Economics Commentary Essay Example for Free

Economics Commentary Essay The article I have chosen to base my commentary on is SpiceJet buys 30 Q400 aircraft from the times of India (website) and the article was published on 30th of august, 2011. As the title suggests the article discusses about the recent acquisition made by SpiceJet of 30 Q400 aircrafts from Bombardier in order to reach out to more of the tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India, where there is a potential demand which has not been yet met entirely. These cities include Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Mangalore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Vijayawada also SpiceJet will start operating direct flights to cities that is not easily available such as; from Hyderabad to Goa and Madurai, Nagpur to Pune and Bangalore to Vizag. This plan to improve air connectivity by SpiceJet has given a lot of satisfaction to many people as their travel has been made much more easier for many citizens of India. Also this the first time that any airline in India has bought these new changes and it allows the company to have monopoly, when concerning these particular routes. Through these changes SpiceJet will be able to increase their customer base and reach out to a more niche market that had been previously neglected by them. This improvement in their route and by providing more aircrafts SpiceJet will enable them to increase their supply thus resulting in their prices to decrease (as can be seen on diagram 1). Moreover the Q400 aircrafts are comparatively much more fuel efficient which not only decreases their cost and hence allows them to offer affordable journey to the common people but also improves their public image because it promotes them as being environmental friendly and hence increase their demand thus bringing about an increase in the equilibrium quantity and price as well (as can be seen on diagram 2). Additionally it makes sure that SpiceJet would be less prone to criticism from NGOs or other pressure groups. Q400 is considered to be the best short-haul plane and comparatively is more comfortable than other planes like it. This will increase the demand of this series of aircraft and most probably more of airlines companies would like to buy flights from bombardier these and hence the price would be increased (as can be seen by figure 3). In addition to this The Q400 aircraft due to its comfort would also benefit SpiceJet as more passengers would like to travel through it compared to other airlines thus causing the demand curve to shift upwards and thus allowing the prices to increase even further (as can be seen by figure 4). The Q400 aircraft are not only going to benefit SpiceJet but also millions of people and India as a whole since this would cause a drastic improvement in communications. Also it will set a trend for other airlines to also offer more routes and hence force the prices to go even lower as the competition will increase and the demand would become comparatively elastic (as can be seen by diagram 5).

