Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Its Time to Put and End to Affirmative Action Essay

Affirmative action should be changed or ended altogether In the late Sixties, Martin Luther King Jr. fought hard for equal rights. Before he was assassinated in 1968, he made a speech about his vision of human equality. â€Å"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.† (King) The Sixties were a turning point for racial equality. Because of leaders like King, many blacks and minority groups began to face/win new opportunities that were never before available. New policies and laws were established to help reverse the detriment to ethnic groups through years of injustice and prejudice. But is it right to limit other races to†¦show more content†¦Allan Bakke was denied admission to be considered to University of California-Davis Medical School. In offer to be accepted, a student must have no less than a 2.5 GPA, have good science grades, and have high MCT scores, letters of recommendation, and numerous extra- curricular activities. If all of their prerequisites are met, an applicant then must participate in an interview with the college. Bakke scored 468 out of a total of 500 points on his interview and was not accepted. He then applied again the next year and received 549 out of 600 points, but was again turned away. Afterward Bakke had found out that 16 students with lower test scores were accepted before him. All 16 students were considered ethnic minorities and were accepted based on their color of skin, as allowed by the policies of affirmative action. Bakke took his case to the Supreme Court, arguing he was not treated equally and was turned away because of his ethnicity. The Supreme Court found that in the case of the University of California Regents v. Bakke, the defendant’s equal protection rights were indeed violated. Section 1 of Amendment XIV of the United States Constitution reads: â€Å" All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law, which shall abridge the privilege or immunities of citizens of the UnitedShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action At The United States1634 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"No, it’s not me, it’s you†¦ What’s wrong with you? Why, nothing. You have everything we are looking for, it’s just†¦you’re black†¦Ã¢â‚¬  First established in 1961, Affirmative action (in the United States) was/is a practice in which the purpose is to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women (Merriam Webster). Fast forward to today’s society and what is affirmative action now? Considering the prevalence of diversity in the workplace and in e ducational facilitiesRead MoreThe New Prime Minister Of Canada1648 Words   |  7 Pagesappointed to power) were asking the question: â€Å"Is an affirmative action cabinet truly a meaningful (and effective) way to right the wrongs of the past and recognize the importance and significance of women in Canadian society?† Those who ask questions similar to the one above share the common view that the way in which Mr. Trudeau has decided to approach the barriers women face in society is not progressive, rather, is demeaning, sexist and ends up implying exactly what the core of gender discriminationRead MoreRacial Discrimination : The Worst Form Of Inequality1388 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent people. In America,the individuals who are usually discriminated against are the minorities like African Americans and Hispanics. Affirmative action is a policy that was created and has been claimed to be positive discrimination. The policy was created to give equal opportunity to groups of people who are usually discriminated against. Although Affirmative action has been named to be positive and support minorities, it is still unjust. There should be no positive aspects of racial discriminationRead MoreAffirmative Action Is Not Based On Reason Or Actual Experience1584 Words   |  7 Pagesthe concept affirmative action extensively across the United States. Affirmative action is discriminating in favor of racial minorities in admissions, hiring, tenure, contracting, and financial aid. When two people are equally qualified for a job or admission opportunity is it acceptable to make the choice based on race, sex, or ethnicity? It is widely known that affirmative action is admissible. There is an opposition between the American ideal of individualism and affirmative action. IndividualismRead More Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essay1340 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of mino rities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their wholeRead MoreAmerica Needs Affirmative Action Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pagesimposed legislation called affirmative action. According to At Issue: Affirmative Action, â€Å"Affirmative action is designed to promote access to opportunities in education, employment, housing, and government contracts among certain designated groups, such as women and minoritiesâ€Å" (At Issue). This law is necessary in today’s society in order to maintain equality and diminish discrimination against social groups throughout the United States. Inductive Reasoning Affirmative action has leveled the playingRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Affirmative