'd be rotting, too, he thinks. Mouse may look for the narrow road and the sign beside it with the eyes of a fighter pilot, but someone else has to see them, because he never will. His unconscious has taken a vote, and the decision was unanimous. Each of the other men, Sonny, Doc, the Kaiser, and even Beezer, have also connected Little Nancy's death with Black House, and the same speculations about comparative size and weight have passed through their minds. However, Sonny Cantinaro, Doc Amberson, Kaiser Bill Strassner, and especially Beezer St. Pierre assume that whatever poison surrounded Black House had been concocted in a laboratory by human beings who knew what they were doing. These four men derive the old, primitive reassurance from one another's company that they have enjoyed since college; if anything makes them feel a touch uneasy, it is that Mouse Baumann, not Beezer, leads their column. Even though Beezer let Mouse wave him back, Mouse's position contains a hint of insurrection, of mutiny: the universe has been subtly disordered. Twenty yards from the back end of the Maxton property, Sonny decides to put an end to this farce, guns his Softail, roars past his friends, and moves up parallel to Mouse. Mouse glances at him with a trace of worry, and Sonny motions to the side of the road. When they have all pulled over, Mouse says, â€Å"What's your problem, Sonny?† â€Å"You are,† Sonny says. â€Å"Either you missed the turnoff, or your whole story's all fucked up.† â€Å"I said I wasn't sure where it is.† He notices with nearly immeasurable relief that Little Nancy's dead hands no longer grip his shoulders. â€Å"Of course not. You were ripped on acid!† â€Å"Good acid.† â€Å"Well, there's no road up ahead, I know that much. It's just trees all the way to the old fucks' home.† Mouse ponders the stretch of road ahead as if the road just might be up there, after all, although he knows it is not. â€Å"Shit, Mouse, we're practically in town. I can see Queen Street from here.† â€Å"Yeah,† Mouse says. â€Å"Okay.† If he can get to Queen Street, he thinks, those hands will never fasten on him again. Beezer walks his Electra Glide up to them and says, â€Å"Okay what, Mouse? You agree it's farther back, or is the road somewhere else?† Frowning, Mouse turns his head to look back down the highway. â€Å"Goddamn. I think it's along here somewhere, unless I got totally turned around that day.† â€Å"Gee, how could that have happened?† says Sonny. â€Å"I looked at every inch of ground we passed, and I sure as hell didn't see a road. Did you, Beezer? How about a NO TRESPASSING sign, you happen to see one of those?† â€Å"You don't get it,† Mouse says. â€Å"This shit doesn't want to be seen.† â€Å"Maybe you shoulda gone to Ward D with Sawyer,† Sonny says. â€Å"People in there appreciate visionaries.† â€Å"Can it, Sonny,† Beezer says. â€Å"I was there before, and you weren't,† Mouse says. â€Å"Which one of us knows what he's talking about?† â€Å"I've heard enough out of both of you guys,† Beezer says. â€Å"Do you still think it's along here somewhere, Mouse?† â€Å"As far as I can recollect, yeah.† â€Å"Then we missed it. We'll go back and check again, and if we don't find it, we'll look somewhere else. If it's not here, it's between two of the valleys along 93, or in the woods on the hill leading up to the lookout. We have plenty of time.† â€Å"What makes you so sure?† Sonny asks. Mild anxiety about what they might come across is making him belligerent. He would just as soon go back to the Sand Bar and down a pitcher of Kingsland while messing with Stinky's head as waste his time goofing along the highways. Beezer looks at him, and his eyes crackle. â€Å"You know anywhere else there's enough trees to call it a woods?† Sonny backs down immediately. Beezer is never going to give up and go back to the Sand Bar. Beezer is in this for keeps. Most of that has to do with Amy, but some of it relates to Jack Sawyer. Sawyer impressed the shit out of Beezer the other night, that's what happened, and now Beezer thinks everything the guy says is golden. To Sonny, this makes no sense at all, but Beezer's the one who calls the shots, so for now, Sonny guesses, they will all run around like junior G-men for a while. If this adopt-a-cop program goes on for more than a couple of days, Sonny plans to have a little chat with Mouse and the Kaiser. Doc will always side with Beezer no matter what, but the other two are capable of listening to reason. â€Å"All right, then,† Beezer says. â€Å"Scratch from here to Queen Street. We know there's no fuckin' road along that stretch. We'll go back the way we came, give it one more shot. Single file the whole way. Mouse, you're point man again.† Mouse nods and prepares himself to feel those hands on his shoulders again. Gunning his Fat Boy, he rolls forward and takes his place at the head of the line. Beezer moves in behind him, and Sonny follows Beezer, with Doc and the Kaiser in the last two slots. Five pairs of eyes, Sonny thinks. If we don't see it this time, we never will. And we won't, because that damned road is halfway across the state. When Mouse and his old lady got buzzed on the Ultimate, they could go for hundreds of miles and think they'd taken a spin around the block. Everybody scans the opposite side of the road and the edge of the woods. Five pairs of eyes, as Sonny puts it, register an unbroken line of oaks and pine trees. Mouse has set a pace somewhere between a fast walk and a medium jog, and the trees crawl by. At this speed, they can notice the moss blistering the trunks of the oaks and the