A Swot Analysis On Pizza Hut Marketing Essay

A Swot Analysis On Pizza Hut Marketing Essay SWOT Analysis is one of several strategic planning tools that are utilized by businesses plan, gives overall direction to an organization within its chosen environment, guides allocation of resources and efforts. SWOT analysis also provides information that is helpful in matching the firms resources and capabilities with the competitive environment that it operates. Other than this, the process of SWOT involves four areas of consideration: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It should be noted that when identifying and classifying relevant factors, the focus is not just on internal matters, but also external components that could impact the success of the project. Strengths are defined as the positive attributes of the organization, which are within the organizations control. Such as, specialist marketing and advertising skills, patents, introduction of new and innovative product or service, cost benefit through proprietary knowledge, strong reputation. Weaknesses is f actors that are within the organization control and can easily be improved. It is necessary to take care of your weaknesses because these factors can detract you in achieving your goals and objectives. Opportunities is portunities are the external factors that are providing benefit your business directly or indirectly. Such as, market growth, careful research about market, market size. Threats these are also the external factors, which are not in organizations control, but they can seriously damage your organization mission. Threats include competition, economic crises, earthquakes, competition, price war, new regulations. Pizza Hut is the company owned by Yum! Brands in 1997 by Wichita and Kansas. The headquarter is located at Texas USA. The company is engaged in restaurant industry producing wide range of pizzas, pastas etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By 1972, with 314 stores nationwide, Pizza Hut went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker symbol PIZ.In 1977, Pizza Hut was acquired by PepsiCo, who later also bought KFC and Taco Bell. In 1997, the three restaurant chains were spun off into Tricon, and in 2002 joined with Long John Silvers and AW Restaurants to become YUM! Brands. Pizza Huthas opened Pizza Hut Express which specializes in small 6pizzas. The oldest continuously operating Pizza Hut in the world is in Manhattan, Kansas, in a shopping and tavern district known as Aggie Ville. 2.0 SWOT for Pizza Hut 2.1 Strengths The strengths of Pizza Hut is the main strengths of company is their focus on their product and services. Added to that is the ambience or the facility which is not under the category of fast food but a restaurant. The idea of creating this kind venue is to provide the bond between families and friends. Another factor is the on-going efforts of the restaurant to provide the healthier pizza. It is because they found out that there is a percentage of their target that is health conscious. The idea is to strip or cut off the unnecessary calories and fats when the cheeses is added to the dough. The product reinvention did not stop there as the company included to their menus that news tastes and combination of different pizza which is according to the tastes and preferences of the consumers. To gain additional trust from the market, the company pursues their research and develops pizza dippers, as another answer to their never-ending customer demands. 2.1.1 Weakness Pizza Hut is identified as the largest users of cheese that affects the pizza hut branches that lacks the supply of cheese. The problem with alternatives is eventually identified buy the consumers and there is a narrow choices for substitutes. Other than that, the company reported that they incurred high cost in terms of their production, the root of this problem is on the intense competition and their pizza reinvention just to satisfy the taste buds of the customers. As a result, the overhead cost pushed the restaurant branches to have additional charge, not knowing that because of their action, there is more probability to lost most of their consumers. 2.1.2 Opportunities Pizza Hut opened lots of doors through their pizza reinventions or product innovation. This is evident in the increase on the revenue and increasing brand loyalty with their customers. Their service and products are outstanding and the offered new taste combinations and expansion of the varieties of menus also touched their pastas, beverages, and desserts. As said earlier, the opportunity is also part of the marketing strategy of the company to provide the proper utilization of the technology through their online-ordering system. The use of landline is still viable but the evolving world of technology where almost 70% of their customers is sitting in front of the computer gives the company bright ideas to establish their relation with them, with their customers own convenience. 2.1.3 Threats Many companies are bothered by the high competition and Pizza Hut is not different from those companies. Competition really gets the firms to push their limitations and boost up the needed investment just to answer the risky competition. Pizza Hut is also concerned with their customer satisfaction and most of the extensive research and development is allotted to the needs of the customers. The roles of prices, promotions, advertisement, and delivery systems make the competition too risky and lead the customer in some series of confusion. When there are many options, the customers find it hard to choose and sometimes lead to dissatisfaction. 