Action Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesEssay The Affirmative Action Debate Affirmative Action Defined Affirmative Action can be defined as â€Å"positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)†. However because those steps involve â€Å"preferential† selection affirmative action generates intense controversy (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Affirmative Action (Negative)Read MoreAffirmative Action And Its Effect On Minority Minorities For Jobs, Promotions, And Educational Opportunities1318 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative action is described in sociology as, policies and programs that aim to avoid discrimination and redress past discrimination through the active recruitment of qualified minorities for jobs, promotions, and educational opportunities. (i.e. Exp. Soc., pg 280). In other words, the law was put in place as an attempt to create pluralism in the United States structure of opportunity. When describing affirmative action, the generalized assumption is individuals being handed opportunities basedRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave977 Words   |  4 Pagesof this would have been possible, however, without Douglass learning how to read and write. Education is a major key in lifting people of color out of oppression. The wife of Douglass’s master began teaching him to read as he was just a boy at the time and he appealed to her humanity. When Hugh Auld, Douglass’s master, found out about what his wife was doing he became livid and forbade her to teach him anymore. Auld said that if she taught him to read he would become â€Å"†¦unmanageable, and of no valueRead MorePersuasive Essay On Reverse Racism968 Words   |  4 Pagesshamed, harmed, or hurt by minorities. White on black racism is a big thing right? Yes there a many many examples of racism caused by whites against blacks but in todays society it is nothing more than the racism that blacks have towards whites (It’s time to talk about ‘black privilege’). Black people can have clubs, holidays, and groups based on their race without being called racist by the rest of the world. If a club based on the white race was created and a black man tried to join the club they

Monday, December 23, 2019

Essay about The Pearl Depictions Of Life - 845 Words

The Pearl: Depictions of Life nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In John Steinbecks The Pearl, a destitute pearl diver finds a giant pearl with which he hopes to buy peace and happiness for his family. Instead, he learns that the valuable pearl can not buy happiness but only destroy his simple life. Throughout the fable, there is a constant theme woven through the characters and setting which encompasses the struggle among social classes to become successful. Steinbeck, a novelist known for his realistic depictions of life, portrays this motif through Kino, the doctor, Coyotito, and the town of La Paz. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John Earnst Steinbeck, author of The Pearl and many other stories, was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas,†¦show more content†¦At one point, he tries to sell the pearl in order to pay for a doctor Coyotito needs, but the pearl buyers only try to cheat him of the success he feels he deserves. Then Kino tries to leave the town, but his fear only causes him to shoot Coyotito accidentally. Finally, Kino returns to La Paz and throws the pearl into the sea. Kino, a symbol of hard work and ambition, is destroyed by his dreams of a better life. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The town doctor also demonstrates how the struggle for success can corrupt people. This quot;healerquot; is more interested in money than the welfare of others. While drinking expensive tea out of tiny china cups, he sits in his large white house and dreams of returning to Paris. When Juana comes to ask if he will treat Coyotitos scorpion sting, he promptly sends her promptly away. However, when news of Kinos discovery reaches the doctor, he rushes to the familys grass hut. Once there, he makes Coyotito sick so that he may cure the infant and squeeze a portion of the pearls wealth from the family. This disgraceful doctor represents the arrogance of the powerful towards the powerless. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Coyotito, though only an infant, is also a very important symbol of the struggle for success. An innocent victim of greed, he knows nothing more comforting than the simple life he spends inShow MoreRelatedScarlet Letter Essay On Nature1175 Words   |  5 Pagesonce said, â€Å"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.