bright smears of sunlight on the forest's floor, which is brownish gray and resembles a layer of rumpled felt. A hidden world of upright trees, shafts of light, and deadfalls extends backward from the first, sentinel row. Within that world, paths that are not paths wind mazelike between the thick trunks and lead to mysterious clearings. Sonny becomes suddenly aware of a tribe of squirrels doing squirrel gymnastics in the map of branches that lace into an intermittent canopy. And with the squirrels, an aviary of birds pops into view. All of this reminds him of the deep Pennsylvania woods he had explored as a boy, before his parents sold their house and moved to Illinois. Those woods had contained a rapture he had found nowhere else. Sonny's conviction that Mouse got things wrong and they are looking in the wrong place takes on greater inner density. Earlier, Sonny had spoken about bad places, of which he has seen at least one he was absolutely certain about. In Sonny's experience, bad places, the ones that let you know you were not welcome, tended to be on or near borders. During the summer after his high school graduation, he and his two best buddies, all of them motorcycle freaks, had taken their bikes to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, where he had two cousins cute enough to show off to his friends. Sal and Harry were thrilled with the girls, and the girls thought the bikers were sexy and exotic. After a couple of days spent as a literal fifth wheel (or fifth and sixth wheel, depending on what you are counting), Sonny proposed extending their trip by a week and, in the interest of expanding their educations, ballin' the jack down to Chicago and spending the rest of their money on beer and hookers until they had to go home. Sal and Harry loved the whole idea, and on their third evening in Rice Lake, they packed their rolls on their bikes and roared south, making as much noise as possible. By 10:00 they had managed to get completely lost. It might have been the beer, it might have been inattention, but for one reason or another they had wandered off the highway and, in the deep black of a rural night, found themselves on the edge of an almost nonexistent town named Harko. Harko could not be found on their gas-station road map, but it had to be close to the Illinois border, on either one side or the other. Harko seemed to consist of an abandoned motel, a collapsing general store, and an empty grain mill. When the boys reached the mill, Sal and Harry groused about being exhausted and hungry and wanted to turn back to spend the night in the motel. Sonny, who was no less worn out, rode back with them; the second they rolled into the dark forecourt of the motel, he had a bad feeling about the place. The air seemed heavier, the darkness darker than they should have been. To Sonny, it seemed that malign, invisible presences haunted the place. He could all but make them out as they flitted between the cabins. Sal and Harry jeered at his reservations: he was a coward, a fairy, a girl. They broke down a door and unrolled their sleeping bags in a bare, dusty rectangular room. He carried his across the street and slept in a field. Dawn awakened him, and his face was wet with dew. He jumped up, pissed into the high grass, and checked for the motorcycles on the other side of the road. There they were, all three of them, listing over their stands outside a broken door. The dead neon sign at the entrance of the forecourt read HONEYMOONER'S BOWER. He walked across the narrow road and swept a hand over the moisture shining black on the seats of the motorcycles. A funny sound came from the room where his friends were sleeping. Already tasting dread, Sonny pushed open the broken door. If he had not initially refused to make sense of what was before him, what he saw in the room would have made him pass out. His face streaked with blood and tears, Sal Turso was sitting on the floor. Harry Reilly's severed head rested in his lap, and an ocean of blood soaked the floor and daubed the walls. Harry's body lay loose and disjointed on top of his blood-soaked sleeping bag. The body was naked; Sal wore only a blood-red T-shirt. Sal raised both his hands the one holding his prize long-bladed knife and the one holding only a palmful of blood and lifted his contorted face to Sonny's frozen gaze. I don't know what happened. His voice was high and screechy, not his. I don't remember doing this, how could I have done this? Help me, Sonny. I don't know what happened. Unable to speak, Sonny had backed out and flown away on his cycle. He'd had no clear idea of where he was going except that it was out of Harko. Two miles down the road, he came to a little town, a real one, with people in it, and someone finally took him to the sheriff's office. Harko: there was a bad place. In a way, both of his high school friends had died there, because Sal Turso hanged himself six months after being committed to a state penitentiary for life on a second-degree murder charge. In Harko, you saw no red-winged blackbirds or woodpeckers. Even sparrows steered clear of Harko. This little stretch of 35? Nothing but a nice, comfortable woodland. Let me tell you, Senator, Sonny Cantinaro has seen Harko, and this ain't no Harko. This don't even come close. It might as well be in another world. What meets Sonny's appraising eye and increasingly impatient spirit is about a mile and a quarter of beautiful wooded landscape. You could call it a mini-forest. He thinks it would be cool to come out here by himself one day, tuck