Sectional pressure Essay Example

Sectional pressure Essay (1)Sectional pressure groups are ones that aim to represent the common interests of a particular section of society and are mostly concerned with only that part of society; so as a result, membership is often closed and restricted. The also aim to get as many eligible members as possible to join the group.Sectional groups might include; TUC, the Confederation of British Industry, the Institute of Directors, British Medical Association, Federation of Small Businesses, National Farmers Union, the Law SocietyMembers of sectional pressure groups are directly and personally concerned with the outcome of the campaigns fought by the group because normally they stand to gain professionally and/or economically.Promotional pressure groups are also known as cause groups. This group follows a specific set of objectives- they aim to promote a cause, the achievement of which is not necessarily of direct professional or economic benefit to the members of the group. Examples of a promotional pressur e group are- CND, whose cause is nuclear disarmament and The Society for the protection of the unborn child, whose cause is the prevention of abortions.There membership is not usually restricted because they aim to promote a cause that everybody is likely to support. These types of pressure groups get members joining them because they want to join and can be sub-divided according to the aims they pursue. A pressure group for both of these categories would be age concern.(2)There are many methods pressure groups employ to influence the political process.Most pressure groups are careful to maintain a non-partisan approach; some can only realistically expect to exert influence if a particular party is in power. For example, it is only since labour came into power in 1997 that the Electoral Reform Society had any realistic change of achieving its goals because the Conservatives were strongly opposed to electoral reform whilst in government.It is important to note that it is not always t he pressure groups that approach parties. Some times if a party wants a particular policy to be supported, the party will approach the particular pressure group.One way in which pressure groups can challenge and sometimes overturn a government decision is to take action in the courts. Legal actions are costly and long; however, pressure groups have now been using this method even more. A few of the larger pressure groups now have a legal representative or department.The cost of taking legal action means that, in general, the courts are only used as a last resort when all other methods have been unsuccessful.There has also been a huge increase of paid political consultants who offer to act as intermediaries between pressure groups and parliament.Lobbyists are used mainly by sectional groups and commercial clients; however, some cause groups do make use of them. Lobbyists have three main functions. The first one is to provide groups with political information, secondly, to bring group s into contact with MPs or officials, or to bring MPs or officials into contact with groups and finally, to persuade MPs or officials to back a particular issue or cause.Pressure groups also need to get the publics support and this can be done using the media. The media plays a central role in modern politics and is used by all pressure groups. Television and newspapers are particularly important in determining which issues appear on the political agenda both nationally and locally.They can also help to create a climate of public opinion which puts pressure on decision makers. There are many ways in using the media. Firstly, the media can provide visibility, secondly, the media acts as a source of information for pressure groups. Pressure groups often scrutinise the media for relevant information and are able to build campaigns around issues that are in the news or which have local relevance. Thirdly, the media plays a part in changing political climate and this can have a direct ef fect on pressure group popularity, e.g. The Abortion Reform Association was set up in 1936 but its views were ignored until a new liberal outlook emerged in 1960s. Pressure groups may also need to react to a news item and, media coverage can demonstrate that a matter is of public concern. Finally, information provided by pressure groups may directly influence the content or articles or programmes. All this being a way of campaigning outside the government system.Three campaigning techniques that pressure groups can use are- paying for adverts in newspapers, direct mail and publicity stunts. Paying for adverts in newspapers can attract support for the cause and bring in donations and new members. As it is an expensive method, only groups with a large amount of members can afford this. Some groups produce mail shots which are posted direct to members of the public. This method allows the pressure group to reach a large number of people in a short amount of time. Others are designed to inform people about developments or ask them to take action. An example of this would be Greenpeace, who have managed persuade almost half a million people to write letters protesting about whaling.On the other hand, some groups are not viewed in a sympathetic light by the media and therefore cannot expect to receive good publicity as a matter of course. Sometimes different issues are given higher priorities, and therefore other groups may find that there press releases are ignored. As a result, some pressure groups may organise events, to gain publicity. These events may vary, from things like, marches or demonstrations or they might be other forms of direct action. In some circumstances, certain pressure groups may end up using violence as a means of publicising their cause.Pressure groups could also use direct action. Direct action is a form of political action which operates outside the formal political process. It can be characterized as a range of activities which have a numb er of essential qualities. They can be highly organised and effective, they are demonstrative, obstructive, publicity seeking, increasingly illegal and at times violent.Campaigns of direct action are highly organised. Even though local campaigns of direct action might not be successful, they can still influence government policy.