† Nature reveals much more to the human eye than many people realize. By looking deep into nature, one can find the inner workings of the universe and the simplicity of life. The Puritans and other main characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter did exactly this. Within the novel, readers witness many natural occurrences such as a meteor in the sky, a rosebush outside of a prison, or the sun setting on theRead MoreThe Pearl, By John Steinbeck903 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, take place in La Paz, Mexico, where a pleasant family composed of Kino, his wife, Juana, and their son, Coyotito. One day, their son is bitten by a scorpion and Juana and Kino go see a local doctor, who refuses to treat Coyotito. Kino, a pearl diver, finds a pearl with immense value which he believes will pay for the treatment. However, the pearl brings great misfortune upon the family. As the novel progresses, Juana disagrees that the pearl will help herRead More The Scarlet Letter Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pageswear a highly embossed depiction of the letter â€Å"A† on her breast as punishment for an act of adultery. How Hester handles the consequences of her castigation is what brings about the heroic feministic qualities of the main character. Three aspects that corroborate Hester Prynne’s qualities are: 1. Admitting her sin openly to fellow man and God, 2. Putting up with the taunting and social exile of her punishment, and 3. Aspiring above her torment to give love to her daughter Pearl and Pearl’s father,Read MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne825 Words   |  4 Pagesstrayed from its religious codes. In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses multiple symbols to bring a deeper meaning to the society, his characters, and to adultery. One of the motifs used comes as the character Pearl, the daughter of the two adulterers. Pearl has multiple descriptions; physically, she is â€Å"a lovely and immortal flower,† yet also â€Å"an airy sprite . . . as if she were hovering in the air and might vanish† (80, 83). She has a â€Å"wild, desperate, defiant mood† and is oftenRead MoreScarlet Letter Character Analysis1081 Words   |  5 Pagesevents in an author ’s life affect the style and content of their literary works, which is expressed throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Pearl being an outcast from the rigid Puritan morals, and Hesters being independent and strong-willed challenges traditional society. These aspects all mirror the authors emotions and hardships of his early life through the literary element of characterization. Through the analysis of the main characters Hester and Pearl, we see how The ScarletRead MoreEssay Descent Into Darkness Book Review1286 Words   |  6 PagesDiver’s Memoir Descent into Darkness by Edward C. Raymer is an exceptional piece of work that accounts the history and aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Raymer’s purpose when writing Descent into Darkness was to mainly depict the story of what naval divers did during the recovery process after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the hazards endured and the sometimes nearly impossible hardships they overcame, and the innovative diving techniques implemented used to salvageRead MoreCharacterization In The Scarlet Letter1374 Words   |  6 Pagesevents in an author’s life affect the style and content of their literate, which is expressed throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is outcasted from society because of her non-conformity to rigid Puritan morals, similar to how Hawthorne alienates his own daughter Una for having a more masculine personality. These aspects all mirror Hawthorne s emotions and hardships of his early life th rough the literary element of characterization. The analysis of Pearl emphasizes how The ScarletRead MorePortraiture Depictions Of Queen Elizabeth I1578 Words   |  7 PagesPortraiture Depictions of Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth Tudor or Queen Elizabeth I was and is one of the greatest monarchs in English history. Obtaining the crown at a young age of twenty-five, she seized a bankrupt country caused by previous rulers, a country with an unstable religion, and loose ties with other great powers of the world. Elizabeth I ruled for nearly half a century granting her the remembrance with reigning with stability, the flourishment of the arts, and increased trade. Elizabeth’sRead MoreDevelopment of Characters in Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlett Letter953 Words   |  4 PagesScarlet Letter, the author develops the characters of Pearl Prynne as candid, Hester Prynne as strong-willed, and Reverend Dimmesdale as hypocritical. Hawthornes ability to develop characters is evident throughout the novel, and is apparent when portraying Pearl as candid. Pearl is the daughter of Hester and is a very outgoing seven-year-old. Unbeknownst to Pearl, her father is Reverend Dimmesdale, with whom her mother had an affair. One day, Pearl is walking with Hester in the forest. She proceedsRead MoreWhy Mine Okubo Was An American Citizen Of Japanese Descent1117 Words   |  5 Pagescamps for â€Å"protective purposes† during World War II. In her graphic novel Citizen 13660, which was named after the number designated to her family unit, Okubo documents her journey from her initial relocation to Tanforan Assembly Center after the Pearl Harbor attack, up until she is finally granted release from the Central Utah Relocation Project in Topaz. She tells her story through sketches and storytelling due to recording devices being confiscated as contraband. Okubo’s original motive behind

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Home Depot Free Essays