the Harley out of sight, and just walk around through the great oaks and pines, that big pad of felt beneath his feet, digging the birds and the crazy squirrels. Sonny gazes at and through the sentinel trees on the far side of the road, enjoying his anticipation of the pleasure to come, and a flash of white jumps out at him from the darkness beside a huge oak tree. Caught up in the vision of walking alone under that green canopy, he almost dismisses it as a trick of the light, a brief illusion. Then he remembers what he is supposed to be looking for, and he slows down and leans sideways and sees, emerging from the tangle of underbrush at the base of the oak, a rusty bullet hole and a large, black letter N. Sonny swerves across the road, and the N expands into NO. He doesn't believe it, but there it is, Mouse's goddamn sign. He rolls ahead another foot, and the entire phrase comes into view. Sonny puts the bike in neutral and plants one foot on the ground. The darkness next to the oak stretches like a web to the next tree at the side of the road, which is also an oak, though not as huge. Behind him, Doc and the Kaiser cross the road and come to a halt. He ignores them and looks at Beezer and Mouse, who are already some thirty feet up the road, intently scanning the trees. â€Å"Hey,† he shouts. Beezer and Mouse do not hear him. â€Å"Hey! Stop!† â€Å"You got it?† Doc calls out. â€Å"Go up to those assholes and bring them back,† Sonny says. â€Å"It's here?† Doc asks, peering into the trees. â€Å"What, you think I found a body? Of course it's here.† Doc speeds up, stops just behind Sonny, and stares at the woods. â€Å"Doc, you see it?† Kaiser Bill shouts, and he speeds up, too. â€Å"Nope,† Doc says. â€Å"You can't see it from there,† Sonny tells him. â€Å"Will you please get your ass in gear and tell Beezer to come back here?† â€Å"Why don't you do it, instead?† Doc says. â€Å"Because if I leave this spot, I might not ever be able to fucking find it again,† Sonny says. Mouse and Beezer, now about sixty feet up the road, continue blithely on their way. â€Å"Well, I still don't see it,† Doc says. Sonny sighs. â€Å"Come up alongside me.† Doc walks his Fat Boy to a point parallel with Sonny's bike, then moves a couple of inches ahead. â€Å"There,† Sonny says, pointing at the sign. Doc squints and leans over, putting his head above Sonny's handle-bars. â€Å"Where? Oh, I see it now. It's all beat to hell.† The top half of the sign curls over and shades the bottom half. Some antisocial lad has happened along and creased the sign with his baseball bat. His older brothers, more advanced in the ways of crime, had tried to kill it with their .22 rifles, and he was just delivering the coup de grace. â€Å"Where's the road supposed to be?† Doc asks. Sonny, who is a little troubled about this point, indicates the flat sheet of darkness to the right of the sign and extending to the next, smaller oak tree. As he looks at it, the darkness loses its two-dimensionality and deepens backward like a cave, or a black hole softly punched through the air. The cave, the black hole, melts and widens into the earthen road, about five and a half feet wide, that it must have been all along. â€Å"That sure as hell is it,† says Kaiser Bill. â€Å"I don't know how all of us could have missed it the first time.† Sonny and Doc glance at each other, realizing that the Kaiser came along too late to watch the road seem to materialize out of a black wall with the thickness of a sheet of paper. â€Å"It's kind of tricky,† Sonny says. â€Å"Your eyes have to adjust,† Doc says. â€Å"Okay,† says Kaiser Bill, â€Å"but if you two want to argue about who tells Mouse and the Beeze, let me put you out of your misery.† He jams his bike into gear and tears off like a World War I messenger with a hot dispatch from the front. By now a long way up the road, Mouse and Beezer come to a halt and look back, having apparently heard the sound of his bike. â€Å"I guess that's it,† Sonny says, with an uneasy glance at Doc. â€Å"Our eyes had to adjust.† â€Å"Couldn't be anything else.† Less convinced than they would like to be, both men let it drop in favor of watching Kaiser Bill conversing with Beezer and Mouse. The Kaiser points at Sonny and Doc, Beezer points. Then Mouse points at them, and the Kaiser points again. It looks like a discussion in an extremely unevolved version of sign language. When everybody has gotten the point, Kaiser Bill spins his bike around and comes roaring back down the road with Beezer and Mouse on his tail. There is always that feeling of disorder, of misrule, when Beezer is not in the lead. The Kaiser stops on the side of the narrow road. Beezer and Mouse halt beside him, and Mouse winds up stationed directly in front of the opening in the woods. â€Å"Shouldn't have been that hard to see,† Beezer says. â€Å"But there she is, anyhow. I was beginning to have my doubts, Mousie.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† says Mouse. His customary manner, that of an intellectual roughneck with a playful take on the world, has lost all of its buoyancy. Beneath his biker's fair-weather sunburn, his skin looks pale and curdlike. â€Å"I want to tell you guys the truth,† Beezer says. â€Å"If Sawyer is right about this place, the creepy fuck who built it could have set up booby traps and all sorts of surprises. It was a long time ago, but if he really is the Fisherman, he has more reason than ever to keep people away from his crib. So we gotta watch our backs. The best way to do that is to go in strong, and go in ready. Put your weapons where you can reach them in a hurry, all right?