(3)Some pressure groups are more successful than others. There are many reasons behind this.It is not simple to measure the success of a pressure group. Although there are some cause groups which have a single objective, most pressure groups have multiple objectives and it is difficult to know which has priority. However, it is important to note that there are many other factors other than the achievement of an objective that may affect whether or not a pressure group is successful or not.First, it is important to take into consideration whether decision makers are responsive to a pressure groups message.If a pressure groups message fits with the decision ma kers ideology, it is much more likely to be accepted and the group is therefore, much more likely to accepted and the group is therefore likely to be affective.Secondly, the fact that much of the discussion about a decision often takes place in private is also significant. This is because, later, it might not be clear from records whether a pressure groups actions have been influential.Sometimes it is difficult to know which pressure group has influenced the decision makers. This is because sometimes, several pressure groups campaign for the same outcome which means it can be unclear which particular group influenced the decision makers.If decision makers do not appear to be receptive, this does not mean that they have taken no notice of the pressure groups campaign. Pressure groups demands may be taken on board quietly to avoid a loss of faceGrant, 1995, argues that there are three main categories which affect pressure groups effectiveness. These three categories being, 1) Domain o rganisation 2) Resources and 3) The external environment.The characteristics of the membership of a pressure group to some extent determine the effectiveness of the pressure group. A group who has members that come from a disadvantage section of the population is less likely to be effective than a group whose membership comes from the middle classes. An example would be- the WWF with its mass membership of middle-class activists are likely to be effective than the Claimants Union, the bulk of whose membership is unemployed.The attractiveness of a group in terms of its electoral influence may also play a part in determining effectiveness. It is easier to arouse public concern and, therefore, the support decision makers for the elderly than for, say, for the low paid. Also, competition for members can lead to groups becoming less competitive. Rather than presenting a united front, groups representing the same interests may be fragmented by their differing ideologies and stragerigies. If this is the case, then decision makers are likely to adopt a divide and rule policy which reduces the chance of any of the pressure groups fulfilling their objectives.This is a tactic often used by the government when dealing with unions. An example would be the teaching profession. This is represented by six different unions and is highly unusual for all six to take the same line on government policy. This makes it easier fro the government to ignore views it does not support.The second category, resources, states how the finance, number of staff and the organisational structure of a pressure group have an effect on its success.Financial resources not only affect what campaigning techniques a group can use, they also determine how many members of staff a group can employ.Employees have the time and expertise to ensure that campaigns are organised in a professional, effective manner.Financial uncertainty can also affect a groups effectiveness. Most groups rely on membership subsc riptions and donations. But these sources of funds can dry up easily. Between 1989 and 1992, for example, WWFs income fell by more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3 million because it lost a tenth of its supporters. This drop in the number of supporters was due both to the depth of the economic recession and the fact that the environment had slipped down the political agenda.A groups organisational structure also has a hearing on its effectiveness. Sectional groups tend to have a centralised structure including a council which is the ultimate policy-making body and smaller specialised groups which look after individual areas or campaigns. Cause groups on the other hand tend to have a more decentralised structure. The advantage here is that members feel that they are intimately involved in the groups decision making process.Every pressure group has finite resources, but the way in which a group chooses to use these resources will help to determine that groups effectiveness, a bad choice of tactics can mean a long-term setback.Public opinion can also be an important factor in determining a groups effectiveness. Attitudes tend to change slowly, but a series of events or a crisis may lead to the expression of new views.Often these new views are first expressed in the media. Decision makers tend to be concerned with what the media sees as important and to give priority to these issues. That is one reason why pressure groups cultivate contacts with the media.The importance of public opinion can be seen in the way in which the environmental movement grew in the 1980s.Much media coverage was given to environmental problems such as the reduction of the ozone layer, global warming and acid rain. Public concern about environmental issues led not only to an increase in support for environmental groups, it also led to greater emphasis being placed on the environment by decision bakers. Members rose form 74,360 in 1988 to 231,211 in 1991