Home Depot opened its first home improvement store in Atlanta Georgia in 1978. The company developed a tactical product analysis providing an assortment of products and services to customers. The products Home Depot offers focus on contractors and the do-it-yourself customers, as well as free how to clinics and workshops for children allowing them to build an item onsite in the store. We will write a custom essay sample on Home Depot or any similar topic only for you Order Now Home Depot has grown into an internationally recognized specialty merchant that markets and delivers 40,000 different building materials, lawn and garden products, home improvement supplies, appliances, and more than 250,000 other products that can be especially ordered (Unknown, 2003-2012). Home Depot has over 2,200 locations throughout the United States. Stores average 105,000 square feet with approximately 23,000 additional square feet of outside garden area† (Unknown, 2003-2012). Pricing Information Home Depot needs to have a good understanding what the customer needs and wants are. Home Depot’s annual report shows the domestic outlook of expectations on procurement policies and procedures; Home Depot has changed its procurement policies and buying procedures. One service that Home Depot has eliminated as part of the changes is the design centers for kitchens and baths. These design centers were a service to the customer who used Home Depot products in the designs of the kitchen and bathroom projects, the service didn’t improve productivity at its stores as many customers had Home Depot’s design center create the layout of the kitchen or bathroom but would purchase the items, such as cabinets, sinks, lights, etc. from other home centers or online. Home Depot’s operating strategy was to close its EXPO design centers and other internal businesses such as HD Bath designs. This would allow the business to focus on maximizing the stores productivity of the existing store base instead of offering services like kitchen design and bath design (Unknown, 2013). Provided is a solution to increase demand for a service, by adding features to its service or making shipping faster or being more reliable, Home Depot can reduce production costs. The procurement process of Home Depot outlines the company’s supplier information within the reference manual. The Supplier Reference Manual provides information to ensure successful partnerships and collaboration between Home Depot and its suppliers. Home Depot’s ordering cycle includes electronic data interchange requirements, distribution information, purchase order methods, store environment conditions, manufacturing excellence, customs compliance, and transportation constraints (see Appendix A). Home Depot’s electronic data interchange (EDI) system provides a resource for repeat supplier collaboration. Suppliers are encouraged to use the EDI system on a weekly basis to ensure business and supply chain needs and expectations are met. The EDI includes mandatory transaction sets, a product catalogue, image requirements, and computer system access needs. Distribution information includes product flows, freight requirements as well as product and packaging characteristics. Home Depot clearly defines its distribution requirements to eliminate any confusion regarding its products, and shipping details. The information designates where product deliveries should be depending on point of origin, product, and final dispersal. The final requirements of Home Depot supplier reference manual include customs compliance and transportation. The Home Depot outlines how suppliers need to handle international imports or exports, from having the appropriate documentation to sufficient packaging and security. Transportation conditions include a routing guide suppliers follow. Pricing strategies involve movement along the Demand curve (McConnell, Brue Flynn, 2011) In a market with high price elasticity of demand, such as a monopolistic competitive market, a small reduction in price will have a large effect on demand. Non-pricing strategies involve shifting the demand curve to the right, such as by a TV advertising campaign. This is a common strategy in markets with low price elasticity of demand, such as oligopolies. Marginal Factors When operating from a global perspective, it is important to understand what patterns arise from the local markets. Being able to provide resources to these local markets is a critical part for a company like Home Depot to institute. From Home Depot’s store support center a global resource merchandise program will be maintained, this will provide customers access to source high-quality products directly from manufacturers around the world. Profit is maximized when Marginal Revenue equals Marginal Cost, to use it, a business needs to know how much it costs to produce one more unit of a service. A business can also use total revenue – total cost method (McConnell, Brue Flynn, 2011). Profit is maximized when the total revenue and total cost curves are farthest apart. Conclusion Home Depot demands the highest levels of product quality, innovation, availability, on-time delivery, safety in production and shipping, compliance with laws and codes of conduct, and sensitivity to brand reputation is a major influence to the customer service strategy and innovation to products, policies, and procedures. The variety of products, analyzing, shipping, import details, contracts information and processes broaden potential business movement controlled by procurement decisions and influences of policies. The relationship with many state