† Beezer opens one of his saddlebags and draws out a Colt 9mm pistol with ivory grips and a blue-steel barrel. He chambers a round and unlocks the safety. Under his gaze, Sonny pulls his massive .357 Magnum from his bag, Doc a Colt identical to Beezer's, and Kaiser Bill an old S .38 Special he has owned since the late seventies. They shove the weapons, which until this moment have seen use only on firing ranges, into the pockets of their leather jackets. Mouse, who does not own a gun, pats the various knives he has secreted in the small of his back, in the hip and front pockets of his jeans, and sheathed within both of his boots. â€Å"Okay,† Beezer says. â€Å"Anybody in there is going to hear us coming no matter what we do, and maybe already has heard us, so there's no point in being sneaky about this. I want a fast, aggressive entrance just what you guys are good at. We can use speed to our advantage. Depending on what happens, we get as close to the house as possible.† â€Å"What if nothing happens?† asks the Kaiser. â€Å"Like, if we roll on in there and just keep going until we get to the house? I mean, I don't see any particular reason to be spooked here. Okay, something bad happened to Mouse, but . . . you know. Doesn't mean it's going to happen all over again.† â€Å"Then we enjoy the ride,† Beezer says. â€Å"Don't you want to take a look inside?† the Kaiser asks. â€Å"He might have kids in there.† â€Å"He might be in there,† Beezer tells him. â€Å"If he is, no matter what I said to Sawyer, we're bringing him out. Alive would be better than dead, but I wouldn't mind putting him in a serious state of bad health.† He gets a rumble of approval. Mouse does not contribute to this wordless, but otherwise universal agreement; he lowers his head and tightens his hands on the grips of his bike. â€Å"Because Mouse has been here before, he goes in on point. Doc and I'll be right behind him, with Sonny and the Kaiser covering our asses.† Beezer glances at them and says, â€Å"Stay about six, eight feet back, all right?† Don't put Mouse on point; you have to go in first, speaks in Sonny's mind, but he says, â€Å"All right, Beeze.† â€Å"Line up,† Beezer says. They move their bikes into the positions Beezer has specified. Anyone driving fast along Highway 35 would have to hit his brakes to avoid running into at least two beefy men on motorcycles, but the road stays empty. Everyone, including Mouse, guns his engine and prepares to move. Sonny slaps his fist against the Kaiser's and looks back at that dark tunnel into the woods. A big crow flaps onto a low-hanging branch, cocks its head, and seems to fix Sonny's eyes with its own. The crow must be looking at all of them, Sonny knows, but he cannot shake the illusion that the crow is staring directly at him, and that its black insatiable eyes are dancing with malice. The uncomfortable feeling that the crow is amused by the sight of him bent over his bike makes Sonny think of his Magnum. Turn you into a mess of bloody feathers, baby. Without unfolding its wings, the crow hops backward and disappears into the oak leaves. â€Å"GO!† Beezer shouts. The moment Mouse charges in, Little Nancy's rotting hands clamp down on his shoulders. Her thin bones press down on the leather hard enough to leave bruises on his skin. Although he knows this is impossible you cannot get rid of what does not exist the sudden flare of pain causes him to try to shake her off. He twitches his shoulders and wiggles the handlebars, and the bike wobbles. As the bike dips, Little Nancy digs in harder. When Mouse rights himself, she pulls herself forward, wraps her bony arms around his chest, and flattens her body against his back. Her skull grinds against the nape of his neck; her teeth bite down on his skin. It is too much. Mouse had known she would reappear, but not that she would put him in a vise. And despite his speed, he has the feeling that he is traveling through a substance heavier and more viscous than air, a kind of syrup that slows him down, holds him back. Both he and the bike seem unnaturally dense, as if gravity exerts a stronger pull on the little road than anywhere else. His head pounds, and already he can hear that dog growling in the woods off to his right. He could take all of that, he supposes, if it were not for what stopped him the last time he drove up this path: a dead woman. Then she was Kiz Martin; now the dead woman is Little Nancy, and she is riding him like a dervish, slapping his head, punching him in the side, battering his ears. He feels her teeth leave his neck and sink into the left shoulder of his jacket. One of her arms whips in front of him, and he enters a deeper level of shock and horror when he realizes that this arm is visible. Rags of skin flutte r over long bones; he glimpses white maggots wriggling into the few remaining knots of flesh. A hand that feels both spongelike and bony flaps onto his cheek and crawls up his face. Mouse cannot keep it together anymore: his mind fills with white panic, and he loses control of the bike. When he heads into the curve that leads to Black House, the wheels are already tilting dangerously, and Mouse's sideways jerk of revulsion pushes them over beyond the possibility of correction. As the bike topples, he hears the dog snarling from only a few yards away. The Harley smashes down on his left leg, then skids ahead, and he and his ghastly passenger slide after it. When Mouse sees Black House looming from its dark bower amid the trees, a rotting hand flattens over his eyes. His scream