2.2 Market share In the near of the place have a Pizza Hut. Their business is good from many customer. There are many ways to other a pizza and their add-ons in Pizza Hut. The customer can choose whether the order can be made by call or by online. In call ordering, the customer will dial a specific number that been assigned for pizza hut call centre. Here, a customer will be asked about their name and address. The detail will be stored in a database therefore when the same customer call again, their address are already been identified. The customer then can state their order and the staff that work in call centre will double check the order for confirmation. The staff will detail the time of delivery and the price for the customer to stand by. After a certain time, the order will be delivered to the customer. The customer will pay the price and enjoyed the pizza. For online ordering, IT infrastructures are totally involved. The customer needs to log in to Pizza Hut (Malaysia) website using internet. From there, they need to log in. If the customer is a first time using the services, therefore, the customer needs to register. In the registration, the customer will need to fill up a form that asked about the details of the customer such as name, identity card(IC), address, phone number and others important details and will be stored in a database. The interesting fact that using online ordering in Pizza Hut is that the customer can save their favorite choice of menus for future order. Then, the customer will state the order and check the order before checkout. After checkout, the customer will need to pay using Maybank2U.com.my. A transaction authorization code (TAC) is needed for security reason. After payment had been settled, there will be an email sent it to the customer to confirming the order had been received. The customer will received the order by delivery within hour or on the specific date that been selected by the customer itself. Why are there good of business The fast food self-service concept like KFC, McDonalds, AW and Marrybrown seemed to draw more lunch time crowd compared with Pizza Huts dine-in concept of catering mainly to dinner crowd. This causes a major restaurant space slag and wasted capacity due to timing difference. But then, Pizza Hut Malaysia is part of KFC and strategically, this is a niche over second generation type of restaurant practiced by Dominos Pizza What Pizza Hut may attempt to do is to introduce a fast food lunch package consisting of a slice of pizza, garlic bread, coleslaw/salad and a Pepsi and pricing the lunch pack equal or cheaper to the fast food counterpart to draw lunchtime crowd. Most office workers have only one hour and speed of service is key to its success. This will definitely increase sales turnover and eventually proliferate the pizza eating culture in Malaysia. Pizza Hut restaurants are centrally located and combine modern dà ©cor with the atmosphere of a classic, traditional restaurant. The comfort of our restaurants, their carefully designed lighting and modern music, create an attractive environment. All our restaurants have air conditioning. Our sanitation network and our strict adherence to the rules of the health inspectorate ensure that all our restaurants are clean and hygienic. Conclusion Pizza Hut has many targets which it has achieve in a given period of time. The time-period is mostly a tear. Therefore, in order to fulfill the targets different strategies are adopted by Pizza Hut. It can be concluded that these strategies have been successful and there is flexibility in the strategies, as they can be changed with the changes in the market conditions as well as the targets. Pizza Hut has built the strong reputation of its brand throw giving the quality products and earned the respect from its customers. Its innovation and quality with commitment took higher and higher during past few years. But still the company is planning to go and capture more market share. The employees and the management know what they have to attained through the targets which have been put to them and the plans they have assumed help them recognize the way they will accomplish the objectives. Similarly, Pizza Hut has diverse targets set to the mand they have adopted different strategies to su ccessfully achieve the targets set. 1.0 Introduction The factors which influence a decision are also termed as its environment. The environment can be Internal, can be controlled by the organization; Micro, specific to the industry and is different for different industries; and lastly Macro, generic in nature and impacts the whole business environment. The Macro Environment includes all the factors which are external to the firm and which cannot be controlled by the organization. And also they are not specific to any industry but influence all the firms but the influence may be at different level. As a Marketing manager, on musty have knowledge of different factors which influences the marketing decision of a firm, And also since they are not controllable, one must adjust the decisions as per the changes in the environment. The Important factors comprising the Macro Environment of Marketing are Demographic, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Natural, Technological and Political-Legal. Influence of each factor shall be discussed in detail in the following parameters. 2.0 Macro-environment factors would impact on the operation of Pizza Hut of Malaysia 2.1 Demographic factors The demographic factors in the take-out pizza industry have provided new positive opportunities for companies in the industry. Now day, Pizza hut have many ways to order. Many people like to use the number specially to order the pizza from Pizza Hut. Pizza Huts general market segment is younger generation. But they go wide in this thing. They segment high incomes and business class families which can spend money on the best pizza sin the market. Pizza Huts global slogan is also describing its market segmentation that is Now its time to eat more. But in Pakistan, the slogan is Share the good times. Main age group is12-30 years. Pizza Hut Pakistan offers Halal foods to all its customers. Pizza Huts general market segment is younger generation. But they go wide in this thing. They segment high incomes and business class families which can spend money on the best pizzas in the market. Pizza Huts global slogan is also describing its market segmentation that is Now its time to eat more. Bu t in Pakistan, the slogan is Share the good times. Main age group is 12-30 years. Pizza Hut Pakistan offers Halal foods to all its customers. 