and federal laws restricts and offer different business treatment and regulations. Choosing a combination of strategies having the biggest effect on demand in the company’s industry may be best. How to cite Home Depot, Papers Home Depot Free Essays The home depot has been around for many many years. It all started out a partnership and became a corportation that it currently is today. The Home Depot was founded in 1978 by two poor men. We will write a custom essay sample on Home Depot or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their names were Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. They were accompanied by investment banker Ken Langone and merchandising guru Pat Farrah. They not only have stores throughout the United States but the Home Depot is a multinational corporation. They have broken into Canada, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. They are the United States’ largest retailer behind Wal-Mart. They are the largest home improvement retailer though. In 2000, the arrival of the new Chief Executive, Robert Nardelli, had changed the business strategy of the Home Depot to a more militaristic style. Under Nardelli’s leadership, Home Depot is becoming more centralized and the good financial reports following this are signs that it a good strategy. Nardelli started making the company look and feel like an army. He loved to hire soldiers, because they were already trained with the discipline that he felt necessary to run a successful business. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard Poor’s 500 index. The Home Depot’s rival is Lowes. The Home Depot has benefits well from â€Å"Hurricane Preparation. † Since June, the Home Depot has outperformed Lowes by nearly 10% and most of the broader market by 6%. The Home Depot has about 500 more stores than Lowes and its expected sales growth are supposed to increase by a 4. 6% over Lowes. The sales for the fiscal year 2000 were $45. 7 billion, compared to $38. 4 billion in fiscal 1999. As of January 2001, the company was operating 1,134 retail stores in forty-seven states, six Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, Chile and Argentina. Revenue increased from $45. 7 billion in 2000 to $81. 5 billion in 2005, while profits rose from $2. 6 billion to $5. 8 billion. While this was a slower growth rate than Home Depot had experienced in the past, it was because past growth was due to the company’s rapid expansion. The Home Depot Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) enables you to invest a minimum amount in Home Depot stock and build your stock ownership over time. In addition for the Home Depot to grow they will be increasing their quarterly dividend $0. 29. Also the Home Depot has been paying its’ shareholders a quarterly dividend for over a 100 consecutive quarters, currently yielding at 2. 05%. In the past couple of years the profit margin of the Home Depot has gone up. In 2009-3. 17%, 2010-3. 95%, 2011-4. 90%, 2012-5. 51%, last twelve months-5. 96%. The cash flow from the Home Depot is approximately $6. 6 billion. The key for the Home Depot will be revenue growth. The future looks very bright for the Home Depot to invest stock into as long as it can grow revenue for the next year. However, this year the company reported revenues that seem to be in a down-spiraling situation. This month the â€Å"orange giant† is being faced with a serious drop in its earnings per share and many analysts are contributing this drop to the possibility that Home Depot may of hit the wall. With analysts banking on a 25% growth rate, Home Depot bar ely managed to achieve half of that; reporting only 13% in its fiscal third quarter earnings. There are many reasons for this outcome and there are ways that Home Depot plans on overcoming these â€Å"threats† that are reducing their earnings. The Home Depot is a How to cite Home Depot, Papers Home Depot Free Essays In addition they also responded to concerns bout its environmental impact by creating new standards to govern its relationship with its suppliers. The legitimacy of the company and stakeholders also showed because they wanted to make sure that Home Depot’s appearance of being environmentally responsible is not a sham. Home Depot showed their urgency by responding immediately to growing need for large corporations to become economically responsible. We will write a custom essay sample on Home Depot or any similar topic only for you Order Now Home Depot strategies and performance with the environmental and employee stakeholders is a proactive approach as well as doing ore than what is required in the industry. They have donated millions to Red Cross and other relief funds, they also opened workshops for women, children and new homeowners. This earned them a â€Å"A† on the Council on Economic Priorities Corporate Report Card and a Proactive on their business approach to be environmentally and socially responsible. Home Depot Justified the budgeting of so much money for philanthropy as a publicly traded company because they feel that this is something the stakeholder like to see in a company. When Home depot suspended the stock uh-back program in 2007 to avoid losses and to prevent from borrowing they used their own revenues to cover their expenses. The stakeholders and customers were happy that the company could stay a float as