is a bright, thin thread of sound against the fury of the dog. A few seconds after going in, Beezer feels the air thicken and congeal around him. It's some trick, he tells himself, an illusion produced by the Fisherman's mind-fuck toxins. Trusting that the others will not be suckered by this illusion, he raises his head and looks over Mouse's broad back and cornrowed head to see the road curve to the left about fifty feet ahead. The thick air seems to weigh down on his arms and shoulders, and he feels the onset of the mother and father of all headaches, a dull, insistent pain that begins as a sharp twinge behind his eyes and moves thudding deeper into his brain. Beezer gives Doc a half second of attention, and from what he sees, Doc is taking care of business. A glance at the speedometer tells him that he is traveling at thirty-five miles per hour and gathering steam, so they should be doing sixty by the time they come into the curve. Off to his left, a dog growls. Beezer hauls his pistol out of his pocket and listens to the growling keep pace with them as they speed toward the curve. The band of pain in his head widens and intensifies; it seems to push at his eyes from the inside, making them bulge in their sockets. The big dog it has to be a dog, what else could it be? is getting closer, and the fury of its noises makes Beezer see a giant, tossing head with blazing red eyes and ropes of slather whipping from a gaping mouth filled with shark's teeth. Two separate things destroy his concentration: the first is that he sees Mouse slamming himself back and forth on his bike as he goes into the curve, as if he is trying to scratch his back on the thickening air; the second is that the pressure behind his eyes triples in force, and immediately after he sees Mouse going into what is surely a fall, the blood vessels in his eyes explode. From deep red, his vision shifts rapidly to absolute black. An ugly voice starts up in his head, saying, Amy zadt in my lap an huggedt mee. I made opp my mindt to eed hurr. How she dud, dud, dud kick an scrutch. I chokked hurr do deff â€Å"No!† Beezer shouts, and the voice that is pushing at his eyes drops into a rasping chuckle. For less than a second, he gets a vision of a tall, shadowy creature and a single eye, a flash of teeth beneath a hat or a hood and the world abruptly revolves around him, and he ends up flat on his back with the bike weighing on his chest. Everything he sees is stained a dark, seething red. Mouse is screaming, and when Beezer turns his head in the direction of the screams, he sees a red Mouse lying on a red road with a huge red dog barreling toward him. Beezer cannot find his pistol; it went sailing into the woods. Shouts, screams, and the roar of motorcycles fill his ears. He scrambles out from under the bike yelling he knows not what. A red Doc flashes by on his red bike and almost knocks him down again. He hears a gunshot, then another. Doc sees Beezer glance at him and tries not to show how sick he feels. Dishwater boils in his stomach, and his guts are writhing. It feels like he is going about five miles an hour, the air is so thick and rancid. For some reason, his head weighs thirty or forty pounds, damnedest thing; it would almost be interesting if he could stop the disaster happening inside him. The air seems to concentrate itself, to solidify, and then boom, his head turns into a superheavyweight bowling ball that wants to drop onto his chest. A giant growling sound comes from out of the woods beside him, and Doc almost yields to the impulse to puke. He is dimly aware that Beezer is pulling out his gun, and he supposes he should do the same, but part of his problem is that the memory of a child named Daisy Temperly has moved into his mind, and the memory of Daisy Temperly paralyzes his will. As a resident in surgery at the university hospital in Urbana, Doc had performed, under supervision, nearly a hundred operations of every sort and assisted at as many. Until Daisy Temperly was wheeled into the O.R., all of them had gone well. Complicated but not especially difficult or life-threatening, her case involved bone grafts and other repair work. Daisy was being put back together again after a serious auto accident, and she had already endured two previous surgeries. Two hours after the start of the procedure, the head of the department, Doc's supervisor, was called away for an emergency operation, and Doc was left in charge. Partly because he had been sleep-deprived for forty-eight hours, partly because in his exhaustion he had pictured himself cruising along the highway with Beezer, Mouse, and his other new friends, he made a mistake not during the operation, but after it. While writing a prescription for medication, he miscalculated the dosage, and two hours later, Daisy Temperly was dead. There were things he could have done to rescue his career, but he did none of them. He was allowed to finish his residency, and then he left medicine for good. Talking to Jack Sawyer, he had vastly simplified his motives. The uproar in the middle of his body can no longer be contained. Doc turns his head and vomits as he races forward. It is not the first time he has puked while riding, but it is the messiest and the most painful. The weight of his bowling-ball head means that he cannot extend his neck, so vomit spatters against his right shoulder and right arm; and what comes leaping out of him feels alive and equipped with teeth and claws. He is not surprised to see blood mixed with the vomit erupting from his mouth. His stomach doubles in on itself with pain. Without meaning to, Doc has slowed down, and when he accelerates and faces forward again, he sees Mouse topple over sideways and skid behind his bike into the curve up ahead. His ears report a rushing sound, like that of a distant waterfall. Dimly, Mouse screams; equally dimly, Beezer shouts â€Å"No!