2.2 Economic environment Economic environment is the factors that affect consumer buying power and spending patterns. For Pizza Hut, this part is concerned to the overall perspective for the economy. The macro economy of a nation has a huge impact on a business such as Pizza Hut. Factors in the economy include the gross domestic products, the unemployment and inflation rates, the foreign trade deficit and surplus. If the overall economy of a country is not favourable, lesser people will franchise Pizza Hut because they will most likely loss a great amount of money instead obtaining profits. 2.3 Natural environment Pizza Hut for being the first mainstream fast food chain to jump on the Natural wagon. I saw an advertisement today for Pizza Huts new Natural pizza. Whats so natural about this pizza. 1. Multi-Grain Crust (note not organic, not whole wheat, but a multitude of grains) 2. Sauce made-with organic tomatoes 3. Choice of new natural toppings (which from the images they showed consists of sliced tomatoes and begs the question are the rest of the toppings not-natural?) 4. All-Natural mozzarella cheese Its just yet another example of the bastardization of the term natural. Junk food purveyors of the world are all racing to slap the term natural on their packaging to win the hearts, taste buds and market share of pseudo-conscious consumers. 2.4 Technological environment The technological environment is about the new technology creates new markets and opportunities, replaces existing products and service. Also to research and development activity drives this sector, country spending on RD. Other than that, technological environment include government programs to encourage more and government agencies to regulate new product safety. The fast changes in technology nowadays have far-reaching effects in the business. The factors that have a huge impact are the research and development, internet and e-commerce, and new technologies. The research and development has effects on the business of Pizza Hut because through RD new products are developed for the business, the internet and e-commerce also contributes to the technological factors because through them customers can give feedback regarding the products of Pizza Hut which can also aid in the research and development, and the service of the company. Political environment Political environment is about laws, government agencies, and pressure groups, influence and limit organizations and individuals within a society, increasing legislation. And also increased emphasis on ethics and social responsibility. Business legislation is used to protect consumers, businesses, and the interests of society. It is the most difficult from the four factors because the attitudes and beliefs of people are difficult to quantify. Aside from the attitudes and beliefs, demographic factors such as population and life expectancy are also important aspects in the analysis of the social factors. The influence of the values and beliefs affects the business of Pizza Hut. For example in India beef or pork is not served in the Pizza. The changing trends in the taste of the consumers also play an important role in the external analysis of the environment. If the current trend in the society is being health conscious, thus consumers will demand that the foods be healthy. Its most di fficult from the four factors because the attitudes and beliefs of people are difficult to quantity. Aside from the attitudes and beliefs, demographic factors such as population and life expectancy are also important aspects in the analysis of the social factors. The influence of the values and beliefs affects the business of Pizza Hut. The changing trends in the taste of the consumers also play an important role in the external analysis of the environment, if the current trend in food is thai. Therefore Pizza Hut can add an additional food such as vietnarnese or thai soups. If the current treand in the society is being health conscious, thus consumers will demand that the food be healty. Cultural environment Cultural environment is an institutions and other forces that influence. Societys basic values, perceptions, preferences, and behaviours. Core beliefs passed on through family, reinforced by institutions and secondary beliefs are more open to change. Sometimes that peoples views of, themselves, others organizations, society, nature and the universe. Each country has its own specific culture which is called National Culture and can be defined as : The values, belief, attitude and norms shared by individuals from a specific country that shape their behavior and beliefs about what is important? Every global organization has its own culture which is called Organizational Culture. Pizza Hut manages in global environment by giving more importance and emphasis to the national culture than its own culture. 3.0 Conclusion Pizza Hut is company who business model had stood the test of time. Today they are an industry giant with name recognition and restaurants spanning the globe. The company has been able to retain market share despite efforts by competitors due to introduction of new products and services and the customer focus. Pizza Hut strives to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty. They created a system in order to receive customer feedback in order to improve service. They also created a bonus structure which makes individual store managers focus on the customer experience. The bonus structure needs to be restructure to avoid the current situation of managers of poor performing stores receiving bonuses while managers of very profitable stores, receiving less if not nothing at all. The focus on the customer experience is a contributing attribute which separates the company from the rest of the competition. If your customer is satisfied and feels you are delivering good value, then loyalty will grow your business. A loyal, satisfied customer, is you best form of advertising. And also they are not specific to any industry but influence all the firms but the influence may be at different level.