Expanded Role of the CIO essays

Expanded Role of the CIO essays To begin a thorough discussion of the question What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of giving the CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER an expanded role in the corporation? We must first differentiate between the roles of an Information Technology Manager and the roles of a Chief Information Officer CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER if there is a difference at all. The role of a Chief Information Officer as defined by dictionaryreference.com is the person who determines the overall strategic direction and business contribution of the information systems function in a business. As one CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER tried to defined the role of Chief Information Officer on http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6297_11-1048844.html. He had to break it into two separate definitions for both small and large companies. There are really two types of CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER roles: the small-company CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER and the large-company CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER. The small-company CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER typically runs an environment of networks, servers, and purchased applications. The IT group will operate and maintain existing systems, and will select and implement new systems. Typically, everyone in the IT department (with the possible exception of the CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER) is hands-on with the technology and systems on a daily basis. The large-company CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, on the other hand, manages larger groups performing essentially the same functions, as well as groups developing custom applications. Most of the management team at a large company is hands-off with the technology. Now the role of an Information Technology Manager as defined by http://jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/text/jobdetails.cfm?jobid=44 Information technology (IT) managers plan, administer and review the acquisition, development, maintenance and use of computer and telecommunicati ...

Anthony Burgess’ View of the Impact of Wrongful Actions in Humanity as Illustrated In His Book, A Clockwork Orange

Anthony Burgess’ View of the Impact of Wrongful Actions in Humanity as Illustrated In His Book, A Clockwork Orange A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange, explains the theme of the necessity of evil in human nature in this novel. The main character, Alex, is despicable because he gives free rein to his violent impulses, but that sense of freedom is also what makes him human. This book was one that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though the language was hard to understand at first. A Clockwork Orange is set in a futuristic dystopia governed by a totalitarian state. Ordinary citizens have fallen into obedient complacency, unaware of the growth of a violent youth. Alex, the protagonist of the story, leads a small gang of criminals (Dim, Pete and Georgie) through the streets, robbing and beating men and raping woman. Alex ends up getting caught in his latest act, breaking into a cottage and beat up the man inside before raping his wife while making him watch, ends up with Alex being taken to prison, where they attempt to brainwash him into being a model citizen. First, I may warn potential readers that this book is not for the squeamish, when the book goes into extreme details about the violent crimes that Alex and his â€Å"droogs† (friends) commit, but the one thing that stuck with me throughout the book was the â€Å"Ludovico† technique, which was set in place by the government to brainwash the criminal into being model citizens. It effectively denies Alex, when it’s used on him, the ability to be a ‘moral agent’ and being able to freely choose between right and wrong. Because of this, Burgess creates the debate of freedom versus enforced obedience and ‘goodness’ as being the best in and for the society. In A Clockwork Orange, Burgess created a dissonant, hyperreal but easily recognisable world. The violence being slapstick and theatrical while also gruesome, and making some readers stomachs churn. The language is also a challenge, but pays off once you come to figure out what means things like ‘friends’ and ‘blood.’ The â€Å"Nadsat† (slang) spoken by the characters does more that confuse the readers at first, but it also draws the readers into Burgess’ world and makes the reader want to figure out what â€Å"droogs,† â€Å"Nadsat,† and â€Å"bezoomny† means (friends, slang, crazy). The language compels the reader to think while reading, having them try to remember what each different word in â€Å"Nadsat† means in English. The way that Alex speaks, both formally and some recurring anticlimax in his voice makes this process seem more sinister and occasionally funny. In this final chapter, Burgess has Alex growing out of his wrongdoings, looking back and regarding it as a little bit sad and embarrassing (the actions of dumb kids) and, as the clichà © goes in books and film alike, determined that his own children won’t make the same mistakes he did at a young age. It’s the redemption, and the stunningly mundane lesson of real life that made Alex grow up and realize all of the mistakes that he made as a teenager. A Clockwork Orange is an amazing book with advanced language, great descriptions and a book that thoroughly explains that theme of the necessity of evil in human nature, with the language, devices used in the text, and through descriptions.