† Right after that, the Beeze runs headlong into a big rock or some other obstruction, because his Electra Glide leaves the ground, flips completely over in the compacted air, and comes down on top of him. It occurs to Doc that this mission is totally FUBAR. The whole world has hung a left, and now they are in deep shit. He does the only sensible thing: he yanks his trusty 9mm out of his pocket and tries to figure out what to shoot first. His ears pop, and the sounds around him surge into life. Mouse is still screeching. Doc cannot figure out how he missed hearing the noise of the dog before, because even with the roaring of the cycles and Mouse's screams, that moving growl is the loudest sound in the woods. The fucking Hound of the Baskervilles is racing toward them, and both Mouse and Beezer are out of commission. From the noise it makes, the thing must be the size of a bear. Doc aims the pistol straight ahead and steers with one hand as he blasts by Beezer, who is wriggling out from beneath his bike. That enormous sound Doc imagines a bear-sized dog widening its chops around Mouse's head, and instantly erases the image. Things are happening too fast, and if he doesn't pay attention, those jaws could close on him. He has just time enough to think, That's no ordinary dog, not even a huge one when something enormous and black comes charging out of the woods to his right and cuts on a diagonal toward Mouse. Doc pulls the trigger, and at the sound of the pistol the animal whirls halfway around and snarls at him. All Doc can see clearly are two red eyes and an open red mouth with a long tongue and a lot of sharp canine teeth. Everything else is smudgy and indistinct, with no more definition than if it were covered in a swirling cape. A lightning bolt of pure terror that tastes as clean and sharp as cheap vodka pierces Doc from gullet to testicles, and his bike slews its rear end around and comes to a halt he has stopped it out of sheer reflex. Suddenly it feels like deep night. Of course he can't see it how could you see a black dog in the middle of the night? The creature whirls around again and streaks toward Mouse. It doesn't want to charge me because of the gun and because the other two guys are right behind me, Doc thinks. His head and arms seem to have gained another forty pounds apiece, but he fights against the weight of his muscles and straightens his arms and fires again. This time he knows he hits that thing, but its only reaction is to shudder off-course for a moment. The big smudge of its head swings toward Doc. The growling gets even louder, and long, silvery streamers of dog drool fly from its open mouth. Something that suggests a tail switches back and forth. When Doc looks into the open red gash, his resolve weakens, his arms get heavier, and he is scarcely capable of holding his head upright. He feels as though he is falling down into that red maw; his pistol dangles from his limp hand. In a moment suspended throughout eternity, the same hand scribbles a post-op prescription for Daisy Temperly. The creature trots toward Mouse. Doc can hear Sonny's voice, cursing furiously. A loud explosion on his right side seals both of his ears, and the world falls perfectly silent. Here we are, Doc says to himself. Darkness at noon. For Sonny, the darkness strikes at the same time as the searing pain in his head and his stomach. A single band of agony rips right down through his body, a phenomenon so unparalleled and extreme that he assumes it has also erased the daylight. He and Kaiser Bill are eight feet behind Beezer and Doc, and about fifteen feet up the narrow dirt road. The Kaiser lets go of his handlebars and grips the sides of his head. Sonny understands exactly how he feels: a four-foot section of red-hot iron pipe has been thrust through the top of his head and pushed down into his guts, burning everything it touches. â€Å"Hey, man,† he says, in his misery noticing that the air has turned sludgy, as though individual atoms of oxygen and carbon dioxide are gummy enough to stick to his skin. Then Sonny notices that the Kaiser's eyes are swimming up toward the back of his head, and he realizes that the man is passing out right next to him. Sick as he is, he has to do something to protect the Kaise r. Sonny reaches out for the other man's bike, watching as well as he can the disappearance of the Kaiser's irises beneath his upper eyelids. Blood explodes out of his nostrils, and his body slumps backward on the seat and rolls over the side. For a couple of seconds, he is dragged along by a boot caught in the handlebars, but the boot slips off, and the cycle drifts to a halt. The red-hot iron bar seems to rupture his stomach, and Sonny has no choice; he lets the other bike fall and utters a groan and bends sideways and vomits out what feels like every meal he has ever eaten. When nothing is left inside him, his stomach feels better, but John Henry has decided to drive giant rail spikes through his skull. His arms and legs are made of rubber. Sonny focuses on his bike. It seems to be standing still. He does not understand how he can go forward, but he watches a blood-spattered hand gun his bike and manages to stay upright when it takes off. Is that my blood? he