Employee Benefits Required By Law Essay -- essays research papers

Employee Benefits Required by Law The legally required employee benefits constitute nearly a quarter of the benefits package that employers provide. These benefits include employer contributions to Social Security, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance. Altogether such benefits represent about twenty-one and half percent of payroll costs. Social Security Social Security is the federally administered insurance system. Under current federal laws, both employer and employee must pay into the system, and a certain percentage of the employee’s salary is paid up to a maximum limit. Social Security is mandatory for employees and employers. The most noteworthy exceptions are state and local government employees. The Social Security Act was passed in 1935. It provides an insurance plan designed to indemnify covered individuals against loss of earnings resulting from various causes. This loss of earnings may result from retirement, unemployment, disability, or the case of dependents, the death of the person supporting them. Social Security does not pay off except in the case where a loss of income through loss of employment actually is incurred. In order to be eligible for old age and survivors insurance (OASI) as well as disability and unemployment insurance under the Social Security Act, an individual must have been engaged in employment covered by the Act. Most employment in private enterprise, most types of self-employment, active military service after 1956 and employment in certain nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies are subject to coverage under the Act. Railroad workers and United States civil service employees who are covered by their own systems and some occupation al groups, under certain conditions, are exempted form the Act. The Social Security Program is supported by means of a tax levied against an employee’s earnings which must be matched buy the employer. Self-employed persons are required to pay a tax on their earnings at a rate, which is higher than that paid by employees but less than the combined rates paid by employees and their employers. In order to receive old age insurance benefits, a person must have reached retirement age and be fully insured. ... ...evel is inclined to encourage disabled employees to return to work. Another potential problem is that agencies must deal only with the one authorized "insurer." In most private insurance markets, the amount of prevention services is used as a device to attract and retain customers. It is not clear whether the Office of Workers 'Compensation Programs has any incentive to offer these key services. Occupational health and safety is as important a regulatory issue today as it was in the early 20th century, when it was at the vanguard of government intervention in the labor market. We should clearly be using all available devices for improving the operation of the labor market. Because employees will be compensated for their occupational injuries, it is necessary to take full advantage of the financing of that compensation system in order to create incentives for prevention. The financing arrangements now in use are quite strong, but reinforcing prevention incentives has nev er been viewed as their primary purpose. Recognition of this preventive incentive role and attention to its improvement will serve to improve the occupational health and safety of American workers.

My Bigger :: essays research papers

My Bigger   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Richard Wrights â€Å"Native Son† he magnificently describes how he came about of configuring Bigger. He used four specific people to create Bigger. Wright chose people that stood up for themselves almost to a fault. All of the people did have bad ends, but were nevertheless influential in Wright’s, life good or bad. Wright drew from his personal experiences with these people to manufacture Bigger reactions. There were many social circumstances that held Bigger back from succeeding, like poverty, the depression and even his own stubbornness. Bigger was just reacting to his surrounding like Wright’s people did, a good example of this is when Bigger kills the rat and keeps hitting it. That relates with when Bigger No. 5 drew the knife on the streetcar driver asking him to move to the colored car, and he said â€Å"Make me.† My people I’m going to talk about didn’t have to deal with such hardships, but did deal with more n ational and social challenges.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My Bigger No.1 had a great influence and impact on my life for 17 years and still going. He was born in the first year of the baby boom era. His childhood was good and privileged but it was when he got out of high school when things changed. He did go to college for a half year and flunked out. The country was in a transition period from the mid 60’s to the late 70’s and Bigger No.1 was right in the middle of it and old enough to be affected by it all. And at this time if a man from 18 to 25 wasn’t in college he had to get into the reserves or go to Vietnam where he might die. Bigger No.1 had missed the registration date for the reserves. He didn’t believe in the war and had no intensions of going to it. He was afraid like many men were then, especially if they didn’t like the cause. His father had been in WWII and had nearly died (when he and another man were walking side by side in the jungle they somehow switched places and tw o step later the other man was killed by a sniper). Bigger No. 1’s father was in the Army and he did get into the reserves, one month late. Bigger No.1 had to spend 4 years in the reserve. Now this wasn’t the hard part, it was what was in the middle.