Management is an art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management is an art - Essay Example Any company was considered as a machine, the managers were the operators and the workers, merely pawns. Today management has a whole new concept (McCrimmon, n.p. 2007). Suppose a manufacturing firm hires me as a manager. The workers over there used to make 6 units in an hour. After they hired me, I trained them, taught them some new techniques and now they make 8 units per hour. This efficiency in the workers reflects the efficiency of the manager. If the manager is incompetent then the efficiency of the workers does not change, rather in some cases it goes down. Managers take responsibility of what they do. They are creative and analyzing. Managers discover what is unique about a person and then use his unique quality to achieve their goals. The job of a manager is to achieve performance using a person's talent (Buckingham, n.p. 2005). In order to understand how managers work, let us first understand how many levels of managers are there in an organization. Let us take the example of a manufacturing company. In this company there are three levels of management as shown in Fig 1, Appendix A. The top most level is where the President, the Vice President or the CEO is present. These managers have the greatest responsibility because they are sitting on top of the organization. These people set the goals and objectives of the company. As their work is so important therefore they have to have extensive knowledge of management roles and skills. Their decisions are long term; therefore they are responsible for the company's strategic policies. Next is the second level of management. The managers here set realistic goals for the first line managers. They drive these goals from the long term plans their top most management has made. Managers of this level have specialized understanding of certain managerial tasks. Their tactical decisions actually come from the strategic decisions of top level management. The last, but not the least is the first level managers. Their decisions are usually short term, but these decisions effect the long term decisions made by the top management. They have direct contact with the workers on the job, hence they are responsible for assigning them work. An office manager, supervisor and Forman, all lie in this category. They do not have much experience in managerial skills, but they do have a lot of technical knowledge. In our case, they have production knowledge; can troubleshoot, but there might come a point where they cannot do anything, and will then go to the middle management for help. 3. LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION Leadership means to influence and motivate others. In an organization it affects the cost, revenue, earnings, share prices, motivation and engagements. Management is a subset of leadership. Effective leadership ensures effectiveness in organization. In an organization a leader sets direction, puts in effort to influence people so that they may follow this direction. This direction if set by the higher management and it goes towards goal attainment. There are four major functions of management. Planning, organizing, leading and

Critically evaluate the claim that Britain is now a classless society Essay

Critically evaluate the claim that Britain is now a classless society - Essay Example The unique fair answer to claim of Dr. Goebbels that England and remains the country of "two nations", would be a recognition, that in practice there are three of them. But feature of English class distinctions is not in their injustice, but in their anachronism. They do not quite precisely coincide with the borders of economic distinctions. It is accepted to classify a modern society according to three parameters: the upper class that is bourgeoisie, middle class, that is petty bourgeoisie, and working class, that is proletariat (Abercrombie, 2001). England remains the one of last countries clinging external forms of feudalism. New titles are kept and are constantly established; the chamber of lords, basically consisting of hereditary peers, possesses real powers. At the same time in England there is no real aristocracy. Racial distinctions, on which the aristocracy is based, were erased already by the end of the Middle Ages, and the well-known medieval families practically have already disappeared (Abercrombie, 2001). It is interesting to note that the sharp line, not financial, but cultural, runs inside of middle class, separating those who aspires to a secular way of life, from the others. To standard measures everyone among the capitalist and living for the week salary can be in a crowd ranked as petty bourgeoisie. That is the farmer, the responsible official, the lawyer, the priest, the bank-worker, the enterprising contractor and the fisherman are enlisted in the same class. Anybody, who pays even least attention to class distinctions, will place the officer with the revenue in 1 000 pounds above on a public ladder, than shop-assistance with the revenue in 2 000 pounds. The similar distinctions exist even among the upper classes: It appears that more honour is given to the titled person, than to the untitled one, but richer. In practice the people of middle class are