wonders, and remembers two long red flags unfurling from the Kaiser's nose. A noise that had been gathering strength in the background turns into the sound of a 747 coming in for a landing. Sonny thinks that the last thing he wants to do today is get a look at the animal capable of making that sound. Mouse was right on the money: this is a bad, bad place, right up there with the charming town of Harko, Illinois. Sonny wishes to encounter no more Harkos, okay? One was enough. So why is he moving forward instead of turning around and running for the sunny peace of Highway 35? Why is he pulling that massive gun out of his pocket? It's simple. He is not about to let that jet-airplane-dog mess up his homeys, no matter how much his head hurts. John Henry keeps pounding in those five-dollar spikes while Sonny picks up speed and squints at the road ahead, trying to figure out what is going on. Someone screams, he cannot identify who. Through the growling, he hears the unmistakable sound of a motorcycle hitting the ground after a flip, and his heart shivers. Beezer should always be point man, he thinks, otherwise we're asking for punishment. A gun goes off with a loud explosion. Sonny forces himself to press through the gluey atoms in the air, and after another five or six seconds he spots Beezer, who is painfully pushing himself upward beside his toppled bike. A few feet beyond Beezer, Doc's bulky figure comes into view, sitting astride his bike and aiming his 9 at something in the road ahead of him. Doc fires, and red flame bursts from the barrel of his pistol. Feeling more beat-up and useless than ever before in his life, Sonny jumps from his moving bike and runs toward Doc, trying to look past him. The first thing he sees is a flash of light off Mouse's bike, which comes into view flat on its side about twenty feet down the road, at the top of the curve. Then he finds Mouse, on his ass and scrambling backward from some animal Sonny can barely make out, except for its eyes and teeth. Unconscious of the stream of obscenities that pour from his mouth, Sonny levels his pistol at the creature and fires just as he runs past Doc. Doc just stands there; Doc is out for the count. The weird animal up on the road closes its jaws on Mouse's leg. It is going to rip away a hamburger-sized chunk of muscle, but Sonny hits it with a fucking hollow-point missile from his Magnum, a bit show-offy for target practice but under the circumstances no more than prudent, thank you very much. Contrary to all expectations and the laws of physics, Sonny's amazing wonderbullet does not knock a hole the size of a football in the creature's hide. The wonderbullet pushes the animal sideways and distracts it from Mouse's leg; it does not even knock it down. Mouse sends up a howl of pain. The dog whips around and glares at Sonny with red eyes the size of baseballs. Its mouth opens on jagged white teeth, and it snaps the air. Ropes of slime shoot out of its jaws. The creature lowers its shoulders and steps forward. Amazingly, its snarling grows in volume and ferocity. Sonny is being warned: if he does not turn and run, he is next on the menu. â€Å"Fuck that,† Sonny says, and fires straight at the animal's mouth. Its whole head should fly apart in bloody rags, but for a second after the Magnum goes off, nothing changes. Oh, shit, Sonny thinks. The dog-thing's eyes blaze, and its feral, wedge-shaped head seems to assemble itself out of the darkness in the air and emerge into view. As though an inky robe had been partially twitched aside, Sonny can see a thick neck descending to meaty shoulders and strong front legs. Maybe the tide is turning here, maybe this monster will turn out to be vulnerable after all. Sonny braces his right wrist with his left hand, aims at the dog-thing's chest, and squeezes off another round. The explosion seems to stuff his ears with cotton. All the railroad spikes in his head heat up like electric coils, and bright pain sings between his temples. Dark blood gouts from the creature's brisket. At the center of Sonny Cantinaro's being, a pure, primitive triumph bursts into life. More of the monster melts into visibility, the wide back and a suggestion of its rear legs. Of no recognizable breed and four and a half feet high, the dog-thing is approximately the size of a gigantic wolf. When it moves toward him, Sonny fires again. Like an echo, the sound of his gun repeats from somewhere close behind; a bullet like a supercharged wasp zings past his chest. The creature staggers back, limping on an injured leg. Its enraged eyes bore into Sonny's. He risks glancing over his shoulder and sees Beezer braced in the middle of the narrow road. â€Å"Don't look at me, shoot!† Beezer yells. His voice seems to awaken Doc, who raises his arm and takes aim. Then all three of them are pulling their triggers, and the little road sounds like the firing range on a busy day. The dog-thing (hell hound, Sonny thinks) limps back a step and opens wide its terrible mouth to howl in rage and frustration. Before the howl ends, the creature gathers its rear legs beneath its body, springs across the road, and vanishes into the woods. Sonny fights off the impulse to collapse under a wave of relief and fatigue. Doc swivels his body and keeps firing into the darkness behind the trees until Beezer puts a hand on his arm and orders him to stop. The air stinks of cordite and some animal odor that is musky and disgustingly sweet. Pale gray smoke shimmers almost white as it filters upward through the darker air. Beezer's haggard face turns to Sonny, and the whites of his eyes are crimson. â€Å"You hit that fucking animal, didn't you?