The Effects of Kates Birthmark in Jill McCorkles Ferris Beach :: McCorkle Ferris Beach Essays

The Effects of Kate's Birthmark in Jill McCorkle's Ferris Beach "'It's a birthmark', my mother said over and over. 'Lots of people have birthmarks'"(p.44). In Jill McCorkle's Ferris Beach, Kate Burns has a birthmark. The presence of her birthmark causes Kate to be shy and self-conscious. It is her weak spot, affecting how she perceives both herself and others. Because of the focus Kate's birthmark draws to her face, she places great importance on appearance. Kate's stress on the way things look affects her relationships with everyone around her and especially the women in her life. Through most of the novel, Kate's relationship with her mother is clouded by her relationships with Mo Rhodes and Angela. It is not until Kate is able to look past mere appearances and see these women clearly for what they are, that her relationship with her own mother can begin to grow and develop. Kate hates her birthmark. Even more, she hates her mother's attitude about her birthmark. Kate desperately wants someone to blame for her birthmark and someone to have pity for her. She "always wanted to say that if it was a birthmark it must be her [Cleva's] fault"(p.44). Her mother, however, is unsympathetic and explains, "I just want her to see that she can't let this ruin her life; there are things we just have to accept"(p.48). Kate's mother tries to constantly remind her that things could be worse and she shouldn't whine. But during her early childhood years, Kate's birthmark does affect her and it is hard for her to accept. Kate feels that her birthmark is an open invitation for others to hurt her. She becomes extremely self-conscious as she puts up with teasing by Merle Hucks and R.W. Quincy. Covering her face with her hand becomes an automatic reaction. Kate's attitude about her birthmark and her attitude towards her mother become a source of tension in their relationship. S he hates that her mom simply will not apologize for the birthmark.. Kate begins to hate her mother for her lack of compassion and so she seeks other women with which to form bonds. Mo Rhodes and Angela become substitutes to compensate for the close relationship that Kate lacks with her own mother. Mo Rhodes is the epitome of a "cool" mom. When the Rhodes' move in across the street, Kate is intrigued by Mo and overwhelmed by the chance to get to know Misty, a friend her own age.

What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up

Ever since I was small, people always ask me â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up? † I used crayons to illustrate my dream career. My drawing was hung in the hallways for my parents to see. I remember the typical careers of my kindergarden class- ballerinas, firefighters, singers, and astronauts. I remembered mine. My picture showed a stick figure with black hair holding a mic. Underneath the beautiful drawing, I wrote â€Å"When I grow up, I want to be a singer. To this day I can still remember my youth self wanting to sing and perform on a big stage. When I was younger, questions like this were asked very often. I answered these types of questions with silliness, never thought it was likely to come true. However, as I am getting older, I realized that now I'm suppose to answer this question with confidence and mean what I say. Teenagers are expected to know exactly what they want to be and should be able to give good reasons why. Now that I am a teenager, I still d on't exactly know what I want to be.Doctors, lawyers, dentists, business managers are all great jobs; however, I don't think my parents or any parents in fact, had ever sat down with their children and ask them â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up? † If I have to answer this question, I would say â€Å"happy†. All I want to do in my grown up life is to be happy. In my opinion, if you hate your career, it's mostly unlikely for you to enjoy it. The fun part of being an adult is that you get to choose who you want to be and make your own decisions.Happiness isn't something you can buy with money. I feel like society today is all about money. The so called â€Å"good† jobs are usually the jobs that make the most money. I know money is pretty powerful, but it still has its limits. Money can't buy us happiness nor health. In my opinion, being happy isn't as easy to achieve as people think. Sometimes, it is even possible for happiness to spread. Being happy is n't going to be easy in any way, sometimes people underestimate the power of happiness. Therefore, my dream for now is to be happy when I grow up.But my ultimate goal in my life is to make everyone around me happy, I want to bring happiness in the people I love. I don't have a specific plan to determine how I'm going to make everyone happy but all I know now is that if you are not happy yourself, no one around will be happy. Happiness is a destination for everyone. We may want to try different paths in life, but I think we all want to be happy wherever we end up. Life is rough sometimes, but if you are optimistic about it, you will concur your failure. Happiness.