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay Example for Free

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay The following essay looks at the main drivers stimulating globalisation and how they impact on global strategies. Globalisation is about the increased interaction and linking of world societies and there economies. The world economy is now more closely linked than ever through global markets and the global organisation of the production of goods and services. â€Å"Globalisation is a process in which the world appears to be converging economically, politically and culturally. Globalisation is seen by many as a fundamental change where national borders become irrelevant, a process accelerated by development in information and communications technology. † (Needle, 2004) The first and probably the most important driver stimulating globalisation is the triumph of economic neo-liberalism with regards to changes in government policies. Neo liberalism is a set of economic policies that have become widespread over the past 25 years or so. These economic policies have on the whole been looking at reducing barriers to the movement of goods, services and capital across national borders. Many people believe the most important being the reduction of government created barriers to trade such as tariffs and quotas(GATT/WTO) which in the past would have minimised and stifled international trade. These changes in government policy interventions saw an increase in the moving from government controlled systems/business’s to privately run business’s that are run for profit which really kick started competition within the market. Due to these reductions in barriers to trade and tariffs business’s can look at the world as one big global market, they can export and import goods for a minimum cost, they can base production at a location to optimise production and therefore lowering costs(greater economies of scale) and they also have a greater access to cheaper raw materials in order to become more cost efficient. Another driver is the vast and growing spread of international governance and regulations, this being vaster regulations across many countries . This move from shallow to deep integration has seen regulations become more standardised across a variety of countries, has lowered barriers and resulted in more cross border activity. A linked world economy has been made much easier by the agreement on global standards , there are many global and regional organisations such as the UN,WTO and the EU that have contributed to this process of standardisation. If we take the EU this is a political economic community of 27 member states located in Europe. The EU has created a single market through the standardisation of systems and laws which apply in all member states, this guarantees the freedom of movement of people, goods services and capital. These type of policies and regulations have really drove globalisation as it is now easier to trade in different countries, source materials, get funding and recruit people from these countries as workers. This can lead to companies maximising production as they have a greater amount of skilled labour to choose from. They can also cut costs as they can recruit and pay foreign workers at minimum levels. The regulation of laws on things such as product quality has also had a great effect. Organisations can now buy materials from certain countries cheaply knowing they have to be of a certain quality dictated by EU law, this makes the market more accessible and global. The emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing has had an impact on globalisation. The additional trade and investment generated by globalisation required a greater financial mobility which was helped by the removal of restrictions on the movement of capital through banking, stock markets and the WTO. This made it easier for companies to source financial backing anywhere in the world making the idea of trading internationally far more appealing to many organisations. In addition to consumer goods financial goods such as foreign exchange, shares and insurance are now also traded globally. New stock exchanges have been created and emerged around the world in order to meet this expansion of global trade in the financial sector. It has been thought that much of the cross border activity that occurs now is flows of financial capital. Although this is good for investors and means companies can get funding and investment from throughout the world so much easier now it also has its drawbacks and can lead to a crisis within economies. This was highlighted in the financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997, Asia as an economy was growing which attracted many investors to invest money within various area of the Asian economy at that time. When the economy slowed and there was rumour of a crisis many investors withdrew leaving the economy and many business’s in financial ruin. Technological advancements and innovations have effected globalisation as the world now has become a smaller place, things are now readily available and accessible throughout the world wherever you are. The world economy is now networked electronically through innovations in transport particularly in air travel and communications. People and businesses can now contact each other quickly and efficiently throughout the world through the internet, e-mail, telephones etc so wherever the company is situated they can contact each other at minimum costs. Advancements in transportation have had a major influence on companies going global. They can now transport goods and bring in raw material from all over the world quickly, efficiently and at a minimum cost. This is down to transportation speed and the ability to get access to quicker methods of transport now than in the past. Aeroplanes can now transport goods anywhere in the world quickly and cost effectively. In the past companies could only source and get goods locally as these methods of transport weren’t available or feasible. We can see that such developments in transport and communications have made the movement of people, goods, money and services much easier and have really been a major influence in globalisation and its attractiveness. The final driver of globalisation is social and cultural convergence there is now an increased circulation of people of all nations around the world due to there being fewer restrictions on travel etc. People want and will search for global products as everything is now more accessible. There has been a change in individual tastes and preferences which are in the direction of favouring greater choice in the range and origin of goods and services. This is attractive for firms as they no there are potentially profitable international markets that want there products. There has also been a change in cultures there has been a growth in cross-cultures. People have the desire to enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology and have a real desire to participate in a world culture. This has lead to a change in peoples values, collectivism is being replaced by individualism in many countries, they are changing more from traditional societies to more modern ones which increases demand for international products from other countries. There are various types of strategies that an organisation can implement that are also influenced by the main drivers stimulating globalisation. The first and most simple would be a home replication strategy this is when a firm takes the strengths of the business and looks to replicate that in the international markets that they want to move into. This strategy is usually more popular with smaller business that target a niche market, they look to expand into other markets and target niche markets within that market. The multi domestic strategy which is the strategy most firms take assumes that consumers needs and wants differ from country to country. To become competitive in these markets they tailor there product and operations to suit that country. The power within the organisation is de-centralized to strategic business units in each country and power is given within these business units to managers to make decisions in that particular country. The main driver behind this strategy is the varying cultures between countries in the world. It would not make sense to sell certain products in countries that have strong feelings against the product and will not purchase it. The best way to become competitive in these markets is to differentiate your product within that country. E. g. McDonalds not selling beef in India as they do not eat beef and selling chicken instead is a prime example of a multi-domestic strategy. The Global strategy is based upon the idea that consumers want the same things wherever they are in the world. Within this strategy the organisations products and services are the same across all markets throughout the world. This design is based upon the worldwide centralisation of decision making and control at the headquarters of the organisation. It is the head office of these companies that make all the key decisions regarding production, marketing etc and tell the head of the strategic business unit in each country what to do, the only decisions they make are with regards to the legal side of the country the company are doing business in to make sure they are working within the law. If done well this strategy can allow the organisation to achieve economies of scale. The main drawback within the strategy is it is not flexible to local markets and is very difficult to respond to changes within the local market because of how centralised it is. The transnational strategy is when the organisation tries to achieve both a global efficiency and an ability to respond to local market needs . This can be difficult to achieve because there is a real emphasis on the strong central control of the organisation as well as coordinating the activities to achieve efficiency and being responsive to the local market. An example of this local responsiveness with global efficiencies would be a car manufacturer manufacturing cars for the left hand side and right hand side drivers. They create a uniform product e. g. body of car created then tailored to specific market depending on what side of the road you drive on. As we can see there are many drivers that stimulate globalisation and also many strategies that can be taken but when going global there are also many things that need to be taken into consideration when deciding on a strategy. Trade blocs need to be considered as they influence the ease of access to particular markets and influence costs of trading in different regions of the world e. g. EU, NAFTA. This may be a hindrance due to added cost of setting up and blocs on trading but if you were to locate within a trading bloc this could help reduce long term trading costs and be a beneficial strategy e. g. Japanese companies building plants in the UK to help overcome exposure to the common external tariffs. Economic factors need to be considered such as tax systems, financial markets- can capital be raised and easily moved within that area. Prices of things such as oil and petrol will influence decisions as transportation costs will be effected by this. Interest rates and exchange rates might also play a factor in influencing strategy as they effect costs making it less or more feasible to move into that market. Social factors may also be relevant such as religious considerations and the appropriateness of selling your product in there country e. g. selling alcohol in a Muslim country may not be a good strategy. Also ethical and cultural issues should be taken into account when thinking of setting up in various countries as many cultures will not except certain products. Other factors such as capability of the workforce in certain countries will need to be considered as if the appropriate skilled labour isn’t available in that country it may not be a worthwhile option. The access to technology can have a major influence on global business strategy such as access to the internet, pc ownership, sales technology, processing payments and sales is this technology available and easy to use, compatibility of technologies used e. . accounting systems and language differences may also have an impact on strategy. From this essay we can see there are many drivers that have stimulated globalisation over past decades. These drivers have had a major impact on strategies that are taken by organisations. It is important for an organisation when going global to look at all the factors involved and imp lement the correct strategy in order for them to be successful.