well as donate millions to environmental and social issues. Home Depot may also benefit from some type of scholarship fund or tuition reimbursement program for the employees. Or saving as many tree in the Rain Forest as they cut down in other forests by donating. Home Depot stopping expansion of new stores and upgrading the remaining stores seem to e a good strategic plan. By using their on revenues to cover their expenses instead of borrowing prove to be a good measure as well because as the recession subsides they were still the number one in the industry and did not owe any creditors. My suggestion to the CEO is to continue doing as you are and you will continue to be number in the industry. Key Stakeholders And Concerns : Shareholders: economic and profit concerns Employees: EEOC concerns Environmental: Abiding by Environmental Principles Customers: has the stores improved Key Facts: Home Depot manage customers relations by consolidating marketing and merchandising functions; Which helped customers to do home improvement projects more effectively and efficiently. The company had its ups and downs with its ratings due to their proactive approach. They showed good customer service and social responsibility by starting workshops for women, children and new home owners to teach them basic carpentry skills, starting as young as five years old. Home depot Environmental initiates started when they adopted a set of environmental principles . Guided by these principles, Home Depot has initiated a number of programs to minimize the firm’s and its customers impact on the environment. Home Depot focuses corporate social responsibility efforts on affordable housing and disaster relief. In 2002 the company founded the Home Depot Foundation, which provides additional resources to assist nonprofits in the United States and Canada. 1997 the company settled a class- action lawsuit brought by female employees who alleged that they were paid less than male employees, awarded fewer pay raises, and promoted less often. Home Depot encourages employees to become involved in the community through volunteer and civic activities. Home Depot has worked to show that it appreciates workforce diversity and seeks to give all its associates an equal chance to be employed and advance in its stores. CEO Frank Blake decided to halt expansion and focus on improving existing stores. Shut down expo stores that catered to the wealthier class. Home Depot reaction to the recession was swift and decisive. Initiated new technology to improve customer service and become more efficient. How to cite Home Depot, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Customer Service, Dead of Alive Essay Example For Students

Customer Service, Dead of Alive? Essay Is customer service dead or alive? My career experience has been primarily in residential property management, where I have had extensive training in customer service. As a result, I have higher professional expectations for those whose job it is to deal with me as a consumer. In the past two weeks certain events lead me to believe that customer service is a dying concept for some companies. In the beginning of February I started a new position as an office manager for a growing manufacturers representative group. My first task was to upgrade our phone service and purchase new phones to accommodate our current as well as future needs. I made the first call to our local telephone service provider. After talking with a customer service representative for small businesses about our current number of lines, voice mail service, and potential employee growth, we decided it was necessary to add two more phone lines and upgrade our voice mail service. To my surprise, the installation schedule would require a two week wait, except for the voice mail, which would be installed the following Monday. With both appointment dates set, we ended our conversation. Monday morning I arrived at the office and quickly realized that we had no dial tone. Using a cell phone, I called the telephone company and requested that they restore our phone service. By late morning we had phone service but no voice mail. So I called customer service again and talked to another representative who was completely unable to answer any questions or tell me when our voice mail would be available. It took more than two weeks for the telephone company to get our voice mail system totally functional. The installation of our new lines seemed to go very smoothly. In fact, at this point I thought that our phone troubles were over. Then came several complaints from our dealers and manufacturers and I discovered that while installing our new phones lines they had turned off call forwarding. Thus, followed more calls to the telephone company, and a five day wait, our business phone service became functional. Customer service at the local telephone company is dead. Their representatives give us the illusion that it is alive, but my experience is otherwise. They have a monopoly that puts Bill Gates Microsoft to shame. Having no choice in your service provider has brought about the death of service. Thankfully, I can end this essay on a happy note. During a wonderful conversation with a customer service representative of a manufacturer of fax machines, my concept of service was resuscitated. Everyone needs a Brother. .