Norwegian Wood by The Beatles: Song Analysis

The song opens with a sweepingly catchy acoustic melody that seamlessly evokes sense of nostalgic longing. This feeling of sadness and reflection permeates throughout the piece. While the arrangement is actually quite complex, the music appears stripped down to the casual listener; the song is centered around a mall lick performed simultaneously on acoustic guitar and sitar, which Is Introduced at the beginning and decidedly does not evolve into anything beyond this. The simplistic structure brings to mind a sensation of loneliness, which is heightened by Lemon's yearning vocals.The soothing melody can be described as dreamlike, and the petition is used to almost hypnotic effect, succeeding in ministering the concentrated listener into a peaceful, contemplative daze. The short length of the song Is somewhat Jarring (It ends just after two minutes) because Just as the listener has been subdued by the Infectious melody, they are abandoned by It just as quickly. It feels as though there should be more; as if there is something missing. I would argue, however, that this is exactly the effect The Battles intended, as it adds to the ambiguous nature of the song. The production of the song, courtesy of GeorgeMartin, succeeds in bringing the contagious melody to the forefront of the experience, all the while allowing the rest of the Instruments sufficient clarity. Ambiguity Is also achieved through the song's lyrics, which describe a seemingly clandestine love affair between Lennox and an unnamed woman. The song opens with the line: â€Å"I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me†, suggesting that not only is the relationship mysterious to the listener, but also inconclusive to the man involved in it. The lyrics continue to outline a strained evening of the couple talking, ranking wine, and eventually going to bed in separate rooms.Much speculation has been made as to what the song Is actually about, especially the final lines; â€Å"And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown / So 1 11th a fire, Isn't It good, Norwegian wood. † Some believe that the fire being lit is a joint of marijuana, or that the man burns the house down after the woman makes him sleep in the bath. In The Battles Anthology, Lennox says of the lyrics: ‘Norwegian Wood' was about an affair I was having. I was very careful and paranoid because I didn't want my wife, CCNY, to know that there really was something owing on outside the household.I'd always had some kind of affairs going, so I was trying to De sophisticated In writing auto an tall, out In sun a smokescreen way that you couldn't tell. (196) Like many of The Battles' innovations in sound, the incorporation of the sitar came from spontaneous experimentation. In The Battles Anthology, George Harrison recalls: I went and bought a sitar from a little shop at the top of Oxford Street called Antiaircraft – it stocked little carvings, and incense. It was a real crummy-quality one, a ctually, but I bought it and mucked around with it a bit.Anyway;ay, we were at the mint where we'd recorded the ‘Norwegian Wood' backing track (twelve-string and six- string acoustic, bass and drums) and it needed something. We would usually start looking through the cupboard to see if we could come up with something, a new sound, and I picked the sitar up – it was Just lying around; I hadn't really figured out what to do with it. It was quite spontaneous: I found the notes that played the lick. It fitted and it worked. (196) â€Å"Norwegian Wood† is the second track on Rubber Soul, following the upbeat â€Å"Drive My Car† and is followed by the also light-hearted muff Won't See Me†.