A Trip to the Store :: Parables Short Stories Essays

A Trip to the Store There once was a man, a ordinary man named John. John had a family with a wife and three kids, a house with a garage and two cars, very much of an average person was our John. One day John's wife asked him to go to the store to get some bread. As John put on his coat and found the keys to the car he already knew how he would get to the store. He would pull out of the driveway and turn left on Hazelwood Road. He would go past the neighbors on whose land he bowhunted every fall, down the hill, between the swamps and up the next hill to the highway. There he would right onto County Road 20 and cruise down the narrow road that wound past the State Park and the Country Club, probably glance at the lake to see how many ice houses were on the lake and then continue to the intersection of County Road 21. There he would turn left and continue on his way past Ruttger's, where he had often thought of getting a membership, past the boat landing where he liked to put his boat in the lake when he fished walleyes in the summer. Past Koblilka's where he bought his licenses and into town. Shortly after entering town he would coast to a stop at the stop light and wait to turn right. Then a short drive past the myriad's of restaurants and other business's hoping but never getting green lights at the intersections and then finally to turn into the parking lot of the store. Then after making his purchase he would turn around and retrace his route back home. It was a route John had taken many times before and was familiar and comfortable with. The route was one he could use with little thought or attention required on his part. Often instead of thinking about where he was going he would think about other things while he was driving or perhaps just listen to the radio. Sometimes he could make the whole trip there and back without hardly noticing the route itself. Not to say the trips were always easy, sometimes bad weather made the route slippery or heavy traffic made the trip longer then it should be. There was always a chance of having a flat tire or other car problems along the way.