† Through the wads of cotton in his ears, Beezer's voice sounds small and tinny. â€Å"Shit, yes. At least twice, probably three times.† â€Å"And Doc and I hit it once apiece. What the hell is that thing?† † ‘What the hell' is right,† Sonny says. Weeping with pain, Mouse a third time repeats his cry of â€Å"Help me!† and the others hear him at last. Moving slowly and pressing their hands over whatever parts of their bodies hurt the most, they hobble up the road and kneel in front of Mouse. The right leg of his jeans is ripped and soaked with blood, and his face is contorted. â€Å"Are you assholes deaf ?† â€Å"Pretty near,† Doc says. â€Å"Tell me you didn't take a bullet in your leg.† â€Å"No, but it must be some kind of miracle.† He winces and inhales sharply. Air hisses between his teeth. â€Å"Way you guys were shooting. Too bad you couldn't draw a bead before it bit my leg.† â€Å"I did,† Sonny says. â€Å"Reason you still got a leg.† Mouse peers at him, then shakes his head. â€Å"What happened to the Kaiser?† â€Å"He lost about a liter of blood through his nose and passed out,† Sonny tells him. Mouse sighs as if at the frailty of the human species. â€Å"I believe we might try to get out of this crazy shithole.† â€Å"Is your leg all right?† Beezer asks. â€Å"It's not broken, if that's what you mean. But it's not all right, either.† â€Å"What?† Doc asks. â€Å"I can't say,† Mouse tells him. â€Å"I don't answer medical questions from guys all covered in puke.† â€Å"Can you ride?† â€Å"Fuck yes, Beezer you ever know me when I couldn't ride?† Beezer and Sonny each take a side and, with excruciating effort, lift Mouse to his feet. When they release his arms, Mouse lumbers sideways a few steps. â€Å"This is not right,† he says. â€Å"That's brilliant,† says Beezer. â€Å"Beeze, old buddy, you know your eyes are, like, bright red? You look like fuckin' Dracula.† To the extent that hurry is possible, they are hurrying. Doc wants to get a look at Mouse's leg; Beezer wants to make sure that Kaiser Bill is still alive; and all of them want to get out of this place and back into normal air and sunlight. Their heads pound, and their muscles ache from strain. None of them can be sure that the dog-thing is not preparing for another charge. As they speak, Sonny has been picking up Mouse's Fat Boy and rolling it toward its owner. Mouse takes the handles and pushes his machine forward, wincing as he goes. Beezer and Doc rescue their bikes, and six feet along Sonny pulls his upright out of a snarl of weeds. Beezer realizes that when he was at the curve in the road, he failed to look for Black House. He remembers Mouse saying, This shit doesn't want to be seen, and he thinks Mouse got it just about right: the Fisherman did not want them there, and the Fisherman did not want his house to be seen. Everything else was spinning around in his head the way his Electra Glide had spun over after that ugly voice spoke up in his mind. Beezer is certain of one thing, however: Jack Sawyer is not going to hold out on him any longer. Then a terrible thought strikes him, and he asks, â€Å"Did anything funny anything really strange happen to you guys before the dog from hell jumped out of the woods? Besides the physical stuff, I mean.† He looks at Doc, and Doc blushes. Hello? Beezer thinks. Mouse says, â€Å"Go fuck yourself. I'm not gonna talk about that.† â€Å"I'm with Mouse,† Sonny says. â€Å"I guess the answer is yes,† Beezer says. Kaiser Bill is lying by the side of the road with his eyes closed and the front of his body wet with blood from mouth to waist. The air is still gray and sticky; their bodies seem to weigh a thousand pounds, the bikes to roll on leaden wheels. Sonny walks his bike up beside the Kaiser's supine body and kicks him, not all that gently, in the ribs. The Kaiser opens his eyes and groans. â€Å"Fuck, Sonny,† he says. â€Å"You kicked me.† His eyelids flutter, and he lifts his head off the ground and notices the blood soaking into his clothing. â€Å"What happened? Am I shot?† â€Å"You conducted yourself like a hero,† Sonny says. â€Å"How do you feel?† â€Å"Lousy. Where was I hit?† â€Å"How am I supposed to know?† Sonny says. â€Å"Come on, we're getting out of here.† The others file past. Kaiser Bill manages to get to his feet and, after another epic struggle, hauls his bike upright beside him. He pushes it down the track after the others, marveling at the pain in his head and the quantity of blood on his body. When he comes out through the last of the trees and joins his friends on Highway 35, the sudden brightness stabs his eyes, his body feels light enough to float away, and he nearly passes out all over again. â€Å"I don't think I did get shot,† he says. No one pays any attention to the Kaiser. Doc is asking Mouse if he wants to go to the hospital. â€Å"No hospital, man. Hospitals kill people.† â€Å"At least let me take a look at your leg.† â€Å"Fine, look.† Doc kneels at the side of the road and tugs the cuff of Mouse's jeans up to the bottom of his knee. He probes with surprisingly delicate fingers, and Mouse winces. â€Å"Mouse,† he says, â€Å"I've never seen a dog bite like this before.† â€Å"Never saw a dog like that before, either.† The Kaiser says, â€Å"What dog?† â€Å"There's something funny about this wound,† Doc says. â€Å"You need antibiotics, and you need them right away.† â€Å"Don't you have antibiotics?† â€Å"Sure, I do.† â€Å"Then let's go back to Beezer's place, and you can stick me full of needles.† â€Å"Whatever you say,† says Doc.